I was debating with myself, as I usually do, should I post one more smoothie and add it to the collection or a burger.

Well, of course, burger won; my sinful, delicious, and juicy Burger with Caramelized Onions

Yes, you are allowed to drool. The took only a few shots because my hunger struck like a lightning in the middle of the summer. I had to move fast, otherwise, I would not guarantee anyone’s safety around me at that moment.

Spring break is here, my boy is back from his band trip and all three are home for the next 2 weeks. Woohoo! Right!!!

My stress level is… Alright, for now! I’ve been making their favorite meals, I listen to their stories, we are having fun so far. I sing as loud as I can to keep them out of my office when I am working… And it is working!

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I have been MIA from social media for a couple of days, but that’s because I am spending so much time with the kids and surprisingly, I am going to sleep earlier than midnight. I am only trying!

You see, I am a night owl, and a zombie when I wake up in the morning. In all seriousness, I need to train myself to sleep longer than 4 hours in one piece, which again is incredibly hard.

I took my time last week and updated my about page and a few older posts, made a gazillion pictures, which I did not share yet, but overall I have enjoyed my social media free time.

Yield: 4 to 6 Patties

Burgers with Caramelized Onions

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Grill Time : 6 minutes

Marinade Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 8 hours 16 minutes

Easy and tasty Burgers with Caramelized Onions.

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Ingredients

• BURGER MIXTURE:
• 1 Pounds (16 ounces/453g) Ground Angus Beef/80% lean-20% Fat
• 1/2 Medium Yellow Onion, minced or shredded
• 2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
• Salt to taste, approximately 1/2-1 teaspoon
• 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 Egg, mixed
• 1 tablespoon Plain Bread Crumbs
• 1 Tablespoon Oil
• TOPPING OPTION:
• Easy Caramelized Onions (links below)
• Sliced Cheese
• Crispy Bacon
• Kosher Dill Pickles
• Lettuce, Tomatoes
• Ketchup, Mustard. Mayo

Instructions

1. In a medium sized bowl combine first baking soda, egg and bread crumbs and mix well. Then add to the rest of the burger ingredients for the burger, mix with your hands to incorporate (use gloves if you do not like to touch the meat).
2. Cover with the wrap and put in the fridge for at least 2 hours, but the best taste is if you leave the meat to marinate for about 8 hours. Make sure it is completely covered and in the fridge.
3. Take fist size meatball and make patties. Cover and put on the side until ready for grilling, you can also pan fry them or use an indoor grill.
4. Preheat the grill, outdoor or indoor and pour about 1/2 tablespoon of Oil in the plate and dip your fingers into it, take each patty and pat with your oily fingers before placing it on the grill. 
5. Grill on both sides according to your preferences, approximately 3-5 minutes per side, depending on how big your patties are. 
6. Last, but not least build your burger, however you like and prefer. 

• How to make tasty and easy Caramelized Onions Click here for the Alton Brown’s recipe microwave style and more traditional way of making them.

Notes

• The burger/meat mixture is my own recipe and I have been using it for many years.
• Add whatever you wish in your burger.
• Baking Soda helps tenderize the meat and keep them juice. You do not have to add them, but this is my method that I have been using for years.

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Bulgogi is “ONE” of my favorite Korean dishes. It is really hard for me to pick a favorite among many tasty dishes to pick one. However, my love for grilled food is well known.

Even when I am fullest I will still eat it, or at least taste it! 
I get quite a few requests not only for bulgogi but for other Korean dishes too. Since the last request was just a few days ago, I thought to actually make one of a popular fusion kind of sandwiches that includes bulgogi. 

Bulgogi is available in all Korean restaurants, however, it is also very simple to make at home, too. Bulgogi in literal translation means “bul” fire and “gogi” meat, so it refers to “cooking the meat on fire” or “over open flames”. It is, of course, cooking technique or better-said barbecue.

It has a very long history. Originally, bulgogi was known as “maek–jeok“, meaning that the beef being grilled on a skewer. “Neo-biani”, meaning “thinly spread” meat and was traditionally prepared especially for the wealthy and the nobility class.

One of the things that I love is learning about history and food from many different countries. Now, I know history can be rewritten, but when it comes to food, usually it is carried from generation to generation.

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Many of you know that bulgogi is eaten with leafy veggies, rice and/or other side dishes (banchan), but it also depends on how you prefer to eat it. This was...

How to put this into the words? This sandwich you would not believe how good it is. I am still drooling! Beef is marinated for a couple of hours, but you got to marinade for at least an hour to get that nice flavor. It actually crosses between sweet and savory.

Bulgogi is one of those non-spicy Korean traditional recipes. Once you start to pan fry it or grill it all the flavors that beef was soaking comes out, and the taste is spectacular. Beef becomes tender and so delicious. 

My family goes nuts over it, and it is a “must make” when we grill. We have a pretty big man-made fire pit, so I use my trusty old saute pan to make bulgogi in it.

Yes, you can make this on your stovetop in the house, but man when the smoke from the charcoal fire surrounded that pan and beef started to sizzle. It sure was amazingly delicious, I think I can still smell it.

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Bulgogi Ciabatta Sandwich

Course Brunch, LUNCH BOX, Main Course, Party Food

Cuisine American, Italian, Korean

Keyword sandwish, beef, asian, korean,

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Marinade for at least 1 hour

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 4

Author Sandra | Sandra’s Easy Cooking

Ingredients

• Ciabatta Rolls/Bread
• 1 Lb. Beef Tenderloin rib-eye steak or top sirloin

Marinade:

• 1/2 onion
• 1 tsp. Ginger minced
• 5 garlic cloves 5 smaller ones or 3 bigger cloves
• 1/2 Carrot
• 1/2 cup 7 up or 1/2 Asian Pear peeled
• 1 Tbs. Sugar
• 3 Tbs. Soy Sauce Or to taste
• 2 Green Onions/scallions
• 1/2 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
• 1 tsp. Sesame Oil
• Handful julienned Carrots*optional

*Topping options:

• Sauteed/grilled Onion/scallions
• Grilled garlic
• Mushrooms
• Sesame Seeds
• Cheese
• Lettuce
• Peppers

Instructions

1. In a food processor place onion, ginger, garlic cloves, carrot, and 7 up or 1/2 Asian Pear (it is acting as a meat tenderizer), process until pureed.
2. Take a beef tenderloin that is slightly frozen and cut into thin bite-size slices or you can use already pre-cut meat that is thinly sliced. (read note)

3. In a large bowl or container place meat, then add puree, sugar, soy sauce, sliced scallions, ground black pepper, sesame oil and a handful of julienned carrots (optional). Mix everything together so marinade could code each slice of beef; cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for an hour or more. You can use less soy sauce and add salt to taste, instead.

4. Preheat the grill or lightly oiled/greased saute pan or skillet and add beef slices. Cook until meat is no longer pink and it starts to sizzle and juices are almost gone.

5. 5 minutes before beef is done I like to add more garlic, scallions and onion slices, sometimes mushrooms too.
6. You can serve it with rice and vegetables (side dishes) or place it in the toasted Ciabatta bread like I did today, add other sauteed/grilled vegetables, lettuce together with the beef and top it with cheese and other condiments if you desire.

Recipe Notes

You can place beef to marinade in the fridge overnight. I like to do it at least an hour in advance, but the more is marinating, meat becomes more tender. I have done overnight before! I used Beef Tenderloin today, but The best beef for this is rib-eye steak or top sirloin. Of course, you may use any cut but you will know the difference if you make it with ribeye steak because fat is where a lot of the distinctive flavor of beef comes from, making ribeye one of the richest, beefiest cut available. You may also find it already precut beef in the Korean or Asian market “for bulgogi”. If you do not want to use 7 Up or Asian Pear then add 1-2 Tbs. (more) of Sugar. Both 7 up and Asian pear not only make beef tender but also gives sweetness, if you omit you have to add sugar or even honey if you desire.

Today’s recipe is as simple as you can see in the title, Grilled Marinated Tofu.

The key is in the marinade and after it’s grilled the taste and aroma are just perfect balance of very satisfying, delicious and I must say easy side dish.

Well, I really loved the spiciness of the marinad. However, it is always optional to use and how much you add to satisfy your taste buds. I love spicy, but I know it’s not everybody’s cup of tea so you can always adjust.

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Yesterday, I found out that school here starts on August 1st, due to the expansion of Spring break. As much as I am happy that kids are getting one extra week over Spring break, I am that much sad because the summer break is shortened.

They are just starting to have fun when they will be soon waking up early in the morning carrying heavy backpacks.

I don’t even know how my oldest one can carry that heavy backpack. Seriously, that weighed tone last school year, plus his saxophone. I always feel sorry for his shoulders and back.

This year I will have 7th, 4th and 1st graders. Also, I cannot believe that my girl will be done with Elementary this school year. It feels like yesterday when she started Kindergarten.

If you have a child just now starting with Elementary, please cherish every single moment while they are there. Join them for lunch, help them with homework and lock those memories forever because they do grow up so fast.

Ok! I am a bit on the emotional side. I have always been that way, but I know that every parent that have kids out of Elementary school feels the same way, and yes those are precious moments even when I shed the crocodile tears while watching them enter every school year.

Yield: 4 SERVINGS

Grilled Marinated Tofu

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 4 minutes

Total Time: 24 minutes

Easy Recipe for a delicious side dish or appetizer, Grilled Marinated Tofu

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Ingredients

• 1 Pack of Firm Organic Tofu, cut into thick slices
• Marinade:
• 1 Tablespoon Gochujang (or 1/2 tablespoon red hot chili pepper)(reduce for less spicy)
• 1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Sesame oil
• 2 Tablespoon Soy Sauce, low sodium {lite}
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 3 Garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 Scallions, chopped
• Garnish:
• Scallions
• Sesame seeds
• and optional drizzle bit of marinade over it

Instructions

1. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade and place it in the wide long container.
2. Cut the tofu into thicker but equal slices and place in the marinade for 20 minutes; you can keep it covered in the fridge. 
3. Preheat your grill, either in the house or outside grill. 
4. Take out tofu carefully out of the marinade and pat dry with kitchen paper towel each tofu slice and put it on the preheated grill.
5. Grill for a minute or two on each side. 
6. You can reserve the marinade for the dip of few drizzles over the tofu when you serve. 
7. You can serve it with a simple salad.