Wedges and Burgers...BOOM!

What could be better than a fresh ground, grilled to perfection, sirloin burger? A sirloin burger with roasted potato wedges... that's right, who needs fries with these babies! Now, here's where I get weird... After scrubbing (and I mean hardcore scrub-a-dub) the taters, I cut them into eighths. That's right, half, and then that half in half, and one more half, so you get 8 wedges from each potato. Toss in olive oil and S and fresh ground P and garlic powder. Now here's where I get all Alton Brown OCD kinda weird and nerdy. After tossing the wedges, I prop them all up on their skin sides, like little boats, so they get all brown and crispy on the starchy-cut sides. They just come out super crispy outside and creamy inside. Totally worth the 30 seconds it takes. See? Roast at 400 for at least 35 minutes. Look at those crispy crunchy roasted tasty treats! Trust me, there's a reason why this house makes these wedges once a week! They're even made on their own, all by themselves as a late night snack!!! Dipped in ketchup (traditional) or blue cheese (my way), they never disappoint! So, wedges, done... BOOM! Let's do burgers!! Again, this in one of our favorite meals because we splurge on fresh ground sirloin (thank you Millstone) and make every ingredient count! As you know, nothing is beneath me... so, here's where I turn to Montreal Steak seasoning, and "rain" on those burgers with all that Montreal secret spicy goodness! Guilty! Salt and pepper would be fine as well, but don't you DARE put those burgers on the grill without seasoning (tsk, tsk). OK... now I spray the grill before I lay the burgers down so they don't stick. I also ALWAYS use my trusty timer to help me keep track of their done-ness (rare 3 minutes per side, medium rare 4 minutes per side, medium well 5 minutes per side)!! Here's the thing, I heat up that grill, scrape it down to get-her clean, and then, I actually turn the heat off and spray. And then turn her back on, and here's why. Have you ever seen the kind of flames a can of cooking spray can seduce out of even the wimpiest flames on a grill? I have... YIKES! I want tasty burgers... not an action packed, Hollywood style, War of the Worlds kind of explosion in my driveway. 'Nuff said on that. Safety first (nerd girl). After you pull those burgers off the grill, LET THEM REST!!! Seriously. 10 minutes at least, or you'll have a dry, chewy burger. Topping the burgers! Keep it simple and let the burger do the talking! One slice of provolone, and american cheese, fresh sliced tomato... BOOM! Done. You can do what ever you want, but this is what we do! So... what to have with these tasty wedges and perfectly grilled sirloin burgers? How 'bout that bundle of asparagus you overlooked yesterday! HECK YEAH! So here's how I love my asparagus. Rolling in olive oil, S and P and garlic powder. 400 degrees for 10 minutes (these are thicker stalks, not pencil thin). You could stop there and it would be killer good. But, I wanted green salad loveliness with my burger, so I chopped those roasted stalks into bite size pieces and tossed them with Boursin cheese, fresh baby spinach, and pistachio nuts. No dressing needed. The warm asparagus wilts the spinach and the Boursin is full of flavor. Maybe a little S and P to taste. Freakin' delicious!! And it's only Wednesday! Maybe not the most glamorous looking salads, but once you try this flavor combo, you will LOVE it! Keep the proportions equal. One cup baby spinach to one small bundle asparagus, to one handful pistachios, to as much Boursin as you like (I used about a third of one wheel... about 1/4 cup... crumbled on top) and toss. So, there you go... another humble, weeknight, workin' girl kinda dinner! One of our favorite, reliable, tasty, quick satisfying meals!!