An Oldie but a Goodie: Sprout Burgers

Sprout Burger with Cheese

This is another one of my go-to recipes. It’s a big favorite of my husband (even though, in my opinion, he overdresses his burger as seen above with the addition of cheddar cheese). I’ve been making these burgers for decades. It originated in (guess where?) a Canadian Living magazine. It was their Summertime Cookbook Special from 1981. How do I know? Well, I still have a copy of that very issue. It was an article called “Great Menus for Good Losers: Delicious Low-Cal Suppers.” The burger was part of a menu that also featured a recipe for Yogurt Sesame Dressing to serve on mixed greens, and Lemon Snow, a dessert made from gelatin, frozen lemonade concentrate, ice cubes and egg whites. Each featured menu added up to less than 600 calories per serving.

Once you dress this burger up with cheese, mustard and relish, you’ll probably still get some of the sprout and water chestnut crunch, but you may miss the more subtle ginger-soy taste it offers and the low calorie count, of course. That’s why I dress mine with a little mayo, a leaf of lettuce and maybe a slice of tomato. However, you dress them, they are really good burgers, and a good choice to make ahead and freeze for a bbq later in the summer.

MA’s Sprout Burgers

(Originally from Canadian Living Summertime Cookbook Special 1981)

Sprout burger ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef

½ cup bean sprouts, chopped

¼ cup water chestnuts, chopped

1 tsp fresh ginger root, chopped fine

2 tsp soy sauce

fresh ground pepper

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.

Shape into 4 large patties.

Broil or grill to desired doneness.

Serve on hamburger buns.

Our grill chef likes the burgers big and flat

Makes 4 burgers.

Printable Recipe for MA's Sprout Burgers

The Farmers Market and Rhubarb in July

A slice of Lunar Rhubarb Cake

Rhubarb and spring go together. I don’t have a rhubarb patch of my own and didn’t manage to raid any from my patch-blessed friends this spring, so when I came across some beautiful rhubarb at a local farmers market in July, I couldn’t resist taking home a few bunches.

The Mallard as seen from Petersfield Market

The market I speak of is a recent addition in our part of the world and I highly recommend it. The vendors are friendly and the variety of offerings they bring together range from handmade bags and quilts, baked goods, funky furniture for your deck, local produce, and much, much more. You’ll find it every summer Sunday from 11 am to 3 pm in Petersfield, in the park beside the big mallard statue. I plan to return there throughout the season. Wherever you are, support your local farmers market.

But back to the rhubarb and today’s recipe for Lunar Rhubarb Cake. I love this cake. It is rich in spices, buttery, easy to make and serves a crowd. The recipe came from a Canadian Living magazine in the early 1980s. I googled it before this writing and you can still find a rhubarb cake recipe on the Canadian Living website. It’s different from the recipe I’m sharing here, but, knowing how well they test their recipes at Canadian Living, I am sure it will be good if you try it. In my Internet search, I also came across a fabulous looking rhubarb bundt cake on a canadian foodie website. The ingredients were quite similar to this recipe and it looked terrific baked up in the fancy bundt pan. Check it out. Many great recipes and ideas on this Edmonton-based website.

Why Lunar? Because the surface of the baked cake resembles craters on the moon.

Without further ado, here’s the recipe for Lunar Rhubarb Cake.

MA’s Lunar Rhubarb Cake

(Originated in Canadian Living, Summertime Special 1982)

Preheat oven to 350º F.

Butter a 9” x 13” baking pan.

All measured for the batter and the topping

Batter:

½ cup butter

1 ½ cups sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk or soured milk (that's a little less than 1 cup milk with 1 or 2 tbsp of vinegar or lemon juice added to curdle the milk)

2 cups rhubarb, chopped into 1” pieces

1 tbsp flour

Topping:

¼ cup butter

2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup brown sugar, packed

Rhubarb tossed with flour 

In a large mixing bowl or a KitchenAid stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy.

Beat in egg and vanilla.

Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternating with milk – making 3 dry and 2 liquid additions.

Toss rhubarb with 1 tbsp flour and mix gently into batter. This prevents the rhubarb from sticking together in the batter; helps each piece stay separate from the other.

Ready for the oven

Spoon batter into baking pan.

In a medium mixing bowl, blend together the butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. Sprinkle this topping evenly over the surface of the cake.

Bake for 45 minutes or until the cake has risen and browned and comes away from the edges of the pan.

Makes 12 to 18 pieces, depending on how large you want them.

Lunar Rhubarb Cake ready to slice

Printable Recipe for MA's Lunar Rhubarb Cake

Pork Medallions in Mustard Sauce

Tender pork medallions in rich mustard sauce garnished with fresh green grapes

I’ve been working on a post about the best oatmeal cookie recipe and was hoping to have it ready to go this week. It’s turning out to be a history lesson for me as I am finding out that recipes can evolve over many decades. Meanwhile, here is a fully evolved recipe for a main dish that has drawn rave reviews at my table for, well, decades. It’s dedicated to the family and friends I’ve shared it with over the years.

This recipe originated in a special Christmas edition of Canadian Living magazine from 1985. (I think Canadian Living is still one of the best magazines out there and I especially like their recipes.) I’ve made minimal changes to this recipe. 

You will have to fuss a bit to make the pork medallions. However, you can prepare the dish a day ahead and do the final cooking the next day. Stick with the Dijon, as regular mustard doesn’t deliver the same subtle flavour. And, don’t forget the green grapes. They are just so good with the rich, creamy mustard sauce. Serve this with brown rice and steamed green beans, and get ready for the compliments.

MA’s Pork Medallions in Mustard Sauce

Preheat oven to 350º F.

For the meat:
2.5 lbs pork tenderloin
¼ cup flour
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp white pepper
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil

For the sauce: 

¼ cup butter
1 clove garlic, halved
¼ cup flour
¼ cup Dijon mustard
1 cup milk (I use skim)
½ cup dry white wine
½ tsp salt
½ tsp dried basil
½ cup light cream

For the garnish:
1 ½ cups seedless green grapes, washed and dried 

Making the medallions

Cut pork tenderloin into ¾” thick slices. 

Using a mallet or the edge of a heavy bottle, pound each piece of pork to flatten it slightly.

Combine flour, salt and pepper; dredge pork in flour mixture.

In large frying pan, heat butter and oil over medium heat.

Saute until golden

Sauté pork for about 5 minutes each side or until golden on both sides. Do this in batches so that the meat is not crowded while it sautés.

In a shallow baking dish, arrange pork in a single layer. Cover with foil to keep warm.

Whisk together sauce ingredients

In a saucepan, melt butter.

Cook garlic in butter for 2 minutes, and then remove garlic from pan.

Stir in flour to make a smooth paste.

Add mustard and stir with love until the mixture bubbles.

Whisk in milk, wine, salt and basil. Cook stirring constantly for about 1 minutes or until the mixture is bubbly and has thickened.

Remove from heat and whisk in the cream.

Pour sauce over pork.

(The recipe can be prepared ahead up to this point, then covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day. Add about 15 minutes baking time when you reheat it.)

Cover the baking dish with a lid or foil and cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until pork is tender.

Transfer pork and sauce to a warm serving platter.

Garnish with green grapes and serve.

Makes 6 to 8 servings. 

Printable Recipe for MA's Pork Medallions with Mustard Sauce