German Burgers & Parmesan Truffle Fries

I was worried I wouldn’t come up with a birthday burger theme for Mr. J. It is now a tradition and I’ve made a bunch of burgers in between, so I wasn’t sure what this year would be. Ms. L is to thank for this one. The German burger all starts with the pretzel rolls.

The Three Bite Rule - German Burgers

In 2013 it was a Vermont Burger
In 2012 it was a Bacon Wrapped Burger
In 2011 it was a Stuffed Burger

German Burger

Ingredients:

1/2 pound ground beef/chicken/pork
1 -2 tsp prepared horseradish
salt & pepper
1/4 of a white onion, cut into slices
2 pretzel rolls
2 slices swiss cheese
2 tbs ground mustard
2 sliced pickles, or pickle chips

Directions:

Mix together the ground meat, horseradish, salt and pepper. Then form into patties.
Heat up the grill, or a grill pan.
In  a small pan, caramelize some onions over medium-low heat.
Grill the burgers until cooked to your liking adding the cheese at the end.
Top the pretzel rolls and burgers with mustard, caramelized onions, and some thin sliced pickles.
The Three Bite Rule - German Burgers
This burger was really good. The pickles and the horseradish gave it a little kick, the creamy mustard and the caramelized onions added a touch of sweetness. It was a good one! I wasn’t sure how strong the horseradish would seem after being cooked, so I went easy on it. You could always add it as a topping too!
The Three Bite Rule - German Burgers

Next came the side. I realized parmesan truffle fries were just so easy and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t ever made them before! I kept it easy using frozen fries and they were tossed together in just a few minutes.

Parmesan Truffle Fries

Ingredients:

2 “handfulls” of fries
2 tbs grated Parmesan
1 tbs truffle oil
salt & pepper

Directions:

Bake the fries according to the package.
Remove from the oven and toss with salt and pepper.
Then add parmesan & truffle oil.
The Three Bite Rule - German BurgersToss gently to coat.

This is how to eat fries. I love truffle oil and the parmesan is a great salty balance. I chopped up a tiny bit of chives for a little fresh/oniony flavor.

Frozen Breakfast Burritos

I whipped up these breakfast burritos to freeze so I could have them on hand for whenever the mood strikes. I love savory breakfast options and this packs a punch without a lot of work. I wanted them to be a smart portion and healthier than fast-food breakfast so I opted for turkey sausage, getting a veggie in there, and mostly eggwhites.

The Three Bite Rule - Frozen Breakfast Burrito

Ingredients:

1 cup egg beaters
2 eggs
8 oz turkey breakfast sausage
2 cups arugula or spinach
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
6 wheat tortillas, 8″

Directions:

Heat a medium skillet to medium high heat, then fry the sausage. Once cooked, let it cool.
Whisk together the egg beaters and eggs, then cook in a large skillet over medium low heat. Once cooked, let it cool.
Assemble the burritos with greens, eggs, sausage, and cheese.
The Three Bite Rule - Frozen Breakfast Burrito
Fold the sides in and roll the burrito closed. Then wrap in plastic wrap to freeze.
The Three Bite Rule - Frozen Breakfast Burrito
To eat, defrost in the fridge overnight, or microwave on defrost for 1 minute. Toast in the oven or toaster oven.
The Three Bite Rule - Frozen Breakfast Burrito
The arugula is a big flavor. I might use spinach next time.

suggested adaptations: 
bfast burrito + pepper jack cheese + salsa + black beans + corn – greens = Mexican Breakfast Burrito
bfast burrito – sausage + bacon – greens + herbs + a schmear of cream cheese = fancified bfast wrap
bfast burrito – cheddar – sausage + goat cheese + tomatoes + basil = vegetarian bfast wrap

Tortellini Salad with Spinach & Tomatoes

This tortellini salad could easily be a side dish but this ended up as the whole meal one warm night. It is addictive and packs a fresh and flavorful bite after bite after bite.

The Three Bite Rule - Tortellini Salad

Ingredients:

9 oz cheese tortellini
1/4 cup Italian dressing
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups baby spinach leaves, chiffonade
1/4 cup cheddar
1 tbs creamy Caesar dressing

Directions:

Boil salted water and cook the tortellini according to the package.
Let cool, and toss with Italian dressing. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight. I did this much before work.
The Three Bite Rule - Tortellini Salad
Stir in tomatoes, spinach, cheddar, and creamy dressing.
Salt & pepper to taste.
The Three Bite Rule - Tortellini Salad

I loved the juicy tomatoes adding a bit more moisture to this. The spinach acted like an herb while providing the benefit of vitamin A & vitamin C. The cheese was subtle but a great bite behind the freshness of everything else.

This was a great one-bowl-wonder dinner. It hit a few food groups and was suuuuper easy.

The Three Bite Rule - Tortellini Salad

Marinated Cucumber Salad

Normally I throw English cukes into everything. For this salad, it was all about regular cukes. This is the easiest side dish ever. I threw it together while some pork ribs were slowly doing their thing in the oven, before hitting the grill. This cucumber salad is fresh, crisp, and crunchy.

The Three Bite Rule - Marinated Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

1 large cucumber, pealed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
1/2 tsp dill
1-2 tsp sugar

Directions:

In a jar, shake together the oil, vinegar, dill, and sugar.
The Three Bite Rule - Marinated Cucumber Salad
Add the cucumber slices, and mix well.
The Three Bite Rule - Marinated Cucumber Salad
Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
Serve & enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - Marinated Cucumber Salad
My mom used to make simple cucumber salads and simple tomato salads. They are such a great fresh side during BBQ season. They go with anything and are exactly what you need with a burger, something grilled, or something saucy.

Peppers and Meatball Calzone

This calzone isn’t such a far cry from my sausage and peppers calzone or from my meatball and spinach calzone but I think some of the best calzones are really the most successful. I like the mix of flavors and textures. Turkey meatballs have rent-controlled residence in my freezer and make a great calzone filling.

Not all turkey meatballs are created equal. Trader Joe’s has, hands down, the best ones out there. Perdue Turkey Meatballs are terrible…though this wouldn’t be the worst way to use ’em up. Cooked Perfect are pretty good. I’d definitely try Butterball’s turkey meatballs but I haven’t seen them in passing. I’ve made turkey meatballs myself but I think I like the ground chicken meatballs I’ve made better.

The Three Bite Rule - Meatball Calzone

Ingredients:

pizza dough
6-8 turkey meatballs
1/2 green pepper
1/2 white onion
1 cup tomato sauce
8 oz shredded mozzarella

Directions:

Preheat the oven, and a pizza stone if using one, to 375 degrees.
Slice the meatballs into disks, the pepper into strips, and the onion into strips.
Saute the onions in a tsp of olive oil until tender, and starting to get translucent, about 4 minutes.
Add in the peppers, cook for another 5 minutes until everything is cooked through but still has some texture.
The Three Bite Rule - Meatball Calzone
Spread the pizza dough onto the pizza stone or onto a baking sheet. Lay the dough out onto the pan off center, so you’re adding the fillings to what will be the bottom, and you’ll be folding over the top. You won’t be repositioning it on the pan again.
Add the fillings in layers: cheese, peppers & onions, meatball disks, and a drizzle of tomato sauce. Repeat the layers filling and adding what seems like over-filling.
The Three Bite Rule - Meatball Calzone
Fold the top over across the filling. Pinch it closed, and slice some vents across the top.
Bake 20 minutes, then brush with eggwash or olive oil. Bake another 10 until golden brown.
The Three Bite Rule - Meatball Calzone
Let sit 5 minutes before slicing. (I cut it too soon, and look what happens).
The Three Bite Rule - Meatball Calzone
It was so good. I loved the tradtional-ish flavors. Sometimes I go for out-there flavors but that made me appreciate what works together. The turkey meatballs being fully cooked helped speed this along. I tried to be careful to cook the onions enough before adding the peppers so they could cook evenly.
The Three Bite Rule - Meatball Calzone