A Good Book and a Burger

Relaxing

When I graduated in May I was excited to have a summer OFF!  It is the first time in 8 years that I am not taking a class or teaching a class!  I understand that not every one gets to spend their summers catching rays! It is a luxury and it makes up for the 20 minute lunches, scheduled bathroom breaks, the late night planning and correcting of papers, and everything else that goes on behind the scenes a school's walls.




I'll miss these ladies!

Not only am I looking forward to no school, most importantly, I was looking forward to developing my summer glow while indulging in a good book!  Maybe the newest best seller, a series, a novel, or a classic! Yes - no textbook in site! Just a good fun read! Well that was the plan until last week.  So what am I reading you ask?  Well here it is... Methods of Effective Teaching.  Although this not quite what I had in mind, this is the book that I will be using this Fall as I teach my first collegiate class!   My formal title at UNO is Instructional Coach. I will serve as a mentor and supervisor to undergraduates in the Teacher Education program. As I prepare my syllabus and develop my content for this course, I am grateful to all the teachers I have had in my life, from my family, friends, colleagues, and professors, their dynamic lessons and support will continue to serve as a model as I begin this next adventure.

As for adventures in my kitchen - I have had a lot of time for those this summer!  It finally seems to have stopped raining so it is time to fire up the grill!  Tonight we had Quesadilla Burgers!  Simple and fresh ingredients make this burger one that I will be sure to make again soon! 

Quesadilla Burger

Ingredients
1 lb. ground meat(turkey, chicken, beef, venison)
1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp. Chili Powder
1 tsp. smoked Paprika
1 tomato (chopped)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped jalapeno
Chopped Cilantro
Lime
2 avocados
1tsp. garlic powder
Bun or Lettuce
Slice of Provolone Cheese

Preparation
1. Begin by seasoning the ground meat with Pepper, Chili Powder, and Paprika. 
2. Form into patties.  Place a small indent with your thumb in the center of each patty.  This will help
    them cook evenly.
3.  Next, combine the diced tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro.  Squeeze the juice of half a lime
     over the mixture and season with salt.
4. In a separate dish, mash the avocados.  Stir in the garlic powder.
5. Grill the patties to your liking and add the cheese.

To assemble:  Place burger on a  bun then top with avocado spread and tomato salsa!

Other variations: Combine the tomato mixture with the avocado spread for homemade guacamole. (I chose to keep them separate so you could take the flavor of each individually.) Wrap in lettuce for a low carb/calorie meal.



 

Welcome to my new kitchen!  What else is new, you ask?  Well there is this...

Our New Home


 

And this...

Masters in Educational  Leadership



 

And in May I packed up my classroom and in August I will begin a new adventure in the field of education.

To say that the Steiner’s have been busy the last few months, to us feels like an understatement.  I intend to catch you up on all of this throughout the next few weeks!  Now back to this kitchen and this house!


This is what sold me!



We have been looking for a house on and off for the last 3 years.  As a newbie to this entire home buying stuff it was quite the experience and of course, Jake and I didn’t do it the easy way!  We knew within a few minutes of walking into this house that it was meant to be, the quickest we have ever agreed on anything!  Unfortunately, we were competing with two other offers and the following 24 hours had us on pins and needles! Needless to say we learned a lot about home buying and all my hard work of watching of House Hunters paid off! I am so glad we took the plunge and became home-owners.  As my friend Katy has told us, “We are real grown-ups now” because we have a mortgage.



Before the paint job!
 
 
 

Now that I have this large kitchen (and a dishwasher), I can’t wait to share my culinary adventures with you.  Today, I decided to try my hand at poached eggs!  Cooking eggs intimidates me, almost as much as buying a house, but I have learned that when it comes to eggs the best results can be attained with a little skill and precise timing!   
 
 
 
 


Poached Eggs with Roasted Tomatoes

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

6 eggs

French Loaf (cut lengthwise)

1Tbsp. Vinegar

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

2 Tomatoes Sliced

Goat Cheese or Soft Cheese

½ cup Arugula 

Salt and Pepper

Preparation

1. Begin by pre-heating the oven to 450*. 

2. Slice the bread in half lengthwise.  Brush with the Oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place in oven to warm or broil to toast. 

3. Next, slice the tomatoes and place in oven to roast for 20 – 30 minutes.

4. While the tomatoes are roasting, place a pot of water on the stove over medium heat and Add 1 Tbsp. vinegar to the water. 

5. While you wait for the water to warm (you want the water to almost to a boil but not boiling, prepare a bowl with cold water and ice.

6. Break an egg into a ramekin.  Drop egg into almost boiling water for 3-4 minutes.  When is egg cooked to your liking, remove with slotted spoon and place in ice bath (this will stop the cooking process). 

7. Continue this process for the remaining eggs.  Place eggs back in warm water for 1 minute to re-warm when you are ready to serve. 

 8. Assemble your loaf – spread cheese on the baked French loaf.  Add roasted tomatoes, and poached eggs.  Top with arugula and enjoy!