National Hamburger Day

Today is National Hamburger Day. Really! I think the month of May might even be National Hamburger Month. I'm not sure how these food related national days got started, and I don't really care. They make it fun to plan foods around the theme.

So, back to today. I think I remarked in an earlier post how I want to spend the summer weekends testing new burger, potato salad and cole slaw recipes. I'm really looking forward to it, and since hubby likes to grill, I can give him ample opportunities to flex his grilling muscles. I should probably buy him some cool apron...

Jerk Burgers with Pineapple Salsa

Vegan burger patties (we used the new vegan Quorn burgers for the first time)
Jerk bbq sauce (I bought some I found at the grocery store)
Vegan Monterey Jack cheese, sliced

Pineapple Salsa

Olive oil
One onion, chopped
One green bell pepper, chopped
2 t. minced fresh ginger
One can (8 oz) crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 c. apple jelly
2 T. lime juice

Cook the burgers on the grill, brushing each side with the jerk bbq sauce.

For the salsa, saute the onion, bell pepper and ginger in the olive oil until softened. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until jelly is melted.

To serve:

On a whole wheat bun, layer the burger in this order: slice of cheese, burger, salsa. It needs nothing else.

Two Potato Salad

8 white potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 an onion, chopped
1 T. mustard
1 t. salt
1 c. mayonnaise
1-1/2 t. black pepper

Boil the potatoes until soft, drain and cool. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Chill before serving.

Mango Cole Slaw

One head of cabbage, chopped
One mango, peeled and chopped
One bunch of scallions, chopped
1/2 c. cilantro, chopped
1/3 c. chopped pecans
1/2 c. mayonnaise
2 T. orange juice
1 T. white vinegar
1 t. salt
1/8 t. cayenne pepper

Mix everything together, stirring until everything is well covered and mixed. Chill well before serving.

Notes on it all:
I like the Quorn burgers. They are a little smaller than the Boca vegan burgers, but grilled I thought they had a nice flavor. The pineapple salsa and the jerk sauce went very well together and I thought was quite tasty.
If you or someone doesn't like sweet potatoes, I think they will still like this potato salad. It adds color but doesn't alter the taste.
I've never had nuts in a cole slaw before, but they add a pleasant additional crunch to the cole slaw. The mango is slight, but the occasional bite of it adds a delightful surprise to each bite.

Enjoy!