Hola!  Buenos Dias! 

Good Morning from Riviera Cancun Mexico!  Today is St Pat’s…and my 31st Birthday…is there any better time to celebrate in Mexico?!  I think not.  🙂 

With Grandma & Grandpa at the house and a tearful goodbye to Bella on Thursday, Ryan and I headed to Chicago to meet our dear friends from college, Gena and Eric.  From there…we were off to the beautiful resort Secrets Silversands.  Yesterday we relaxed in the sun and caught up on our day-to-day lives, our children, and our families.  And after we felt fully recapped, we reminsced about our college days…it seems the stories are never ending!  I wonder what we will come up with today.  LOL.

To start my birthday off right this morning, Ryan surprised me, not with a bouquet of flowers…but a handful of clovers!  With that we popped a bottle of champagne and poured ourselves some Mimosas.  Delish!  And, in true Ryan-fashion, he brought along a very thoughtful gift…a key charm, with a Ruby for Bella, to add to my “everyday” necklace.  Thank you, Ryan!

And now…before we head down to the beach, I share with you the wonderful lunch we indulged in at the Barefoot Grille yesterday!  Ahhh….a few burgers in paradise! 

First…a traditional CHEESEBURGER IN PARADISE!!  (They were sooo good!)  I can’t help you with the “paradise” part…but I can help you with a delicious cheeseburger part!  Check out an earlier post on INDULGE….featuring “Boudreau’s Burgers“.   These burgers are simple…and do not disappoint.

Second…a MEXI-BURGER!  While I, obviously, didn’t make all of these indgrediants, I do have a recipe that will get this done for you at home.  Give it a try this weekend…pair with a cold Corona…and sit out on your porch.  With the beautiful weather we’ve experienced in the Midwest the last week, you might just be able to close your eyes are pretend you are in Mexico too!

MEXI-BURGER

Serves 4

• 1 lb 90/10 Ground Beef
• ~ 1/4 cup Milk
• Seeded Hamburger Buns, 1 bun cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire
• 1 Tbsp “backyard grilling” seasoning (Choose your favorite burger seasoning)
• 1 Tbsp Hot Sauce (most any will do!)
• A Dash or Two of Garlic Salt
• EVOO
• 1/4 stick of butter
• Green Leaf Lettuce, rinsed & torn
• Sliced Monterey Jack Cheese
• Guacamole, freshly made
• Fresh Salsa (Pico de Gallo)

Start by prepping all of your toppings (lettuce, guac, and salsa). Recipes to follow.  Set aside until ready to serve.

Preheat the grill to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine milk and the one cubed hamburger bun.  Using your hands, mix the milk and bun until fully saturated and paste-like.  Add the ground beef and continue to mash together with your hands.  Work in Worcestershire, seasoning, and hot sauce.  Once combined, pat out 4 burgers.   Grill the burgers for ~6 minutes per side or until your desired “done-ness”.  We grill ours until just pink in the middle.

As you flip your burgers over for the final ~6 minutes, prep your buns!  In a small prep bowl, combine 4 Tbsp EVOO and a dash or two of garlic salt.  Brush the inside of each bun (top and bottom).  Place on the top rack of the grill for ~30 seconds (or until grill lines form).  While the buns are grilling, add the swiss cheese  and let melt.

Remove buns annd begin to build your Hamburgesa Mexicano!

FRESH SALSA

• 4 large Tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 White Onion, chopped
• 3-4 Cloves of Garlic, minced
• 4 Serrano Peppers, finely chopped
• 1/4 Fresh Cilantro, chopped
• 1 Lime, juiced
• Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients.  Toss well.

GUACAMOLE

• 2 Avocados
• 1 Serrano Pepper
• 1 Large Roma Tomato
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 Red Onion, chopped
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Mash together with a fork.  (Keep the seed of the avacado with your gauc to prevent it from “browning”.)

Mmmmm…..muy bueno!

…a Cheeseburger or Mexi-Burger in Paradise…or your own backyard!  Enjoy your St Patrick’s Day…with your (big or) Little Leprechauns.

Indulge.  In Life.  In Love.  In Food.