Mushrooms Swiss Burgers with Buttermilk Sauce and Bibb Salad with Apples & Blue Cheese

How many times has this happened to you... you reach for a bag of pecan or almonds off your pantry shelf and they are rancid.  I store my nuts and seeds in the freezer in opaque freezer containers from Lock N Lock.  

Nuts have a high oil/fat content, so they are easily susceptible to going rancid.  They also absorb odors from the environment around them.  For these reasons, it's best to store nuts in opaque, air-tight containers in the fridge or freezer. The cool temperatures prevents rancidity while the dark space further protects them from light damage. Nuts will typically last 4 months in the refrigerator and 8 months in the freezer.  


I found a bag of Barsy's Sweeties Almonds in my freezer containers.  Received as a gifts, I hadn't found a use for these spiced nuts.  The Sweeties are gluten free and are seasoned with cinnamon and chai spices.  With a hint of sweetness, they remind me of a Chai tea!  Tonight, I used them to top the Bibb Salad with Apples and Blue Cheese.  After all, cinnamon and apples go hand-in-hand!


For the Buttermilk Sauce in Mushroom Swiss Burgers, I used non-fat plain Greek yogurt.  Greek yogurt makes the perfect substitution for light sour cream.  One cup of Greek yogurt is fat free and contains 23 grams of protein!  

Mushrooms Swiss Burgers with Buttermilk Sauce

Serves 5

1 pound extra lean ground beef

1/2 pound ground Italian sausage

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1 (7 ounce) can sliced mushrooms , drained and finely chopped

Coarse salt and pepper, to taste

5 deli slices Swiss cheese

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons buttermilk

1/4 cup finely chopped dill

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

5 sandwich rolls, split

Preheat grill to medium heat.  In a medium bowl, combine the beef, sausage, Worcestershire, onion, mushrooms, salt and pepper.  Form into 5 patties.  Grill, covered, for 10 minutes or until no longer pink in the center of the patty.   Top the patties with the cheese, during the last 2 minutes of cooking.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the yogurt, buttermilk, dill, mint and lemon juice.  Stir until smooth. 

Put the cheeseburgers on the roll bottoms and top with the mushrooms. Slather the roll tops with the dressing and set into place.

Bibb Salad with Apples and Blue Cheese

Serves 4

4 cups torn Bibb or Boston lettuce

3 medium Granny Smith apples, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon buttermilk

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

1 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/2 cup candied almonds

1/2 cup raisins

In a salad bowl, combine the lettuce and apples. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, honey, buttermilk, mustard, salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese, almonds, and raisins. Serve immediately.