Things that Slide

Last night we had a feast.  We had D and M over for dinner. I hadn't gone to the grocery store and I wanted something special, but casual for a Friday night.  I was also trying not to spend too much money...with the economy collapsing and all.  This is difficult to do because I went to Whole Foods.  I almost never go to Whole Foods because Berkeley has such wonderful inexpensive local grocery stores (Monterey Market and Berkeley Bowl).  The reason I went there is because I know they have little buns for burger sliders.  These have recently become gourmet (as opposed to the White Castle type which are not gourmet).  I decided to make these because I thought they would be pretty inexpensive, but I could dress them up a bit with fancy stuff.  So I did two types.  

Ahi Tuna Sliders

1 piece of ahi tuna (if you go to WF they will coat the sides in sesame seeds which looks really cool and cut it into 4 exact pieces)

plain yogurt and mayo 

lime juice/lemon juice

fresh ginger and bottled pickled ginger

Mix the above together (not the tuna) to taste and consistency.  This is the sauce you put on your tuna burger.  Heat a pan with a bit of oil on it until it is really hot.  Sear each side of the tuna for 3 minutes and remove immediately to stop the cooking.  This will leave them just a bit pink in the middle.  Put the tuna, a bit of yog

urt sauce, more pickled ginger and endives on each little roll or burger and serve.

Beef Burger Sliders

1 lb of really good ground beef (WF sells grass fed, organic ground beef from Northern California for $7.50 a pound and it is really good and I usually hate ground beef)

1 egg whipped lightly

1 small block of good blue cheese (I found this smokey blue cheese that was amazing)

1 small shallot chopped finely

smokey seasoning or smokey salt

Mix the above together.  Cut up one onion into thin slices ( I used a Cipollini which ended up being the most expensive thing I bought at WF).  Cook in a good amount of olive oil until browning and very soft.  Once they are almost done add a few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar to the pan to deglaze.  Make 6-8 smaller patties but not too dinky.  Heat an oiled BBQ or grill and cook burgers turning once.  These take a bit longer than the Tuna (8 minutes per side).  They came out just a bit pink in the middle which was perfect. 

Serve with little rolls or small burger buns topped with balsamic onions and endive.

Oh yeah, here is a picture of my new shower curtain as well.  It took me weeks to find something not terribly expensive, not too girly and not plastic.  Shower curtains also slide.