Girls night in

There's nothing better than a hearty meal that really gets you involved - juice dripping up your wrist, sauce stains on your cheeks and an aching jaw from stretching too much to jam it all in at once.


The fabulous Ad emailed me the link to a taste.com.au burger recipe last week and when dear old friends JB and Bree came round for a lazy night on the couch, I knew just what to cook them.


I set up a DIY bar for the girls to load up with their own toppings and finished off with a serve of sweet potato fries. YUM! I was desperate for some gourmet burger rolls or ciabatta or turkish bread or something but when you head to the shops in Adelaide after work, most doors are closed except for mainstream supermarkets. I settled for French continental rolls from Bakers Delight which were actually really good and hit the spot.


We had such a lovely night in - JB and I have been friends for 15 years now and Bree's been on the scene for 12 so there was a lot of catching up to do . . . boys, country adventures, scandals from school and our dreams for the future. So many laughs - I thought I'd actually have to offer Bree a paper bag at one stage to catch her breath for all that giggling!


The mini mint Magnums were a perfect end to the night.


So, next time the girls pop around, give these a whirl! They were just the ticket for a night on the couch with The Block!


Best Burgers

Ingredients
1kg beef mince
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 egg
1/2 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tbs grated parmesan cheese
Pinch of grated nutmeg
2 tbs olive oil
4 ciabatta buns, toasted
4 tbs hummus
1 cup baby rocket leaves
2 vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced
Roasted capsicum (optional) and aioli or mayonnaise, to serve

Method
Place mince, onion, chilli, egg, breadcrumbs, mustard, parmesan and nutmeg in a bowl, and season. Use your hands to shape into 4 patties. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Heat oil in a non-stick frypan over medium-high heat, then cook patties for 2-3 minutes each side or until cooked to taste. Spread bun bases with hummus, add rocket, tomato, a pattie, some capsicum, aioli and top of bun.


My only hot tip would be to use less mince - I made nine burgers from the 1kg mince so can only imagine how big they'd be if you stuck to the recommended four serves!


I also threw in some avocado for good measure - just love it in a burger, but anything goes really. Sliced beetroot would be yum . . . albeit very messy!

Recipe from here.