Sweet and Sour Meatballs

My whole family loves this recipe.  When I say this recipe is so easy I am not kidding...

Most people have some sort of version of this recipe.  I can't remember who I got this recipe from it could be from my dear friend Jen who tends to have great recipes.  Anyway this recipe can be made in a crock pot or on the stove top.  Lats night I made it on the stove top.

Here is what you'll need:

• 2 pounds of meatballs, I made the meatballs small for this recipe (you could also use frozen meatballs for an even easier meal)
• 2 bottles Heinz Chili Sauce
• 2/3 cup Grape Jelly
• 1 package of Egg Noodles (optional)

**That is all you will need, I told you this was easy!**

Make your meatballs or defrost them.  If you are making your meatballs I suggest you bake them until they are fully cooked.

Stove Top Version:

Now pour the Chili sauce into a large sauce pan and add the jelly as well.

I like to whisk this all together...but that is totally optional.

Now add the meatballs and let simmer for at least 25 mins.  I like to leave the meatballs in the pot for at least an hour on low once it has all cooked.

Crock Pot Version:

Pour the Chili sauce and the grape jelly into the crock pot and whisk together.  Now add the meatballs and cover on Low for 4 to 5 hours.

You can serve the meatballs over egg noodles like I did or you can serve them over white rice.

Another nice thing you can do with these meatballs is serve them as a finger food by placing toothpicks into the.

Now this would be great for Super Bowl Sunday!!!!!

Brussel Sprouts and Pomegranate Seeds

I have a new love affair with Brussel Sprouts...not everyone feels this way but I have to say that if you have not tried Brussel Sprouts recently you have to try them.  If you have a negative opinion about them try them again!  I really do believe that if Brussel Sprouts are made properly most people will find them as tasty as I do!

Here is what you'll need:

• 1 Pomegranate
• 1 package of Brussel Sprouts, halved
• 1 Small Onion, Sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp white sugar

 These are Pomegranate seeds, aren't they so pretty?  I just love these little seeds.  I have to admit that opening a Pomegranate is very messy.  I know there has to be an easier way to open a Pomegranate than the way I opened mine.

Look at these beautiful Brussel Sprouts...so green and crisp!

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet.

Saute the garlic and onions until translucent.

Now add the Brussel sprouts and saute until crisp and browned.

Now add the brown sugar, white sugar, lemon juice and the Pomegranate seeds.  Saute for another two minutes.

There you have a sweet and savory side dish.  The sprouts are nice and crisp and the Pomegranate seeds combined with the small amount of sugar add a nice sweetness to this dish!

Winter Pot Roast

As I have said before my family and I try to celebrate Shabbat on Friday nights.  I love to make a nice meal as well as a Home Baked Challah.
This recipe is amazing and so comforting on a cold winter night.  The mixture of the Prunes and Apricots with the meat and carrots are a perfect combination.

Here is what you'll need:

• 3 - 5 pound bottom round roast
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1 carton beef broth (32 oz)
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 carrots peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 1 cup apricots, halved
• 1 cup prunes, halved
• 1 package of No Yolk Egg Noodles

Heat a large Dutch oven with 2 tbsp olive oil.

On all sides sprinkle salt, pepper and oregano over the roast.

Now place the roast into the hot Dutch oven and brown all sides

Add the onions and garlic and saute with the Roast.  Next pour the beef broth over the meat.

Now add the chopped carrots.

Let simmer covered on low for about 2 - 3 hours.

Now add the prunes and apricots and continue simmering for about another hour.

Now it is time to slice the meat.

Once the meat is sliced add it back to the pot with the broth, veggies and fruit.  I like to leave the pot on low so the meat can soak up all the juices.

When it is time to serve the meat just bring it back to a simmer.

In the meantime bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the egg noodles according to the package.

Now its time to plate the meat.  

I like to place the veggies and fruit around the sliced meat and then pour some of the juices over the dish.

There you have one delicious meal!

Shabbat Shalom!

Chicken, Escarole and Fresh Mozzarella

I love Escarole and Garlic. So this dish is just fabulous and light but very tasty.  My father in law has made this dish many times for us.  It is such a nice light meal and it has such great flavor.

Here is what you'll need:

• 1 - 2 lbs boneless, skinless, chicken cutlets
• 1 - 2 heads Escarole, washed. (this amount depends on how much chicken you are using...)
• 1/2 lb - 1 lb of Fresh Mozzarella sliced thin
• 1 cup Chicken Broth
• 1 cup White Wine
• 5 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• flour for dredging 
• 2 eggs mixed with a small amount of milk
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 2 tbsp fresh chopped Parsley
• freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

Using a meat tenderizer pound the meat on both sides.  I place the chicken in between two pieces of plastic wrap and then tenderize the chicken.

Place the chicken cutlet into the beaten egg and coat.

Now dredge the egg coated cutlet into the flour and coat the cutlet on both sides.

Now place the Chicken into a skillet with some heated olive oil.  You want to sear the Chicken on both sides. The chicken should be brown and crisp and mostly cooked through.

Place the crisp chicken cutlet into a casserole dish.

Now in a skillet heat some olive oil and the chopped garlic.  Next add the cleaned and dried escarole as well as the fresh parsley.  I only ran the knife through the Escarole once.  I like large pieces of Escarole for this dish, but it is completely your choice.

 Saute the Escarole until it begins to wilt and then add the chicken broth, lemon juice and white wine.  Let simmer for a few minutes.

Now spread the cooked escarole over the chicken and then pour the remaining liquid around the chicken as well.

Next place the sliced fresh mozzarella cheese over the Escarole and the Chicken.

Bake on 350 for 20 - 25 minutes.

The mozzarella should have melted and slightly browned.  

I like to serve this dish with angel hair pasta, drizzled with some Olive Oil and fresh Garlic.  

Freshly grated  Parmesan cheese as well as some fresh ground pepper are great to top this dish off with!

 

Linzer Tarts

I have been making this Linzer Tart recipe for years.  I used to make these for the holidays and I would wrap them up and give them out to my friends, family and neighbors.  This year I was so busy making Chocolate Truffles that this recipe got pushed aside.  This recipe is from a cookbook I received from my brother many years ago called "The Great American Cookie Cookbook"

I woke up today and was in a baking mood.  My sweet 4 year old and I had a great morning together baking these cookies. This recipe does not make many cookies since each cookie is really two cookies sandwiched together.  I made two batches so I would have more.  In one night my husband can easily polish off five of these babies...

Here is what you'll need: (to get as many cookies as I made just double this recipe)

• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Seedless Raspberry Jam ( I have used raspberry jam with seeds and that works great too)
• 1 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 or 2 large cookie cutters

There is that silly kid again!

Place the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and mix.

Look at that happy kid...she just loves to bake.. and in her p.j.'s no less!

What could be better!

Now add the sugar and the softened butter into a bowl and start to beat with a hand mixer.

Silly Kid!

Now add the egg and the vanilla to the sugar/butter mixture and mix again with the hand mixer.

Now slowly add in the flour mixture.  I added 1/3 of it at a time and used the hand held mixer on low.

Now place the dough on a piece of plastic wrap and divide in half.

Next wrap each piece of dough in plastic wrap and then refrigerate for two hours.

Once chilled for two hours its time to roll out the dough.  

Thanks to my sweet friend Cyndi who supplied me with a plethora of cookie cutters. It seems that when we moved a year and a half ago my cookie cutters got misplaced and I had to call around to get some cookie cutters.  

My neighbor/friend Cyndi always comes through!  

Thanks Cyndi!!!!

On a floured surface take the dough out of the plastic wrap and flatten out.  Now flour your rolling pin and roll the dough to about 3/16 " thick.

This just warms my heart...she loves to bake!

Now get your cookie cutter and cut out the shape into the dough.  For this cookie you will need two cookies to complete one cookie.  So the bottom cookie will just be cut out and the top cookie will be the same shape but will have a hole cut out in the center...see below.

I used the top of my vanilla extract bottle to cut out the center of the top cookie.

I also used a circle cut out for a more traditional looking Linzer Tart.

Now place the cut out cookies onto an ungreased baking sheet.  

Bake at 375 for 5 - 8 minutes.  You want the cookies to have a slight brown edge.  

I over baked my first batch and they were only in for 7 minutes...so you should really watch them as they bake.

Let cool!

Now get the raspberry preserves and a butter knife.

Now spread about a 1/2 tbsp of the Raspberry Preserves onto the bottom cookie and then place the top cookie over the preserves.

(oops...bad picture.)

Now continue this step until you have no more cookies.

Next take a strainer and 1 tbsp of confectionary sugar and tap the strainer over the cookies. The sugar will look like snow coming out of the strainer.

Is that pretty or what?

Serve with a hot cup of coffee!!!

You could always do a heart shaped cookie and make these for Valentines day!