Blais-in' Through The ATL

Photo from johnmariani.com

My mom is in town this week (yay!) and we went to Atlanta yesterday for some high-calibur shopping and eating. We also happen to be huge Top Chef fans - especially Top Chef All Stars. So, we went to the only logical place to go - Richard Blais's (he won TCAS) Flip Burger Boutique in Buckhead. We were EXCITED.

How cool is the inside of this burger place? Very modern and very spotless. Awesome.

Our meal



Candycane Beet Salad ($4)



The Local: local organic grass-fed beef, tomme cheese, lettuce, yellow tomato,
red onion, coca cola ketchup, picked peach & pecans
($14)

Nutella + Burnt Marshmallow Liquid Nitrogen Shake ($6)

The meal was incredible - hands down the best burger either of us had ever eaten. What a flavor combo! Pickled peaches? Coca cola ketchup? The man has an imagination. Also, that beet salad was to die for! And who would ever put a beet salad with arugula on a burger menu. Richard Blais would. I might start salivating if I start talking about the milkshake. Holy moley it was fantastic! It was unlike any milkshake I've ever had in my life - rich, creamy, chocolatey - and the best part? There was no air in it like most milk shakes. It was solid deliciousness. And the topping of burnt marshmallows? Perfection.

It made my mouth glad. :) So, if you're in the neighborhood, go. And if you're not, figure out a way to get there.

~ Mari

Cheddar & Pepper Turkey Burgers

I love turkey burgers because they are much better for you than most other burgers, but they can sometimes be dry and flavorless. So, I consulted my healthy-cooking bible (Ellie Krieger's "The Food You Crave") and adapted a recipe of hers for stuffed turkey burgers.

Here is what I came up with:

Cheddar & Pepper Turkey Burgers

1 lb. 85/15 ground turkey
1 lb. 99% fat free ground turkey
3/4 cup chopped roasted red or yellow peppers
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 Tbsp. garlic salt
1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 large egg

Preheat the broiler to high (or prepare the grill if it isn't cold and rainy outside like it is here!). In a large bowl, combine all ingredients with your hands. Divide the mixture into 10 patties (about 3-4 inches in diameter and 1/2-inch thick). Wrap the extra patties in plastic wrap and freeze. Put four (or however many you want to make) patties on a sheet pan (one with a lip on the side) and broil for 10-12 minutes (or until they are browned and the internal temperature is at 165 degrees F). Remove from the oven and cool.



- the spices & peppers -



- ready to be divided into patties! -

- yummy! -

- the finished product -
 (on *homemade* buns - aren't I impressive? hah!)

I hope you enjoy these moist and delicious burgers as much as Ryan and I did! :)

~ Mari

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

So, sweet potatoes are delicious and nutritious. They are also one of my favorite foods. Also, who doesn't like French fries? So, I consulted someone that I seldom consult: Paula Deen. Nothing wrong with Paula, but I would never have dreamed that she would have a healthy sweet potato fries recipe. Surprise! She did. So, I tweaked it a bit... and here's what I made!

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

3 large sweet potatoes

extra virgin olive oil

salt

black pepper

sugar

cinnamon

allspice

paprika

onion powder

First, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Then peel the sweet potatoes. Next, use a mandolin (or cut them by hand like moi...hehe) to cut the potatoes into French fry shapes (potato sticks). Place the sticks into a large bowl and drizzle olive oil over them. Toss the sticks to coat them with the oil.

Sprinkle the potatoes with 2-3 Tbsp. of salt, 2 Tbsp. sugar, and enough of the other spices to coat the fries. Don't overdo it, but make sure that the spices are on there enough that you can see it.

Spread the potato sticks onto a sheet pan (make sure that they aren't overlapping too much so that they cook evenly). Stick them in the oven and allow them to cook for about 25-30 minutes. You'll know when they're done if the edges are a little crispy and caramelized. Granted, these aren't going to be super crispy fries, but they taste DELICIOUS and are much better for you that fried fries.

Let the fries cool for 5-10 minutes. They are good to go now, but what are french fries without ketchup? And since tomato ketchup would not be the greatest with sweet potatoes, I made a maple butter sauce. All I did for the sauce was mix a little whipped butter with pure maple syrup.

And voila! They're done! Ryan and I ate them with homemade bison burgers. Yummers.

Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

~ Mari