hundred dollar burger...??? oh, and some recipes from the kitchen of heatheradair

Yep: read this on FoxNews today:

"Heaven on a Bun' Costs a Pretty Penny

BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — A hundred bucks might buy you more than six-dozen burgers from McDonald's, but the swanky Old Homestead Steakhouse will sell you one brawny beef sandwich for the same price.

Boca Raton Mayor Steven Abrams could barely speak between bites as he devoured the 20-ounce, $100 hamburger billed as the "beluga caviar of sandwiches."

"Heaven on a bun," restaurant owner Marc Sherry said.

The burger debuted Tuesday at the restaurant in the Boca Raton Resort and Club, where a membership costs $40,000 and an additional $3,600 a year.

At about 5 1/2 inches across and 2 1/2 inches thick, the mound of meat is comprised of beef from three continents — American prime beef, Japanese Kobe and Argentine cattle. The restaurant will donate $10 from each sale to the Make-A-Wish Foundation."

Hmmm. They're donating $10 to charity.

BUT, rather than a predictable rant about how the mayor would be REQUIRED to oooooh and aaaaah (he just spent $100, he'd feel like a chump to admit he was anything other than floored by the international culinary behemoth), I decided, in the spirit of the 4th of July (which in my family means BARBEQUE!!!!!!) to pass along some of my favorite outdoor recipes (because, in addition to being a bored cost accountant and aspiring celebrity arm candy, I am nothing if not a fabulous cook). And reading about that burger made me hungry. So here (in no particular order) are some of my favorite summer foods (my, aren't I shockingly domestic!!!):

Heatheradair's Pico de Slaw/Slaw de Gallo (because both names sound funny)
(this is a great, light side dish when it's hot and you don't feel like taking the time to make potato salad)

• a few cups pre-made, packaged, ready-to-go cole slaw mixins (cabbage, carrots, whatever)
• a few cups or so of REALLLY diced up white onion (soak it in water for a few hours if you wanna take some of the "onion" taste outta the onion..?)
• a few cups of really chopped up cilantro - be liberal with it!
• a good drizzle of olive oil
• a BIG drizzle of lemon juice
• another BIG drizzle of lime juice
• a few shakes of sea salt
• a few splashes of hot sauce

Toss it all together, you're ready to go! Very tasty!

Heatheradair's Halibut Tacos (makes about 6 tacos)

• 2 good-sized Halibut filets (you don't say!!!)
• 6 or so soft taco shells
• Avocado Ranch sauce (recipe below)
• Heatheradair's Pico de Slaw
• Enough monterey jack cheese to garnish

BARBEQUE up the halibut filets (I like 'em blackened, seasoned with a little lime juice), spread each tortilla with a some avocado ranch sauce, top with some Pico de Slaw, add a few halibut chunks, garnish with jack cheese, roll 'em on up

Heatheradair's Avocado Ranch Sauce

• 1 large avocado
• a few tablespoons of ranch dressing
• garlic salt
• lemon juice
• hot sauce
• chipotle chile powder
• more cilantro (summertime theme for me)

Mash it all together until it's nice and smooth (if you're one of those food-processor types, have at it. I'm old-school. I stir with a FORK.). Makes a good salad dressing, sandwich spread, taco accessory, vegetable dip, etc. ("Thanks Heather, sounds yummy!")

Heatheradair's Chipotle Chicken Burger

• Well-seasoned chicken breasts...I let mine marinade for half a day or so in a sort of spicy southwest combo - some lime juice, salsa, and all of the spicy, peppery stuff I can find - chili powder, cayanne pepper, you name it. The hotter, the better.
  
• Guacamole (I make my own, but the Trader Joe's-type guac-in-a-box is the next best thing. Anything sold in a round plastic carton tends not to taste like guac...)
• Pepper Jack
• Burger/sandwich accessories (buns, onion, tomato, lettuce)

Grill the chicken, add the cheese at the last minute, pile the bun high, try to get your mouth around it!

Heatheradair's Pineapple Margaritas

• Tequila! Lots of it!
• Triple sec
• Lime juice
• Sour mix
• Dole Pineapple Juice

I usually make an entire pitcher at a time...always on-the-rocks. Mmmmmmmm.

Now I'm supposed to sit here and do WORK? I wanna fire up the grill....