Not Your Average Burger and Fries

So far, the meal plan is working out great! It is so much easier to know what I am making for dinner when I get home. No extra thinking required, which really helps with this pregnancy brain thing I have going on. Tonight the menu called for Asian Style Hamburgers and Oven Fries. My friend Melissa came over to show me her engagement ring (which is gorgeous by the way) and she and Taylor both seemed to enjoy dinner. Both their plates were clean!

I am really not a big hamburger fan. I have to be in the mood for them, which is why I developed this recipe a few years ago. It basically all comes down to the fact that I like my meat to be flavor infused. As my grandmother would say, I don't like anything to just taste like God created it. I always have to add a little something. In this case, I added lots of little somethings.

As you should know by now, most recipes I come up with do not have exact measurements. I guess at how much I put in, but you should always play around with the amounts depending on how much seasoning YOU like. I can be a little heavy handed.

Asian Style Hamburgers
Source: Me

1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp celery salt
1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp ginger powder

Mix all of the above in a medium sized bowl and sit to the side to let the flavors really work themselves through the meat. In the meantime, start working on your potatoes.

Oven Fries (also Asian style)
Source: Me, adapted from Rachel Ray

6 medium sized red potatoes, washed
1 1/2 tbsp celery salt
1 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp ginger powder
toasted sesame oil, for drizzling

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the potatoes into wedges and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with sesame oil. Sprinkle with all the spices and toss with your hands. You want each wedge to have plenty of oil and spice, so you may need to drizzle a little more oil and sprinkle more spices on the top after the first toss. I did, but I like my potatoes really well seasoned. Also, the spices will create a nice crust on the potatoes. Bake for 25 minutes or until fork tender.

Once the potatoes are in the oven, pre-heat your grill and start making the hamburger patties.

The fries should be done just about the time you come back inside from grilling the burgers. I topped my burger with a few slices of gouda and some chili sauce, and had some ranch dressing to dip my fries in. The burger would have been great with some cilantro on top, but I didn't have any. :(