Seriously Tasty...and Wicked Easy!

This recipe is from the Rachael Ray cookbook: Book of 10:

"Super Tuscan Burgers and Potato Salad with Capers and Celery"

I made it a few weeks ago and was impressed, to say the least!!

The potato salad is...well...spectacular!  It's completely different from the standard potato salad with mayonaise and mustard...it's fresh, classy and sassy!  I was salivating tonigh...wishing I had made it again.  (wah wah wah wahhhhhhh...sad trumpet sound).

There was some leftover burger meat that I cooked for dinner tonight (and tomorrow's lunch)...and WOW.  I was reminded of how truly amazing this dish is. I didn't care for eating this burger on a bun the first time around.  So, tonight I put the cooked patty on a bed of arugula, topped with the melted cheese and mushrooms I'd sauteed with the meat when it was close-to-done. 

When the meat and mushrooms were done and removed, I added asparagras spears to the hot skillet and sauteed them for several minutes until browned.  Then, I added a splash of white wine and covered the pan to steam the asparagras for several minutes.  No added salt, oils or seasonings.  Any green vegetable could be used: brussels sprouts, broccoli, spinach, green beans, etc.  Tasted wonderful!!

In the end, I sat here in my quaint apartment, thoroughly enjoying my impromptu meal...wishing someone were here to share it with me...and I thought of you, dear reader.  So DO try this meal!  I can (very nearly) gurantee you'll like it!

Here Goes the Official Recipe (as copied from Rachael Ray's Book of 10):
Minimum of 4 servings.
 
Ingredients
•2 1/2 pounds small waxy potatoes, quartered or halved, depending on size
•Coarse salt
•1 and 1/2 pounds of ground pork.
(Technically 3/4 pound ground pork & 3/4 pound ground veal  -- I'm not sure I agree with using baby cow = veal.  Let alone, grinding it up and mixing it with another meat...there's some element of not fully appreciating the veal that way...and therefore, I was afraid to ask for it at more than one store.  My conscience and all. Anyway...)
•3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus 5-6 tablespoons, divided
•1/2 cup dry Italian red wine, divided
•1/4 medium yellow skinned onion, finely chopped
•3 tablespoons, 5 or 6 sprigs, chopped fresh sage leaves
•4 cloves garlic, chopped
•Coarse black pepper
•1/2 pound cremini (baby portobello) mushrooms, sliced
•4 crusty rolls, split
•8 ounces Pecorino Romano, shaved with a vegetable peeler
•1 cup arugula leaves, 1/2 bunch, trimmed of stems
•3 tablespoons capers
•1 celery heart and greens, from the center of stalk, chopped
•1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
•1 lemon, zested and juiced
•2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Preparation:
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil while you dice potatoes. Add potatoes to boiling water and salt water liberally. Boil potatoes until tender, 12-15 minutes.

While potatoes cook, prepare burgers. Combine pork and veal in a bowl with 3 tablespoons EVOO, 1/4 cup (eyeball it) red wine, onion, sage, garlic, salt and pepper then form 4 large patties.

Pre-heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Place the burgers into the skillet, leaving a space in the center of the pan to pile in mushrooms. Add sliced mushrooms to the skillet with burgers and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Flip burgers after 6 minutes and toss the mushrooms around as they brown at the center of the skillet. After the mushrooms begin to brown, season them with salt and pepper. The color will be deeper and the mushrooms will remain firmer if you wait for them to brown before salting. Cook burgers 5 minutes on opposite side then remove them from the pan to roll bottoms on a serving plate. Place sliced cheese on burgers, then the hot mushrooms. Cover plate loosely with foil to slightly melt cheese. Add remaining 1/4 cup of wine to skillet and loosen drippings. Dip roll tops in pan drippings to soak them up. Pile arugula on each burger then set roll tops in place.

Drain potatoes and return them to the warm pot to dry them out. Take the pot over to your cutting board and add in capers, celery, onion, lemon zest and juice, red wine vinegar and 3 or 4 tablespoons of EVOO to pot. Toss to combine the salad, then season the salad with salt and pepper, to your taste. Transfer salad to a serving dish. Potato salad can be served warm or cold.

(The potato salad was super tasty slightly warmer than room temperature...just after being cooked.  It is likely that the potato salad would be better day 2 or even 3...just like conventional mayonnaise and mustard versions are!).

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This recipe makes an amazing meal...and very welcomed leftovers!!