Bite into this mild-mannered-looking burger and you’ll get a cheesy surprise and the big flavors of garlicky arugula pesto. My burgers come off the same grill that has been at the Rock since it first opened 70 years ago (it was the only piece of the kitchen that was unharmed from the fire), and it has probably grilled about 21⁄2 million burgers since then. I mean, off of that grill came burgers to feed our boys going off to World War II and coming home from ‘Nam. It served the hungry during the Depression. When I think of all the people who have been comforted by the food coming off of that grill, it gives me perspective and makes me happy that I can keep the Rock and its amazing history alive.

Pesto
1 cup (about 4 ounces) finely grated Parmesan cheese
About 2 cups arugula
1⁄2 cup toasted pine nuts
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1⁄4–1⁄2 teaspoon salt

Burgers
1⁄2 recipe meatball mixture (about 21⁄2 pounds)
6 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
2 teaspoons canola oil
6 hamburger buns, toasted

Make the pesto. Place the Parmesan, arugula, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, and pepper in a food processor and blend for 15 seconds. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl, and process until the pesto is smooth, about 10 seconds more. Taste and add the salt if necessary.

Stuff the burgers. Take 1⁄3 cup meat mixture and form it into a flat circle, about 4″ in diameter. (Make the patty slightly larger or smaller depending on the width of your mozzarella cheese slice—the patty should be just slightly wider than the cheese slice.) Place a piece of cheese in the center and top with another 1⁄3 cup meat mixture, also flattened into a circle. Seal the edges shut and repeat with the remaining meat and cheese, until you have 6 filled hamburger patties.

Cook the burgers. Heat the canola oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place the burgers in the pan (as many as will fit), cover, and cook until browned, about 3 to 6 minutes per side. Place each burger on the bottom half of a bun, top the burger with about 2 tablespoons pesto, cover with the bun top, and serve.

Maybe it’s because I own and run a restaurant, but it’s definitely one of my pet peeves when I order a meal and know right off the bat that I could’ve made it better. Now I’m the first to admit that there are some restaurant dishes I’ll never be able to one-up (I mean, how do they get the soup into those Shanghai soup dumplings anyway?), but there are others that I can definitely top, and cheesy enchiladas are one of them.

That’s why I never, ever order enchiladas in restaurants anymore, and honestly speaking, I bet you won’t either once you’ve tried making them yourself. Super simple, inexpensive, and so good, they leave you feeling happy and satisfied, not comatose, after eating.

Ingredients
About 2 1⁄4 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 small red or white onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeño chile pepper, seeded and ribbed for a milder flavor, finely chopped (optional)
1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
3 cups No-Cook Garden Vegetable Sauce or your favorite salsa
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 (8″) flour or whole-wheat tortillas
2 cups (8 ounces) grated Cheddar and/or Monterey Jack cheese
Sour cream, for serving

Make the filling. Heat the oven to 400°F. Place the chicken in a large bowl and gently mix with the onion, jalapeño (if using), all but 2 tablespoons of the cilantro, 1⁄2 cup of the vegetable sauce, the lime juice, salt, and pepper.

Roll and bake the enchiladas. Evenly spread 1⁄2 cup of the vegetable sauce over the bottom of a 13″ x 9″ baking dish. Place the tortillas on your work surface and divide the filling among them, arranging it in a strip down the center of each tortilla. Roll the tortillas around the filling and place the filled tortillas seam-side down in the baking dish.

Cover with the remaining 2 cups of sauce. Sprinkle evenly with the cheese. Bake the enchiladas until the sauce is golden brown and bubbling, 20 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining cilantro and serve hot with sour cream on the side.

Burgers go from ho-hum to fancy when you form the mixture around a skewer. This recipe is a great one for parties and entertaining—it offers that wow factor without you having to shell out big bucks on shrimp or filet. The kebabs are fantastic cooked on the grill, too.

Salad
10 radishes, trimmed, washed, and thinly sliced
2 large cucumbers, washed and thinly sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint (optional)
1⁄4 teaspoon salt

Kebabs
1⁄2 recipe meatball mixture (about 21⁄2 pounds)
1⁄4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1⁄2 teaspoon ground allspice
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Make the salad. Place the radishes, cucumbers, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, mint (if using), and salt in a large bowl and toss together. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 4 hours.

Mix the meat. Adjust an oven rack to the top position and heat the broiler to high. Line a baking sheet with foil
and set aside. Place the meatball mixture, nuts, sugar, cumin, oregano, allspice, and cinnamon in a large bowl
and mix to combine.

Shape and broil the kebabs. Divide the meat into 24 pieces and shape into oblong torpedoes. Thread 3 lengthwise onto each of 8 wooden or metal skewers and place the skewers on the baking sheet. Fold a sheet of foil in half lengthwise and place over the skewer bottoms to keep them from burning if using wooden skewers. Broil the kebabs until browned, 5 to 6 minutes, turn the skewers over, and broil the other side until browned, another 4 to 5 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature with the salad on the side.

Shop Smart
When I see a sale on ground turkey (preferably dark meat), ground pork, ground veal, or even ground bison, I’ll buy a few pounds and freeze it for a rainy-day meatball marathon. Cutting other types of ground meat into the beef keeps the mixture flavorful, tender, and moist.

My kids always hang out with me in the kitchen, peeling and chopping vegetables and stirring roux. This pasta salad is one of their favorite recipes to make. It’s perfect for young cooks because it’s simple, totally delicious, and can be varied to their hearts’ content just by adding whatever is in the fridge. Toss the pasta salad with the dressing, then give them free rein to raid the fridge and finish off the salad with whatever they think would be tasty additions.

Salad
8 ounces farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
About 1 cup diced ham
1 cup (about 4 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar or Swiss cheese
1 large tomato, diced
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
6 ounces salad greens
2 hard-cooked eggs, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon light or dark brown sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Boil the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions or until it is al dente. Drain, transfer to a large bowl, and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Prepare the vinaigrette. While the pasta cooks, make the vinaigrette. Whisk the mustard, vinegar, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and set aside.

Toss the salad. Add the vinaigrette to the pasta and toss to coat. Add the ham, cheese, tomato, parsley, and greens and toss to incorporate. Transfer the pasta salad to a serving bowl, sprinkle the egg on top, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

D2D
Sometimes I wonder what people did before the Internet! the Web can be a great source for deals, especially when you’re buying in bulk. If you’re partial to a certain brand, whether it’s tea, good-quality baking chocolate, or dried pasta, try finding it in bulk online. even when you factor in shipping, the savings can be immense.

When I was 18, I took my grandma to Jamaica. Grandma had never been anywhere outside of Oklahoma (let alone on an airplane), but she embraced her new surroundings. We snorkeled, danced at reggae clubs, and ate jerk chicken.

About a decade later, I was in Jamaica when I got a telegram informing me that my grandmother had passed away. When I got home, I found out that she left me 25 acres of land — which ended up being the main reason I ultimately returned to Oklahoma, moved to Stroud, and found my calling at the Rock Cafe. Needless to say, spicy jerk chicken has tagged a special place in my heart.

Chicken
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed of extra skin and fat

Marinade
3 scallions, coarsely chopped
1/2 small red onion, cut into large chunks (save the other half for the salsa)
Juice of 1/2 lime (save the other half for the salsa)
2 tablespoons olive oil + extra for greasing the baking sheet
1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 medium garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salsa
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 can pineapple rings in juice, drained, juices reserved
1/2 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced fine
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped (about 3 tablespoons)
2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Marinate the chicken. Cut 3 small slashes through the skin and into the meat of each chicken thigh, using a sharp knife, cutting all the way to the bone. Place the chicken in a large bowl. Combine the scallions, onion, lime juice, olive oil, red pepper flakes, garlic, ginger, thyme, allspice, sugar, salt, and pepper in a food processor and puree until smooth. Pour the mixture over the chicken thighs and coat them well, rubbing the marinade into the slashes. Set aside while you prepare the salsa (the chicken can be marinated up to 1 day in advance).

Make the salsa. Adjust an oven rack to the uppermost position (about 3″ from the broiler) and heat the broiler to high. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and grease lightly with 1/2 teaspoon of oil. Place the pineapple on the baking sheet, pat dry with paper towels, and brush lightly with half of the remaining oil. Broil until lightly charred, about 10 minutes, flip the rings over, brush with the remaining oil, and continue to broil until the second sides are lightly charred, about 5 minutes. Lower the oven rack to the lower-middle position (the rack should be about 7″ from the broiler) and heat the oven to 450°F. Cut the cooled pineapple into 1/4″ pieces and place in a large bowl. Add onion, scallions, lime juice, ginger, sugar, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, toss to combine, and set aside while you cook the chicken.

Bake the chicken. Line the bottom of a broiler pan with foil, set the top in place, and grease with 1/2 teaspoon of oil. Use a paring knife to cut slits through the openings in the broiler pan top. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place skin side up on the broiler pan. Bake until the surfaces are dry and the edges are beginning to brown, about 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Turn on the broiler and broil until the skin is crisped and deeply browned, about 5 minutes. Arrange the chicken thighs on a platter and serve with the salsa.

Take it Outside
The chicken and pineapple can also be cooked on a charcoal or gas grill. Build a 2-level fire with medium-high heat on one side and medium-low on the other, and a make sure that the grill grate is well oiled. Sear the chicken over the hotter side until well-browned, about 3 minutes on each side, then move the pieces over to the cooler side to finish cooking, 10 to 12 minutes longer. When the hotter side is free, char the pineapple rings (brush each side with oil first) on each side. The chicken is great served hot, but it can also be served warm or at room temperature.

D to D
The dollar store is a great resource for canned goods, oils, vinegars, and even cereals. Name brands are often marked down due to a printing error or a packaging snafu, but be sure to check the sell-by date too, just in case.

Cook Smart
If I have a few spare minutes to myself in the kitchen, I’ll marinate the chicken and pop it into a resealable freezer bag and freeze. Then all I have to do is defrost it in the microwave and it’s ready to cook.

Shop Smart
Dried ground spices stay fresh for 6 months, while whole spices (such as cinnamon sticks) stay fresh for a year. If you buy in bulk and think you have way more than you can use, invite some friends over and divvy the spices up. Don’t forget to split the cost! Little spice bottles can be purchased from kitchen stores or online, or just save your old ones (which are already labeled!). See page 00 for resources.

From Lori of Finding Radiance, who is on a journey to lose 115 pounds.  She’s doing it the right way: eating healthy, exercising, and loving life.  Lori picked up a copy of Dollars to Donuts and was excited to see so many healthy recipes for “good real food.”  She made my recipe for chicken and dumplings and gushed, “Dinner was on the table in 30 minutes and oh so yummy!”   Lori, thanks for making me part of your path to healthy eating.

Chicken
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1⁄2 pound baby carrots
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
3 celery stalks, ends trimmed and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups chicken broth, homemade or store-bought
1 bay leaf
About 2 cups bite-size pieces roasted chicken

Dumplings
2 cups all-purpose flour
1–2 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1⁄2 cup whole or low-fat milk
1⁄4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Simmer the vegetables. Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion, celery, garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook until soft and just starting to brown, 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often. Pour in the chicken broth, add the bay leaf, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until
the carrots are nearly tender, about 10 minutes.

Make the dumplings. While the vegetables cook, make the dumplings. Whisk the flour, baking powder (1 teaspoon
if you like firm dumplings, 2 teaspoons if you like them fluffy), and salt together in a medium bowl. Whisk
the egg, milk, and chicken broth together in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup. Slowly pour the liquid into the
flour mixture, stirring with a large spoon to combine, until no dry spots remain and the dough forms a ball.

Cook the chicken and dumplings. Stir the chicken into the vegetables. Spoon about twelve 2″ mounds of the dumpling mixture on top of the chicken and bring back to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the dumplings are firm, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately.

Between you and me, my ham leftovers rarely make it into soup or a salad because my family just gobbles them up in sandwiches. I slice leftover ham and freeze it in individual portions, so anyone can defrost some for a sandwich anytime. When you consider that sliced deli ham costs upwards of $7 per pound, and your whole ham cost $2.40 per pound, you’ll feel really good about stacking a few slices on bread. This sandwich is a bit more work than your basic ham and Swiss, but it’s so much tastier.

Cranberry Relish
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1⁄2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3⁄4 cup orange juice
1 cup dried cranberries

Sandwiches
8 bread slices
3⁄4 pound (about 12 slices) sliced deli ham or homemade baked ham
4 slices provolone (or Swiss)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Make the relish. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the onion is golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Pour in the orange juice and add the cranberries, bring to a simmer, cover, and lower the heat to medium-low. Simmer gently until the cranberries are plump and most of the juice has been absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes. Use an immersion blender or small food processor to pulse the cranberry mixture until it resembles jam, about 10 seconds.

Assemble the sandwiches. Heat the oven to 250°F. Spread each slice of bread with 1 heaping tablespoon of the cranberry relish. Stack the ham on 4 slices, cover each with a piece of cheese, and top with another slice of bread.

Cook the sandwiches. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 2 sandwiches to the pan and cook, covered, until the bread is golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining sandwiches. Slice in half and serve immediately.

D2D
Store meat, poultry, and fish on the lowest shelf in your refrigerator toward the back of the cabinet to keep it at its freshest. that’s where it’s the coolest and where the temperature fluctuates the least.

Cooking big today, whether it’s a slow-roasted pork shoulder or a baked ham, means I’ve already cooked (and paid for) my main-dish protein for another day. When I serve up Chicken and Dumplings or Chicken Udon Soup —both of which are the delectable spinoffs of an original roast chicken meal—I get the rush of feeling I’ve gotten something for nothing. Having some cooked meat or a prepped dish stashed away in the freezer is really like finding a hidden treasure.

These main courses offer up brand-new meals to serve later in the week or stash in the freezer. Cook the Big Bang on day 1, then relay the leftovers into a whole series of main-dish spinoffs. Having an extra freezer in the house comes in handy for this kind of cooking, not just for stashing the leftovers, but also for stocking up when good deals hit your markets on turkeys or roasts.

This brings us back to the “free meals a day” concept. Whether you’re storing an uncooked roast, portioned cooked meat, or a completely prepped dish, you will already have covered the bulk of that meal’s cost. Just add a few veggies, herbs, or sides and you have a real meal deal.

Everyone should be eating tilapia. It’s almost impossible to overcook, it’s mild, lean, has a nice texture between flakey and steaky, and is great for oven-baking, pan-frying, and steaming. Plus, domestic tilapia is farmed using environmentally sound practices. Did I mention it’s inexpensive, too? Why wouldn’t you try this wonderful white fish?

Ingredients
3 cups homemade garden vegetable sauce or jarred salsa
11⁄2 pounds tilapia (defrosted if frozen), halved lengthwise to yield 6 fillets
Salt
Juice of 1 orange
Finely chopped fresh basil, chives, cilantro, or parsley for serving (optional)

Season the fish. Heat the oven to 375°F. Spread six 12″-square pieces of foil across your work surface. Spoon 1⁄2 cup of sauce just off the center of each square and top with a tilapia fillet. Sprinkle each fillet with a little salt and 2 teaspoons of orange juice.

Fold the packets and bake. Fold the foil over the fish fillet and roll and crimp the edges to seal. Repeat with the remaining fillets. Place the packets on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and cut a slit in the top of each pouch to let some of the steam escape (be careful!). Cut or tear open the side of the packet and slide the fish and sauce out. Sprinkle with herbs (if using) and serve hot.

Cook Smart
If your market doesn’t have tilapia, this recipe works just as well with salmon, snapper, flounder, and even halibut.