Asian Beef Meatballs with Spicy Cucumber Salad

Asian Beef Meatballs with Spicy Cucumber Salad
Asian Beef Meatballs with Spicy Cucumber Salad

Sometimes, it’s nice to have something that is a little lighter fare. This Asain dish, Asian Meatballs with Spicy Cucumber Salad really hits the spot flavorwise. It’s very simple and quick to make, so you can make this for a weeknight dinner – I don’t know about having leftovers, this will probably get all eaten up! If you don’t like spicy food, you can leave the chili out of the cucumber salad.

We make this healthy by including wheatgerm in the meatballs, and we bake the balls in the oven instead of frying or sauteing them.

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Blue Cheese Risotto with Roast Beef

Blue Cheese Risotto with Roast Beef
Blue Cheese Risotto with Roast Beef

I made this a few years ago and forgot about it.  It languished in my recipe box for many years, until as I was going through it to see what I could remove, I came across it and thought I should try it again.

It’s delicious.  But be warned – if you don’t like blue cheese, you won’t like this.  If you don’t like red wine, you won’t like this either.  This is not a traditional risotto, it is very assertive and needs to be served with well-marinated beef. I think broccoli goes very well with this and steams quite quickly while the roast rests.  Serve with a nice red wine and Sour Cherry Jellies for dessert.

You all have to forgive my surfer platter.  Under the roast, it says “Seas & Greetings” – I just couldn’t resist it for the holidays a few years ago, and it has served me well.

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Healthy Spicy Meatloaf with Wheat Germ

Healthy Spicy Meatloaf

Healthy, Spicy Meatloaf

I really love Lula Kabob.  I was looking at some recipes and found out one of the main ingredients is grated onions that are pressed through a sieve to remove their liquid.  It occurred to me this might be a good idea for my meatloaf.  Usually, I make meatloaf with the vegetables chopped, but still large enough to see them.  It’s good, but I wanted to experiment.  The experiment was successful. The meatloaf had a more consistent flavor and texture.  This will be my method of making meatloaf from now on.

The other thing that I have started adding to my meatloaf is wheat germ. It has a nutty flavor and is very good with yogurt and honey.  It’s also very healthy for you. It’s an excellent source of vitamin E, A, and folic acid as well as a fiber-rich source of high-quality non-animal protein. If you like refined white flour and are missing the benefits of whole grain, this is a great way to supplement your diet – all that nutrition in something that tastes really good.   However, if you are truly gluten intolerant, stay away as wheat germ does have gluten.

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Expert Burgers

These burgers are called “Expert Burgers” because they have such great flavor , stuffed with Swiss cheese, with caramelized onion and coleslaw.

Meatloaf Stuffed Potato Balls with Dragon Sauce

Meatloaf Stuffed Potato Balls

Meatloaf Stuffed Potato Balls with Dragon Sauce

One of my favorite things is to go to Porto’s in Glendale and get Papas Rellenas (Cuban Potato Balls).  They are very tasty and make for a quick bite.  One day, I had leftover meatloaf, and leftover mashed potatoes, so I decided to try my hand at making them.  It’s pretty simple, and a good way to use up your leftovers.  You could use other stuffing, I just happen to really like my Three Pepper Spicy Meatloaf.

A few words about mashed potatoes

Please use real ones, not the ones in the box, or the ones that are already made. Take a little time to make mashed potatoes.  I usually use one medium-sized potato per person, unless I want extra for something like this, and then I add an extra potato. For this recipe, you will need to peel the potatoes. Unpeeled potatoes are great, but the peels would get in the way when trying to keep them shaped correctly.  I cut my potatoes in half lengthwise, then cut each half into quarters.  I keep the cut, peeled potatoes in cold water until they have all been prepped, this keeps them from turning brown.  Rinse the potatoes and put them in clean, salted water. Always use a good amount of salt in the water, about a half a teaspoon per potato. Bring the water to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to medium. Check the potatoes at about 15 minutes.  They are done when you can easily stick a fork or tip of a knife in them.  Don’t let them get overcooked, or you will have a soggy mess. Drain them in a sturdy colander immediately so they will stop cooking.  I like to add butter at this point and mash them with a masher so the butter really gets in there, then I add milk and depending on how fluffy I want them, I either whip them by hand or use a stand mixer.

Meatloaf – It’s all up to you!

To make this you will need about 2 cups of left over mashed and a few slices of left over meatloaf.  You can use your favorite meatloaf recipe, you are not tied to mine. You can even use – gads! – store-bought meatloaf if you like it.

The Dragon Sauce

You don’t have to have a dip for these, they’re good plain.  But, if you like an extra zip, please try this Dragon Sauce. If you don’t like spicy foods, then you could always use Ranch or onion dip if you wanted.  This is one of those recipes that’s really up to you.  Use what you enjoy!

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Most Popular Recipes 2016

Most Popular Recipes 2016Recipes in this Post

2016 – What a Year

Some many things happened in 2016 that just absolutely floored people. The person who won the popular vote, Hilary Clinton, lost the electoral vote, and much to many people’s chagrin, Donald Trump is our new President-Elect. There were many technological breakthroughs, including the Amazon Echo, an AI which is so useful, it almost becomes part of your family. Many of our favorites in the entertainment industry are no longer with us, including David Bowie, Prince, Carrie Fisher, a list that is too long and sad.

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Sausage and White Bean One Pot Stir-fry

Sausage and White Bean One Pot Stir-fry
Sausage and White Bean One Pot Stir-fry

I usually buy Polska Kielbasa to make Jambalaya, but I didn’t feel like making that. I wanted something simpler so I looked in my refrigerator and found cabbage and sweet bell peppers. I also had a can of white cannellini beans in my pantry. It sounded like a winning recipe, so I got started.

This makes a mild tasting one pot stir-fry dish. If you want to add some pizzaz to it, provide some hot sauce. It’s a very healthy dish, and of course, you could substitute other sausages, like German or Italian.

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