Meatloaf

Classic Meatloaf Recipe

Many meatloaf recipes call for ground veal or pork in addition to ground beef. You might want to experiment with a third each of beef, pork, and veal. If you don't have access to spicy ground pork or Italian sausage, add a pinch of fennel seeds and a half teaspoon of hot sauce to regular ground pork.

Preparation time: 20 minutes to prep, 1 hour to cook.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup of finely chopped onion
• 1 celery rib, chopped fine
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 carrot, chopped fine
• 1/2 cup of finely chopped scallions (can substitute onion)
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoon salt (use 1 1/2 teaspoons if using Italian sausage)
• 1 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 2 tsp Worscestershire sauce
• 2/3 cup ketchup
• 1 1/2 pounds of ground chuck
• 3/4 pound of spicy ground pork sausage or Italian sausage (a mix of sweet and hot if you are using links)
• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 2 large eggs, beaten slightly
• 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

METHOD

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2 In a large heavy skillet cook the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and scallions in butter, over medium heat, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Cover the skillet and stir occassionally until the carrots are tender, about 5 more minutes. Stir in salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/3 a cup of ketchup. Cook for 1 more minute.

3 In a large bowl, combine the meats, eggs, vegetables, bread crumbs, and parsley. Form into a loaf and put into a rectangular baking pan with 2-inch high sides. Cover the loaf with remaining ketchup.

4 Bake the meatloaf in the oven for 1 hour.

Serves 4 to 6, with plenty for leftovers for meatloaf sandwiches.

Sausage, Peppers, and Onions

Sausage, Peppers, and Onions Recipe

You can use different colored bell peppers, or just stick with green. This recipe uses a combination of sweet and hot sausages, but if you want a milder dish, use only the sweet sausages and reduce the amount of chili pepper flakes in the recipe. (Likewise if you want it hotter, use hot sausages and/or bump up the amount of chili pepper flakes.)

INGREDIENTS

• 4 Italian sausage links (sweet, hot, or a couple of each)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced into 2 to 3 inch long strips
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced into 2 to 3 inch long strips
• 1 bell pepper of another color (yellow or orange or purple), sliced into strips 2-3 inches long
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced into slivers
• 1 large sweet or yellow onion, sliced into 1/4-inch half-moons
• 1 small (15 ounce) can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp of dried oregano
• 1/2 cup Marsala or red wine (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• Salt to taste

METHOD

1 Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pan that has a lid. When the oil is hot, add the sausages and brown them slowly. If they sizzle and crackle too much, turn the heat down. You want a gentle browning, not a sear. Cook for several minutes, turning them occasionally so they brown on all sides. When the sausages are browned, remove from the pan and set aside.

2 Increase the heat to high and add the onions and peppers. Toss so they get coated with the oil in the pan and sear them as well as you can, stirring every so often. You want some blackening. Once the onions and peppers soften, sprinkle some salt on them. Once you get some searing on the onions and peppers, add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

3 Add the Marsala or red wine if you are using, and with a wooden spoon scrape the bottom of the pan to release all the browned and blackened bits. Let the wine cook down by half.

4 Add the tomatoes, oregano and red pepper flakes (if using) and stir well to combine. Add the sausages back in. Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer until the peppers are soft the sausages are cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Sausage, peppers and onions will keep in the fridge for several days.

Serve over polenta, or with penne pasta, or load up in a hoagie roll. Any leftover sauce makes a great sauce for pasta.

Serves 4.

Cheesy Bread Recipe

Cheesy Bread Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 1 lb shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 to 1 cup chopped green onion (to taste)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp sour cream (optional)
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup, 4 ounces), softened to the point of being slightly melted

• 1 to 2 loaves of French or Italian bread (I used Ciabatta), depending on the size of the loaves

METHOD

1 In a large bowl, mix together the cheeses and the green onion. Stir in the mayonnaise and sour cream. In a separate small bowl blend the butter and garlic until smooth. Add the butter mixture to the cheese mixture.

2 Preheat broiler. Slice loaf of bread in half horizontally, lay crust side down. Spread cheese mixture over the bread. Place under the broiler until nicely browned, about 3 to 5 minutes.

3 Remove from broiler and let sit for 5 minutes until cool enough to handle. Slice the bread with a bread knife. Serve.

Makes 30 to 40 slices.

Piadinas.....Italian Street Food

These delicious sandwich wraps are sold on street corners throughout Italy, particularly in Emilia-Romagna.
and are filled with everything from prosciutto and arugula to nutella and bananas. No plane tickets are necessary, though. Piadinas are incredibly easy to make at home.

Think of piadinas as a cross between Middle Eastern pita breads and Mexican flour tortillas. They're rolled out to the size of dinner plates and baked on a flat griddle or grill. Pricking them with a fork keeps them from puffing up, and the final texture is simultaneously soft, chewy, and tender.

You can eat piadinas any number of ways. My favorite is to simply fold the piadina over on its filling and eat it like a taco. You can also wrap it up like burrito or into a cone, or layer a second piadina on top to make the Italian version of a quesadilla.

When it comes to fillings, the sky is the limit. Think of your favorite Italian flavors andingredients, and they've probably found their way into a piadina at some point. Take a look at the suggested fillings below the recipe for some inspiration.

What are your favorite piadina fillings?!

Homemade Piadinas
Makes 6 large or 8 small piadinas

4 1/2 cups (23 oz) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
1/3 cup (2 oz) lard or vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups (12 oz) water

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Drop the lard into the flour and use your fingertips to gently work the lard into the flour until no large pieces remain. Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the water. Stir with a spatula until a shaggy dough is formed. It's ok if not all the flour is absorbed at this point.

Turn the dough out onto your counter and knead the dough for 8-10 minutes, until it forms a soft and uniform ball. Alternatively, you can knead the dough in a standing mixer with a dough hook on low speed for 5-8 minutes.

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover, and let it rest for about 30 minutes. The dough can also be refrigerated for several days.

When ready to bake, transfer the dough to your work surface and divide it into 6-8 pieces (6 pieces for large piadinas, 8 for small ones). Shape each piece of dough into a roll and cover.

Set a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot enough that droplets of water sizzle as soon as they hit the surface, begin cooking the piadinas. Use a rolling pin to roll the first piadina out as thin as possible, about 9 inches across and 1/8 inch thick. Roll it over the rolling pin (like transferring pie dough) or drap it over your palm, and quickly settle it in your pan. Prick the piadina all over with a fork to prevent it from puffing up.

Cook for one minute on each side, or until you start seeing toasted brown spots all over the piadina. Transfer the cooked piadina to a clean dishtowel and cover with another dish towel to keep it warm. Continue preparing the rest of the piadinas as described above.

Cooked piadinas are best when eaten right away, but will keep in a plastic bag on the counter for a few days. If you're not planning to eat all the piadinas right away, it's best to refrigerated the dough and bake the piadinas as you need them.

Fillings to Try!
• Prosciutto, arugula, and mozzarella
• Bacon, lettuce, tomato
• Grilled chicken and pesto
• Grilled portobello and brie
• Grilled eggplant with goat cheese
• Nutella and fruit
• Peanut butter and jam

Notes:
• You can replace up to half the all-purpose flour in this recipe with whole wheat flour, cornmeal, or other whole grain flour.
• You can also replace up to half of the water with milk
• Try mixing minced fresh herbs or other spices directly into the dough for a flavored piadina.
• Piadinas can also be cooked on an outdoor grill following the same cooking times.

Thai Banana Fritters

100g (4OZ) plain flour

-225ml (8 flOZ) coconut milk

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-60g (2OZ) granulated sugar

-1 tablespoon white sesame seeds

-6 small or 3 large unripe bananas (skins just turning yellow)

-vegetable oil for deep frying

1)Combine the flour, coconut milk, salt, sugar, and sesame seeds in a bowl and mix to form a smooth batter set aside

2)If using small bananas, cut in half; If using large bananas, cut into 3 pieces. (you should end up with pieces about 7.5cm (3in) long.) Cut each piece in half lengthways to give strips about 1cm (1/2in) thick.

3) Heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 200C (400F). Dip the banana strips in the batter shake off any excess and lower into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown then remove, drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately.

Pampushki

These moreish dumplings – also known as pampushki – are served as street food in Ukraine, Bulgaria and Russia. They are usually sweet and made with a yeast dough – rather like doughnuts – but this sweet-savoury version is made from potatoes and is homely and hearty. Serves 4.

1 lb 10 oz/ 750g potatoes, peeled
12 oz/ 300g cooked mashed potato
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil for deep-frying

For the cheese and cherry filling:
4 oz/ 100g cream cheese
3 oz/ 75g dried sour cherries
1 teaspoon caster sugar
Grated rind of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon fresh dill, finely chopped (optional)
Salt and pepper

1. Coarsely grate the potatoes in a food processor.
2. Place in a colander, press down with the palm of your hand, and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
3. Put the grated potatoes in a large bowl, and mix well with the mashed potatoes and a little seasoning.
4. Make the filling by combining cheese, cherries, sugar, lemon rind, dill if using, and seasoning.
5. Grease your palm with a little oil, and place a dollop of the potato mixture, spreading it slightly. Put a teaspoon of the cheese and cherry mixture in the middle of the potato round and fold over the edges. The dumplings should be sealed properly, otherwise the filling will leak out, making a mess.
6. Repeat the process until you have used up all of the potato and cheese mixtures. Place the finished dumplings on a tray and cover with a damp tea towel while you are working so that they don’t dry out.
7. Heat the oil, and when very hot, deep-fry the dumplings until they are lightly golden brown.
8. Serve hot as a snack with jams or preserves.

Fried Chicken

Indonesian Street Food 

1 large fresh chicken cut in 8 pieces
2 cups water
oil for deep-frying

Spice mix
1 tablespoon coriander
3 tablespoons of crushed garlic
2 tablespoons of dried turmeric
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons of ginger
2 tablespoon oil
Oil for deep frying.

Directions

Grind the coriander, garlic, turmeric, ginger and sugar together to make a fine paste. Heat the oil in a large pan or wok.

Once hot add the spice mix and the bay leaves and cook for 3 minutes until fragrant. Add the chicken pieces and coat well once the skin is brown add the water and simmer uncovered until chicken is almost cooked. The water should have evaporated by now and the chicken should have a brown spicy skin.

Allow the chicken to dry a little then heat oil for deep frying.

Add the chicken to the hot oil and cook for a few moments until golden brown and the chicken is cooked through.

Serve with sliced cucumber and thin carrot strips as a garnish

Falafel

Falafel is a popular street food in the Middle East, and I believe it is the national dish of Israel. (Edit: Falafel actually originated in Egypt, and Israel likes to claim it as their national snack.) The great thing is chickpeas are high in fiber, and are a good source of iron and protein –much need nutrients in a meat-free diet. If you use canned chickpeas this meal comes together pretty fast, with down time during refrigeration. Traditionally falafel are served in a pita, with pickled vegetables or lettuce and tomato. I served mine on a piece of naan smeared in a homemade hummus, topped with shredded red cabbage, and tomato.

FALAFEL1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed), reserve 1/4 c liquid
1/2 yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T cumin
2 T flour
small handful of fresh parsley
salt & pepper
oil for frying

Place chickpeas in your food processor and pulse until it becomes grainy. Add rest of the ingredients, combine while slowly adding in reserved liquid until mixture is gritty and well combined. Place mixture in fridge for 30 minutes (it helps them hold together when frying). Preheat oil to 350 degrees F. Roll mixture into 6-8 balls. Fry in batches for a couple minutes until golden brown. These are delicious warm.

Baida Roti

BAIDA ROTI - STREET FOOD
mutton stuffed indian bread
Preparation Time : 15-20 minutes
Cooking Time : 25-30 minutesServings : 4

INGREDIENTS For roti Refined flour (maida) 1 cup Salt to taste Oil 1 tablespoon Baking powder 1/8 teaspoon Egg 1 For filling Egg 8 Oil + frying 1 tablespoon Onion , chopped 1 medium Mutton mince (keema) 1 cup Green chilli, chopped 2 Salt to taste Garam masala powder 1/4 teaspoon Fresh coriander leaves 1 tablespoon

METHOD Mix together the refined flour, salt, oil, baking powder and egg. Add one-fourth cup of water and knead into a soft dough. Divide the dough into four equal portions and shape into balls. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and set aside for a few minutes. For the filling, heat one tablespoon oil in a pan; add the onion and sauté till light brown. Add the minced mutton, green chillies and salt and cook over medium heat till the mince is cooked and completely dry. Add the garam masala powder and coriander leaves and mix well. Beat the eggs well. Roll out each ball of dough into an eight-inch square chapati. Heat a non-stick pan and place the chapati on it. Place some mince masala in the centre and pour two tablespoons of beaten egg over. Fold in the sides to make a square package. Pour some more beaten egg over and drizzle oil around. Slowly turn the stuffed roti over and pour a little more beaten egg so that the role is covered with egg on all sides. Gently fry over low heat till both sides are golden and crisp. Serve hot with Green Chutney.

Croatian-Serbian Sweet Cheese Palachinke Recipe

Croatian-Serbian palachinke are thin crepe-like pancakes.

 When they are filled with jam, fruit, or sweet or savory cheeses and rolled, 

they are still known as palachinke (blintzes).

Hungarians call crepes palacsinta, Poles call themnalesniki, Lithuanians call them naliesnikai, 

Ukrainians call them nalysnyky, and in Romanian, it's clatita. 

There is very little difference in the basic recipe, so the palachinke batter recipe will suffice for all.

Makes about 12 (7 1/2-inch) palachinke

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• Palachinke Batter:
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large beaten egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup whole milk
• .
• Sweet Cheese Filling:
• 1 pound cottage cheese
• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons tapioca
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 large slightly beaten eggs
• .
• Topping:
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 1 large beaten egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Preparation:

1. In a medium bowl, combine all the sweet cheese filling ingredients. Let it rest, covered and refrigerated, for 1 1/2 hours while you make the palachinke.
   
2. In a blender or food processor, combine the batter ingredients until smooth. Transfer to a pitcher, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes so the liquid can be absorbed by the flour.
   
3. Using a 2-ounce ladle, portion out batter into a nonstick skillet that has been coated with equal parts butter and oil. Rotate pan and swirl batter until it covers the entire bottom of pan. Cook until lightly brown or spotted brown on the underside. Turn and cook second side until light brown. 
4. Remove to waxed paper or parchment paper and repeat with remaining batter, separating palachinke with waxed paper or parchment. At this point, palachinke can be used immediately or wrapped and frozen up to 1 month.
   
5. Place 2 heaping tablespoons filling on one edge of each palachinke and roll away from yourself.
   
6. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place filled palachinke on a buttered or parchment-lined baking sheet. Comine all topping ingredients, mixing well, and spread on top of filled palachinke. Bake 20 minutes.