Hungarian Meatballs

My friend Carol made these delicious meatballs for a rotation group dinner.

Hungarian Meatballs

Meatballs:

1 pound ground veal or beef, pork, chicken, turkey

1 egg

⅓ cup plain breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika

2 tablespoons oil for frying

Sauce:

1 tablespoon oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

3 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups beef broth

1 cup cream (lower calories: substitute evaporated milk)

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika

1½ tablespoons fresh chopped dill

½ cup sour cream

Directions:

Place all the meatball ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and knead to thoroughly combine. Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls or whatever size you prefer.

Heat some oil in a skillet and once hot add the meatballs, browning on all sides. Transfer the meatballs to a plate and discard all but a tablespoon or so of grease.

Add the onions to the skillet and fry until translucent and golden brown. Add the garlic and fry for another minute (don't fry garlic too long or it becomes bitter). Add the mushrooms and fry until they've released their juices and they're mostly evaporated. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a bowl and set aside.

Add the butter to the skillet and melt it. Add the flour and whisk until dissolved. Continue whisking vigorously for another minute or two until the flour mixture is a deep golden brown. (We're creating what's called a roux, a French term and the grand secret for creating an irresistibly rich and flavorful sauce.)

Pour in the hot broth while continually whisking to prevent clumping. Continue to whisk while bringing the mixture to a simmer. Add the cream and whisk until combined. Continue to simmer for another minute or so until the sauce is thickened. Return the mushroom mixture to the sauce and add the pepper, salt and paprika. Stir in the sour cream and dill.

Return the meatballs to the sauce, stirring to coat them, and simmer covered for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve immediately over hot buttered egg noodles, Spatzle, potatoes or rice along with a cool cucumber or leafy green salad and some rustic crusty bread. Garnish with some chopped fresh dill if desired.

Recipe Source: https://www.daringgourmet.com/hungarian-meatballs/

Roasted Lamb Shoulder

My friend Bruce K. made this wonderful lamb for Passover.

Roasted Lamb Shoulder

Ingredients:

6.5 Lb. lamb shoulder, whole bone in

2/3 C. olive oil

4-5 cloves of garlic, mashed to a paste

1/4 C. parsley, minced

1/4 C. cilantro, minced

2 t. thyme

2 t. cumin

2 t. paprika

1 T. Kosher salt

2 t. ground black pepper

For the Gravy:

1 C. red wine

2 t. cornstarch

Special equipment: A roasting pan with a rack.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix together all the spices with the olive oil, excluding the salt and pepper.

Use the salt and pepper to season the lamb, and then cover the lam with the olive oil mixture.

Place the lamb on the rack in a roasting pan. Add 1 cup of water and half a cup of olive oil to the bottom of the pan (this is for basting, make sure the liquids don’t touch the lamb).

Roast uncovered for 30 minutes while basting the lamb once or twice.

Cover the lamb for another 1 hour, 45 minutes (however see below for doneness temperature) while basting the meat every 45 minutes.

Remove the lamb and let cool off a bit and then remove the bone (it should come right off).

For the gravy: Take all the juices left over in the pan and add the red wine and cornstarch, stir to combine and reduce for 10 minutes.

Serve hot and enjoy!

The right temperature for the doneness you want:

Rare: 115 to 120°F

Medium-rare: 120 to 125°F

Medium: 130 to 135°F

Medium-well: 140 to 145°F

Well-done: 150 to 155°F

Crispy Brazilian Sausage with Yucca served with Herb Butter on top

I made the following recipe for a rotation dinner, in which the food theme was Brazilian foods. 

Crispy Brazilian Sausage with Yucca served with Herb Butter on top

1 1/2 lbs. sausage
2 small sliced white onions
2 medium yuccas

2 T melted butter

1 T thyme
1 T parsley
1 T oregano

Heat a large pan and cut the sausages into slices 1 inch or thinner.

Place the sausage in the pan and add 3 ounces of water, cover it, and leave on high heat until the water runs dry. The idea is to cook the sausage in its own fat. Meanwhile, stir to prevent the sausage from burning. Add the onions and stir until the onions are caramelized and browned.

In a separate pan, slice and fry the yucca.

While everything is cooking, mix thyme, parsley, and oregano into melted butter.

Plate the sausage and yucca and drizzle the herb butter on top.

Recipe Source: http://www.vogue.com/13464599/2016-olympics-brazilian-recipes-chefs-snacks/

Chinese Noodle Chicken Salad

Chinese Noodle Chicken Salad

Serves 20-30
Bon Appétit, June 1994

I’ve been making this recipe for years. If you use the full recipe (rather than half), it does make a very large batch; however, it’s a good amount for large parties.


Salad: 

2 lbs linguini

1/4 C. Sesame oil
2 to 2.5 lbs roasted chicken, skinned, boned, shredded

4 bunches green onions, sliced

2 bunches fresh cilantro, chopped

4 jalapenos, seeded, deveined, minced

1-1/4 lbs snow peas, stringed, thinly sliced lengthwise

Dressing:

3/4 C. low sodium soy sauce

1/4 C. water
1/2 C. Creamy peanut butter
1/2 C. Rice Vinegar
1/2 C. Sesame oil
2 T.  Sugar


Directions:

Combine dressing ingredient in a food process until smooth. Set aside.

Cook linguini until al dente.  Drain, place in a large bowl; cool. Add sesame coat so the linguini doesn’t stick together.

Cook snow peas for one minute. Drain well and cool. [I save the linguini water to blanch the snow peas].

Mix in the chicken, onions, cilantro, jalapenos, and snow peas.

Pour dressing and toss to coat. 

Note: Can be prepared 1 day ahead but add the dressing right before serving.


19 July 2016: I made this again for an office luncheon. I cut the recipe in half (except the dressing) and it was still a very large amount of salad.  Next time I'll make this recipe, I will work around using just 1/4 lb. of linguini.

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

A friend made this delicious mushroom soup (from Allrecipes.com) for our rotation group dinner.

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Prep: 15 min

Cook: 35 min

Ready in: 50 min

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

4 T unsalted butter

2 C chopped onions

1 Lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced

2 t. dried dill weed

1 T paprika

1 T soy sauce

2 C chicken broth

1 C milk

3 T all-purpose flour

1 t. salt

Ground pepper to taste

2 t. lemon juice

1/4 C. chopped fresh parsley

1/2 C. sour cream

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the onions in the butter for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 5 more minutes. Stir in the dill, paprika, soy sauce and broth. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

In a separate small bowl, whisk the milk and flour together. Pour this into the soup and stir well to blend. Cover and simmer for 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Finally, stir in the salt, ground black pepper, lemon juice, parsley and sour cream. Mix together and allow to heat through over low heat, about 3 to 5 minutes. Do not boil. Serve immediately.

Vinegar Marinated Cucumber Salad

I recently attended a party and wanted something light and refreshing for a hot summer day. I followed this recipe, but reduced the quantity of all ingredients for three cucumbers: 

https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/vinegar-marinated-cucumbers/

Easy Vinegar Marinated Cucumbers (Cucumber Salad)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes

Total: 10 minutes

Serves: 10

Ingredients:

5 Cucumbers

1 Red Onion

1 C. Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2 C. Sugar (or more to taste)

1/2 C. Water

1 t. Salt

Instructions:

Peel and slice cucumbers into thin slices.

Cut onion in half and cut into very thin slices.

Combine onions and cucumbers in a large Ziploc bag.

In a separate, medium-sized bowl, combine remaining ingredients.

Stir until sugar dissolves. 

Pour vinegar mixture over cucumbers and onions in the bag.

Press out as much air as you can and seal bag.

Refrigerate at least 20 minutes.

Before serving, drain liquid and place in a serving bowl to serve.

This was delicious!! I'll make this again soon and will post a photo of the salad here. 

Yogurt and Spinach Dip

16 August 2018

Tony and I had a large bag of spinach that needed to be used up before it went bad. He wanted to freeze it but I suggested he make a dip, as we are going to an outdoor concert with friends (BYOB and food).

He found this recipe:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fssl_s2LiU4

Ingredients:

1 C Greek Low-fat Yogurt (we always buy whole plain yogurt, not low-fat)
1 C Frozen Spinach, thawed, chopped, drained
1 t. onion powder (Tony chopped some onion instead of using powder)
1 C Mayonnaise 
Dash of Dill
1/4 C feta cheese

Dash pepper

Serve with crackers and/or veggies.

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl; refrigerate before serving.

Notes: 

It came out great! It's light and tasty; and with it being nicely chilled, it's perfect to have on a hot summer day.

We didn't have feta in the house, so he used grated parmesan. Also, Tony sautéed the spinach with some garlic and onion; then drained it well.

18 January 2026

I made this today. I felt the mayo and yogurt was too much (cut in half) for the amount of spinach I chopped up, so I added the rest of the bag. I also added a can of chopped artichokes, drained very well, a few dashes of hot sauce and lemon juice.  I used parmesan cheese too.

Next time, I'll use less mayonnaise.

Curried Couscous

Curried Couscous

Adapted from: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/curried-couscous-recipe-1951578

1 1/2 cups couscous

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups boiling water

[I added ¼ t of salt to the water]

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup good olive oil

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt [Too much in my opinion! I only used ½ teaspoon]

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

[I added a pinch of sugar]

1/2 cup small-diced carrots

1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/2 cup dried currants or raisins [I used dried cranberries]

1/4 cup blanched, sliced almonds

2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)

1/4 cup small-diced red onion

[I added a can (15.5 oz) drained garbanzo beans]

Place the couscous in a medium bowl. Melt the butter in the boiling water [add the salt before boiling the water] and pour over the couscous. Cover tightly and allow the couscous to soak for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, curry, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Pour over the fluffed couscous and mix well with a fork. [I doubled the dressing].

Add the carrots, parsley, currants, almonds, scallions, and red onions, mix well, and season to taste.

Serve at room temperature.

My Notes:

1.5 cups of couscous makes a huge portion, even for a dinner party of 14 people. Next time, I'll just use 1 cup of couscous but will keep the same amount of the other ingredients. 

I also added more sliced almonds and cranberries.

Next time I may use chicken broth to give the couscous more flavor.

You can be creative and add whatever vegetables, dried fruits, diced grilled chicken, etc., that you like.

Mexican Bean Salad (or Salsa)

Mexican Bean Salad (or Salsa)

This is a refreshing salad, perfect for a BBQ.  Adapted from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/14169/mexican-bean-salad/

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained

1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 15-oz can corn, drained

1 red onion, chopped

1/8 to 1/4 cup olive oil   

1/8 to 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 

1 tablespoon lemon juice 

1 tablespoon salt

1 clove crushed garlic

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 dash hot pepper sauce

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

In a large bowl, combine beans, bell peppers, corn, and red onion.

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, lemon juice, salt, garlic, cilantro, cumin, and black pepper. Season to taste with hot sauce and chili powder.

Pour olive oil dressing over vegetables; mix well. Chill thoroughly, and serve cold. 

Notes: I added some zest from the lemon and lime; I did not add any sugar. I doubled the recipe for two BBQ's this weekend.

Chicken Wings with Blue Cheese Dressing

Here's a very easy chicken wing recipe and if you love blue cheese, you'll love the dressing.
My friend Anne brings these tasty wings to my parties so I asked her for her recipe. 

I love the blue cheese dressing!! I made a large batch for a dinner party.

For the wings:

3 T olive oil

3 cloves garlic, pressed

2 t chili powder

1 t garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

10 wings, separated into individual pieces

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

 

Combine the olive oil, garlic, chili power, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a large zip lock bag. Add the wings and toss to coat throughout.

 

Bake for 1 hour.

Blue Cheese Dressing:

1 C mayonnaise
1/2 C crumbled blue cheese (3 oz)
1/2 C half and half
2 T sour cream
1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 t Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Whisk mayo, 1/4 cup blue cheese, half and half,sour cream, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and salt until smooth.  

Gently stir in remaining 1/4 cup of the blue cheese.  

Season with pepper to taste.

Refrigerate until ready to use.

Notes: 

I used a blender for the chicken marinade; marinade in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. When cooking I turned the wings half way through.

For the blue cheese dressing, I added extra crumbled blue cheese.

Bacon-wrapped dates with goat cheese

For a rotation dinner group, I hosted in December a "Heavy Hors d'oeuvres" food theme.

One of the recipes I made was an excellent dates wrapped in bacon and stuffed with goat cheese. The last time I had something similar was in Barcelona (November 2014) while on vacation. 

This is the recipe I used, in which I tripled the recipe: 
http://pinchofyum.com/bacon-wrapped-dates-with-goat-cheese

These went quickly so be sure to make a big batch!!!



8 slices bacon (I find that thin bacon works better)
16 dates
4 ounces goat cheese
toothpicks

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Slice the dates lengthwise on one side to create an opening. Remove the pit.

Using a spoon, stuff a small amount of goat cheese into the cavity of each date and press the sides together to close.

Cut the bacon slices in half. Wrap each date with a slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick.

Arrange evenly on a baking sheet with raised edges (otherwise grease will get everywhere) and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the dates and use the toothpick to turn each one so it's laying on its side. Bake for another 5-8 minutes, until browned to your liking, and turn the dates to the other side and repeat. 

Remove from the oven, place on a paper towel lined plate, and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

This was our spread of foods that evening:

I also made chicken wings with blue cheese dressing:   

http://monicacooks.blogspot.com/2015/12/chicken-wings-with-blue-cheese-dressing.html

Red Beans and Rice

I made this yesterday (12 Sep 2015) using Emerl's recipe for a rotation group dinner.

My changes are in { }

1 pound dried red beans, rinsed and sorted over  {I had Salvadorian red beans in the pantry}

3 tablespoons bacon grease {I used olive oil}
1/4 cup chopped tasso or chopped ham {I had regular thick sliced ham}
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
3/4 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped green bell peppers  {I don't care for green bell peppers, so I used red}
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley {I used dried, but next time I'll use fresh}
2 teaspoons fresh thyme  {ditto like the parsley}
1/2 pound smoked sausage, split in half lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces {beef smoked sausage}
1 pound smoked ham hocks
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
10 cups chicken stock, or water  {I used low sodium chicken broth}
4 cups cooked white rice {Cooked with chicken broth}
1/4 cup chopped green onions, garnish

Place the beans in a large bowl or pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Let soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot, heat the bacon grease over medium-high heat. Add the tasso and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the onions, celery and bell peppers to the grease in the pot. Season with the salt, pepper, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, about 4 minutes.

 

Add the bay leaves, parsley, thyme, sausage, and ham hocks, and cook, stirring, to brown the sausage and ham hocks, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

 

Add the beans and stock or water, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender and starting to thicken, about 2 hours. (Should the beans become too thick and dry, add more water, about 1/4 cup at a time.)

Remove from the heat and with the back of a heavy spoon, mash about 1/4 of the beans against the side of the pot. Continue to cook until the beans are tender and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and remove the bay leaves.

Serve over rice and garnish with green onions. 

 

 

This came out great. The ham hocks really gave it a good flavor.  I did have to add about a cup of water (1/2 cup at a time per the instructions) so that it didn't get to thick and dry.

I combined the beans and rice into a large pot for the rotation dinner for ease of transportation. 

Chile-Rubbed Shrimp with Avocado Corn Cocktail

Chile-Rubbed Shrimp with Avocado Corn Cocktail

Adapted from http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/chile-rubbed-shrimp-with-avocado-corn-cocktail-2315400

Last night was our monthly rotation group dinner. Margaret and Chris hosted. Food theme: “Grill it or Chill it!”

I found a recipe that I could both grill and chill: Chile-rubbed shrimp with avocado corn. This recipe serves four people using jumbo shrimp and served in martini glasses. For the group dinner, I decided to make this as a large salad. It was a hit.

16 jumbo shrimp (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and deveined

1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Avocado and Corn Salsa (see below)

Rinse the shrimp under cold running water, and then blot them dry with paper towels.

Place the chili powder, garlic salt, coriander, oregano, cumin, and pepper in a mixing bowl and whisk to mix. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Stir in the olive oil. Let the shrimp marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Cook the shrimp, following the instructions below for any of the grills, until just cooked through. When done the shrimp will turn pinkish white and will feel firm to the touch.

Spoon the Avocado and Corn Salsa into 4 large martini glasses or serving bowls. Drape 4 of the hot shrimp over the edge of each glass or bowl and serve at once. Or for a cold shrimp cocktail, let the cooked shrimp cool to room temperature. Refrigerate the shrimp, covered, until they are chilled before serving them with the salsa. The cooked shrimp can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.

My changes and comments: I used smaller shrimp, two pounds. I didn’t have ancho chili powder, so I used regular chili powder. I also didn’t have garlic salt, so I did a combo of garlic powder and salt.

This salad was delicious and it went very quickly. I really liked the flavors of the rub, which can be used on meats.  

 

Avocado and Corn Salsa

1 ripe avocado, cut into 1/4-inch dice

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 ripe red tomato, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 ear sweet corn, shucked
1 scallion, both white and green parts, trimmed and finely chopped, or 3 tablespoons diced sweet onion
1 to 2 jalapeño peppers or serrano peppers, seeded and minced (for a hotter salsa, leave the seeds in)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper

 Place the avocado in the bottom of a nonreactive mixing bowl and gently toss it with 2 tablespoons of the lime juice. Spoon the tomato on top of the avocado.

Cut the kernels off the corn. The easiest way to do this is to lay the cob flat on a cutting board and remove the kernels using lengthwise strokes of a chef's knife. Add the corn kernels to the mixing bowl. The salsa can be prepared to this stage up to 2 hours ahead. Refrigerate it, covered.

Just before serving, add the jalapeño(s) and cilantro to the mixing bowl and gently toss to mix. Taste for seasoning, adding more lime juice as necessary and season with salt and pepper to taste; the salsa should be highly seasoned.

My changes: I doubled the ingredients with the exception that I only used half of a large jalapeño pepper. I also grilled the corn on our grill, which gave the corn a nice smoky flavor.

Without the shrimp, this is a tasty summer salad.