Greek Meatballs

Ingredients

2 lbs. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
2 eggs
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tomato, seeded, finely chopped
1 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
2 tbs. chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup flour
Greek yogurt, optional

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix ingredient except flour. Form into small balls. Put flour in a bowl. Roll meatballs in flour until lightly coated and place on a baking sheet or pan.

3. Bake 20 minutes. Turn meatballs over and cook about 10 minutes. Serve with Greek yogurt.

Source

Baked French Fries II

This one has a funny story. I was planning on making sweet potato fries like I always do. I thought I picked up a sweet potato in the store but when I started to make the fries I cut into it and it was a russet potato. All I did was just found this recipe.

This is Baked French Fries II because it is a second version of the original Baked French Fries I, which I made awhile back.

Ingredients

3 russet potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch strips
cooking spray
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking sheet.

2) Arrange potato strips in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, skin sides down. Spray lightly with cooking spray, and sprinkle with basil, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

3) Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

Source

Spicy Peanut Butter Burgers

I made these like three times and I love them! My parents decided to go to the bar for the football game with the rest of the family but I am resting because I do not feel well and I want to rest for my first day of student teaching.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef or turkey
1/2 cup the Heat Is On peanut butter
2 tbs. unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, grated
1 large egg
3 tbs. bread crumbs
olive oil, for the pan

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, peanut butter, butter, onion, egg, and bread crumbs and knead with your hands until well combined

2. Make patties about 4 inches wide and 3/4 inch thick. refrigerate 1 - 2 hours to allow the patties to set and the flavors to meld.

3. Grill the burgers on an outdoor grill for best results, or fry in a skillet with a small amount of olive oil for 2 - 3 minutes on each side, or until fully cooked inside.

Source: The Peanut Butter & Co. Cookbook, Quirk Books, 2005.

Apricot Bran Bread with Cinnamon

I tend to notice I let the ingredients control me when I choose recipes. Mostly if I have something in the house that I want to get rid of or use in a recipe I search for a recipe. I made this because I had dried apricots I needed to get rid of.

Ingredients

boiling water
1 cup finely chopped dried apricots
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups bran cereal, such as All Bran
1 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup vegetable oil
sugar or sugar-cinnamon mixture

Directions

Grease a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Heat oven to 350°.

Place chopped apricots in a bowl and pour enough boiling water over them to cover. Let stand for 10 minutes, then drain well. Sprinkle with the 3 tablespoons of sugar; stir to coat and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In a separate bowl, mix together cereal, milk, eggs, and oil; add to the flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Gently stir in chopped apricot mixture.

Spoon batter into the greased loaf pan and sprinkle with a little additional sugar or a sugar-cinnamon mixture. Bake for about 60 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

Source

Chicken Saltimbocca

Saltimbocca means 'jump in your mouth' in Italian and this recipe sure does this! The taste of the fresh sage and the prosciutto is amazing. I misread the recipe and thought we needed rosemary but it was thyme, but I just used powdered thyme when I put in the oil. I always love a good chicken recipe because chicken is a very versatile ingredient and is waiting for an artist to cover the pallet with it's recipe.

Ingredients

4 (6-ounce)boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon salt
Coarsely ground black pepper
8 large fresh sage leaves, chopped
4 paper-thin slices prosciutto
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Fresh thyme sprigs
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 lemons, cut into halves

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F.

2. Pound chicken breasts to 1/4-inch thickness with a meat mallet. Sprinkle each piece with salt and pepper. Top each with sage and cover with prosciutto. Press prosciutto so it will stick it to the chicken.

3. Whisk cheese and flour together in a small mixing bowl and set aside. Beat eggs in a small shallow dish, such as a pie plate.

4. Heat olive oil in a large oven-proof or cast-iron skillet until hot. Add thyme and garlic.

5. Dredge chicken cutlets in cheese mixture to completely coat. Dip into beaten eggs. Dredge again in cheese mixture. Place in hot pan. Sauté until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.

6. Place pan in oven and bake 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with lemon halves.

Source

Beef Bourguinon

This is the classic French dish that Julia Childs made and Amy Adams in Julie and Julia makes also. The original recipe can take as long as seven hours! This recipe I got from the newspaper and it is a healthier spin on the original and does not take as long to make. It was really easy to make, just the chopping was annoying.

In this recipe we do a fancy technique called beurre manie which is a mixture of butter and flour that thickens the sauce. Julia Child's says it enrobes the other ingredients. Her word choice is just so perfect when it comes to cooking.

This is my second classic French dish I made, the first being chicken cordon bleu. With making the classic dished and get such a rush because these recipes are timeless and the best and can impress anyone.

Ingredients

1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 pounds lean beef stew meat
2 cups vertically sliced onions
2 cups sliced carrots
1 cup diced green or red bell pepper
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (12 oz.) package button mushrooms, quartered
1 (14 oz.) can reduced sodium beef broth
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 tbs. tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
3 tbs. all purpose flour
2 tbs. butter, softened
chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large pan Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef in batches and cook until brown. Remove to a plate.

2. Add onion, carrot, mushrooms and bell pepper to pan; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Return beef and any juices to pan. Add tomatoes and next 8 ingredients ( tomatoes through black pepper). Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook 2 hours or until beef is tender. Discard bay leaf.

3. Combine flour and butter in a small bowl. Mix with your fingers or a fork until mixture becomes a paste. Ladle about 1/2 cup pan juices into flour mixture. Whisk until smooth. Add to pan. Stir well.

Source

Dromedary Date Bars

Now this recipe is famous since 1912, which is what the package said. I was bored and I felt like baking so I decided to make them. I should of napped like I wanted to because I was going out but I baked. Since they are bars I figured they would be granola bar texture but they are more like a cake or cookie texture, a soft cookie. Either way they are really good.

Ingredients

3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup Dromedary Dates chopped
1 cup shredded coconut or 1/2 cup chopped nuts
2 whole eggs
1 cup brown sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix in the chopped dates and the coconut or nuts. In separate bowl beat the eggs until foamy, gradually beating in the brown sugar. Add the flour mixture and stir. Spread in a well greased 13 x 9 cake pan to a depth of approximately one half inch. Place in the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. When finished cut in four inch by one inch bars, makes approximately 20 bars. Remove from pan while still warm. You'll like them and so will the whole family!

Source- back of Dromedary pitted dates package

Refreshing Fruit 'Cereal'

Again, with my obsession with Silk Milk, I got this recipe on the side of the carton. I had to buy the apricots, dates, and walnuts but it was well worth it because it was a delicious, nutritious, balanced breakfast.

Ingredients

1/4 cup walnuts
1 banana
1 apple
4 dates
2 tbs. raisins
2 dried apricots
1 1/2 cups Silk Light Vanilla
cinnamon

Directions

1. Chop nuts and fruit and layer in two bowls.
2. Pour cold or gently heated Silk in each bowl and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Source- side of Silk Vanilla Light carton

Hot Chocolate Egg Nog

Again, we have left over egg nog and we have to use it up. Last time I wanted to make this there was no milk. My mom went food shopping today so there was milk. Score! Also, I added some Amaretto, makes it so good!

Ingredients

1 (3/4 ounce) packet powdered cocoa mix
1 cup milk
1/8 cup low-fat eggnog

Directions

1. Pour Eggnog and Milk into the cup.
2. Whisk until mixed throughly.
3. Place in Microwave for 1:15-1:30 minute.
4. Whisk in the Packet of Hot Cocoa Mix.
5. Enjoy!
6. OPTIONAL: Top with whipped cream.

Source

Holiday French Toast

This was another recipe one the back of Silk Nog. Again I am not impressed with the pancakes and now the french toast. I do not taste the flavor of what it is supposed to taste like. Nevertheless, I wanted to make them to use up the Silk Nog.

I also added a little Amaretto in the liquid because I usually put that in my egg nog.

Ingredients

2 eggs
2/3 cup Silk Nog
4 slices bread
butter or oil for cooking

Directions

1. Beat together the eggs and Silk Nog.
2. Soak bread in the liquid and then cook on a hot skillet, flipping once, until golden brown on both sides.

Source- side of Silk Nog carton

Woo-Woo

You may ask what the hell is a Woo Woo? Well it is a drink that my friends and I rang in the New Year with and it is really really good. They call it a Woo Woo because after you drink it, it makes you go Woo Woo because you are drunk I guess.

I used the Dan Aykroyd vodka, the one in the skull bottle because I got it for Christmas. All of my friends loved it, I garnished it with a piece of peach. We even woke up in the morning and had them on New Years Day.

Ingredients

cracked ice
2 measures vodka
2 measures peach schnapps
4 measures cranberry juice
peach slice, to decorate

Directions

1. Half fill a chilled cocktail glass with cracked ice.
2. Pour the vodka, peach schnapps, and cranberry juice over the ice.
3. Stir well to mix and add the peach slice to decorate.

Note: Just use equal parts of any type of container to adjust the servings.

Source- The Cocktail Bar Recipe Cards, 2008.