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Friday, July 02, 2021

Summer Favourites: Burgers and Mango Pepper Salad




" I always say, 'Eat clean to stay fit;
have a burger to stay sane.' "
GIGI HADID


Biting into a perfectly grilled burger makes my taste buds thankful every time. Hamburgers with all the fixings are certainly on my Top Five of summer eating favourites. I'm pretty sure I got hooked watching Wimpey all those years ago eat his way through piles of the perfectly shaped mounds - 'gladly paying Tuesday for a hamburger today'.

The standard for me includes mustard, relish, ketchup, a thin slice of sweet onion, beefsteak tomato, a lettuce leaf, all on a lightly toasted ciabatta bun. I know melted cheese and crisp bacon would take it over the top for some people. I love both but my scale says I'm okay without them. But, have you ever had a burger with a layer of crisp deep fried onion ring on it? This is only for once in a while but, oh my, that takes any burger I'm going to eat over the top-top. It's bite down delicious.

Being a curious soul, what do you like on your burgers? What is a must, what is disgust? Or, if hamburgers are not a favourite for you, what is on your summertime top five?




" Mindful eating is about awareness.
When you eat mindfully, you slow down,
pay attention to the food you're eating,
and savor every bite. "
SUSAN ALBERS


This mango and bell pepper salad is one of my favourite summer salads. It's so refreshing on a hot day, and it seems to go well with just about anything grilled. You can do the chopping ahead of time and keep ingredients in the refrigerator. Add the dressing just before serving.


Mango and Sweet Bell Pepper Salad

1 ripe mango (or 2 nectarines), peeled, cut into small chunks
1 sweet red pepper, sliced into matchstick-size pieces
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (or parsley)

1/3 cup diced sweet onion
1 Tbsp lime juice (or lemon)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
dash hot pepper sauce

In a bowl, add mango, red pepper, and cilantro.
Mix onion, lime juice, vegetable oil, and hot pepper sauce.
Stir and pour over the ingredients in the bowl. Mix gently.


* * *

It's been a scorcher for us this past week. We've been mostly hibernating indoors, it being too hot to do anything outside, so what could we do but cheerfully beaver through our summertime reading stash. As they say, it's a hard job but somebody's got to do it. We only venture outside to check on plants in the pre-dawn and late into the evening to ensure they haven't croaked in the day's heat. Usually in our area we worry about frostbite for our plants, not heat stroke. Our beautiful Peace Rose is suffering especially - the buds venture open only to dry to a crisp in the winds. 😢 So grateful it's cooling down a little over the next few days. There might even be some rain. In the meantime, I'll be sure to keep my reading pile topped up.

Stay cool. Stay safe.
Here's wishing you a pleasant weekend.

Brenda
Photos are mine




16 comments:

  1. I hope the heat passes quickly for you. Temperatures have moderated here and we are so thankful. I think of the people of Lytton, though, and pray for them. Such devastation.
    On my hamburger, I'll take mustard and relish, lettuce and tomato, a juicy beef burger, and a pickle. The onion rings and bacon would be extra special, as would a slice of Swiss cheese. Hmmm. I think I've solved dinner plans for tomorrow night.

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  2. The mango salad looks summery delicious. I’ve copied the recipe, thank you!

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  3. We have been reading about the eceptional temperatures in Canada and feeling thankful for our more moderate weather, though the rain is decimating my flowers at the moment. We dont really eat burgers but I can imagine they would be very cheering after a hard day gardening! My Peace rose has only just started to flower, it's late this year.

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  4. I love your quote! Thank you so much for the salad recipe. I can't wait to make it.

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  5. Hope your temps cool down soon! That mango salad sounds great. I like my burgers two ways. Number One: Cheddar cheese, Dijon mustard, sweet onion and dill pickle. Number two: Mayo, Lettuce and a good tomato.

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  6. Our temps were high last week thought not as high as yours. We’d also gone a few weeks without rain. Thankfully on Wednesday we had a nice storm move through bringing rain and cooler temps.

    As to burgers, I love a good cheeseburger. It can be as simple as having Mayo, mustard and pickles, or it can have the added thousand island dressing, lettuce and tomato and onion! So good. We’ll be eating burgers, chicken patties, and hot dogs tomorrow to celebrate our Independence Day!

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  7. Ohhhh...a toasted ciabatta bun...now that's something to be tried. The only thing that I would add that you haven't included is so mayo. Hellmann's, of course. I won't be having hamburgers this year for the holiday.

    We have entered the cooling after the heat wave. Far preferable even though the furnace is actually running.

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  8. It seems that you are sharing that heat with Manitoba . It is very hot, and very dry, so i can't even water my plants. all I can do is watch them turn brown. On a burder, I have ketchup, a little relish, some onion, if i have it in the house and maybe lettuce. My favorite
    barbequed meal is a good steak.

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  9. Wimpey! Now THAT'S when television was worth watching. (Incidentally, was Popeye a merchant marine, an active duty Navy sailor, or what?) Thanks for sharing your mango/pepper salad recipe. I hope to give it a try. As far as burgers go, give me a veggie burger with caramelized onions, vegan cheese, lettuce, tomato, and lots of secret sauce.

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    1. I've had Portobello mushroom burgers with caramelized onions - yum! I wonder what's in your secret sauce?? :)

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  10. weather is so changeable we are 106 right now with more heat coming...love burgers and that salad sounds delish. we are staying inside too. it's 80 degrees at 6 am...

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  11. Brenda, I do hope the heat will soon pass for you. It is dreadful, but especially when one is not used to it.

    For my burger, I adore, melted cheddar, a slice of red onion, dill pickle slices, and ketchup all on a toasted bun.

    Your salad looks great, I know hubby would love it. Enjoy your reading and stay cool.

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  12. I haven't had a burger in soooo long, so I'm salivating over yours. I keep my burger toppings simple (cheese, ketchup, mayo, mustard), but now I gotta try one with a fried onion!

    Hope it cools down there soon!

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  13. Hey, Brenda! Sorry about your Peace Rose. I hope it survives the heat.

    You food pics are drool-worthy! My favorite hamburger is ketchup, mayo, lettuce and tomato. No onions or pickles or mustard for me, although I like mustard on a hot dog. My hubby would like all of that, though. Now if it was a deep-fried onion ring, I'd put that on!

    Btw, I had to dump my H.E. Bates series on the Larkin family. Too steamy for me! Who knew? Good writer, though.

    Happy Wednesday!

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    1. I always enjoyed the TV series, never read the books. Hope you find something more suitable to your taste.

      The Peace Rose is making a comeback although some of the roses are stunted still. The new buds forming will probably do better now that it's not so hot.

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  14. Sounds delicious! I hope that the weather is nicer, it is hot here as well but, thankfully, nowhere near yours.
    Amalia
    xo

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To My Beautiful Readers,

Some people come into our lives, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same. ~ Franz Peter Schubert

Thank you so much for leaving your 'footprint' here in my comment box. I do appreciate you taking a moment to share your thoughts today.

Brenda xo