Jucy Lucys (or Juicy Lucys)

Like most people on Memorial Day, we sat outside and grilled our food as our kids played. We grilled both beef (for me) and turkey burgers (for my wife). A few months back, while watching Man vs. Food, we came across a burger turned outside-in called a Jucy Lucy. There is some controversy as to who started making them first and how to spell the name. That did not matter as much to us. They seemed easy enough to make so we tried them. Here is the recipe we used:

1 lb ground beef
1 packet onion soup mix
1/4 - 1/3 C barbeque sauce

Using your hands, mix it all together and separate the meat into whatever size patties you want. The size of the patty depends on how much filling you will put in (e.g. 1 or 2 slices of cheese) and if there will be anything else inside (e.g. bacon). I like between a 1/2 and 2/3 lb patty. Once you decide, split the patty in half and make both into thin patties with your hands or a hamburger press. Place your filling on the center of one patty. Cover with the other patty and make sure you seal the edges well. One of the Jucy Lucys I made was not sealed well. Once the cheese warmed up on the grill, it started spewing out the side like a water faucet. Here is a cross section of one of the Jucy Lucys (the picture is blurry) after it cooled down.

I tried a new cheese this time because the cheaper brands of American cheese just didn't cut it. The cheese I tried was the Kraft Deli Deluxe Bacon Cheddar. While I am not a big fan of processed cheese, this cheese's consistency was great for the center of the burger. It was thick and creamy. The bacon pieces and flavor was not as pervasive as I would have liked.

The part I like is what you can see. That big section of cheese in the center oozes out when you take a bite of a warm Jucy Lucy.

Biscuits and Gravy

In my house, we love biscuits and gravy. We could eat them everyday (if we didn't get fat doing so). The recipe I was using produced good biscuits but I was not happy with them. We could eat them with sausage gravy or chocolate gravy.

A few months ago, I was watching Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives and he visited restaurants was famous for biscuits and gravy and my stomach started rumbling watching the show. So on my search to find a new recipe, I came across one from Paula Deen. I put the ingredients together slightly differently. Here is the link to the recipe. I modified this recipe by making a sponge with the yeast. Instead of activating the yeast with only water, the sponge includes sugar and flour.

This recipe tastes the best when made with buttermilk. However, if you do not have buttermilk, there is another way to obtain a similar consistency and flavor (the recipe is below). The buttermilk can also be exchanged for 3/4 C yogurt and 1/4 C milk (but I have not tried this version).

To make the SPONGE:
Add the yeast (usually a packet or 2 1/4 tsp)
1/4 C Water
1 tsp sugar
1/4 C Flour

Mix the ingredients and place in a warm place for 10 minutes.

To make Substitute BUTTERMILK:
1 C Milk
4 1/2 tsp White Vinegar or Lemon Juice (can also use 1 3/4 T Cream of Tartar)
Combine the ingredients. Let them sit for 15 minutes at room temperature. The milk should start to curdle. Stir well before using.

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins with Coconut

I had some bananas that I needed to make into bread otherwise they would need to go in the trash. Since I hate wasting food I decided to make banana muffins but I added a twist to the normal recipe: I added coconut and coconut milk. The result? Moist, chewy muffins with toasted coconut on top! Here is the recipe.

 Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins with Coconut
2 1/2 C all purpose flour
2 1/2 C whole wheat flour
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cardamon (you can use ground ginger as a substitute)
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
2 C sugar
6 large, smashed bananas over ripe
1 can coconut milk ( I like "Taste of Thai")
4 tbs butter, room temp
4 tbs unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp vanilla (I always add more)
1 bag (7 oz) sweetened, grated coconut
1-2 bags semi-sweet chocolate chips (depends on your liking)
1 bag (7 oz) sweetened, shredded coconut (optional)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine both flours, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamon (or ginger) and salt. In another bowl, wisk together sugar and eggs until they are combined and smooth and then whisk in the bananas, coconut milk, butter, applesauce, vanilla. Once that is all mixed well, add the grated coconut and the chocolate chips and combine. Now add the wet mixture to the dry mixture mixing with a spoon making sure that all the dry ingredients are incorporated into the wet mixture. Using a 1/3 cup, fill the cup with the mixture and add to the baking cups in the cupcake pan. Sprinkle a generous amount of shredded coconut on top of each muffin. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until top if firm, coconut is toasted and testing stick comes out clean or with just chocolate on it. Yields: 44 muffins.