Keftedakia, Traditional Greek Meatballs

Traditional Greek Meatballs

A new Mediterranean restaurant opened up in our hometown. The dishes are mostly Greek inspired with some Italian flair and pizza. I really, really love Greek food. Until this place opened, we had to drive 2 hours to get anything resembling authentic Greek. I am overjoyed.

The first time we went, I ordered the Gyro Pizza: Gyro meat, purple onions, tomatoes, and feta. The crust is oiled and not covered in tomato sauce. It is thin and chewy and delicious. The second time we went I ordered Keftedakia, Traditional Greek Meatballs. My dinner was so good, I almost cried.

I went home immediately and began to research Keftedakia. After trying various incarnations, I came up with these. They might not make you cry, but they sure will make you happy.

You can substitute lemon juice for the red wine vinegar. You can also add a little oregano and/or coriander. But I did this, and it was love.

 

Servings: 20 meatballs
Time:  Prep:  10 minutes; Cooking: 20 minutes; Meatballs in about 40 minutes
Hardware:  Measuring spoons and cups, a food processor, a silicone spatula, a mixing bowl, un-powdered latex gloves, a large heavy pan, a large shallow bowl (or a pie plate), slotted spoons, paper towel covered plate

Ingredients:

• 1-pound ground beef
• 1 small onion (4 ounces)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 5-6 mint leaves
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar
• ⅓ cup breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup flour (maybe more)
• Enough olive oil to fill the pan halfway
• Toasted flatbread (pita or naan), feta, lemon, fresh slices of mozzarella , tomatoes and fresh chopped parsley, large grain salt for serving

1. Put the onion, garlic, mint, parsley and black pepper into the food processor. Pulse until they are very finely chopped, but not liquefied. Add the egg, salt and vinegar and pulse a few more times. If you don’t have a food processor, chop the onions and herbs as fine as you can. Beat the egg and then proceed.
2. Scrape everything from the processor into the mixing bowl. Add the breadcrumbs and meat. Put on latex gloves. Mix all the ingredients in the bowl with your hands. Make bite-sized (1 inch)meatballs.
3. Heat the oil on medium high.  Place the flour into the shallow bowl. Lightly dredge the meatballs.
4. Brown the meatballs for about 4 minutes and then turn. Don’t crowd the pan. You may need to fry them in batches. Remove them to the plate. You can keep them warm in the oven on the lowest setting until they are all finished.
5. To plate you should place slices of tomato, mozzarella and toasted flatbread on the plate. Place the meatballs beside them and squeeze a little fresh lemon juice of them. Sprinkle on feta, fresh chopped parsley and a little finishing salt.

Taco Skillet

Taco Skillet

Most of my recipes are simple, nothing complicated. I believe that most people just want to make something quick and tasty for dinner. That is what I try to provide. This Taco Skillet only requires one pan and is easy and kid friendly. Maybe next time I’ll do something fancy. Or maybe the time after that.

Here are the tweaks: We were out of elbow macaroni, so I used ditalini. It worked out fine. You can use any small tubular pasta. You can control the heat by the type of Ro-Tel that you choose. If you want no heat at all, try Ro-Tel Mild. Ro-Tel Original is a little spicy. Chipotle, Serrano, and the aptly named Hot are much spicier. I use 2 packets of taco seasoning because I like bold flavors. That is up to you. In order to save time, you can buy diced onions and peppers in the produce section. You can also buy them frozen. If you don’t eat red meat, you could substitute ground chicken or turkey.

Servings: 6-8
Time:  Prep: 10 minutes, Cook: 20 minutes; Dinner in 30ish minutes
Hardware:  Measuring spoons and cups, a cutting board and a knife, a deep skillet with a lid, a colander, a can opener, a wooden spoon

Ingredients: 

• 1 pound of ground beef
• 2 ounces (¼ cup) bell pepper
• 2 ounces (¼ cup) onion
• 8 ounces ( 1 cup) uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1 can (10 ounces) Ro-Tel Tomatoes & Green Chilies
• 1¼ cup water (maybe more)
• 1¼ cup milk
• 1 packet of taco seasoning or 2 tablespoons of your own
• 8 ounces (1 cup) shredded cheddar cheese
• Optional: taco sauce, hot sauce, sour cream, pickled jalapeños, chopped tomatoes, roasted bell peppers

1. Dice the onions and green peppers. Cook them in the skillet with the ground beef over medium high. Crumble the beef while it is cooking. When it is cooked through, drain the beef mixture.
2. Return the beef to the deep skillet. Add the pasta, the Ro-Tel (do not drain), water, milk and seasonings to the skillet. Stir. Make sure the pasta is submerged. You may need to add a little more water or milk. However, you are not making soup. You just want the liquid to completely cover the pasta.
3. Cover the skillet with the lid and bring to a low boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, stirring once or twice, just enough to keep everything from sticking.
4. When the pasta is tender, usually after 10-11 minutes, stir in the cheese and remove the skillet from the heat.
5. Serve warm with any toppings that you would regularly put on a taco. This is really good as leftovers!

Stuffed Meatball Sliders

Stuffed Meatball Sliders

Stuffed Meatball Sliders may seem like a great deal of work. They are. However, they are completely worth it. 2 of these make a meal and your family and guests will be so impressed. This is what you should serve on Independence  Day.

I used King’s Hawaiian Slider Rolls because they are a good size for this dish, they come pre-sliced and they are YUMMY! You can use your favorite brand. Mid’s pizza sauce was perfect for the marinara sauce. It is inexpensive, made with all-natural ingredients, and most importantly, delicious. 

You can make the meatballs and peppers a day before. Remove them from the fridge to give them enough time to come to room temperature and then assemble the sliders as directed. Make an extra batch of meatballs and freeze them for another day.

 

 

 

 

Servings: 9 sliders
Hardware:  Measuring spoons and cups, a mixing bowl, a smaller bowl, a cutting board and knives, a large heavy pan, a smaller skillet, a fork, a silicone spatula, tongs, an 8x11.5 glass baking dish, and foil (maybe a serrated knife)
Time:  Active time 30 minutes; Cook: 75 Minutes, Sandwiches in about 2 hours

 Ingredients:

Mozzarella Middle

• 1 ½ pound ground beef
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ⅛ teaspoon pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 12-ounce container of baby mozzarella balls (ciliegine- say ‘chili-ay-JEE-nay”)
• Braising liquid (stock, sauce, wine, whatever strikes your fancy)
• 1-9 pack of King’s Hawaiian Slider Rolls
• 1 red bell pepper (8-10 ounces)-I used different colored baby bells for color
• 1 ½ cups of your favorite marinara sauce (I used Mid’s Pizza Sauce)
• 9 slices of provolone, cut a bit larger than the slider buns
• 6 tablespoons of butter

1.  Remove 10 of the mozzarella balls from the container and set aside. You don’t want to contaminate the rest of the cheese.
2. Combine the first 8 ingredients in the bowl and mix with your hands. Take a pinch of the meat and fry it. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
3. Roll out about  2 ounces of the meat, just as if you were making a regular meatball. Then pat the meat ball out flat. Place one cheese ball in the center and pinch the meat closed around it. Check and make sure that no cracks appear in the meatball were the cheese can escape while it is cooking. Make the meatball a little flat, so it sits nicely on the bun.(See the video below.) Continue to do this until you have 9 meatballs. You will have a little bit of meat left over. Make a test meatball.
4. Heat the oil on medium.  Brown the meatballs on all sides for about 8 minutes.  Turn them ¼ time every 2 minutes. Drain the fat from the pan.
5. Add enough liquid to the pan to cover the meatballs about 2/3 of the way.  Simmer them for about 45 minutes. Check the test meatball to see if it is done.
6. While the  meatballs are cooking, cut the bell pepper into long then strips and cook until desired crispiness. I usually like my pepper still crispy, but for sandwiches I prefer them to be softer.
7. When the meatballs are done, melt the butter in the microwave safe bowl. Preheat the oven to 350˚. Lay a large piece of foil in the bottom of the baking dish.
8. King’s Hawaiian Slider Rolls come pre-sliced. If you are using another brand, use the serrated knife cut the rolls in half horizontally.
9. Place the bottoms of the bread on the foil. Spread the bell peppers evenly over the bread. Top the peppers with the meatballs. Use the spatula to spread the top halves of the bread with marinara sauce. You can spoon a little onto the meatballs if you want. Lay a slice of cheese onto each meatball. Place the top bun onto each sandwich. 
10. Pour the butter evenly over the sliders. Use the pastry brush to make sure all the bread is covered in butter. Seal the foil closed. You may need another sheet of foil. 
11. Bake for 25 minutes. Allow the sliders to rest for 2-3 minutes. You may need a knife to cut the sliders apart. Serve warm. 

 

 

Hamburger Potato Bake

I was digging around in the pantry trying to throw dinner together. This happened. It is delicious, inexpensive, easy to make and kid friendly. It is also a casserole.

Don’t be afraid. I know sometimes casseroles are mushy. Often, they are made up of cream of something soup or have hot, canned tuna in them. I am not down on you if you like any of those things, but many people do not. I cannot blame them. My Hamburger Potato Bake is nothing like that.

The trick to making sure that nothing is mushy is not to cook everything together. Potatoes take longer to cook than ground beef. If you cook them together the burger will be gray and mushy. Make your own cheese sauce. Or don’t. If you want to save time, just melt equal parts Cheez Whiz with milk. But don’t get angry and say my casserole wasn’t good.

 I use baby golden potatoes because they cook quickly, and you don’t need to peel them. I also use a mandoline to slice the potatoes because a) the potatoes cook evenly if they are sliced about the same thickness and b) I got a mandoline for Christmas and use it ALLLLL the time now.

Hamburger Potato Bake

Servings: 4-6

Time:  Prep: 10 minutes; Cook: 50 minutes; (An hour if you are making your own cheese sauce); dinner in an hour

Hardware: Cutting board and large knife, measuring cups, a large bowl, a slotted spoon, and a 10-inch skillet that can be used in the oven. If you do not have an oven safe skillet, just transfer the pan drippings to a 9X9 inch glass baking dish and go from there.

Ingredients:

• 2 pieces of bacon
• 4 ounces ( ¼ cup or one small) onion
• 1 pound of ground beef
• 1-pound golden baby potatoes
• 1-9-ounce bag of frozen broccoli
• 1 cup of up of cheese sauce
• ½  cup of shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400˚.  Slice the onion into rings and then slice the rings into quarters. Chop the bacon.
2. Heat the bacon and onions on medium high for 4 minutes, stirring often. Add the ground beef, sprinkle it with salt and pepper, and cook and crumble until the beef is no longer pink. This usually takes me about 10 minutes.
3. While the beef is cooking, wash the potatoes. Slice them as thin as you can. Make sure to try to keep each slice the same thickness.
4. Using the slotted spoon, remove the onions, the bacon and the beef from the pan and into the bowl. Do not drain the pan. Add the potatoes to the pan and make sure that they are covered in the pan drippings. Lightly salt and pepper them. Place the pan into the preheated oven and bake until the potatoes are tender. This should take 25-30 minutes.
5. While the potatoes are cooking, follow the directions on the package, and microwave the broccoli for about 30 seconds less than recommended.
6. When the potatoes are easily pierced with a  fork, fold the meat mixture, broccoli and cheese sauce into the potatoes. Be careful, you don't want to tear the potatoes. Top with the shredded cheese and return to the oven and roast until the cheese is bubbly and just starting to brown, probably 5-7 minutes.
7. Serve right away.

Cheeseburger Gnocchi

Cheeseburger Gnocchi

We are still staying in as much as possible even though restaurants are opening up. Most years, I try to come up with a new burger recipe for Memorial Day, as burgers are great for summer and summer is just beginning. However, lockdown has forced me to get creative and try changing up old ideas.

Cheeseburger Gnocchi is a twist on Cheeseburger Pasta which is a twist on the  Burgers we all know and love. This is really easy to make and takes no time and no talent. Inexpensive and kid friendly,  Cheeseburger Gnocchi is also really tasty, comfort food.

Servings: 4-6

Hardware:  A cutting board and knives, measuring spoons and cups, a can opener, a skillet that can be used on the stove top and in the oven, a large pot, a colander, a slotted spoon or a skimmer, a wooden spoon 

Time:  Cook time: 30 minutes, active time: 20 minutes, Dinner in about 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces gnocch
• 1 ½ ground chuck
• 1 cup chopped onion (5 oz)
• 1 can of Original Ro-Tel-drained
• 3 tablespoons of ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Montreal steak seasoning
• ½ tablespoon of mustard
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• ½ + ½  cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• Optional: seeded and chopped tomatoes, chopped green onions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400˚. Chop the onion. Open and drain the Ro-Tel. Put the large pot of water onto boil.
2. Cook and crumble the ground chuck over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until the meat is no longer pink. This should take about 7 minutes. Drain. Return the meat mixture to the skillet.  Stir in the ketchup, steak seasoning, mustard, soy sauce, and drained Ro-tel. Turn to low.
3. Add the gnocchi to the boiling water. Gnocchi cooks in 3-4 minutes. It is done when it floats. Use the slotted spoon or skimmer to scoop the floating pasta out of the pot and place it in the skillet with the meat mixture.
4. When all the pasta is in the skillet, add ½ cup of cheese and stir. Taste and adjust the salt.
5. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top of the dish. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling. 
6. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.You can top the gnocchi with chopped tomatoes and green onions before serving.

Southwest Meatballs

My husband loves all the foods that go into the Southwestern flavor profile: cilantro, Mexican oregano, cumin ground chilis, fresh chilis, onions, garlic, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, lemons, limes and oranges. I often make a dish using a flavor profile rather than an actual recipe. So, it was with these Southwestern Meatballs. I grabbed the Southwestern ingredients I had on hand and went for it! Success!

I did write down every ingredient I used. I timed everything. Then I made them again following my recipe so that you could replicate it.

You can serve the Southwestern Meatballs alone as an appetizer or over rice as a meal. I served them on a toasted baguette with Pepper Jack Cheese, grilled peppers, and pickled jalapeños.

 

Southwest Meatballs

Servings: 25 meatballs

Hardware:  Measuring spoons and cups, a knife and chopping board, a mixing bowl, un-powdered latex gloves, a cooking sheet, tongs, foil, a deep skillet

Time:  Active time 10 minutes; Cook: 30 minutes, meatballs 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds ground beef
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup milk
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2 packages of taco seasoning mix (or 2 tablespoons of your own)
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• Cooking spray

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• 2½  cups of your favorite salsa (I use Frontera Jalapeño Cilantro)
• ½ cup tomato sauce
• Hot sauce to taste (Tabasco Chipotle is my favorite)

1. Line the cooking sheet with foil. Spray the foil with cooking spray. Wash and chop the cilantro. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 375˚.
2. Put on the gloves. Combine the beef, breadcrumbs, milk, herbs and spices in the bowl and mix with your hands. Do not over mix the meat as it makes the meatballs chewy. Shape the mixture into meatballs. I use a ¼ cup measuring cup to ensure that my meatballs are all the same size. Place each meatball onto the foil lined sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes. At the 20-minute mark, check the largest meatball to make sure they are cooked through.
3. Place the salsa, tomato sauce and hot sauce in the skillet. Bring to a boil. Add the meatballs. Simmer for a few minutes and remove from the heat.