Meatballs in Sauce

Whether with pasta, at the end of a cocktail fork, or in a sub sandwich, meatballs are fun additions to your cooking repertoire. While they require a good amount of preparation ahead of time, they stew well, hold their shape, travel easily, and are easy to scale for bigger or smaller groups. This weekend I chose to serve them as an appetizer, parked in my slow cooker and making the room fragrant and inviting.

Sauce
2 cans crushed tomatoes
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
stems from oregano, parsley, thyme, sage (or a teaspoon of each if you're using dried)

1. In a large pot, add two tablespoons of olive oil and heat over high. 
2. Fry the onion until translucent
3. Add the tomato paste and garlic. Fry until fragrant
4. Add the carrot and celery and cook until softened.
5. If using a slow cooker, transfer vegetable mix to the crock pot.
6. Add the herbs and the crushed tomatoes.
7. Cover and allow everything to be happy together.

Meatballs
60 1-inch diameter meatballs, served 10 people.

1.5 slices white bread
1/3 cup milk
2 pounds ground beef
2 eggs
1 small onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup parsley minced
1/4 cup basil, minced
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoons oregano
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
3 mozzarella sticks, diced into ~1/4 inch cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Make panade: shred the bread into the milk. Let it soak for 20 minutes+ to get goopy and break down into small chunks. The panade is the glue that holds the meatball together. It gives the meatballs moisture and heft. I think it also makes the meatballs more mild, soft, and plyable
2. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, eggs, onion, garlic, herbs, ketchup and hoisin
3. Squeeze the bread/milk panade so you remove excess milk. Crumble the panade into a thick pasteand mix into the meat bowl. Discard the extra milk.
4. Get your hands in there - Mix around so all the bits are distributed evenly. Add half the salt and pepper, mix mix mix. If you see extra small white bits of panade, squish it some more.
5. Feel the texture - is the mix sticky and plyable like play doh? That's good. Does it crumble apart (too dry or your onion/garlic is too big)? Add another egg or more ketchup. Does it drip (too wet)? Add some breadcrumbs or more meat.
6. Take a dollop and send it to the frying pan with some hot oil. Make a little patty or ball and cook through. Taste test. Does it need more salt? More pepper? As cooked, is it too "tight" or "loose"? (Tight meaning add more egg/liquid, loose meaning add more bread or meat.)
7. Adjust for any additional salt, pepper, herbs, and texture. Remember that the meatballs will be in sauce later, so consider the sweet tangy sauce in your taste test. Don't start rolling until you're happy!
8. When you get to a mixture you like, start rolling the balls. I like to take a tablespoon of meat mix, make a patty in my hand, put a cheese cube in the middle, and seal the cheese with the meat. Roll into a ball and put it on a plate for now. 
9. When you have enough to fill a frying pan, heat the pan with a tablespoon of olive oil on high. Fry the meatballs, making sure to sear all the sides and so they're cooked through (or mostly through.) This step ensures the meatballs stay in their round little shapes when you transfer it to the sauce. 
10. Transfer the meatballs (not the olive oil!) to the slow cooker/pasta pot. allow to stew together for at least an hour so the flavors mingle and so the sauce takes on the meaty flavor!
11. If serving with pasta, prepare pasta to directions, until al dente. Transfer drained pasta to a saute pan. Add in a few ladles of the pasta sauce so the pasta and sauce can stick to each other. Plate and add additional sauce and meatballs on top. Top with parmesan.
12. If serving as a sandwich, toast some bread, slice it down the center, and add your meatballs. Top with enough sauce to keep sandwich together. Add some mozzarella on top. Maybe some red chili flakes or basil too. 
13. If serving as a side, plate meatballs with just a little bit of sauce. Add some festive toothpicks and garlic toast on the side.

Green California Hummus

A friend introduced me to "California hummus" at a local restaurant called Pita Grill, which is a small NYC chain with California Mediterranean flavors. The California hummus is so good, I haven't bothered to check out the rest of the menu. I'm hooked on it. And I decided the only way to cure myself was to try making it on my own!

California hummus is green, herby, but also has that warm nourishment that comes from chickpeas. It doesn't feel as heavy as a typical hummus, but it still carries its weight as a tasty dip at your next event, or mixed with chicken salad. Nom nom!

California Hummus
Serves 4 as a side dish

1 16 oz can chickpeas (garbanzos)
2/3 cup chopped cilantro (stems okay)
1/3 cup chopped parsley (stems okay)
1 jalapeno, chopped (seeds optional)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste

1. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
2. In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, and spices.
3. Using a hand blender or food processor, add half the olive oil and pulse to blend. continue adding olive oil as needed to get the desired consistency.
4. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
5. Serve with carrot chips, celery, pita chips, over grilled chicken, with falafel, wrapped in an omelette...
6. Optional add ins can include red pepper, spinach, cheeses - go crazy.

Almond Honey Nut Clusters

After my experiments with Snack Packs and working with raw nuts, I definitely learned a lot - about what I liked, about what tasted good, and what was practical for the kitchen. I wanted to tweak and keep trying. This last batch was sooooo tasty, it disappeared in under a week. This version is also made entirely on the stove top - no hot ovens! I will admit though - I eyeballed the entire recipe, so so made additions/substitutions.

Almond Honey Nut Clusters
Makes 8-10 snack servings

1 1/2 lb almonds
3/4 cups pumpkin seeds
1 cup sesame seeds
1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup honey
1 tbsp butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garam masala

1. Heat a large frying pan on medium until warm. Add the almonds and toast, stirring every few minutes. It should take 15-20 minutes to roast and become crunchy.
2. In a small pot, heat the honey and butter on medium to medium low heat. Make sure the pot is big enough to hold all the nuts. Stir every few minutes to create a thick caramel. If it starts getting bubbly, its a good sign, but if it gets really bubbly, turn the heat down a notch. Caramel should form in around 20 minutes.
3. At the 15 minute mark (when your caramel is almost done and your almonds need an extra 5 minutes) toss in the pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds in with the almonds. Roast for the 5 minutes. Since these seeds are smaller and thinner, they take much less time to become crunchy.
4. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Scatter the cranberries across the pan. 
5. When the caramel and the nuts are done, pour the nuts into the pot with the honey caramel. If one needs more time, you can set the heat to low on the other to give yourself enough time to get things to equal out. 
6. Stir the nut mix and honey thoroughly, making sure to coat the almonds well. I had too much caramel and ended up dumping in more almonds, but do what you like!
7. Pour the nut and honey mixture out on to the baking sheet, over the cranberries. Flatten out and try to separate into clusters. (But don't burn yourself!)
8. Allow the nut mix to cool at room temperature and for the caramel to harden to a nice glossy shine. 
9. When cool to the touch, separate into smaller clusters and store in an airtight bag or container. So far they've been good up to two weeks later. Keep in a cool place. If they get hot they'll stick together all over again!

Egg Fried Silken Tofu

One of my favorite dishes at a local Malaysian restaurant is the "jia chang dou fu" or the "house special tofu." It is a silken tofu, fried, then topped with a pork and mushroom sauce. I really could have cared less about the sauce - the tofu was why I came! If I had known how easy it was to make, I definitely would have tried sooner! I modified my recipe from a Korean recipe for Tofu Fry or Dooboo Boochim.

Egg Fried Silken Tofu
Serves 4, 15 minutes

1 block silken tofu
2 eggs
1 scallion

1. Open the tofu container and drain any excess water. Sprinkle salt over the top and then slice the tofu into pieces about 2 inch by 2 inch by 1 inch. Allow to sit and leech out more water for at least 30 minutes. 
2. Scramble the eggs in a bowl.
3. Heat a saute pan with 1/3rd of an inch of canola or vegetable oil. Allow to get very hot so that when you drop a bit of egg in, it fries and sizzles. Then reduce temperature to medium high so that you don't burn things too fast. 
4. Using a spatula and chopsticks, lift out a section of tofu. Pat dry with a paper towel, taking care to wipe off excess salt and draw out more water. 
5. Dip the tofu pieces in the egg, being careful to only put enough tofu in the bowl so each piece stays flat and unbroken. Coat evenly in egg, drain off excess egg, then place in pan to fry.
6. Fry each side for about 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Then redip the tofu in egg and fry the other side. 
7. When golden brown on all sides, remove from the pan and place on paper towels to drain the extra oil off. 
8. Serve with scallions and soy sauce. Enjoy quickly - once the outside isn't crispy, its not as good.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

I'm always hunting for ways to make sure I eat breakfast. A simple apple muffin recipe caught my eye, and oh, do they make the kitchen smell heavenly! I modified the original recipe to eliminate the oil, add a kick of candied ginger, and add some crunch with slivered almonds.

If you don't want to add oil to a recipe, you can replace the oil with applesauce or pureed pumpkin in a 1:1 ratio. I didn't want to use oil or open a jar of applesauce just for one batch of muffins. So I made my own applesauce in the microwave. I put about 1/2 a cup of diced apple in a mug, covered it,  microwaved it for a minute and a half, and mashed it with a fork. To remove excess water, I microwaved it for another minute to get the right consistency for applesauce. I did not add extra sugar or cinnamon for the applesauce, just used it straight out of the microwave. The muffins came out great without the oil or processed applesauce!

Apple Cinnamon Muffins
Makes 1 dozen muffins

1 1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup applesauce or canola oil
1 egg, beaten
1 cup finely diced apples
1/4 cup slivered almonds or walnuts
2 tablespoons diced candied ginger
brown sugar to sprinkle on top (optional)

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees
2. Sift all dry ingredients together in a bowl. (Flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt).
3. Add all wet ingredients, apple, nuts, and ginger. Mix by hand to incorporate, but don't go crazy, since over mixing yields denser baked goods. Mix only as much as necessary.
4. Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Spoon about a 1.5 tablespoons into a each liner, then top with about a teaspoon of brown sugar (optional).
5. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool before eating.

Masala Honey Trail Mix

Kelly's recipe for Sweet Roasted Pecans inspired this trail mix, which became one of my Suli Snack Packs with the Rosemary Olive Oil Almonds I posted a few days back. The Snack Packs are 200-250 calorie snacks to tide my buddies to dinner or substitute a quick breakfast for those days you can't help but rush. Hopefully they will encourage better eating habits!


The Masala Mix got rave reviews because it had a subtle kick. The masala is fragrant, but not overpowering, and the candied ginger and mango are spicy and sweet!

Masala Honey Trail Mix


For the nuts:
6 tbs butter
7 tbs honey
3 tbs vanilla extract
2 pounds almonds
1 pound walnut halves
1.5 tbs garam masala
Kosher salt, to taste


For the trail mix:
1 pound dried mangoes, cut into 1.5 inch cubes

0.75 pounds candied ginger, cut into 1.5 inch cubes

1 pound dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large pot, melt butter over low heat.
3. Mix the honey and vanilla into the melted butter. (Hint: Use a silicone spatula, as this will get a bit sticky.)
4. Add the nuts to the pot and toss to coat thoroughly.
5. Sprinkle the spices over the nuts, then toss again to coat.
6. Spread the nuts in a single layer on a foil-lined sheet pan and place in oven for 7 - 10 minutes. **Don't walk away from them; check them often. You'll be able to smell when they're done.**
7. Remove the tray to a cooling rack and use the spatula to move the pecans around so they don't stick to the foil.
8. If the nuts are a little oily, place nuts in a clean paper bag and toss to draw away oil. You can use a little confectioner's sugar too.
9. When the nuts are cool, mix in the fruit. Scoop 1/4 cup into smaller bags. Enjoy!

Rosemary Olive Oil Roasted Almonds

As part of my holiday gift giving, I noticed an alarming trend among my friends: They had terrible snacking habits. They considered lunch eating three 100-calorie packs of Oreos, or skipping breakfast altogether. They would inhale a half bowl of fiber cereal but later gorge a 1200 calorie dinner as a reward.

Me, being the perpetual meddler and know-it-all, will scold and admonish for poor dietary practices, but regardless of my well-intentioned advice, it ceased to impact the metabolisms or waistlines of my amigos. So the best way to a man's heart (and waistline) is through his stomach, so Suli Snack Packs were born! Basically, healthy snacks make 200-250 calorie packs to tide my buddies to dinner or a quick breakfast substitute for those days you can't help but rush. They aren't a permanent solution, but hopefully one that encourages better habits and tastes better than vending machine food. I'm making the packs in several flavors, which I'll post as I continue to experiment.

Rosemary Olive Oil Roasted Almonds
Makes 30 snack packs (1/4 cup nuts each)
adapted from gourmande in the kitchen who has absolutely stunning photography!

6 cups raw almonds
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup dried rosemary, finely chopped (Prep note: to avoid it bouncing everywhere, mix in a tablespoon of olive oil, then use a mortar & pestle or bowl and a scraper to pulverize. Spice grinder would be fab too.)
3 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
2. In a large pot, heat the olive oil, rosemary, cayenne, paprika, and garlic powder. When fragrant, add the almonds an stir to coat.
3. Place nuts on a parchment lined baking sheet. Spread out nuts in a single layer on the baking sheet.
4. Bake until nuts are lightly browned and toasted, stirring occasionally, about 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Let cool on the baking sheet.
6. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 months.

Quick Plum Granola Cobbler

I tried another batch of granola bars today and had a ton of little granola scraps at the bottom of the dish. Of course I could just enjoy as crumbly and delish as is - but why not have some fun and enjoy some extra vitamins too? Its quick, easy, and makes a super fast warm breakfast or low fat dessert.

Quick Plum Granola Cobbler
Serves 1, 10 min

1 plum diced
2 tablespoons granola
3 tablespoons milk

1. In a little bowl or dish, layer in diced plum. 
2. Top with granola from leftover granola bars scraps.
3. Spoon milk over the mixture
4. Microwave 1 minute
5. Devour

Would be excellent with peach or apple, berries or pineapple - really just go crazy.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

What do you give at engagement parties? While most cases I'd fall to a bottle of wine, in this case, the couple didn't drink often. So what to do?

The future bride mentioned a penchant for chocolate chips. The party was happening at brunch - so what better than homemade muffins?

I followed the recipe on Food.com which got really good reviews, and actually argued the recipe called for too MANY chocolate chips! Like. And it was fast. I would totally make them again.

Scallion Pancakes

A staple Chinese snack, often eaten at dim sum, is the green onion pancake, or scallion pancake. The origins of the humble pancake are rather uncertain, but the sweet and salty crunch make this an undeniable treat! The method is very similar to making parathas, which is an Indian style flatbread. Basically, the key to the bread is creating many layers to add air, dimension, and texture. With parathas, you would do this by rolling out a circle, coating the top in oil, then crimping the dough like a paper fan (before you unravel it). With the scallions, we roll the dough into a flat circle, add the sesame oil and scallions, then roll the circle together.

Thanks to the following blogs, who have great pictures and helped me formulate my recipe! Live2Cook, Tigers and Strawberries, and Appetite for China. I totally recommend visiting one or a few of them because they've photographed the rolling and folding process so you can do it too!


Scallion Pancakes makes 15 4-inch pancakes
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup HOT water
3 large scallions, chopped finely. Try to get scallions with much more green than white. Although the whites are useable, they do not impart as sweet a flavor as the green.
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sesame oil (or vegetable oil)
1 tbsp vegetable oil for frying

1. Mix the flour and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Add the hot water in slowly - a few tablespoons at a time. Mix slowly with a spatula (its hot water - using your hands is not a bright idea) until all water is incorporated and you have a ball of dough. 
2. Knead well until smooth (I had a lot of uneven flour). Cover with plastic wrap or a towel and allow to rest for one hour. Make sure you push the plastic wrap or towel right up to the dough so a skin doesn't form. The heat will allow the dough to rise and continue smoothing out.
3. When the dough is finished resting, cut off a ping pong sized ball of dough. Roll between your palms into a ball and place on your baking mat. Dab a drop of sesame oil onto the top of the ball and brush a little onto your rolling pin. Roll out the dough into a thin circle (about 4-5 inches).
4. Brush the top of the circle with sesame oil - just a mere layer, you don't need a lot.
5. Sprinkle scallions over the top into a thin layer.
6. Roll the circle up into a rope, then coil into a flat jelly roll, or cinnamon roll.
7. Flatten with your palm and brush the top of the coil with a tiny bit more sesame oil.
8. Roll the coil out into a 4 inch circle. It should not be thinker than 1/4th of an inch.
9. Place on plastic wrap or waxed paper, cover, and keep rolling!
10. To cook, heat 1 tbsp oil in a nonstick pan. When hot, reduce heat to medium, and place the pancakes in the pan, but make sure they aren't touching. Make sure to wiggle them a little so you're sure they don't stick.
11. When the edges become translucent, go ahead and flip them over. They should develop nice brown toasty spots on either side.
12. Serve with soy sauce mixed with a little bit of sriracha and sesame seeds! Or make a sandwich with egg in the middle. Enjoy!

Sweet Roasted Pecans

I've been on a big pecan kick lately: Several weeks ago, our family in Oklahoma sent my mom several pounds of freshly picked nuts from a relative's pecan orchard. (Yum!) So my awesome mom passed along quite a large portion to me and I've been experimenting with them. I first made this recipe a few weeks ago, but it turned out so good that I've made it several times since.

** Note: The main flavor in this recipe comes from garam masala, which is an Indian spice blend. I found it in my local Indian supermarket, but you can also order it online or substitute cinnamon to taste. I found this site which does a good job of explaining both what garam masala is and how to use it.

Sweet Roasted Pecans

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs. butter
• 1.5 tbs. honey
• 1/2 tbs. vanilla extract
  
• 2 cups (approx.) pecans
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala
• Kosher salt, to taste (I think I used just a few heavy pinches.)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
   
2. Melt butter in a large, microwave-safe bowl.
3. Using a spatula, mix the honey and vanilla into the melted butter. (Hint: Use a silicone spatula, as this will get a bit sticky.)
4. Add the pecans to the bowl and toss to coat thoroughly.
5. Sprinkle the spices over the nuts, then toss again to coat.
6. Spread the nuts in a single layer on a foil-lined sheet pan and place in oven for 7 - 10 minutes. **Don't walk away from them; check them often. You'll be able to smell when they're done.**
7. Remove the tray to a cooling rack and use the spatula to move the pecans around so they don't stick to the foil.
8. Let them cool for a few minutes. You can eat them cold, but they're super-amazing when they're still warm!