Youvarlakia (Meat Balls with Lemon Sauce)

Youvarlakia (Meat Balls with Lemon Sauce)

    I recently made Beef in Wine Gravy (delicious) from the same cookbook this recipe is from. That cookbook is Hellenic Cuisine copyrighted in 1957 by St. Helen's Philoptochos Society and Sts Constantine and Helen Parent-Teacher Association. I wasn't sure about the texture of the sauce, because it came out pretty foamy (not sure if it was supposed to be so foamy), but it tasted good. I had to buy mint, but the parsley I used was from my garden.  Yay!

Ingredients:

2lbs ground beef or veal (I used ground turkey)

2 small onions, chopped finely (I used one large)

3 tbsps chopped parsley and mint leaves (This is for sprinkling over the dish when serving, so you can actually use more)

1/2 cup rice, cooked

2 tbsps butter or oil

1 tsp vegetable salt (I used a salt free table seasoning)

2 cups water

1/2 cup flour

salt and pepper, to taste

plus

2 eggs 

1 lemon, juiced

Directions:

in a large bowl, thoroughly mix the meat, onion, salt, pepper, rice and vegetable salt. Form into small meatballs (I laid out my meatballs in a 9x13 pan and it was completely filled when I was done making the balls). Sprinkle with flour. Bring a saucepan with water and a little salt, to boil. Add meat balls and butter or oil and simmer for 40 minutes.  When you have about ten minutes of cooking time left, make your sauce by separating eggs and beating the whites until they form soft peaks. Beat yolks with lemon juice and fold into the egg whites. Remove the pan from heat and drain any leftover water. Pour the sauce on top and stir to coat meat balls. Sprinkle with chopped mint and parsley. Serve over rice or even noodles if you'd like that better.  Serving size depends on how many meatballs each person gets.  

Youvarlakia (Meat Balls with Lemon Sauce

Week 35 - Chocolate Walnut Orange Torte

 Chocolate Walnut Orange Torte

Week 35 of 52

Dessert #5

    This Summer I traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada, for the first time. My oldest, friend, moved there after retiring, so I stayed with her, while another good friend was there to celebrate her 40th birthday. Being able to travel to help one friend celebrate her birthday, and to see another, was pretty awesome.  We all live in different parts of the country and I don't get to see either of them very, often. A bonus was that two of my best friends got to meet each other for the first time. 

    One of the fun things we did together, was visit The Mob Museum - National Museum of Organized Crime & Law Enforcement. That was a fun museum to visit. It was fun and educational. For an additional cost, you can add on one of three experiences to your tour and I can't remember off-hand, what they all are, but the one I did was the "Speak Easy Experience". You have to be 21 or older for that add-on experience. You learn about Prohibition in this "experience" and get to sample moonshines that the museum makes, sells and enters into competitions. You also have the opportunity to enjoy their Underground bar/speak-easy and to purchase keepsake bottles of moonshine. I bought the tiniest jar of moonshine they had, although I hadn't actually finished any of my samples (there were two 100 proof and one 90 proof samples and I just couldn't do it). Anyhow, I digress. In the museum's gift shop, I bought a copy of Henry Hill and Priscilla Davis' The Wiseguy Cookbook. The recipe are Henry Hill's favorites from his life as a "GoodFella" and on the run. The movie "GoodFellas" was based on Henry's life. This delicious Chocolate Walnut Orange Torte is the first recipe I've made from this book. It was not difficult to make and it turned out good. I liked the walnuts and the hint of orange from the zest. You should try it! If you do, let me know what you think. My notes in italics.

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened and more for greasing pan

3/4 cup flour and 1/8 cup for pan

10 ounces semi or bittersweet chocolate (1 3/4 cups) (I used a combination of dark chocolate chips and chocolate bar)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

7 eggs, separated (You'll use both the yolks and the whites)

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon orange zest (I used a little less than a tablespoon, because I'd gotten one orange and it's zest did not quite fill up a tablespoon)

1/4 - 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

whipped cream (optional)

shaved chocolate (optional for decoration)

fresh mint leaves (optional for decoration)

Directions:

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 inch round cake pan. Cut out a circle of waxed paper or parchment paper and place in the bottom of the pan. Butter the paper and then lightly coat the bottom and sides with flour, shaking/tapping the pan upside down, to remove excess flour. Melt your chocolate (If you're using a chocolate bar, break it into smaller pieces)  in a double boiler, or small bowl over water. Myself, I actually just melted the chocolate in a pan, on the lowest setting, on my stove; stirring to ensure that it melted evenly and did not burn. Cool the melted chocolate to room temperature. 

    Mix together your flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in your orange zest and chopped walnuts. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar until a little fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time and beat until they are a pale yellow. Add your cooled chocolate and beat for about a minute, until it is well mixed. Mix in your flour mixture and thoroughly combine. 

    Beat egg whites to stiff peaks and fold into the cake batter mixture. Pour into your prepared pan and bake for one hour. Cool to room temperature on the counter (which will take longer) or on a wire rack. Loosen sides, place a plate over the pan, turn it over and tap the bottom of the pan to remove the cake. Turn your plate right side up, and using a small sieve, shake powdered sugar on top of the cake. Shave extra chocolate bar over the confectioner's sugar for an extra little decoration and add fresh mint leaves for decoration. Serve with whipped cream or even a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream.  

Chocolate Walnut Orange Torte

Chocolate Walnut Orange Torte - Side View

 

Week 30 - Hint of Mint Yogurty Cucumber Dip

 Hint of Mint Yogurty Cucmber Dip

Week 30 of 52

Appetizer #4

    This week's recipe comes from Hungry Girl 200 Under 200 - 200 Recipes Under 200 Calories. This dip was tasty, but the texture was not what I was expecting. It was kind of watery and not creamy like I'd hoped. I followed the directions, so I'm not sure what happened. That said, I did enjoy it, but more as a topping on crackers, instead as a dip for veggies.  Give it a shot and see if it turns out better for you.

Ingredients:

4 oz plain fat-free Greek yogurt

1 medium English cucumber, chopped (I used half a regular cucumber; I wonder if I should have patted the slices dry, before chopping)

1 cup chopped red onion

1 cup fresh mint leaves (I didn't have fresh mint and the only mint I found was $2.08 for 5oz. I used a total of 10oz)

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp sugar

1 to 3 cloves garlic, to taste (I used 5 cloves!)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in either a food processor or a blender. Blend to your desired consistency. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. 

Hint of Mint Yogurty Cucumber Dip