Summer BBQ Food

Ok I know it's not quite summer out and it barely feels like the spring we were having a couple of weeks ago, but you are going to want to take a note to try these recipes out.  We stumbled across these in our Cooking Light book of recipes from 2003.  A couple of years ago we decided to try it for the first time and it now comes into regular rotation during the warmer months of the year.  What says summer better that burgers and pasta salad?  Here's a new twist on the classics!

*You will need to own a food processor to make the burgers and mayo.

Chicken-Chorizo Burgers with Avocado Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise:

1/3 cup fat-free mayonnaise

¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

¼ teaspoon salt

½ ripe avocado seeded

Burgers:

½ lb. Spanish chorizo sausage

¼ teaspoon salt

5 – 6” corn tortillas, torn into bite size pieces

1 ½ pounds boneless chicken breast, coarsely chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, chopped

Cooking Spray

8 (2 ounce) onion rolls

8 (1/4” thick) tomato slices

1. Prepare grill or preheat broiler
2. Mayo: combine first 5 ingredients in a food processor, pulse until combined.  Cover and chill.
3. Burgers: remove casings from sausage.  Place sausage, salt, tortillas, chicken, and jalapeno in food processor.  Process 30 seconds or until mixture is coarsely ground.  Divide mixture into 8 equal portions. 
4. Place patties on grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray.  Cook 7 minutes on each side or until done.
5. Cut rolls in half, spread with 1 ½ tablespoons of mayo over top half of each roll.  Place tomato slices on bottom halves of rolls.  Top each with 1 patty on top half of roll.  Yield: 8 servings.

Orzo Pasta Salad

 3 cups hot cooked orzo (about 1 ½ cups uncooked)

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

¾ cup (3 ounces) feta cheese

¼ cup chopped parsley

3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, toss well to coat.  Cover bowl and chill 1 hour.  Yield 8 servings.