Stroganoff Meatballs

Listen.  I grew up eating Beef Stroganoff.  

(BTW, everyone on the East Coast starts important conversations with the command, "Listen".  Not only is it scary, it also causes me to not listen.  Because I am struggling inside with the fact that they told me to listen, implying that they were under the assumption that I wasn't actually intending to listen in the first place.  This all causes a lot of anxiety inside my Midwest soul and makes me doubt all things about my existence.)

For those of you who did not grow up eating Beef Stroganoff, it is basically mushrooms and beef cooked in a beef gravy made with sour cream.  Usually served over egg noodles.  This meatball recipe tastes exactly like the classic Beef Stroganoff dish, but I have to say I like it in meatball form better!

To make a long story short, my sister, Jen, told me I had to get this meatball recipe from my Aunt Linda.  See, Jen is a vegetarian and does not eat meatballs anymore.  So, she likes to live vicariously through me.  We were talking once and she was like, "do you remember those meatballs Aunt Linda used to make at all the parties at her house?  You HAVE to make them."  My Aunt Linda is a wonderful cook (and entertainer) and I always enjoyed anything she made.  I got the recipe from her in the summer, so it has taken me a while to get around to making them.  And man, they are SO good.  

This is also my first time baking the meatballs before letting them simmer in the sauce.  And I was pleasantly surprised by how incredibly tender they were.  It was no different from frying them in some oil.  And much easier.  Thanks so much Aunt Linda for a great recipe!

Stroganoff Meatballs

adapted from Aunt Linda and Uncle Dick

for the meatballs:

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef (85/15)

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/3 cup milk

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp salt

dash pepper

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

bread crumbs, as needed

for the sauce:

1 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp butter

1 8-ounce package of cremini mushrooms, cleaned and chopped

a couple of handfuls of more exciting mushrooms, cleaned and chopped (I used shiitake)

salt and pepper

1 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

1/2 cup of red wine

2 cups of chicken stock

a few spoonfuls of sour cream

4 green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish

Make meatballs: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Combine all ingredients for the meatballs except for the bread crumbs. Once mixed together, add in a handful or two of bread crumbs in order to form the meatballs easily. You want to add as little of the bread crumbs as possible.

Form meat mixture into approximately 24 meatballs. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

While meatballs are baking, make the sauce. In a large, deep skillet, melt together 1 tbsp of olive oil with 3 tbsp of butter. Add the chopped mushrooms and sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add 1 more tbsp of butter and the flour. Cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. Add the red wine and deglaze the pan. Cook and reduce down for another couple of minutes. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and let cook for another 5-10 minutes.

After 15 minutes in the oven, remove the meatballs and when the sauce is ready, submerge the meatballs in the sauce. Let simmer for at least 20 minutes, but the longer the better. Add sour cream and keep warm on the stove or transfer to a crockpot until ready to serve. Serve over buttered egg noodles, on their own as an appetizer, with bread, mashed potatoes, or a baked potato. Top with green onions.

(Servings: 6-12, Prep time: 15 min., Cook time: 1 hr., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  9/10

Scot (taste):  9/10

Effort:  3/5

Dishwashing Effort:  3/5

Banana Split Pie

Even though this banana split pie isn't some family recipe of mine, it does bring back many memories for me.  I can't remember all the times I have ever had it, but I do remember one specific moment in my life when it was a part of it (my life). 

My first job when I paid taxes.  I found income tax to be rude, by the way.  And social security?  That stuff was just messed up. 

Anyways, I was 14.  I went and got a working permit because I wasn't legal yet.  I applied and interviewed for a job at brand new, not even opened yet, grocery store.  They asked me weird questions that I probably had really awkward answers for.  They hired me.  And I am pretty sure anyone else who applied.  I bagged groceries for a while.  Then they put me as "sampling girl".  Sometimes I got to cut up apple pie and put it in little dishes with little spoons, but mostly I stood next to a container of cantaloupe and opened the lid for people to toothpick a piece.  It was really boring.

I eventually started mopping the floor in produce.  I am not sure if I was moving up or down the ladder, but it worked fine.  My friend and I had overlapping shifts sometimes and we would make up dances with our mops.  I am not sure why this wasn't ever a problem.  

Finally, in my last days as a grocery store employee, I worked for a while in the prepared food section.  You know, where the fried chicken and all those random deli salads are.  I made that stuff.  Mostly I just served it, but every once in a while, I'd get to put something simple together.  And one of the things was banana split pie!  

It is just a fun (and really easy) kid pie.  It is a graham cracker crust with a layering of bananas, vanilla pudding and whipped cream.  Then it it topped with nuts, chocolate syrup and a cherry.  You can make the pudding any way you want.  Make the Jello kind or make homemade.  You can even buy a pre-made graham cracker crust.  This is probably traditionally made with Cool Whip, but I just couldn't bring myself to go there.  I even tried.  But I found out it is frozen and non-dairy and it just weirded me out too much.  As a result, this pie probably needs to be eaten the day it is made otherwise the whipped cream will die.  This is a classic for me.  Also, obviously, I made mini versions.  

Banana Split Pie

5 unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 10 graham crackers)

2 tablespoons sugar

4 cups of vanilla pudding, chilled

2 cups of heavy whipping cream

some powdered sugar

2 bananas, sliced

chocolate syrup

handful of chopped nuts (peanuts or pecans)

some maraschino cherries

To make graham cracker crust: Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter pie 9- to 9 1/2-inch pie plate. Stir together all melted butter, graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a bowl and press evenly on bottom and up side of pie plate. Bake until crisp, 12 to 15 minutes, then cool on a rack to room temperature, about 45 minutes.

In cooled graham cracker crust, spread the 2 cups of chilled vanilla pudding in the bottom. Layer on the sliced bananas.

Whip cream and sweeten with powdered sugar, to taste. Fold half of the whipped cream into the remaining vanilla pudding. Spread the whipped cream/vanilla pudding mixture on top of the bananas. Top with the plain sweetened whipped cream. Drizzle on chocolate sauce, nuts and top with maraschino cherries.

(Servings: 8, Prep time: 1.5 hrs., Chill Time: 0-1 hr., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  7/10

Scot (taste):  7/10

Effort:  2/5

Dishwashing Effort:  3/5

Spaghetti and Meatballs

What are we having for dinner?  

Spaghetti.  

That is what we always called spaghetti with marinara sauce growing up.  Just spaghetti.  And when my mom made it, it was a huge pot of "spaghetti sauce" with meatballs, sausage and ribs.  It was a family favorite.  It took all day to make.  Throughout the day, everyone would go tear off a piece of bread and dip it in the pot.  You know, to see how it was coming along.  

This recipe is much different from my mom's.  But I love them both.  For different reasons.  

This is the 3 ingredient, simple tomato sauce that I fell in love with last winter.  Tomato, butter and onions.  It such a delicious sauce.  Can I say it is beautiful?   

The meatballs are pretty typical Italian meatballs.  The main difference from most that I have made is that they aren't pan fried in oil before being submerged in the sauce.  They are cooked all the way through in the sauce.  The result is a much softer meatball.  Kind of to die for.  I was eating some leftovers for lunch and I was seriously giving myself mad props up in the cubicle.  

I love this recipe.  

Spaghetti and Meatballs

by Molly Wizenberg via Bon Appétit

For the sauce:

2 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes in juice, drained, juice reserved,

tomatoes finely chopped

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 medium onions, peeled, halved through root end

1/2 teaspoon (or more) salt

For the meatballs:

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs made from crustless French or country-style bread

1/3 cup whole milk

8 ounces ground beef (15% fat)

8 ounces ground pork

1 cup finely ground (not grated) Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup finely chopped Italian parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs

2 large garlic cloves, pressed

1 pound spaghetti

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (for serving)

For the sauce: Combine tomatoes with juice, butter, onions, and salt in large wide pot. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard onions. Using immersion blender, process sauce briefly to break up any large pieces of tomato (texture should be even but not completely smooth). Season sauce with more salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove from heat.

For the meatballs: Combine breadcrumbs and milk in small bowl; stir until breadcrumbs are evenly moistened. Let stand 10 minutes.

Place beef and pork in large bowl and break up into small chunks. Add 1 cup ground Parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Whisk eggs to blend in small bowl; whisk in garlic. Add to meat mixture. Using hands, squeeze milk from breadcrumbs, reserving milk. Add breadcrumbs to meat mixture. Using hands, quickly and gently mix meat mixture just until all ingredients are evenly combined (do not overmix). Chill mixture at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour.

Moisten hands with some of reserved milk from breadcrumbs, then roll meat mixture between palms into golf-ball-size balls, occasionally moistening hands with milk as needed and arranging meatballs in single layer in sauce in pot. Bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until meatballs are cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm before continuing.

Cook spaghetti in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain.

Using slotted spoon, transfer meatballs to platter. Add pasta to sauce in pot and toss to coat. Divide pasta among 6 plates. Top each serving with meatballs. Sprinkle meatballs with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and serve.

(Servings: 6, Prep time: 90 min., Cook time: 75 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:  

Shanon (taste):  9/10

Scot (taste):  8/10

Effort:  4/5

Dishwashing Effort:  4/5

Pioneer Woman's Mac and Cheese

I was making dinner with a friend the other night.  Her friend was also coming.  Friend of a friend, but now she is my friend too.  Anyways, I asked what she likes when we were deciding what to make.  And the answer was extremely straight-forward, "Mac and cheese and broccoli".  It didn't leave much room for creativity, but it made things easy.

Me, I am not a cheese person.  (Yes, I am a goat cheese person, obv.)  But, I totally wish I was.  And that I was sophisticated enough to enjoy fine wines and fancy cheese.  You know, the straight up fancy cheese.  No crackers or anything like that.  

As a result, I don't usually make/eat cheesy mc-cheese cheese dishes.  Unless, someone else reminds me or wants me to.  Good thing for all the cheese lovers out there!

I enjoyed this mac and cheese recipe from Pioneer Woman.  I actually liked it a lot pre-baking.  I love all the black pepper and the dry mustard.  I added some garlic and onion powder, as was recommended at Annie's Eats.  I couldn't really tell, but I am sure it didn't hurt anything.  Annie actually tested out 5 different recipes and this was her favorite (which is part of the reason I picked it).  And good for Annie because I couldn't eat mac and cheese that often if my life depended on it.  

And we did have this with some steamed broccoli.  Served in a piggy bowl.  For obvious reasons.  

Here it is all baked up.  

Pioneer Woman’s Mac and Cheese

by Pioneer Woman, duh

4 cups Dried Macaroni (you can use a full pound, which is slightly more)

1 whole Egg, Beaten

1/4 cups (1/2 Stick Or 4 Tablespoons) Butter

1/4 cups All-purpose Flour

2-1/2 cups Whole Milk

2 teaspoons (heaping) Dry Mustard, More If Desired

1 pound Cheese, Grated

1/2 teaspoons Salt, More To Taste

1/2 teaspoons Seasoned Salt, More To Taste

1/2 teaspoons Ground Black Pepper

Optional Spices: Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Thyme

Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.

In a small bowl, beat egg.

In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn. Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.

Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.

Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.

Add in cheese and stir to melt.

Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.

Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine. Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

(Servings: 4-6, Prep time: 30 min., Cook time: 30 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  5/10
Effort:  2/5
Dishwashing Effort:  2/5

Chicken Pot Pie

I can think of one person, in particular, that will probs make this. She LOVES pot pies and thinks it is normal when her brothers put dead deer on top of their mid-size sedan until they are ready to butcher it. This recipe is definitely dedicated to all the country folk out there. I want to live on a farm.

I made these babies yesterday. I made the filling and the pastry. Assembled them and put them in the fridge unbaked. Scot put the egg wash on, slit them and baked them tonight (b-ball night, remems?) I wouldn't recommend making too much more ahead of time without baking them first. He also made the same salad previously posted with the Potato Bacon Torte.

I used a recipe from Ina Garten, although was inspired by Annie's Eats recipe. I just liked Ina's a little better. I don't like using frozen carrots because fresh carrots are so easy and always available. Peas, on the other hand, I always use frozen unless it is summer. I followed Ina's recipe exactly, except for one thing, I used a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. I do that a lot. I don't think it is that much more expensive and it just makes my life a little easier. However, I do like to roast the chicken myself too, because I love having carcasses saved up for stock. Ina's recipes are always so fine tuned, you can almost never go wrong with her. Except if you are on a budget. This one wasn't too bad at all money-wise.

Taste-wise ... delicious. I have tried several different pot pie recipes. I tried Emeril's once and it was kind of horrible. Yeah, just everything about it. This was everything I wanted in a pot pie. I will use it from now on. This is not a good week day meal because it takes some time to prepare. And all the time is active prep time. I would guess it took me about 1.5-2 hours. Hard to say because I was also making the beef and barley soup last night. And some apps for the game.

The only trick to making good pastry dough it to keep it wicked cold. Be quick, don't mess around. As soon as it comes together, wrap it up and put in the fridge. There is a little butter in this. Nothing to be scared of. You will be ok. You burn most of the calories off just by making it. Sometimes I just jog in place or do handstands against the refridge. That seems to help.

Anyways, Ina says this makes four bowls. She must have huge bowls, because for me it made eight servings. Scot had two. I had one. I am going to save two for leftovers later in the week and freeze three for later.

Chicken Pot Pie

from Ina Garten

3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on

3 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

2 chicken bouillon cubes

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

2 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 cups medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes

1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas (2 cups)

1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

For the pastry:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced

1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions and parsley. Mix well.

For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

Printable Version

Reuben Dip and Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Friday night, Scot and I joined in on a wonderful potluck dinner with some friends. The theme this week was "Food from your Homeland". Everyone interpreted the theme differently, which made it even more interesting. Some people did food from their heritage. Some did food their mom used to make. Some did food popular in the city or state they grew up in. We did the last opt.

Since Scot and I have different homelands, we decided to make two dishes from each one. Scot's was Minnesota Chicken Wild Rice Soup. We followed this recipe, but not really at all. It was very nice. Here is what we actually did:

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

2 carrots, peeled and diced

2 celery stalks, peels and diced

1 small onion diced

3/4 cup all‐purpose flour

1/2 cup butter

6 cups chicken broth

1 (4.5 ounce) package quick cooking long grain

2 cooked, boneless chicken breast halves, cubed

2 cups whole milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

olive oil

In a large pot over medium heat, add olive oil and cook chicken. Remove from pot to cool and then dice.

In the same pot medium heat, cook carrots, celery and onion in more olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add butter and flour to make a roux. Cook for about 2 minutes to remove flour taste. Add chicken broth and bring to a bubble. Let cook for about 5 minutes until it thickens. Add rice and reduce to a simmer. Cook until done (about 20 minutes). Add chicken,

milk, salt and pepper. Serve when all warmed through.

Printable Version

Mine was a Reuben dip that I found on Closet Cooking. Duh, Reubens were invited in Omaha. Proof here. We decided New York has enough, let Omaha have this one. I love a Reuben. Seriously! Remember when I was going on and on about pickles? Well, I must have a thing for brines because I am equally in love with corned beef. One of the reasons I love St. Patrick's day. The ingredients in a Reuben are some how magical. Who would think corned beef, swiss cheese, sauerkraut, rye bread and thousand island dressing could be so good? Go Reubin! Anyways, this dip is just all of those things in one. Oh and really healthy. I actually quadrupled the recipe below. Closet Cooking does do a nice job of writing recipes for 2 people, so check his blog out! However, I wanted enough to share. I think doing 4 x's the recipe is the perfect amount of dip for one loaf of rye bread.

Reuben Dip by Closet Cooking

(makes 2 servings)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup corned beef (diced)

1/4 cup sauerkraut (squeezed and drained)

1/4 cup Swiss cheese (shredded)

4 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 tablespoon horseradish (or mustard)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

1. Mix everything in a large bowl.

2. Pour the mixture into a baking dish.

3. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until bubbling on the sides and golden brown on top, about 20 minutes.

Serve with small pieces of rye bread, obv.

Printable Version

Here were some of the other tasty dishes from the potluck. Perogies representing Polish-ness, Roadkill meatballs from Tennessee, Bison meatloaf from a NY mom, twice baked potatoes from a MI mom. Not pictured Boulder Canyon chips from Boulder! and crab dip from Maryland.

Super Sloppy Joes with Fennel and Cabbage Slaw

SUPER Sloppy Joes. It is a fork and knifer. I was inspired to make sloppy joes because Bobby Flay did a sloppy joe throwdown a few months ago. His Joes looked amazing. And I am sure they were. I intended to make them, but after looking at his recipe, I decided that was too much work for a loose meat sandwich. Bobby Flay is still awesome, just too awesome.

I looked around and Rachael's recipe had good ratings and was easy. It was pretty good...tasted just like sloppy joes should! I think I may be a little full of ground beef, though. With the meatloaf and the sloppy joes. This was a very meaty week. Scot had three joes. sloppy joes. joes. sloppy. joes.

Super Sloppy Joes

by Rachael Ray

(Yield: ~4 servings)

1 tablespoon extra‐virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan

1 1/4 pounds ground beef sirloin

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon steak seasoning blend, such as McCormick brand Montreal Seasoning

1 medium onion, chopped

1 small red bell pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 cups tomato sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

4 crusty rolls, split, toasted, and lightly buttered

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil and meat to the pan. Spread the meat around the pan and begin to break it up. Combine brown sugar and steak seasoning. Add sugar and spice mixture to the skillet and combine. When the meat has browned, add onion and red peppers to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium low and cook onions, peppers, red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce with meat for 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and paste to pan. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer and cook Sloppy Joe mixture 5 minutes longer. Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, pile sloppy meat onto toasted, buttered bun bottoms and cover with bun tops.

Printable Version

In addition, I made Mel D's Fennel and Cabbage Slaw, which I seriously love. I have made it several times. I am not usually a fan of coleslaws. When a restaurant offers coleslaw as a side, I often feel a little gypped. It is kind of a mix between a salad and a condiment. I think they are usually too sweet and soggy. I also think everytime...ooh, maybe this place has good coleslaw...they never do. Anyways! This is really good. I am sort of in love with fennel. If you haven't tried it, you should. It is kind of a cross between an very, very mild onion, the texture of cabbage and maybe has a little bok choy-ness. It tastes kind of licorice-y. If I am making this less desirable for you, just try it. The first time I had it was when I tried a salmon recipe by Alton Brown, which I will definitely post at sometime. It was amazing. So is fennel. A few deets. Sometimes the grocery store cuts off most of the tops of the fennel (the fronds). That is sad because the fronds are nice. However, even when the cut most of it off, you can usually salvage a small bunch of fronds. They are just the little hairy guys on the stalk. You can use them like any herb. As for slicing it up for the slaw, you cut off all the green part and just slice up the white bulb. Quarter it. Then, remove the core (you will be able to see it). If aren't sure, just taste it, the core is nasty and hard to chew.

I also don't think the bacon is necessary to make this amazing, although it sure doesn't hurt. I didn't use any of these measurements either because I made like a whole big mixing bowl of this stuff. And who wants to buy a whole cabbage to use 1 cup of it? And my last thing...I never use light anything. Especially anything dairy. I would rather use less or no full fat product than use anything light. And I think Miracle Whip is the worst thing on earth. Sorry, I know some peeps like it....but I just can't.

Fennel and Cabbage Slaw

by Melissa D'Arabian

1 fennel bulb, core removed, cut into quarters, and sliced very thinly, fronds reserved

1 cup thinly sliced purple cabbage

2 scallions, chopped

2 strips bacon, cooked crisp and chopped

For the dressing:

1/4 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons chopped fennel fronds

1 teaspoon sugar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Toss the fennel, cabbage, scallions, and bacon together in a medium bowl. Whisk the mayonnaise, vinegar, fennel fronds, sugar, and salt and pepper, to taste, in a small bowl. Add the dressing to the slaw and toss to coat.

Printable Version

BBQ Meatloaf with Spicy Corn Fritters and Maple, Dijon Brussel Sprouts

Meatloaf!!! I have been thinking about making a loaf of meat for about half a year. Obviously avoiding it because we all know meatloaf isn't the most sought after dish. I had meatloaf growing up. I never hated it, never loved it. Mom, no offense. I mean, meatloaf is just meatloaf. It is easy. Quick. Cheap. Does the job. So anyway, I haven't really had it for a LONG time. I thought I would find an interesting recipe and give it a shot. See how bad or good it really is. Result: pretty decent! It had great reviews...people were drooling over it. Scot loved it, obv. From now on, I probably will only tell you when he doesn't like something. He loves everything. It's great. Even when I mess up, burn things, drop something of the floor or throw something against the wall out of rage. As a last resort, I always have Copper. Actually, I take that back, Copper is definitely more picky than Scot. I always have Scot, then.

Back on track. In addition to the BBQ meatloaf, I have been searching for a corn fritter recipe. When I was young (maybe in 4th or 5th grade), I made a meal "by myself" for my family. I remember exactly what it was: pork tenderloin, corn fritters, green beans and a mousse type dessert. I got the entire meal from an American Girl dolls cookbook and it was supposed to be a meal that a particular doll (I think Molly) would eat in the period she lived in. It was probably the first thing I ever cooked. I don't remember if it was good or anything, but I do remember really liking the corn fritters. So, I tried to find the recipe. And, I found that there actually aren't that many corn fritter recipes out there, especially like the one I remembered. But then, I found this one woman who referenced the American Girl fritters in her blog and a recipe with it! The recipe is not the same one in the cookbook, but is delicious. She says the recipe from the cookbook is actually kind of toned down, kid-friendly, so she spiced it up for adults. And that is what I made tonight. And all you vegetarians out there (Jen), corn fritters/fritters should be a staple for you! They are great.

To round out the meal, I made some brussel sprouts. I make them all the time, just roast them with some bacon, olive oil, salt and pepper. Since I am into the food blogs now, I found a simple recipe for roasted brussel sprouts tossed with a maple, dijon vinaigrette and toasted almonds. Since it's Sunday, I fig'ed, why not? So, three new recipes in one Sunday blog. Sorry if this is overwhelming but all three recipes are pretty simple.

As for tips, I would like to stress that I didn't measure any of the ingredients in these recipes except the polenta/water ratio. It just isn't worth it. But, as we all know, I am quite the risk taker.

Barbeque Meatloaf

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen modified by Shanon

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 cup bread crumbs

1 onion, grated using box grater

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix together the beef, bread crumbs, onion, egg, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce. Form this mixture into a loaf and place it in a shallow pan. Stir together the remaining tomato sauce, vinegar, sugar, mustard, Worcestershire and the water (if too thick). Pour this sauce over the meatloaf. Bake for 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes with the pan juices.

Spicy Corn Fritters (makes 9 fritters)

From www.kitchenist.com modified by Shanon

Ingredients

½ cup corn (fresh is best, next best is frozen)

juice of 1 lime

3 finely chopped green onions

1 Tbs. chopped cilantro

1/2 tsp. salt


1/4 tsp. ground cumin


1/4 tsp. ground coriander


1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes


1 1/3 cup water


1/3 cup polenta or cornmeal (the quick-cooking kind)


vegetable or other light oil, for frying

1. Mix together the corn, lime juice onion, coriander, salt and spices together in a small bowl and set aside.



2. Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the polenta in a steady stream and mix with a whisk for about 2 minutes, until thickened.



3. Remove the polenta from the heat and stir in the corn mixture. Set aside to cool slightly. Line a plate with paper towels and set next to the stove.



4. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. When hot, spoon in generous tablespoonfuls of batter and flatten slightly with a spoon. Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, then remove to the towel-lined plate. Serve hot, with any spicy dipping sauce that you like.

Maple Dijon Roasted Brussels Sprouts

from Closet Cooking modified by Shanon

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

1-2 pounds brussels sprouts (trimmed and halved)

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon grainy mustard

1 small clove garlic (grated)

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup almond slices (toasted)

Directions:

1. Toss the brussels sprouts in the oil along with the salt and pepper.

2. Arrange the brussels sprouts in a single layer on a baking sheet.

3. Roast in a preheated 400F oven until they start to caramelize, flipping them once in between, about 30 minutes.

4. Mix the oil, vinegar, maple syrup, mustards, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

5. Toss the brussels sprouts and almonds in the maple dijon vinaigrette (you may not need it all).

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