Chinese Five-Spice Burgers with Asian Slaw

I'm grateful for a lot of things, but living in the days of gas grills is a major perk. I remember watching my dad throw charcoal in the old potbelly Weber and then waiting, waiting, and waiting! Of course the flavor is even more outstanding than using gas, but as a busy mom, I generally lean towards quick and convenient. They may look similar to the fajita burgers I did last week, but the flavors couldn't be more different!

*photobomb :) Just look at those adorable fingers!

There's nothing like a good-old juicy American burger, but stuffing it full of Asian flavor is a great way to change things up. Since we have burgers about once a week over here, it's essential to make it seem like we aren't eating the same meal over and over again!

If you've never had Chinese 5-Spice, it's heavily flavored with anise which reminds me of fennel and licorice. Very different than your average Italian spices. You can find it in your average grocery store spice section.

The Asian slaw is simple but gets a lot of intensity from garlic and ginger. My mouth is still tingly in a very pleasant way. I'm sure you could use powdered ginger, but I beg you, get the real deal this time!

Chinese 5-Spice Burgers with Asian Slaw
Yield: 4 burgers

1 small carrot, trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces, and julienned (matchstick size pieces)
1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
1 scallion (green onion), green parts thinly sliced into rounds
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1/2-inch knob of ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
3/4 teaspoons liquid aminos, tamari, or soy sauce
Pinch of sea salt
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 hamburger buns

In a small bowl, combine the carrot, bell pepper, scallion, garlic, ginger, mayonnaise, liquid aminos, and sea salt to taste.

In a medium bowl, sprinkle ground beef with Chinese 5 spice powder and salt. Evenly distribute with your hands, but don't over mix. Divide into four equal portions and flatten into patties.

Preheat a grill on medium and allow to heat for 10 minutes. Alternatively, prepare a sturdy pan (cast iron is ideal) over medium heat with a tablespoon of fat.

Grill burgers until desired doneness. My ideal time is 5 minutes, flip, and 4 more minutes. Stovetop time may vary. If you want to grill the buns, throw them over indirect heat for a few moments just before the burgers are done.

Serve on a bun and top with a healthy serving of slaw.

Roasted Pistachio and White Chocolate Ice Cream

This dirty-dog-ice-cream-obsession is back! In all honesty, it never left. Even though it's only the middle of May, I've probably already made more ice cream than all of last summer. So far: Peanut Butter, Strawberry, Caramelized Almond, and Pumpkin Pie. Let's call it a good thing because it's been (mostly) keeping me out of the custard shops.

A little tiramisu temptation did happen this weekend, but there are no regrets! I figure the money I saved shopping at garage sales and calories burned hopping in and out of the car, I deserved it.

I generally stick to the usual/classic ice cream flavors because they're safe. Not being a huge fan of the fake pistachio so common in desserts, I knew I had to give the real deal a chance. It doesn't end up looking even remotely green and is incomparable to the processed pistachio flavor. In a good way. In fact, the ground pistachios look downright appalling. Don't get nervous! Everything balances out...The appeal is in the flavor, not the color this time.

So much nuttiness, it's almost odd, but my hubby raved about this one. Because he's fairly conservative in his praise, you know it's a gem. The white chocolate gives it just enough sweetness to feel like a dessert.

Roasted Pistachio and White Chocolate Ice Cream
Yield: about 1 quart
Adapted from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home

1/2 cup shelled pistachios
2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) softened cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (omit if using salted pistachios)
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup white chocolate chips, chopped if desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread pistachios out on a small baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until they give off a nutty fragrance.

Transfer pistachios to a food processor and process until a smooth paste forms.

In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of milk with the cornstarch until no lumps remain.

In a medium heat-proof bowl, whisk together the pistachio, cream cheese, and salt (if using).

Place the remaining milk, heavy cream, sugar, and honey into a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and boil for 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and gently whisk in the cornstarch. If the cornstarch has settled in the small bowl, you may have to give it another whisk before pouring it into the hot milk.

Put the saucepan back on medium heat and cook until thickened slightly.

Slowly pour into the bowl holding the pistachio cream, whisking constantly. Whisk in the vanilla extract and allow to cool in the refrigerator until fully chilled, at least a few hours.

Process the cold custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers directions. I have the KitchenAid attachment and usually stir it for 20-25 minutes. When transferring to a freezer container, layer in the white chocolate. Freeze for at least 3-4 hours and allow to soften for a few minutes on the counter before scooping.

Fajita Burgers with Avocado Lime Sour Cream

Since my hubby is obsessed with fajitas, we have them semi-frequently, but with burger season coming up, I prefer to cook outside whenever possible. These fajita burgers make us both happy. Even using an ultra-lean meat won't dry out these burgers. Packing the middle with cheese and stirring in diced red peppers means you can have burgers that won't shrink up or dry out.

I used my standard fajita seasoning and stirred that into the burgers, then grilled the burgers and vegetables. Cooking on the stovetop, even with a cast iron pan (which I do frequently in the winter) is so marginal compared to actual grilling. The flavors seem so much more smoky and fresh.

Bonus: There was extra avocado lime sour cream, so I covered my face with it and relaxed for 30 minutes. Normally, I'd just smear my face with avocado, lime, or sour cream so I figured it would be a triple whammy to use them all at the same time. The avocado adds lots of juicy moisture and the lime and sour cream do some gentle exfoliation.

Ta da! Gorgeous skin, ready for spring! I'm so ready to shed that dry, flaky winter skin. And eat piles of burgers...



Fajita Burgers with Avocado Lime Sour Cream
Yield: 4 burgers


1 pound lean ground beef
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 red bell pepper, 2 tablespoons finely minced and the remainder cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
Cheddar cheese, for stuffing
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
1/2 red onion, sliced into 1/4-inch half moons
Few grinds of pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 ripe avocado
1/2 cup sour cream
Juice from half of a lime (about 1 tablespoon)
4 hamburger buns

In a medium bowl, gently mix together the beef, cumin, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and the minced red bell pepper with your hands. Form into four patties, filling the middle with a small square of cheddar cheese.

Combine the remaining red bell pepper in a medium bowl with the green bell pepper, onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and olive oil.

Mash the avocado in a small bowl with a fork, then stir in the sour cream and lime juice.

Preheat a grill to medium or place a skillet on your stove top set to medium heat. If you have a vegetable grilling basket, you can use that on the grill as well.

Grill the burgers and vegetables on the lower rack about 8-10 minutes, flipping and stirring halfway through. The timing will be similar on the stove, but you will have to cook the meat and vegetables separately or use two pans and additional oil for greasing the pan.

Top the burgers with the avocado lime sour cream and fajita vegetables to serve.

Date-Sweetened Granola with Peanut Butter, Coconut, and Dried Fruit

Are you happy this isn't another ice cream recipe? I'm slightly burned out and maybe that will last through the next few days.

The peanut butter flavor is subtle and acts as more of a binder than anything. My favorite part about store-bought granola is when they have the large crunchy chunks. For whatever reason, you'll get those with this recipe. I guess the stars aligned for me while coming up with this granola.

Hands down the best way to eat this (in my humble opinion) is sprinkled over yogurt. Even better if you have some fresh fruit to toss in. This is one of the only breakfast options that beats out eggs. Whenever it's in the house, I eat it for breakfast and snack on it throughout the day until it's gone. That tends to horrify my hubby who is at work all day...When I was pregnant, a massive part of my diet was yogurt and granola because it was summer in Florida and it was almost physically painful to turn on the stove.

This is not overly sweet granola, so the dried fruit really punches up the sweetness factor. Normally, I sweeten my granola with honey or maple syrup and although fantastic, it's nice to have an even less concentrated source of sugar. Hence the dates!

Since the dates need to be cooked down and the coconut needs to be toasted, this has a few extra steps beyond the average "combine and stir" granola. It's still simple and quick, so don't let that scare you.


Date-Sweetened Granola with Peanut Butter, Coconut, and Dried Fruit
Yield: about 4 cups
Inspired by Naturally Ella

1 cup water
10 pitted dates
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup assorted raw nuts, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup dried fruit (berries, cranberries, and cherries are my favorites)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Bring a small saucepan with water and dates to a rapid boil over high heat. Lower heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally until it is the consistency of chunky applesauce. Allow to cool and puree in a blender or food processor. Pour into a small bowl with the peanut butter, coconut oil, cinnamon, and salt.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, and chia seeds. Then pour the date mixture over the oats and stir until evenly combined.

Spread in a thin layer on a cookie sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes stirring halfway through and checking closely near the end to make sure it doesn't burn.

While the granola is baking, pour the coconut flakes into a large dry saucepan and place over medium heat. Toss and stir frequently until the coconut turns a light brown color and becomes fragrant. Remove from heat and quickly transfer to a container to stop the browning.

Pour the coconut flakes and dried fruit over the warm granola and allow to cool before transferring to an airtight container.

Peanut Butter Honey Ice Cream with Chocolate Flecks

Should I be apologizing for all the ice cream lately? Like this and this? 

Nah. I'm not really sorry.

When you eat a lot of ice cream, you have to compensate with a lot of running.

Thankfully last weekend I ran a race in Minneapolis with my hubby. My sister-in-law had to work at the last minute, so I took her place. I've been training for a half marathon in the beginning of June, but I'm not capable of the full distance yet. So I figured I'd run it as a long training run, keeping him running at my pace for a few miles (thanks hon!), and duck out early before I injured myself.

They were running a 10K at the same time so I ended up running that distance, but I had a half marathon bib. As I got closer to the finish line, I could hear a buzz of people thinking I was actually the first woman to finish the half. I wish! It sure pushed me to kick it in at the end. All that false recognition went to my head a little! Felt smooth and fast for maybe the first time ever.

Back to the real reason you're here: I've always wondered how they got shards of chocolate in ice cream. Keep reading and you'll see. The peanut butter taste is not overpowering and the ice cream stays rich and creamy. The more days it spends in the freezer the harder it will become. Serving it after just a few hours in the freezer is ideal.

I'm so in love with these sugar-free ice creams, but unfortunately I have to share them with my hubby. Two scoops wasn't nearly enough!

Peanut Butter Honey Ice Cream with Chocolate Flecks
Yield: 1 quart
Adapted from Tartelette

4 large egg yolks
1/3 cup honey
Pinch of sea salt
1/3 cup of creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg yolks, honey, salt, and peanut butter until glossy and smooth.

Combine the milk and cream in a large saucepan over medium heat and bring to a light boil.

Gradually whisk the hot milk into the eggs then transfer everything back to the saucepan over medium heat. Stir the custard with a wooden spoon and remove from heat when it thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon.

Transfer to an airtight container (with the lid not completely closed) and refrigerate overnight. You can secure the lid once the custard cools.

Make the ice cream using your very cold custard according to the directions for your ice cream maker.

Once the custard is whirling away in your machine, melt the chocolate in a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water then remove from heat.

Once the ice cream is finished (25 minutes for me), slowly drizzle in the melted chocolate while the machine is running. This allows the ice cream to freeze the chocolate into shards. Remove from the ice cream maker and transfer to a freezer-safe airtight container, giving it a few gentle stirs to distribute the chocolate if necessary.

Remove from the freezer about 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Strawberry Ice Cream Cups

I can finally feel spring arriving! Just this morning I planted my very first vegetable garden. It's small but I'm ruthlessly optimistic...

Anxiously waiting for the farmer's markets to start popping up, young grass to sprout, and trees to start unleashing their leaves is maddening. Finding strawberries that aren't astronomically priced really helps move that feeling along. Not that chocolate isn't fantastic year-round, but berries must take priority when they're fresh and cheap. And what better way to enjoy them than in homemade ice cream?

Finding Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home in the used bookstore was probably my find of the season. So far, I'd recommend it highly! The ice cream still comes out nice and creamy without using egg yolks and an overnight rest in the refrigerator. Anything that can be done to shorten the time from custard-to-cone is worth trying, especially when you don't have to sacrifice flavor.

I'd recommend serving these with a little extra berry puree, whipped cream, and fresh berries. But there's nothing boring about having them plain either.

Don't let the fairly pale color of this ice cream fool you. The berries truly shine and the flavor is more intense than you'd expect.

Strawberry Ice Cream Cups
Yield: 12 servings
Adapted from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home

*Make sure if you have a ice cream maker that uses a frozen canister, it has been in the freezer for at least 24 hours.

Ice Cream
1 lb. strawberries, washed, hulled, and sliced in 1/2-inch slices
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 ounces (4 tablespoons) cream cheese, softened
Pinch of sea salt
1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
2/3 cups sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup buttermilk or 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice + 1/4 cup whole milk (if using lemon juice and milk, stir together at least 10 minutes before using)
Crust
13 Oreos
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Strawberries for serving, optional
Whipping cream for serving, optional


For the ice cream:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Stir the strawberries and 1/4 cup sugar in an 8 x 8-inch baking pan and bake for 8-10 minutes or until berries are soft and some juice has accumulated in the pan.

Allow to cool slightly and transfer to the bowl of a food processor with the lemon juice. Process until smooth. Reserve 1/2 cup of puree for the ice cream and refrigerate the remainder in an airtight container for serving and other uses. Try using it to flavor plain yogurt or pour over pancakes.

In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of milk and the cornstarch until no lumps remain.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream cheese and sea salt.

In a large saucepan over medium high heat, bring the remaining milk and whipping cream, sugar, and honey to a rolling boil while stirring frequently. Once it boils, continue stirring for another 4 minutes and remove from the heat.

Gradually add the cornstarch while whisking constantly. Return to the heat and bring back to a boil for about 1 minute while stirring constantly.

Slowly pour the hot milk into the cream cheese bowl and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the 1/2 cup of puree and buttermilk.

Transfer to the refrigerator and allow to cool until chilled through, stirring occasionally to speed up the process.

For the crust:
While the custard is cooling, you can start the crusts.


Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Pulse the Oreos in a food processor until it forms small crumbs. Add in the melted butter and pulse until evenly incorporated and the crumbs begin to stick together in larger chunks. They should be glossy and sticky.

Evenly divide the crumbs between 12-cup muffin pan. Press down with your fingertips, forming a slight depression in the middle.

Bake for 5-7 minutes then transfer to the freezer.

To assemble:
Process your ice cream according to your machine directions.

Top each crust with ice cream until the well is full. Smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Work quickly and place the pan back in the freezer as soon as possible.

Freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.

To remove from the pan, run hot water over a washcloth and wring out. Rub the bottom and sides of the muffin tin to release the ice cream. You may have to run a knife around the edges as well and work it out with the tip of your knife.

Serve topped with fresh berries, whipping cream whipped to soft peaks, or additional strawberry puree.

Cashew Chicken Stir Fry (Guest Post on Savory Lotus)

Today I have the honor of doing a guest post for Katja over at Savory Lotus. I made her and her followers some grain-free cashew chicken stir fry. Katja has all kinds of paleo, grain-free, and healthy recipes, so I know you'll find something delicious while digging around in her recipe archives! You can find this recipe here.