One thing my Todd has always wanted to do is to go to a diner to eat. You know . . . just like the ones on the telly that you see in all those American movies.
All chrome and formica . . . and juke boxes, waitresses named Sally, and a coffee cup that has no bottom.
Club sandwiches, gravy fries and mile high pies.
I thought I would try to recreate a Diner meal for him here at home tonight, but in as low fat as possible. One of my favourites back home use to be the Hot Hamburger Sandwich Platter.
A big oval platter, loaded up with hot fries, a huge hamburger pattie on a toasted bun, with oodles of gravy slathered over top and a small bucket of coleslaw on the side. Washed down with an ice cold soda pop. It can't be beat!
It might not be much to look at, but what it lacks in looks, it more than makes up for in flavour. I used extra lean ground steak, which I flavoured with onion powder, garlic, seasoning salt and black pepper . . . lots of onion and garlic. I then divided the meat into four equal shapes and then flattened them as thin as I could into a huge flat irregular sized burgers, so they had lots of little nooks and crannies on the edges.
Because they were really thin, they cooked in quick time and all the moisture stayed inside the burger, so they were moist as well as flavourful, with a nice sear on the outside. The chips . . . why oven baked of course, and cut so thin that they also turned out nicely browned with crisp golden edges.
You can make your own pan gravy if you wish. (I tell you how) or you can just open a tin of beef gravy. Me, I opted for Bisto, coz there is not much fat in it., and it's as easy as boiling the kettle.
Even the coleslaw, my own homemade, was low in fat . . . as I used a fat free mayo and low fat creme fraiche. The only thing I didn't do was to put on a short dress and ask him to "kiss ma grits!" (I also didn't ask for a tip!) Oh, and there was no pie . . . sigh . . .
*Hot Hamburger Platter Dinner*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
It's diner food for the UK! A delicious well flavoured hot hamburger patty on a toasted bun half, topped with gravy and served with crispy fries and coleslaw!
1 pound extra lean minced steak
1 TBS minced garlic
1 TBS onion powder
1 tsp seasoned salt
5 TBS flour
1 litre of beef broth
4 large baking potatoes
oil
seasonings for the fries (I like the smoked paprika, sweet red pepper and thyme mix from M&S)
salt and black pepper
Toasted Bun halves
Coleslaw, your own or purchased
Preheat the oven to 225*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Have ready a large baking sheet.
Wash the potatoes and dry well. Cut into thin chips. Toss them onto the baking sheet. Pour about 1 TBS of oil over top along with some of your chosen seasoning and some salt and black pepper. Toss together with your hands. Place into the heated oven and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.
Mix together the minced steak, garlic, onion powder, seasoned salt and a bit of salt and lots of black pepper to taste. (You can pinch off a little bit and fry it in a pan to see if you have the seasoning correct if you wish.) Shape into large flat irregular shaped patties.
Place a large skillet over mediium high heat. Add a bit of oil and fry the patties until well browned on both sides and cooked through. Remove and keep warm. Reserve any drippings in the pan. There probably won't be much. You will need about 4 TBS. You can add some butter to the pan drippings to make this up. Once the fat is melted and hot, stir in the flour, whisking it in well. Slowly whisk in the broth a bit at a time, whisking until the gravy thickens. Simmer for several minutes then taste and adjust seasoning as required.
Divide the fries between 4 heated plates. Place a toasted bun half on each and top with a burger. Spoon over some of the gravy, making sure it covers the burger and some of the chips. Serve with coleslaw on the side. Enjoy!
Taco Seasoning Mix
ingredients:
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder (not salt)
- 1/4 tsp onion powder (not salt)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 TBS mild chili powder (American style)
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp salt
instructions:
- Mix all of the ingredients together in a jar to combine well. Use as needed. Store, tightly covered in a dark place for up to 6 months.
Turkey Mexi-Melts
ingredients:
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 envelope of taco seasoning mix
- 225g grated strong cheddar cheese (8 ounces)
- 225g grated Jack cheese (8 ounces)
- 8 to 10 flour tortillas (8 inch)
- 200g tomato salsa (1 generous cup)
- For the Dip: (optional)
- 220g good quality mayonnaise
- 1 TBS lime juice
- 1 tsp chipotle chili paste
- finely chopped black olives and spring onions
instructions:
- Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the ground turkey and brown thoroughly, until no more pink juices remain. Stir in the taco seasoning and heat through.
- Lay out your tortillas. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese down the middle of the tortillas, dividing it equally amongst each. Divide the seasoned turkey equally amongst the tortillas, placing it on top of the cheddar cheese. Spoon a portion of the tomato salsa over top of the turkey in each tortilla, dividing it equally amongst them. Finally sprinkle the Jack cheese over top of the salsa. Roll each tortilla up to enclose the filling. Wrap each in a piece of damp kitchen paper towelling. Microwave 2 at a time for 1 minute on high. Let sit while you microwave them all.
- To make the dip. whisk together the mayo, lime juice and the chipotle paste in a bowl. Top with the chopped olives and onions.
- Serve the hot wraps with the mayo for dipping.
I actually made this the other day to take to our Relief Society Activity last Thursday evening and am only getting to show them to you now. They were stuck in the queue!
They went down a real treat with the girls and I brought home an empty plate. I like it when that happens, don't you? That means they are winners.
I got the recipe from out of one of those baking books you pick up in the magazine section at the grocery shops. It is in the Best Baking Series, Volume 7, Tasty Traybakes. I adapted and converted the measurements for my North American readers and I did not use the frosting recipe which was given with the recipe as it didn't look that good.
I made a chocolate buttercream icing. I am a big fan of buttercream icing. It went very well on these delectable little squares . . . it really did.
It's a good thing that I was taking them to church for the ladies as they would have been far too dangerous for me to keep in this house with a chocolate cake hating husband around. They would have been too, TOO tempting for me.
That layer of raspberry jam in the middle is a nice touch and helps to make what's moist and delicious, even moister and delicious. You can easily see why they would have been too dangerous for me to have here all on my own. I could not risk eating them all myself . . . I'm fat enough already!
These are perfect for sharing though. Your friends and chocolate loving family will love you to bits if you bake them a pan of these! Trust me on this! Mine did!! Go on . . . make them. You know you won't regret it! (Well, your hips may not thank you on this one, but . . . meh!)
*Rasberry Brownies*
Makes one 9 inch square pan
Printable Recipe
Try to let these sit overnight. They become even moister if you can resist them!
4 large free range eggs
300g caster sugar (1 2/3 cup)
150g unsalted butter, melted (2/3 cup)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
150g of plain flour (1 1/2 cups)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
75g cocoa powder (not drink mix) (2/3 cup)
100g of finely chopped toasted walnuts (3 12 ounces, 14 TBS)
3 TBS seedless raspberry jam
Chocolate buttercream frosting to cover
(A tub of prepared or your own recipe)
Preheat the oven to 165*C/325*F gas mark 3. Butter and line a 9 inch square pan with baking parchment. Butter the paper. Set aside.
Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and frothy. Whisk in the sugar and then slowly whisk in the melted butter and vanilla. Sift together the flour, cinnamon and cocoa powder. Gently stir it in and then stir in the nuts. Spread the batter in the prepared pan, level the surface and bake for 25 minutes, or until firm to the touch. Allow to cool completely in the tin,
Once they are cold, carefully remove from the tin and cut in half horizontally with a sharp knife. Warm the jam and spread it onto the bottom half of the brownies. Sandwich wih the top later. Frost with some buttercream frosting. Cut into squares to serve. Delicious!
- 2 lb. (1 KG) corned beef, preferably bottom round or brisket
- 2 carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 TBS butter
- 2 TBS white flour
- 3/4 cup (75ml) milk
- 2 tsp minced fresh parsley
- 1 tsp dry mustard powder
- pinch nutmeg
- salt and ground white pepper
Corned Beef With Parsley Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 lb. (1 KG) corned beef, preferably bottom round or brisket
- 2 carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 TBS butter
- 2 TBS white flour
- 3/4 cup (75ml) milk
- 2 tsp minced fresh parsley
- 1 tsp dry mustard powder
- pinch nutmeg
- salt and ground white pepper
Instructions
- Place the carrots and most of the onion (reserve 1 TBS) into a saucepan large enough to hold the beef. Rinse the beef and place into the saucepan. Cover with cold water.
- Bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer. Skim off and discard any scum which rises to the top. Cover tightly and simmer over low heat for 2 1/2 hours until the meat is tender.
- Remove the meat to a plate and cover with foil.
- Remove 3/4 cup (75ml) of the cooking liquid and discard the rest.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan. Once it begins to foam add the onion. Cook for a minute. Whisk in the flour and mustard powder. Cook for a minute longer.
- Slowly Whisk in the milk, parsley, and cooking liquor. Cook whisking constantly until the mixture bubbles and thickens. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook for several minutes to cook out any flour taste.
- Serve the corned beef thinly sliced with the sauce spooned over top.
One thing I fell in love with when I found this place was the way the front storm door looks like an old fashioned screen door, not to mention the Veranda across the front.
The plants in the garden were already here when I moved in. Hosta's and lilies. I am so not a gardener. Because of my osteo I am unable to get down on my hands and knees for gardening.
I am thinking next year I will get my son in law over and have him help me dig everything up, lay down some kind of garden barrier that will prevent things from growing back and then either cover it with stone or wood chips and then just have maybe 3 large planters.
I do like my hanging baskets and of course a hummingbird feeder was a must. I adore hummingbirds. They are such fun to watch. I actually adore bird watching of any kind.
My curtains are flat single bed sheets. I only just recently put them up. I hung them on clips. Perhaps not the most elegant thing, but they work and afford me some privacy after dark. The birds I managed to bring over from the UK and they didn't break!
They are created by an Etsy Artist in the UK called Simon Aldersey. He does beautiful work. I had first bought one, a robin for my mom a number of years back. It was so lovely and she loved to look at it. It was buried with her.
I then got a robin for both my sister and myself, and that started me collecting all of his birds. I may not be able to afford stained glass windows (which I love) but I have these lovely little glass birds which not only remind me of England which I love, but also birds which I also love and they glow when it is sunny out. Little rays of joy.

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