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• 2 links of Merguez lamb sausage, crumbled and sauteed in olive oil
• 2 baby leeks, cleaned, chopped and sauteed
• About 1.5-2 cups of grated fresh Asiago cheese (Asiago Pressato)
• 2 small ripe plumbs, sliced
• 1 cup pureed tomato sauce
• Pizza Dough

Prepare all ingredients and have ready near grill. (See below — this is crucial because you have to move fast in assembling the pizza after grilling one side)

Roll out pizza dough, brush one side lightly with olive oil and place that side down on grill over direct, high heat.  Once the dough has some nice color, slide it off the grill onto a plate or board, brush the uncooked side with olive oil and flip over.

Place ingredients on cooked size of dough and slide back on grill.  Cover and cook until bottom is nicely grilled and cheese is melted.

(Makes 2 large pizzas)

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We do many variations of this burger once summer hits. The key is a nice balance of sweet, spicy & citrus flavors and a charcoal grill.

Serves: 2

Burger:

• 3/4 cup(s) bbq sauce
• 1/3 cup(s) tomato sauce or chopped canned tomatoes
• 3 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
• 1/3 cup(s) honey
• 2 beef patties
• 1 log of goat cheese, sliced
• 2 sesame buns

Spicy Slaw:

• 4 cup(s) thinly sliced cabbage
• 2/3 cup(s) blood orange vinegar
• 3/4 cup(s) mayo
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1. Start with the slaw, which can be made several hours ahead of time. Blend the vinegar, mayo, and chipotles, mix with cabbage and refrigerate until ready for use.

2. For the burger glaze, blend bbq sauce, tomatoes, chipotles, and honey. Season burger patties with salt and pepper and place over med-high heat on grill. As the burgers cook, paint with about 4 coats of the glaze.

3. Once they begin to approach desired doneness, move to indirect heat, add goat cheese and cover grill until cheese begins to melt.

4. Toast buns lightly and assemble burgers with spicy slaw.

• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 head roasted garlic
• 3 chipotle peppers
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 poblano peppers, chopped
• 2 jalepeno peppers, chopped
• 1 cup carnitas (see recipe below)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese
• Cilantro

In a medium stock pot, blend garlic and chipotle peppers in chicken stock and bring to a slow simmer. This is the liquid used to cook the rice.

Saute onion and tomato paste over med-high heat until the onion is translucent.

Add rice and saute for a minute or so.  Add wine and reduce.  Add about 3/4 cup of stock at a time and reduce until the rice is al dente.

Meanwhile saute peppers over high heat for a couple minutes so they are partially cooked but still have some bite.

Fold cheese, peppers, and carnitas into the risotto and top with cilantro.

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Quasi-Carnitas:

• 1 lb pork ribs, butt or shoulder (boneless chops work well), cubed
• 1-2 Mexican beers
• Chicken stock and/or water
• Bay leaves
• Whole dried red chili peppers
• Few tablespoons cumin, chili powder and any other Mexican spices you like

1. Brown the cubed pork in olive oil.

2. Add all other ingredients, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat until the pork is cooked through.

3. Remove, let pork cool and shred.

The rich creaminess of green chili sauce makes it a great compliment to mac & cheese.  We added a good layer of green chili on bottom of the baking pan (about 2 cups) and made mac cheese as usual.