ArcaMax

Clean Grillin'

I’ve never been that fond of the grill. I think I can trace it back to when I was about 20 years old. I bought a charcoal grill that came in a box. I had to put it together. Even with perfectly clear directions, it still took me five hours to get that thing ready to cook a hotdog. It wasn’t the most expensive grill so it didn’t last more than one summer, either. I was so disappointed.

I’ve always had a healthy respect and even a fear of propane. Now that we have a gas grill I’m never the one to change the tank. I leave that to my husband.

Some people grill out all year round. I used to be that kind of person. When I lived in Madison, Wisconsin, we had our grill on a big, concrete back porch. It was easy to buzz out the back door to grill a steak. You could stay warm and cozy and just bolt out to turn the steak at the proper moment.

Ever since I was a little kid I remember the day that the grill got cleaned was a big, dirty deal. Now I realize you really shouldn’t wait for a big day to clean the grill. It should be done much more often than that. But as a kid I can remember my mom getting out the bucket, the big rubber gloves, a hose and cleaner. I think she used oven cleaner on the grates. I can still conjure up that smell and see the grit and grease and...

Read the full column at PlanZDiet.com

Italian Burgers

Related Recipes at PlanZDiet.com:
Barbecue Burgers
Famous Burger Meatloaf

This is a ZReduction recipe. This is a great way to spice up a plain burger. Make it Italian-inspired. I found a recipe online and it just about perfectly lines up with Plan Z.

To make this burger taste extra special, consider topping it with a soup spoonful of spaghetti sauce. You can find one with no sugar in the spaghetti sauce aisle. Just be prepared to read a lot of labels before you find one with no sugar, or I suggest you grab the Rao’s brand. I know that one has no sugar. Just subtract a bit of your veggie portion to compensate for the sauce.

You can grill these outside or in a grill pan in the house.

Serves: 2 to 3 depending on how big you make your burgers.

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground sirloin (93% lean or more)
1 Tbl of Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp of garlic powder
½ cup of minced onion. I used shallot but you can use either shallot or regular onion.
A grate of sea salt to taste
A grate of black pepper to taste
½ tsp of Italian seasoning

Directions:

Mix all of this into the ground sirloin in a bowl. Really get your hands into it and mix in the ingredients. Then form into three six-ounce patties or two big eight-ounce ones.

Let them sit for at least 30 minutes to meld the flavors. You can even make them in the morning and put them in the fridge. They will have full flavor when you come home to make them.

Spray both sides of your burger and heat your pan or grill. Grill three to four minutes per side depending on how you like your burger. This will make them medium-ish.

Don’t mess with them a lot. The more you press on them and flip them around, the tougher they become. Just let them cook.

Serving ideas: You can have raw or cooked onion, tomato and lettuce with these. You can top with mustard or a bit of ketchup. Don’t forget the spaghetti sauce idea, too.

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola