BIZZY BAKES

This recipe from Mark Bittman grabbed my attention with the name Meat and Grain Balls.  What grain is he talking about?  It seems, almost any grain would work so I used quinoa; Bittman used bulgur.  The truth is that quinoa is easy to cook and speedy to be finished which is why I chose it.  My guests picked out the quinoa by the taste but I could not do so.  I served these in a sweet and sour sauce and that is what dominated. Meat-and-Grain Balls 2 tablespoons olive oil Salt to taste 1 pound meat  1cloves minced garlic  2 shallots, chopped 1 or 2 shakes of cayenne 1 tablesppon chili powder black pepper to taste 1 egg 2 cups cooked, cooked quinoa 2 cups spinach  Preheat oven to 400F Bring pot of water to boil. Wilt spinach in boiling water for about 30 seconds. Drain it, dry it, chop it. Put spinach in a bowl, along with ground meat.  Add onion, garlic, spices and egg. Add either the cooked q...

Shepherd's Pie is an annual feature on our Pesach menu.  It calls for very few ingredients and is quite filling.  This is a family favorite. Traditional Shepherd’s Pie Ingredients: 3 tablespoons oil 3 pounds ground beef 2 medium onions, chopped 4 tablespoons parsley, chopped 1/2 cup bell pepper (any color diced) 1 can tomato paste (I had some sauce from stuffed cabbage which I used in place of tomato paste) 6 potatoes, cooked and mashed 1/4 - 1/2 cup vegetable broth Method: Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add ground meat, onion, tomato paste, parsley, and a dash of salt and pepper in a pot.  Cook until meat has browned. Stir and break up meat so that the pieces are small. While these are cooking, boil whole potatoes in water until soft. Then peel and mash. Add bell pepper and broth to potatoes.  (You can add shredded carrots or shredded zucchini as well) In  2 - 3 quart casserole, laye...

One of my more embarrassing moments.  I can't find my Modern Classics 1 by Donna Hay.  I searched my house and it is no where to be found yet I remember exactly where I put it or at least, I thought I did. This is not the first time, I misplaced it.  One time, I did the house search and finally after two or three days, found it in my son's bedroom, which is now a guest room.  We have a computer in there and evidently, I went in there to check something out with book in hand.  I left without it and forgot completely about taking if from its designated spot. The next time, I misplaced this book, I found it in our den.  I had gone to chat with hubby, again, book in hand and put it down.  Once again, I walked away without Donna's hard work and also found it a few days later. Where did I take it this time?  I will let you know when I locate it. You would think, I didn't like Donna Hay, the way I lose her book so often.  On th...

I am thinking of planning a quinoa week where I make something with quinoa for every meal.  It is so versatile and whatever, I have put it in, has come out beautifully.  Here is another example of using quinoa wisely. Also, this leads me to think about all the ways I add filler to meat loaf.  I find that it can be too heavy without some kind of filler whether it be mashed tomatoes,  rice, bread crumbs or spinach.  I have made it with whole hard boiled eggs inside or a layer of sliced potatoes in the middle of the meatloaf.   Many people don't like meatloaf but I think if they would play with it and make it to their liking, they would find that it is another versatile dish. Quinoa Mini Meatloaves Ingredients: 1 cup cooked quinoa 1 pound ground turkey 1 pound ground beef 1/2 cup diced onion 1/2 cup barbecue sauce 2 egg whites 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley Method: Preh...

A while ago,  Wednesday with Donna Hay 's made   Beef Burgers !  Recipe can be found  here. I had chopped turkey so my beef burger is really a turkey burger.  I was in trouble again with the call for buns.  Since hubby has celiac, we do not have any hamburger buns, in the house and buying them, just for me, would be a waste.  So, my turkey burgers are nude. Despite this, we were happy with these tasty burgers and finished them all up, quickly.  They were nice and thick and hubby kept telling me to press them down to be flatten.  I did not listen, as you can probably see.  The caramelized onions and tomatoes were to go on the bun with the burger so I served them, this way.

Mostly, we have chicken for Friday night dinner but on occasion, hubby asks for a meat loaf.  That is what happened, this week.  I am a fan of Indian spiced foods so I looked for a recipe, combining the two, the Indian spices and the meatloaf. Fine Cooking had the answer.  I made so much more than we need, we are eating for a dinner during the week. Indian Spiced MeatLoaf 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1/2 cup small-diced red bell pepper 1/2 cup small-diced carrots (I use my mini food processor) 2 cups gluten-free bread crumbs 1 cup Rice Milk 1 pound. ground beef 1 pound ground turkey 2 large eggs 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 2 teaspoons. peeled and finely grated fresh ginger 2 teaspoons garam masala 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 tablespoons honey Heat oil in a 10- to 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the onion, bell peppers and carrots, stirring freq...

I  did not expect to enjoy cooking from the Ukraine as much as I am.  I also made this soup with trepidation.  I first had to take into consideration the hot weather which is not soup weather.  Hubby and I had decided, other than cold soups, hot soups would wait until the Fall to be served in our house.  I have even taken a break from making the weekly Sabbath chicken soup. Secondly, meatball soups have never attracted me.  Meatballs in water ...... ugh.  How I did change my mind and hubby's response was, "Don't lose this recipe.  It is the best......" This soup sang in your mouth.  I am not even sure what flavors were coming through.  They just blended into a wondrous concoction.  This would be a five star recipe. Yanka's Ukrainian Meatball-Spinach Soup 2 large eggs 2/3 cup long-grain white rice 1 pound ground lean beef   1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel 2 tablespoons lemon juice...

I have another Levanna Kirschenbaum recipe for you.  I recommend her book Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen .  You can find many of these recipes on her site such as this one. I have a large library of cookbooks and it is frustrating me that I don't want to move away from this one.  It is humorous how there are times, I can't think of what to cook, and times like this when the list is long. Funnier than that is my making two nights of dinner from my head and not using the cookbooks. When I made this meatloaf, I was sure  it would call for soy sauce and then I worried that without it, it would lack flavor.  It was delicious and flavorful. Chinese Meatloaf (adapted from Levanna Kirschenbaum) Ingredients:   2 pounds lean ground lean beef and turkey, combined 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil 1 cup grated carrots, packed 1 cup natural potato flakes   1 cup coconut milk  1 teaspoon cilantro 1 bunch scallions, sliced very thin 1 teaspoo...

   I have only had okra, once before, and could not remember if I liked it but I am a braver cook, now and I made this recipe from Faith's book, An Edible Mosaic.  This could be made as a vegetarian dish but I liked the idea of meat being included.  That may be because we don't usually eat meat. This is yet another successful dish from our friend Faith.  I tried to use the recipe from the book but it would not allow me to save this post so I had to remove it.  I know, this does not do justice to a delicious meal but it clearly shows the different ingredients.  Okra with Tomatoes in a Fragrant Sauce BAMIEH BIL ZAYT Recipe courtesy of An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair by Faith Gorsky (Tuttle Publishing; Nov. 2012); reprinted with permission. To make this dish a full meal, cook some stew meat (lamb or beef) and add it to the okra before serving. (I used chopped beef.) Serves 4 to 6 Preparation Time: 12 minut...

As I mentioned previously, each week, I hope to cook from another published cook book. This week, I am proud to be cooking from Faith's, "an edible mosaic".   I have admired Faith's blog and particularly her photos for a long time, which means, I was enthusiastic about cooking from her newly published book.  There is a major problem with this cook book.  There are just too many recipes, you are going to love.  I decided to be organized and write down those recipes that I wanted to make and had the ingredients, in the house.  My list went into the tens, twenties, thirties.  You get the idea. Faith has a chapter where she has recipes for basics you can use in a number of recipes.  Now that I have used some of the seasonings, I have to make up batches and save them in small containers, for future use.  Great flavor. The first recipe, I chose to make, was these eggs with meat.  Although, I have made eggs with sausage, I have never made t...