Cherry Burgers with Cherry Ketchup

This is another recipe from EatingWell.com that I waited too long to make.  I had bought, pitted and frozen a bunch of cherries at the beginning of the summer but I wasn't ready to make these until last night.  The cherries added some moisture to the burgers and gave the meat a delicate flavor of cherry.  After making them once, I would recommend putting the dried cherries into your food processor to chop them.  I had a hard time trying to chop them by hand.  It was surprising to me that the recipe did not require any egg but the burgers did not fall apart even without it.  I did slightly change the recipe.  I used Panko breadcrumbs instead of the whole wheat breadcrumbs called for in the recipe because I had a box in my pantry.

I think you will really like the cherry ketchup.  I don't know about you but I had never thought about ketchup as anything but the good old tomato ketchup that is available at the grocery store.  This cherry ketchup has a really different flavor.  There is plenty left over to try with other things.  I served the burgers with sweet potato waffle fries.

Cherry Burgers

Ingredients

12 ounces lean ground beef

1/2 cup dried cherries, finely chopped

1/2 cup coarse dry whole-wheat breadcrumbs, (or Panko breadcrumbs)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

4 whole-wheat English muffins, split

4 lettuce leaves

1/4 cup Cherry Ketchup, (recipe follows)

Preparation

1. Preheat grill to medium (see Broiler Variation).
2. Place beef in a large bowl and gently mix in cherries, breadcrumbs, garlic, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper until combined. Divide into 4 equal portions and form into 1/2-inch-thick patties. Make a slight impression in the center of each. (This is so the patties cook evenly and don’t puff up.)
3. Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill the patties until browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 160°F, 5 to 6 minutes per side.
4. Toast English muffins. Drain the onions. Assemble the burgers on the English muffins with onion slices, lettuce and about 1 tablespoon Cherry Ketchup each. Broiler variation: Coat a broiler pan with cooking spray. Broil patties 3 to 4 inches from the heat source until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 160°F, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Cherry Ketchup
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine pitted cherries, dried cherries, vinegar, water, garlic, sugar, ginger, allspice, cardamom, cinnamon and cayenne in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool slightly. Transfer to a blender. Cover the lid with a kitchen towel. Holding lid securely in place, blend until smooth. (Use caution when blending hot liquids.) Transfer the ketchup to a small bowl.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Seared Chicken with Apricot Sauce

This recipe is from the EatingWell website.  It was originally from the May/June issue of EatingWell Magazine.  I bought all the ingredients for this recipe back in June.  I peeled, pitted and chopped the apricots then threw them in the freezer.  I don't know why I waited so long to make this recipe but I'm glad I finally did.  It is really tasty.  I made Alton Brown's glazed carrots and a bag of white corn to go along with the chicken.  I think the recommendation on the EatingWell website to make this recipe with quinoa or brown rice and sauteed spinach would be really good, too.  Unfortunately, my husband did not care for the quinoa I made yesterday so I wasn't about to make it again today.  My son does like quinoa so I will definitely be making it again at some point.  I want to try the red quinoa which I have heard is even better than the regular type.  It is harder to find but I hear that Wegman's carries it.  Maybe the hubster will like the red quinoa better.  I can only hope!

Seared Chicken with Apricot Sauce
4 servings
30 minutes
Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (about 1 1/4 pounds), trimmed and tenders removed
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 4 fresh apricots, pitted and chopped
• 2 tablespoons apricot preserves
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon , or 1/2 teaspoon dried

Place chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Pound with a rolling pin, meat mallet or heavy skillet until flattened to an even thickness, about 1/2 inch. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off excess. (Discard any leftover flour.)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned and no longer pink in the center, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, cover and keep warm. (If necessary, cook the chicken in two batches with an additional 1 tablespoon oil.)

Off the heat, add wine and shallot to the pan. Return to medium heat and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Add apricots and cook until the fruit begins to break down, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in preserves, tarragon and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Return the chicken to the pan and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve the chicken with the sauce.

Glazed Carrots
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005

Ingredients:
1 pound carrots, approximately 7 medium, peeled and cut on the bias 1/4 inch thick
1 ounce (2 teaspoons) unsalted butter
heavy pinch kosher salt
1 cup good-quality ginger ale
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions:
In a 12-inch saute pan over medium heat, combine the carrots, butter, salt and ginger ale.  Cover and bring to a simmer.  Once simmering, remove the lid, stir, and reduce the heat to low. Cover again and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove the lid, add the chili powder and increase the heat to high.  Cook, tossing occasionally, until the ginger ale is reduced to a glaze, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.  Pour into a serving dish and sprinkle with the parsley.  Serve immediately.

Enjoy!