Shake Shack Burgers

I'm so excited to be writing this blog post!  I'm participating in a Virtual Baby Shower for a very special  lady on a cooking message board I frequent.  I've seen many of these 'virtual showers' in the past, but this is the first time I've been asked to participate in one and I couldn't be more honored.  Jessica from The Jey of Cooking is due in one month with her second child -- a baby girl!  Joelen, of What's Cookin' Chicago?, put this fabulous event together and came up with a ballpark theme.  Jessica, her husband and little boy/future big brother live in Chicago and are HUGE Cubs fans so ballpark food is perfect for this  lovely occasion.  

I figure Chicago style hot dogs are probably the ballpark food-of-choice at Wrigley Field, so I decided to create something that is a popular stadium item in our town -- The Shake Shack Burger.  We've only been to one game at Nationals Park, but it was just after Shake Shack opened and it was very popular.  We got there early to avoid the long lines and were so happy we did.  The Shack Burger lived up to all the hype we had heard about it.  It was salty and crunchy and the shack sauce just made the fresh tomatoes and lettuce sing.  So, recreating this burger at home was the first thing that popped into my head when I learned about the ballpark theme.  

Some googling led me to an article on Serious Eats with a very detailed recreation of the Shack Burger.  I took a few shortcuts, mostly for convenience sake, but found it came out pretty darn close to the original!  It was just as tasty, and though I didn't figure out the cost, I am sure it was cheaper!  We used ground beef we already had, 85% lean, instead of grinding our own and used some potato rolls we already had, which weren't Martin's brand, but still very good!  I accidentally bought red leaf lettuce instead of green, but that made no difference in the taste at all.  

I'm very thrilled to share my contribution to the All-Star Virtual Baby Shower for Jessica!  She's a smart, funny gal who is always sharing an encouraging word or bit of advice in our cooking community and I'm so happy to be a part of this online celebration of her new little girl!

Shake Shack Burgers
from Serious Eats
makes 4 burgers

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
4 slices kosher dill pickle, roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 pound ground sirloin, 85% lean
1 tablespoon butter, softened
4 burger rolls, preferably potato
4 leaves of green (or red!) leaf lettuce, tops of leaves only
8 slices ripe plum tomatoes, center-cut prefered
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
Kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper
4 slices yellow American cheese

Directions:

• Make Shack Sauce -- combine mayo, ketchup, mustard, chopped pickle, garlic powder, paprika and cayenne in the bowl of a food processor.  Give the processor a few good whirls, until the sauce looks to be an even consistency, scrapping down the sides of the bowl if necessary.  This will make almost 3/4 cup sauce and you will have some leftover after dressing the burgers.  It's great for dipping fries.  
• Next form the ground beef into 4 pucks -- about 2 inches high and 2 1/2 inches wide.  Sprinkle the top side heavily with salt and pepper.  
• Prep a large stainless steel skillet -- using a wadded up paper towel rub vegetable oil on skillet, then place over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke.
• While waiting for the skillet to heat, turn broiler on high.  Open the buns, but do not split all the way through, leave them 'hinged' open if possible.  (My rolls were already split and my burgers still turned out fine, so it's okay if this happens to you as well.)  Spread the softened butter over the tops and bottoms of all 4 rolls.  Place under the broiler and cook until golden brown.
• Once the buns come out of the broiler, dollop 1 -2 teaspoons (depending on preference) on each side of each bun.  On the top bun, add one leaf lettuce then 2 tomato slices.  Set prepped buns aside to wait for burgers.
• When skillet is barely smoking, place beef patties in, seasoned side down.  Using the back of a spatula, flatten the patties to 4 inches wide.  Normally this is a no-no, but for a realistic Shack Burger you want the beef to stick and get 'crusty' for lack of a better term.  Season the top side with salt and pepper.  Cook until crisp crust forms, about three minutes.  
• Flip burgers and top each with one slice American cheese.  Cover and cook until cheese melts.  
• Transfer patties to bottoms of burger buns and cover with toppings and bun tops.  Wrap in parchment paper if desired and let sit for 1-2 minutes.  I find this step, while annoying since delicious burgers and their mouth-watering smells are surrounding your surely hungry taste buds, essential.  It really lets the juices from the burgers sink into the buns and the sauce to meld with the other toppings and cheese to do the same.  We found it easier to cook two burgers at a time in our skillet, so it was easy to let the first set sit in parchment while we finished off the second two burgers, then ate the first set.  

Brie and Scallion Burgers: Recipe Swap

I've spent the last 4 years frequenting a cooking message board, which I know, makes me sound like a total food nerd, but I've met some great ladies (and even a guy or two!) on there and it was where I first got the idea to start a food blog.  I started this blog mostly as a way to have an online recipe collection/personal cookbook.  It's great to have all our favorite recipes in one spot and have them easily accessible via internet.  I check in with my foodie friends at least once a day to talk about what's for dinner, great restaurants, new ingredients and everything in between.  They've been doing a recipe swap for awhile now, but when it started I was in a blogging lull but now that I'm back into the groove I decided to join in the fun.  

For this exchange I got A Taste of Home Cooking.  Not only is she a member of my lovely group, but she's also the organizer of the Recipe Swaps -- I immediately felt the pressure!  I spent a good hour looking through her blog and picking some recipes to chose from.  Some that were on the final list but didn't make the cut will be on my menus in the future -- Buffalo Chicken Tacos, Jalapeno Popper Chicken, and Soutzoukakia.  For this choice we went with the Brie and Scallion Burgers and we were not disappointed!  They were cheesy, juicy and delicious.  The cheese is hidden inside the burgers which is a nice surprise and the scallion paste is spicy kick to compliment the creamy brie.  We enjoyed them a lot and I'm sure we'll be enjoying them again throughout the summer grilling season.  We've already thought of other uses for the scallion paste -- tossed with pasta, on shrimp, in sandwiches, it'd probably even be good with tortilla chips!  As you can see, we served it with waffle fries and steamed broccoli.

Brie and Scallion Burgers

from A Taste of Home Cooking

serves 4

Ingredients:

4 scallions, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

freshly ground pepper

4 ounces brie, rind removed

1/4 cup mayonnaise

4 hamburger buns

Directions:

• Make the scallion paste -- combine the scallions, garlic, jalapeno, lemon zest, cayenne and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a mortar and pestle (or a small bowl).  If using the mortar and pestle, grind the ingredients into a paste.  If using a bowl, use the back of a spoon to smash everything together.  Once you have a paste, slowly add in the olive oil to loosen up the paste.  
• Preheat your grill on high.
• Start working on the burgers -- season the ground beef with salt and pepper.  Form 8 patties from the ground beef.  Measure out one ounce of brie, put it on top of one patty, then top with another patty and seal the edges.  Do this again three more times to make four burgers.  
• Cook the burgers on the grill, about 4-6 minutes per side.  Grill the burger buns.  Top burgers with scallion paste, mayo and serve!

Barcelona Burger

I found this recipe in an issue of Food Network Magazine.  I kept it in the back of my mind because of the use of manchego cheese.  We like spanish cheeses and enjoy manchego often, but I was waiting for a time when we had some leftover to use for these burgers.  It took while to have some leftover manchego.  These burgers were a great weeknight grilling meal.  The flavors were very spanish -- roasted red pepper, sherry vinegar, olives and smoked paprika complemented the manchego very well.  It was a great way to put a twist on a typical burger.  I served it with oven fries that I also put smoked paprika on to highlight that spice in the burger.  I chose to serve it on homemade burger buns, but did use an olive roll in the sauce.  I halved the olive oil to save some calories and doubled the smoked paprika because, well, I love smoked paprika.

Barcelona Burger
slightly adapted from Food Network Magazine
serves 4

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 olive roll
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup sliced almond
1/2 cup roasted red peppers
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
kosher salt
1 pound ground beef
2 shallots, finely grated
4 slices manchego cheese
lettuce leaves
4 burger rolls

Directions:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat.  While it heats, tear the olive roll into one inch pieces.  Add to the skillet along with the garlic.  Cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes.  Add almonds and cook about 3 additional minutes. 
• Transfer bread chunks, garlic and almonds to a food processor.  Add roasted red pepper, vinegar, the remaining tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon paprika and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Pulse until a chunky sauce forms.  
• Gently mix the ground beef, shallots, remaining teaspoon smoked paprika, and 1 teaspoon salt until combined.  Form into 4 patties.
• Cook the patties, either in a large skillet over medium-high heat or on the grill, about 4-5 minutes per side.  During the last 2-3 minutes of cooking time add cheese to the top of the burgers to melt. 
• Toast the rolls, if desired, and spread the roasted red pepper sauce on both the tops and bottoms of rolls, about 2 tablespoons per roll.  Serve the burgers on the rolls with lettuce. 

Black Bean Burgers

I picked this recipe to take a try at making some bean burgers from scratch.  I am a fan of the bean burgers you can buy from the frozen section at the grocery store, they have a nice southwest flavor and make for an easy, quick weeknight meal.  This homemade version is not as easy or quick, but it's got better flavor and I like knowing exactly what went into the patties.  You could probably make some up and freeze them to turn into future easy/quick meals too.  I did not try that this time, but I hope to next time.  Zach and I both really liked this recipe and we will make it again.  I liked the texture of the burgers.  Leaving some beans whole and mashing most of them made an almost creamy burger, and the spices were very delicious.  The only change I made was to add on a sauce.  I just took some cilantro and mixed it up with mayonnaise, a dash of cumin and a dash of cayenne.  

Black Bean Burgers
slightly adapted from America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 slices white sandwich bread
2 15 ounce cans of black beans, rinsed
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin, plus more for sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more for sauce
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup minced cilantro, divided in half
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup mayonnaise  




Directions:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Place bread in food processor and pulse until you have coarse crumbs.  Spread crumbs on a baking sheet and toast in the pre-heated oven until light brown and dried out, about 10 minutes.  Let cool.
• Measure 2 1/2 cups of the black beans into a large bowl and mash them until mostly smooth.  You can use a potato masher, pastry cutter or a fork.
• In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper and the salt.  
• Add the egg mixture, cooled breadcrumbs, remaining 1/2 cup beans, bell pepper, 1/4 cup cilantro and shallot into the mashed bean mixture.  Mix until just combined.  Divide into 6 equal parts (about 1/2 cup each) and form into patties.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Place three of the patties in the skillet and cook until well browned on each side, 8 to 10 minutes.  Then repeat (including 1 more tablespoon oil) with remaining patties.  
• While the patties cook mix the remaining 1/4 cup chopped cilantro with the mayonnaise.  Add cumin and cayenne pepper to your tastes.  I'd start with 1/8 teaspoon cayenne and 1/4 cumin then adjust as desired.  
• Serve on toasted buns with sauce.   

Green Chili Sliders with Tangy Tomatillo-Lime Sauce

These were super delicious!  The tomatillo-lime sauce is very addicting!  The combination of cilantro, lime and just a bit of heat from the jalapeno keeps you coming back for more.  The burgers were fantastic too!  I adapted the recipe and made them turkey burgers instead of using ground beef and I think it worked just fine.  I also omitted the cheese, since I felt the sauce would add enough flavor, and it did!  I really loved the poblanos in the burgers, they were just the right pepper, especially after being roasted.  They were sweet yet spicy and perfect.  I was going to do full size burgers, but decided to go with sliders as the recipe was written. We will definitely make these again, another great burger recipe from Rachael Ray. 

Green Chile Sliders with Tangy Tomatillo-Lime Sauce

from EveryDay with Rachael Ray, November 2008

4 Servings

Ingredients:

2 large poblano chiles

4 tomatillos, husks removed and coarsely chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1/2 white onion, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup cilantro

1 lime

2 tablespoons honey

Salt

11/2 pounds ground turkey

11/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon canola oil

8 slider rolls

Directions:

• Preheat the broiler. Place the poblanos on a baking sheet and broil, turning, until blackened. Transfer to a bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Peel off the skins and remove the seeds; discard. Chop into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Using a food processor, mix the tomatillos, jalapeno, onion, cilantro, zest of the lime, juice of the lime and honey until smooth; season with salt.
• In a large bowl, season the turkey with the cumin, salt and pepper; combine. Mix in the poblanos. Form into 8 3-inch patties.
• In a cast-iron skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Cook the patties, turning once, about 5 minutes for medium-rare.  Dot the roll tops with the tomatillo sauce and assemble the sliders. Serve with the extra sauce.

Turkey Taco Burgers with Guacamole

This was a super yummy recipe!  It's one I found on Rachael Ray's website.  I know lots of people don't like her show/personality/over-used phrases/scratchy voice, and I myself tend to avoid her in any manner except print (I love her EveryDay magazine!).  But, say what you will about her, she knows how to concoct a good burger!  I like to try different flavor combinations in burgers, especially turkey/chicken burgers since they can get rather bland without some sort of add-in.  So, if I am looking for a new burger idea I usually go to Rachael first.  This was a winner, it had really great flavor and the guacamole was super easy.  I did not not make the salsa from the recipe as I figured one topping was enough, but I added in some tomatoes, cilantro and onion to the guacamole.  We served with a side of refried pinto beans and some baked whole wheat tortillas for dipping with the remaing guacamole. 

Turkey Taco Burgers with Guacamole

adapted from RachaelRay.com

1 pound ground turkey breast

1 small red onion, 1/2 grated, 1/2 minced

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 cup taco or chili sauce

Salt and pepper

3 ripe avocados, flesh removed from skin, pit removed and discarded

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 lime

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

3 plum tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

4 Kaiser rolls

Your choice of tortilla chips

Directions:

• Place the ground turkey in a mixing bowl, then add the grated red onion, shredded cheddar, ground cumin, ground coriander, chili powder, taco or chili sauce, salt and some pepper. Mix to combine, divide into 4 patties.
• Grill burgers on each side for 6-7 minutes, or until cooked through.
• While the burgers are cooking, put together the guacamole.  Place the avocados in the bottom of a mixing bowl. Add the minced garlic, the juice of the lime and the minced jalapeño. Mash together, taste and add more salt and pepper, to taste.  Stir in the tomatoes, remaining minced onion and cilantro.  
• Toast the rolls until golden brown. Place the burgers on the bottom of the toasted rolls, then top with a spoonful of guacamole. Arrange the tops of the toasted rolls. Serve the burgers alongside some tortilla chips and the remaining guacamole.

Goulash Burgers

I found this recipe in my file of recipes I've cut out of magazines and newspapers.  We had some ground turkey and were in the mood for burgers so off I went to search my files!  This one stood out to me because of the smoked paprika.  It was delicious!  A great way to add lots of flavor to a dish.  I modified the recipe a bit, leaving out the dill (we don't like it) and some of the toppings.  So, it's not necessarily a goulash burger anymore, but it was very good!  I also scaled down the amount of sauce.  It originally called for a whole cup of sour cream.  Even using half a cup we had a ton leftover that we used as a dip for cucumbers, but I find that in general Rachael Ray recipes tend to make large amounts of food, this was no exception. 

Goulash Burgers

Adapted from: EveryDay with Rachael Ray, November 2006

4 Servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes, Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

•    1½ pounds ground chicken
•    3 scallions, finely chopped
•    Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (a generous handful)
•    2 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika (2/3 palmful)
•    Salt and freshly ground pepper
•    2 jarred roasted red peppers, patted dry
•    1/2 cup sour cream 
•    1 small shallot, finely chopped
•    4 individual brioche or eggy rolls, split

Directions:

   1. Place the ground chicken in a bowl with the scallions, parsley and paprika; season with salt and pepper. Combine the mixture with a fork and form into four 1-inch-thick patties.

   2. Grill burgers, 6 minutes on each side.

   3. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Place the red peppers, sour cream and shallot in a food processor. Process until smooth, about 20 seconds. Transfer to a small dish.

   4. Spread the rolls with the red pepper sauce. Assemble burgers.

Turkey Burgers with Peanut Sauce

I found this recipe in a quick search of Cooking Light's online recipes.  I knew we had some ground turkey to use up and I definitely wanted a burger.  Lately we've been going to many Asian restaurants and I've been obsessed with various peanut sauces, which is odd for me, since I don't like peanuts.  I mean, I don't mind peanut butter in recipes (peanut butter cookies!), but as a kid I would eat jelly sandwiches instead of peanut butter and jelly, and I've never really liked snacking on nuts in general, just recently I've started to like almonds as a snack, but peanuts are still not my thing, unless of course they are made into a spicy, yummy sauce.  Recently anytime we've been out to lunch or dinner and I see a spring roll served with a side of peanut dipping sauce, I've ordered it.  I thought this would be a good way to recreate the same flavors at home.  It was great!  I really liked it and it came together really easily.  We made it one night during the recent blizzard when we had a snow day, but it would work great as a regular weeknight meal as well.  I only made one change, and that was to use already ground turkey breast instead of using chicken breasts and grinding them down yourself with a food processor.  I think this substitution makes for an ever easier weeknight meal. 

 

Turkey Burgers with Peanut Sauce
adapted from Cooking Light

Yield: Makes 4 servings


Ingredients

SAUCE:
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced

BURGERS:
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
1 tablespoon chile paste with garlic
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound ground turkey (or chicken)
Cooking spray
4 (2-ounce) sandwich rolls with sesame seeds
1 cup onion sprouts or alfalfa sprouts

Directions:

• To prepare sauce, combine first 6 ingredients, stirring with a whisk until smooth.

• Prepare grill.

• To prepare burgers, combine onions and next 5 ingredients (onions through chicken) in a bowl. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.

• Place patties on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes on each side or until done. Place rolls, cut sides down, on grill rack; grill 1 minute or until toasted. Place 1 patty on bottom half of each roll; top each serving with 1/4 cup sprouts, about 1 tablespoon sauce, and top half of roll. Yield 4 servings.

Nutritional Information

Calories:341 

Fat:10.6g 

Fiber:2.5g

WW Points per serving: 7

Turkey Burgers with Rosemary Garlic Mayo

The flavor of these burgers was outstanding!  I loved the rosemary garlic mayonnaise and will definitely use it again in the future.  The burgers I will probably use, but with some modifications.  They were disappointing to say the least.  They crumbled and did not hold their shape at all.  Zach put 4 burgers on the grill and only got two mangled ones off, and a pile of crumbs from the other two.  Next time we will try adding some breadcrumbs in the meat mixture, because it was really was a simple and great tasting recipe, not as great looking though!

Turkey Burgers with Rosemary Garlic Mayo
from Giada DeLaurentiis, via foodnetwork.com 

Ingredients

Mayonnaise:

    * 1 cup mayonnaise

    * 1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary leaves

    * 1 clove garlic, minced

Burgers:

    * 1 pound ground chicken (We used turkey.)

    * 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

    * 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

    * 4 sandwich rolls or burger buns

    * 1/4 cup olive oil

    * 1 cup arugula, divided (We used spinach since we had some open.)

Directions

For the mayonnaise: In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, garlic, and rosemary; set aside.

For the burgers: Preheat a gas or charcoal grill or place a grill pan over medium-high heat. In a large bowl, add the ground chicken, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 of the mayonnaise mixture. Using clean hands, gently combine the ingredients and form the chicken mixture into 4 patties. Place the burgers on the grill and cook for about 7 minutes on each side. Transfer to paper towels and let rest for a few minutes.

Brush the cut side of each roll with the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of the mayonnaise mixture. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes until slightly golden.

To assemble the burgers: Spread a dollop of the remaining mayonnaise mixture on the tops and bottoms of the toasted buns. Place the chicken burgers on the bottom halves of the buns. Top each with 1/4 cup of arugula and finish with the top half of the bun.

Bacon Bit and Smoked Gouda Burgers with Steakhouse Onions

This is not the greatest picture, but it is a fabulous recipe! I found it first in one of Rachael Ray's cookbooks, but then found it in an issue of her magazine as well. Even though I had made it from the cookbook, I typically use the magazine cut-out since it's smaller and now filed in my recipe collection. Smoked Gouda, caramelized onions, bacon, what isn't there to love?? These three ingredients are also the base of our favorite mac and cheese recipe, also from an issue of EveryDay with Rachael Ray.

Bacon Bit and Smoked Gouda Burgers with Steakhouse Onions

EveryDay with Rachael Ray, April-May 2006

Ingredients:

6 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 yellow onions, 1/4 finely chopped and 1 3/4 thinly sliced
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 tablespoon grill seasoning
4 crusty rolls
4 slices smoked Gouda cheese
1/4 cup steak sauce


Directions:

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the bacon and a drizzle of olive oil and cook until the bacon is crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel–lined plate and drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the skillet.
• Return the skillet to medium-low heat and sweat the finely chopped onion in the bacon fat for 2 to 3 minutes. Combine the onion with the reserved bacon in a small bowl and let cool.
• In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. When the olive oil is hot, add the thinly sliced onions and cover them with a lid that fits inside the skillet. Cook until browned, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• While the onions are cooking, place the sirloin in a large bowl and top with the Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and grill seasoning. Stir in the cooled chopped onions and bacon until evenly combined. Divide the meat into 4 even sections and form 4 large patties.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook for 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare and 6 minutes on each side for medium-well.
• Toast the split rolls. Place the patties on the bun bottoms and top with the smoked Gouda. Stir the steak sauce into the smothered onions. Top the burgers with the onions and set the bun tops in place. Transfer to plates and serve.
  

In the cookbook version of the recipe, it also includes a quick spinach salad. I used the salad dressing recipe and used the other salad fixings we wanted. It's basically 1/4 cup of steak sauce whisked with 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar and then a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Quick and easy!