My Old Lady Meatballs

My Old Lady Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
2 pieces white bread
1/2 c parsley
1/2 c grated romano, parmesean or fontina cheese
2 cloves garlic

Preparation:

1. In a food processor, chop up your bread and garlic. Add that ground beef, the parsley and that cheese and then do process until thoroughly mixed.

2. Roll those meatballs and place them within  the confines of a large sautee pan with that olive oil in it. Brown on all of those sides, then transfer those meatballs into that sauce (which you should have simmering in a pot on another burner, possibly at your neighbor's house) to cook it up, up and away.

Then eat it.

Fried Zucchini Petals 062510

Fried Zucchini Petals

Ingredients:

12 zucchini petals
1 cup mozzarella, diced
1/2 cup all-purpose flower
1 glass beer
1 tsp baking soda
1 pinch salt
oil for frying
4 salted anchovies (optional)

Preparation:

Trim pistils and stems off the flowers, exercising rare caution not to break them. Wash those blossoms carefully with water and baking soda and rinse thoroughly with cold water; pat dry with a paper towel.

Cut the mozzarella into strips and finely chop those anchovies (salty as they may be). Stuff each of those blossoms with some of that mozzarella cheese and a smearing of the anchovy.

Within the confines of a mixing bowl, blend a glass of chilled microbrew beer, flour and salt until fluffy-duffy and add a smidgeon of baking soda for an even lighter (and happier) batter.

Heat up that olive oil in a frying pan.

Dip those stuffed flower petals in the batter and deep fry them for 2 minutes on each side in the burning olive oil.

Set on paper towel and serve scalding hot.

Beef Wrapped Asparagus 062510

Beef Wrapped Asparagus

Ingredients:

1 cup baby asparagus (cut up in half)
10 - 12 slices beef in sukiyaki cut
3 tbsp light soy sauce
1-2 tbsp sesame oil
1 large clove of minced garlic
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1/3 to 1/2 tsp sugar
toasted sesame seeds
Salt And Pepper
apanese chili powder (optional)

Preparation:

* Rinse the asparagus then cut in half. Remove the hard parts.

* Mix soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper. Marinade the beef for at least 10 minutes.

* Wrap the beef around each three baby asparagus. Secure with a toothpick.

* Put a little sesame oil in pan, then cook both sides of the asparagus wraps for 3-5 minutes. The asparagus should not be too soggy.

* Put in a plate, remove the toothpick. Drizzle with a little bit of sesame oil, and sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds and japanese chili powder.

Picnic Shrimp 061910

Picnic Shrimp     

1/2 c. olive oil
3 lbs. chicken pieces
1 lg. onion, diced
3 sweet red peppers, cored, seeded and diced
4 c. chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 1/2 c. short-grain rice, such as arborio
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. saffron
3 lbs. plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped, or about 3 c. drained, canned, chopped plum tomatoes
12 lg. shrimp in shells
12 clams
12 mussels
1 c. white wine

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add chicken pieces and brown on all sides; remove and set aside. Add onions and peppers to skillet and cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Bring chicken stock to boil in separate pan.

Reduce heat under onion-pepper mixture to low and add garlic, rice, salt and white pepper. Stir until rice grains are coated with oil. Transfer contents of skillet to roasting pan. Add boiling stock, saffron, and tomatoes. Arrange chicken pieces on top. Cover and roast at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Place shrimp, clams and mussels in separate pan. Add wine and cook until mussel and clam shells open (discarding those that don't open) and shrimp are cooked thoroughly, or approximately 6 minutes longer. Remove seafood with perforated spoon, place seafood in bowl and chill. Boil remaining liquid over medium-high heat until reduced by one third. Transfer to bowl and cool to room temperature. When liquid is cool, transfer to blender or food processor. On medium speed, add remaining olive oil in slow, steady fashion. Pour sauce into container and chill.

Remove roasting pan from oven. Arrange chicken on platter. Cover and refrigerate. Transfer rice to large bowl and chill.

Serve chicken over pile while arranging shrimp and shellfish around periphery. Drizzle with sauce and serve. Yield 6 to 8 servings.

Danish Oat Cake

Danish Oat Cake

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup oats or quick-cooking oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 to 3 tbsp. cold water

Cut shortening into next four ingredients until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add water, 1 tbsp. at a time, until it forms a stiff dough. Roll until 1/8-inch thick on lightly floured surface. Cut into 2-inch rounds or squares.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375°F until they just start to brown - 12 to 15 minutes.

Serving Size: 6

Raisins and Molasses Muffins

Raisins and Molasses Muffins     

2 cups flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup blackstrap molasses
1 1/4 cup milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup raisins

Combine dry ingredients (flour, wheat germ, baking powder and salt). Stir together vegetable oil, blackstrap molasses, milk and egg.

Mix together dry ingredients with liquid ingredients; add raisins.

Bake in a preheated 350°F oven in well greased or paper-lined muffin pans until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean (about 20-25 minutes).