A brioche roll adds a gourmet touch to any type of burger. Photo © Craig Holmes | BSP.

 
LIGHTER BURGER OPTIONS

If you’re hosting a crowd of calorie counters, Chef Leo from Grecian Delights, maker of Skinny Buns, shares his three favorite “lighter burger” recipes:

 
Switch the sweet ketchup for a spicy salsa, avoiding the high fructose corn syrup or other sweetener.

Make your own burger biscuits with refrigerated biscuit dough. This recipe is from Pillsbury, and there’s also a hot and spicy version with jalapeño, Jack cheese and chipotle mayonnaise.

Prep time is 10 minutes, total time is 30 minutes.

Ingredients For 8 Burgers

Preparation

1. HEAT gas or charcoal grill. In medium bowl, mix beef, salt and pepper; shape into 8 patties.

2. PLACE patties on grill over medium heat. Cover grill; cook 10 to 12 minutes, turning once, until meat thermometer inserted in center of patties reads 160°F. Place cheese slices on patties to melt. Keep warm; reduce heat to medium-low.

3. SEPARATE dough into 8 biscuits. Spray both sides with cooking spray. Place biscuits on double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Place foil on grill over indirect heat. Cover grill; cook 4 minutes; turn. Cook 2 to 4 minutes longer or until biscuits are golden brown.

4. SPLIT biscuits in half. Place burgers on one half of each biscuit; top with desired toppings and remaining biscuit half.
  

We first discovered Vino de Milo in 2005. It was a new line of gourmet tomato sauces for pasta and other dishes. Each flavor had a different wine in the recipe. It was a delight atop our pasta, chicken, eggs and tofu, and wonderful for gift-giving to cooks and non-cooks alike.

But not every new product line survives and thrives. Some of our favorites have gone with the wind.

That’s why we’re so pleased that Vino de Milo has grown and expanded, with bruschetta toppings, salad dressings and salsas.

We love that the pasta sauces and the bruschetta toppings, both made from top-quality tomatoes that are so naturally sweet, have no sugar added. Americans consume a ghastly 22 teaspoons of sugar a day (the government recommends only nine teaspoons), much of it from “hidden” sugar added to prepared foods. Read the full review.

Now, the company has added nutrition to its pasta sauce. Hilo by Milo is a high fiber, low sodium pasta sauce with a great nutritional profile. Per 3/4 cup serving, it has:

Yes, you can taste the freshness!

Like the other Vino de Milo pasta sauces, it is made in small batches with no added sugars added and is gluten-free.

The products can be ordered from iGourmet.com.
 
  

Planning to host a group for Labor Day? If you have access to a smoker, Chef David Venable recommends Smoked Mexican Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Cabbage Slaw. Alternatively, you can buy a barbecued pork butt, ready to heat and eat; or make it in a slow cooker.

You can serve full-size sandwiches or smaller sliders.

“If you’re having a big party,” says David, “these Mexican Pulled Pork Sandwiches are a great way to really stretch your dollar and it’s easy to double or even triple the recipe. Smoking the large cut of meat packs in incredible flavor.”

Find more of David Venable’s recipes at QVC.com.
 
National Slider Day is May 15th.

Below:

> The recipe for pulled pork sliders or sandwiches.

> The recipe for BBQ cabbage slaw.

> Who invented sliders.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The history of pulled pork.

> More pulled pork recipes.

> The different types of pork: a photo glossary.

> The different types of sandwiches: a photo glossary.

> The year’s 24 pork holidays.

> The year’s 28+ sandwich holidays.
 
 
RECIPE #1: PULLED PORK SLIDERS OR SANDWICHES

Ingredients For The Pork Sandwiches

 
Plus Your Favorite Toppings

 
Pork Preparation

1. PREHEAT a smoker to 250°F and also prepare the wood chips. Using gloves, rub the taco seasoning and adobo liberally on the pork butt. Smoke for 4-5 hours, or until tender.

2. REMOVE the pork butt and allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes. Then shred the meat into a bowl with two forks.

3. ASSEMBLE the sandwiches: Place the desired amount of pork on the bottom half of a roll and top with the cabbage slaw.
 
 
RECIPE #2: BBQ CABBAGE SLAW (COLE SLAW)

We named this “BBQ” slaw because the ingredients mesh so well with barbecued food.

Ingredients

[1] Top the pulled pork with the cabbage slaw (photo © QVC).

[2] Add your favorite barbecue sauce (photo © McCormick).

[3] Pork butt is also called Boston Butt (photo © Good Eggs).

[4] Don’t want the bun? Eat it from the bowl (photo © QVC).

1. COMBINE the cabbage, peppers, corn and cilantro in a large bowl.

2. WHISK together mayo, lime juice, vinegar, honey, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Add the dressing to the cabbage mixture and toss to coat.

3. REFRIGERATE until you’re ready to assemble the sandwiches.
 
 
WHO INVENTED SLIDERS?

A slider is a small sandwich, typically around 3 inches in diameter, served in a bun. The term primarily refers to small burgers, but can also include any small sandwich served on a slider roll.

According to citations in Wikipedia, the name may have originated aboard U.S. Navy ships in the 1940s or 1950s. The name was inspired by the way greasy burgers slid across the galley grill while the ship pitched and rolled. A “slider with a lid” was a cheeseburger. White Castle trademarked the spelling variant “Slyder.”

Today, gourmet sliders—bison, venison, Wagyu beef, etc.—are served as an hors d’oeuvre, amuse-bouche, or in multiples as an entrée.
 

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

You meet nice people, too. Aside from the farmers themselves, the customers can be helpful, sharing “finds” and cooking tips. Last week, one gentlemen pulled out his wallet to help us when he thought we didn’t have enough cash to pay for our heirloom tomatoes!

Don’t expect bargains at a farmers market: You’re getting top quality, fresh-picked produce grown by small family farmers. We could pay less for peaches at Trader Joe’s, shipped in from who knows where. We save where we can, but we’re glad that we can afford to help keep family farms in business.

Birds & Blooms magazine consulted farmers nationwide to create a comprehensive guide to the proper etiquette and best tips for shopping at farmers markets. Here are our top ten (the full list of 33 tips can be found here):

 
TO FIND A FARMERS MARKET NEAR YOU, VISIT LOCALHARVEST.ORG.

You love it on pizza, lasagna, panini, and in a Caprese salad. But there‘s more you can do with mozzarella.

For example, Crave Brothers, Wisconsin-based producers of award-winning cheeses, say that mozzarella and fresh vegetables were made for each other.

Think beyond the eight-ounce or one-pound balls of mozzarella to other sizes:

 
Then, decide how to use them.
 
 
MORE WAYS TO USE MOZZARELLA CHEESE

 
Preparation

1. TOSS all ingredients. Since there are no greens to get soggy, you can do this ahead of time.

2. SERVE chilled or at room temperature.
 
 

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