Swedish Meatballs

 

We seem to be on a run of recipes from Hi-Ho's New York Times cookbook. Boy did my mother love to entertain!

 

Ingredients

 

2 Tablespoons butter

3 Tablespoons minced onion

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

1 cup milk, or equal parts milk and cream

3/4 pound ground round steak

1/4 pound ground veal

1/4 pound ground pork 

1 egg

Freshly ground salt and pepper

1/4 cup flour

3/4 cup cream or evaporated milk

and in Hi-Ho's handwriting: allspice, nutmeg, and Marsala Sherry 

 

Process

1. In a large skillet, melt the butter and saute the onion until it is golden brown. 

 

2. Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk. Add the meats, egg, onion, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.

 

3.   Shape the mixture into balls about one and one half inch in diameter and roll them in the flour, reserving one tablespoon of the flour. 

 

4. Melt enough additional butter in the skillet to cover the bottom. Brown the meatballs over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally so the meatballs retain their size and shape. Remove them from skillet, reserving juices,  and place in a serving dish and keep warm.

 

5.  Combine the reserved flour with the cream and, using a whisk, stir gradually into the pan juices. Simmer three to four minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour this gravy over the meatballs and serve hot. 

 

Enjoy! 

 

Meat Pie

 

 In snow making season, I try to make something warm and nourishing for the 4 to 12 shift SP works on. I recently thought of a Mexican Meat pie recipe that's on this blog and decided to make it. My first thought when I printed it out was, why is it called Mexican? There's nothing really Mexican about it in the slightest. My first observation of the recipe was why the heck had I written the proportions the way I did. My solution was to tweak it and fix it and update it. So here is my updated and revamped meat pie. Feel free to add more seasoning.

Ingredients

For the pie:

I pie shell - bottom only

1 egg

1 pound ground meat (beef or turkey)

1 can corn kernels drained

1/2 cup crushed saltines

1/2 cup chili sauce

2 Tablespoons pepper flakes, preferably Allepo pepper (our new favorite)

2 Tablespoons chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon Oregano

For the topping:

1 egg beaten

2 Tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

dash of cayenne

Process

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 

2. Mix all of the pie ingredients together in a bowl and use your hands to mix. 

3. Transfer ingredients into the pie shell and put in the oven on a cookie tray. 

4. While pie is cooking whisk together the topping ingredients. 

5. Bake the pie for25 minutes (if turkey) or 40 minutes in beef until its cooked thru. 

6. Remove from oven and top with the cheese mixture. 

7. Return to oven and cook an additional 10 minutes. Feel free to garnish with olives if you would like. 

Enjoy!

Grinders

I spent large parts of my childhood in Stonington, CT, as we owned a house on Water Street. I won't tell you the number but last time I checked, the historically salmon colored door was now blue. One of my favorite memories was to be sent down to Camacho's to pick up our order of grinders and spend $1.00 on penny candy. The grinders were amazing and we ate them everywhere - at home, at the beach, at the point, at the light house, or at the Wad Club. Sadly, Camacho's is no more (now a jewelry store), and I have never been able to find a replacement in all my searching. Then we moved to Maine and when I asked for a grinder, I was handed a pepper grinder. Back to the drawing board it was. I finally gave up looking and decided to make up my own close-as-I-could-get version. It's still not the original, but it satisfies the craving. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

A baguette or two, or a loaf of French bread or even Italian (the bread is the hardest part to match)

Mayonnaise (always use Hellmann's)

Italian Dressing (Originally it was a red wine vinaigrette but I haven't found a close match yet)

Iceberg lettuce, shaved thin

Tomatoes, sliced thin

Provolone cheese slices

Genoa salami slices

Mortadella slices (if they don't have it use Capricola)

Ham slices

Process

1. Cut bread in half lengthwise. 

2. Coat top half with generous amounts of mayo. 

3. Coat the bottom half entirely with Italian dressing. 

4. Start layering your meats and the cheese. 

5. Top with tomatoes and the thinly shaved lettuce. 

6. Close the sandwich and press together. 

7. Carefully slice into needed sizes. 

Enjoy!

Stuffed Cabbage

 

Ingredients

 1 cup leftover meat (ground)

1/2 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 diced green pepper

bread crumbs

tomato sauce, heated

Process

 "Mix ingredients. Hollow out center of cabbage and rub with salt. Fill  with mixture. Tie string around cabbage, sprinkle bread crumbs on top. Place in baking pan with 1 cup water. Bake in moderate oven for 45 minutes. Serve with tomato sauce. "

Curry of Meats

 

bouquet garni 

 

Serves 4 to 6 people

 

"Use 2 pounds of meat or 5 pounds chicken. Cut into small pieces (if veal use 1 pound shoulder) ..."

yea none of that makes any sense

"... 4 onions, Brown in 2 Tablespoons peanut oil. Heat water to boil 3 cloves garlic. Put meat with onions when they are brown. When it is brown gradually cover with bouillon and ounces of hot water. Add salt and pepper, bouquet garni, 2 carrots, 1 to 2 cloves, and ginger. Don't let it boil too hard. Prepare sauces: 3 Tablespoons flour, 3 Tablespoons  curry, 3 Tablespoons peanut oil. Mix well. Make sauce with butter, flour, and tomato paste. Cover and cook for 1 hour. When ready to serve, add 1 Tablespoon soy sauce. Serve with chopped hard boiled egg, chutney, coconut, sliced radishes, lettuce leaves, chopped peanuts, Bombay duck, dry rice, soy sauce in cups, a little bit of green onion, and thin slices carrots."

Mexican Meat Pie

This is quick and simple and loved by the kids!
 HAPPY Pi DAY!!

Ingredients
1 Pie shell
1 egg
1 lb ground beef or turkey
7 oz. whole kernel corn
1.2 cup soda crackers
1/2 cup chili sauce
2 Tablespoons pepper flakes or fresh green pepper
1 Tablespoon onion
1.2 teaspoon oregano
for cheese mixture topping.
1 egg beaten
2 Tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
dash of cayenne pepper

Process

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
3. Transfer into pie shell and press into dish and put in preheated oven.
4. While pie is baking, prepare cheese mixture for the topping.
5. Bake in oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
6. Top with cheese mixture and bake another 5 minutes. Feel free to garnish with a few olives too.

Cuban Stromboli from Wine and Glue

 

This recipe from Wine and Glue was an excellent find this week. 

It was quick and easy and oh so kid friendly. 

I went liberal on the first batch I made and discovered that it could have used more kick to it. So I made it a second time last night and nailed it. 

That's what the above picture is from. Yummy stuff folks that we highly recommend!

Ingredients

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 lb. Spicy Italian Sausage (I used Jennie-O)
• 1 (13.8 oz) tube refrigerated pizza dough
• 7 slices swiss cheese
• 6 slices black forest ham
• 8 sandwich style dill pickles
• 2 TBSPs mustard
• 1 TBSP mustard
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a cast iron skillet, preheat your olive oil and then cook your Spicy Italian Sausage until completely cooked through, crumbling it as you cook.
3. On a silicon mat lined baking sheet, spread out your refrigerated pizza dough until it is about 14 by 12 inches.
4. Spread out your swiss cheese, spread the mustard over it, layer it with the slices of ham, the pickle slices and the cooked sausage.
5. Carefully roll up the dough, starting with the long end, and then place it seam side down and pinch both ends closed.
6. Brush the dough with the melted butter and sprinkle with the garlic salt.
7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 3 to 5 minutes before slicing

Mexican Meat Pie

This is quick and simple and loved by the kids!
Ingredients
1 Pie shell
1 egg
1 lb ground beef or turkey
7 oz. whole kernel corn
1.2 cup soda crackers
1/2 cup chili sauce
2 Tablespoons pepper flakes or fresh green pepper
1 Tablespoon onion
1.2 teaspoon oregano
for cheese mixture topping.
1 egg beaten
2 Tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
dash of cayenne pepper

Process

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
   
2. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
   
3. Transfer into pie shell and press into dish and put in preheated oven.
   
4. While pie is baking, prepare cheese mixture for the topping.
   
5. Bake in oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
   
6. Top with cheese mixture and bake another 5 minutes. Feel free to garnish with a few olives too.