13 days in the books (May 27th update)

It is BBQ time!

Burgers were on the menu today.  I made a TVP patty using some Bush's Baked Beans, onion powder, garlic and some salt & pepper.  I pan fried both sides of the patty in olive oil to give it some texture.  Then I pulled it out of the pan mashed it all into a big ball.  That redistributed the crispy texture all through the patty.  I smashed it back flat and cooked it the rest of the way on the grill with burgers for the rest of the family. 

I topped it off with Swiss cheese and a big pile of mushrooms.

I also added a few tomato slices, some red onion and a touch of mustard.  That was a damn fine burger. 

Vegetarian style baked beans are better than the regular ones.... I don't see any need for that giant chunk of fat in there anyway.  It doesn't add any flavor.  I never just eat straight beans out of the can.  I always jazz them up.  Usually, I add about a tablespoon of brown sugar, a tablespoon of hot sauce (or two), salt, pepper and garlic.  Everyone always wrecks the beans when I cook them that way.  My mom likes to add a touch of A1 steak sauce to the pan. 

I always mess with store bought stuff.  Canned corn, bakes beans, green beans, BBQ  sauce, peas, or whatever.  It doesn't matter what it is, I add something.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.  You can buy the cheap store brand stuff and make it taste great with just a few pinches of this or that.  

The mushrooms were just good old button shrooms.  I cooked them in a broth of soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce, a touch of honey and pepper.  Normally I just cook them down until they are tender.  Today, I guess my timing was off and I didn't cook them fully.  Sometimes mistakes turn out to be winning ideas.  I loved the texture with a little bit of snap to them. 

More grilling on the menu tomorrow.