If your dad is like mine, he's going to be firing up the grill this weekend.  Instead of making a plain old boring hamburger, how about trying something new?  Here's a great recipe for a tasty Southwestern Burger, which is something you probably can't put in his Father's day gift basket this year.

Ingredients (for 2 burgers):

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 medium green pepper
• 1/2 pound lean ground beef
• 2 slices cheddar cheese
• 2 hamburger buns, split
• 2 slices tomato
• 2 slices onion
• 2 lettuce leaves

Directions:

• In a small bowl, combine the mayo, mustard, cumin, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Cover and refrigerate until serving.
• Grill green pepper, covered, over medium heat until skin blisters, about 6 minutes. With tongs, rotate pepper a quarter turn. Grill and rotate until all sides are blackened. Immediately place pepper in a bowl; cover and let stand for 15-20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, shape beef into two patties. Grill uncovered over medium-hot heat for 7-9 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160°.
• Peel off and discard charred skin from green pepper; remove stem and seeds. Cut pepper in half. Top each patty with green pepper and cheese; grill 1 minute longer or until cheese is melted.
• Grill buns, cut side down, for 1-2 minutes or until toasted. Spread bun bottoms with mayonnaise mixture; top with burgers, tomato, onion and lettuce. Replace bun tops.

Bell peppers are perfect for stuffing!  This classic recipe is healthy and delicious and perfect as a main dish served with garlic toast and a salad.

Ingredients:

6 - 8 large red, yellow or green bell peppers
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 lbs of ground beef
3/4 cup uncooked white rice
1 can peeled chopped tomatoes
2 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
1 - 8 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water

Step 1:  Prepare the Peppers: Rinse the peppers well under running water (if they have a waxy finish, you should scrub them as well). To core the pepper, use a paring knife to cut around the stem. Remove the stem and scoop out the pepper's insides including the seeds and fibers.

Boil the peppers in salted water for 5 to 8 minutes (or steam them). Drain well and set aside to cool a bit.

Step 2: Cook the Rice:  Cook the rice according to package directions.

Step 3: Prepare the Filling: In a large frying pan, brown the onion and beef together adding a little oil if necessary. Once it is cooked, drain it.

Then either in the large frying pan or in a separate bowl, add the cooked rice, tomatoes, 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper to the cooked onion and hamburger.

Stir well until all the ingredients are distributed evenly.

Step 4: Stuff the Peppers with Filling: In a 9 x 13 baking dish or similar sized oval dish, arrange (stand up) the bell peppers and stuff them full of the hamburger/rice mixture. If you still have any hamburger/rice mixture left after stuffing all the peppers, just pour it next to the peppers in the baking dish.

In a small glass bowl, mix together the tomato sauce, remaining salt and pepper. Pour evenly over the stuffed peppers (and any excess rice mixture that you placed outside the peppers in the baking dish).

Step 5: Bake the Stuffed Peppers: Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 1 hour at 350 degF. Baste tops of peppers frequently with juices in the baking dish. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for 1/2 hour more. Top should be slightly brown and bubbly.

Enjoy!

If you're a fan of peppers, you must try this recipe for Uova Con Peperoni - Eggs With Peppers!

Note: It's not the typical item for it, but it's a great idea for a Italian basket that they will eat right away.

Potato Pizza Casserole

• 1 lb ground beef
• 4-5 cups of sliced potatoes
• 1 can Cheddar Cheese soup
• 1 can Tomato soup
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp sugar
• Pepperoni
• Parmesan Cheese
• Mozzarella Cheese

1. Brown ground beef in a frying pan.  Drain any excess fat.
2. Add the soups and milk to a double boiler, cook until thoroughly mixed and warm.
3. Combine the beef and soup mixture, spread out in a 9x13 pan.
4. Layer potatoes on top of the ground beef/soup mixture.
5. Mix together the onion, oregano, pepper and sugar.  Sprinkle this on top of the potato layer.
6. Add a layer of pepperoni.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours (until potatoes are cooked through).
7. Remove foil then cover with Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses (to your liking).  Bake until cheese is bubbly.

Variations: We've tried this recipe with Italian sausage instead of ground beef.  We've also added mushrooms and peppers to the bottom layer, and substituted cheddar cheese for the Mozzarella.  Each variation received good reviews from my family, but we make it most often exactly as the recipe says.

Photos courtesy of recipekey.com and pizzavino.com

Enjoy casseroles? Try this recipe for Cheese Casserole Bread.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound extra lean ground beef
• 1/2 green pepper, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 can stewed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup water

Directions:

Brown ground beef with green pepper, onion, celery. Drain and add tomatoes and garlic. Add water to make some juice (if preferred) and let simmer for 20 minutes. Spoon mixture on hamburger buns. You can also enjoy with nacho chips.

If you enjoyed this recipe, you'll want to try his Southwestern Burger Recipe.

1 tablespoon lemon rind

For the salsa:

• 1 cup halved strawberries
• 1 cup whole blueberries
• 2 tablespoon liquid honey
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon mint leaves
• 1 small japapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
• 1/4 teaspoon grated ginger

In a food processor, combine berries, honey, vinegar and mint leaves. Process until coarsely chopped. Stir in jalapeno and ginger. (Salsa can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 hours). In a small bowl, combine garlic, lemon juice, grated citrus rinds, mustard, salt and pepper. Spread mixture onto both sides of steak. Place steak on greased grill over medium high heat; close lid and cook turning once, for 5 to 7 minutes per side. (Or longer if you like your steak well done). Transfer to platter; tent with foil and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve steak with a spoonful of fresh berry salsa made from organic fruit.

These are excellent ideas when you need to cook a complete meal gift for a loved one.

For another Summer steak idea, try this recipe for Summer Steak Kabobs.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds corned corned beef
• 6 carrots 1 medium turnip
• 6 potatoes
• 3 parsnips
• 1 head cabbage

Directions:

Cover corned beef with cold water and allow to soak overnight. Drain water from meat and fresh water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for about 2 hours. Peel carrots and parsnips. Cut in half lengthwise. Cut peeled potatoes in half and turnip into thick slices. Cut cabbage into large wedges. Wash vegetables in cold water. Add vegetables to the meat about 30 minutes before the meat is cooked.

This famous St. Patrick's Day dinner is wonderful. For another festive treat, try this recipe for St. Patty's Day Mint Chip Freeze Recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into 1 inch cubes.
• 1/2 pound of fresh mushrooms
• 2 medium onions cut into wedges
• 1 medium sweet red pepper cut into wedges
• 1 medium green pepper, cut into wedges
• Hot cooked rice

Directions:

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first 6 ingredients; add the steak. Seal the bag and turn to coat, put in fridge over night. Drain and discard marinade. On 12 skewers, put meat then vegetables, one at a time. Grill, uncovered, over medium heat for 12 to 14 minutes until meat is done. Serve with rice.

For more delicious steak, try these options:

• Summer Steaks with Fresh Berry Salsa
• Broiled Steak
• Fried Steak - Koon Ko Ki

For the sauce

• 3 or 5 ripe tomatoes, organic if possible, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 1 small onion, finely sliced
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne

For the ground beef

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the garnishes

• 2 avocados, sliced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, organic if possible, chopped
• 3 cups shredded romain lettuce
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese

For the tacos

• 1 dozen corn tortillas
• Oil for frying

1. To make the sauce: Simmer the tomatoes, onion, cider vinegar, garlic, chili powder, salt, and cayenne in a medium saucepan over low heat until the tomatoes and onions are soft. Remove from heat.
2. While sauce is simmering, brown the ground beef in a skillet. Drain fat and add salt.
3. To prepare the garnishes: Arrange the avocado, onions, cilantro, tomatoes, and shredded romain on a plate, or place in individual bowls.
4. To make the tacos: Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a small skillet. Fry the tortillas for 1 to 2 minutes, turning once.
5. Drain the tortillas on paper towels and fold over to form a taco shell.
6. To assemble the tacos: Place the cheese, meat, and sauce in the taco shells and add garnishes.

Check out these other 'south of the border' recipes:

• Mexican Red Salsa
• Authentic Mexican Salsa & Guacamole

Ingredients:

• 1 slender chorizo (or pepperoni) sausage cut in about 40 slices
• 1 raw egg yolk
• 1 recipe Empanadilla dough

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Divide the dough in two. Roll out half; place sausage slices on rolled dough, pressing them down slightly. Roll out other half of dough and put it over the sausages. Using a cookie cutter or a thin edged glass, cut out a circle around each sausage slice large enough to leave a margin of dough around the sausage. Pinch the edges of the two halves together, brush tops with beaten egg yolks diluted in a little water, prick pastries with a fork, and bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until brown.

Try our South of the border recipes:

• Authentic Mexican Salsa & Guacamole
• Mexican Red Salsa
• Spanish Hamburger

Ingredients:

• 1 pound sirloin steak cut into strips
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic in oil
• 2 teaspoons grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 large onion cut into wedges
• 3 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
• 3 cups broccoli florets
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water
• Green onions sliced
• Chinese five spice powder

Heat non-stick frying pan until hot. Add beef strips, garlic, ginger and soy sauce. Stir fry for 2 minutes until meat is no longer pink. Add onion wedges, sliced mushrooms, and broccoli florets. Stir fry for another 4 minutes until broccoli is tender crisp. Combine bouillon powder, cornstarch and water in small cup. Slowly stir in beef mixture until thicker. Add onion and five spice powder and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve alone or with rice.

See more beef recipes:

• Southwestern Burger Recipe
• Grandma's Delicious Stuffed Peppers
• Potato Pizza Casserole
• Spanish Hamburger
• Summer Steaks with Fresh Berry Salsa