Kristan's Version of Porcupine Meatballs

Yields around 36-40 meatballs or about 12 servings.

2 lbs. 80/20 or 85/15 hamburger
3 cups rice
1 family size can plus 1 small can cream of mushroom soup
milk or about 1 cup beef broth plus 1/4 cup half and half
pepper and Lawry's to taste
1 tsp cinnamon (to taste)

Optional additions:
1 egg
*2 pieces white bread broken into small pieces soaked in 1/4 cup milk (panade)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
additional milk or water to thin out sauce

Traditional Recipe:
Cook rice according to package directions and remove and cool 1 1/2 cups. Mix the cooled rice into the hamburger.(To make more tender meatballs mix one egg into *panade and add to the meatball mixture) Season with salt, pepper, and cinnamon to taste. Do not overmix. Test flavor my cooking a small piece in a pan. Form into meatballs using a small cookie scoop for uniformly sized meatballs. Heat some oil a large pan on medium heat. Brown meatballs on 2 sides and remove from pan.

Pour in the soup, liquid, pepper, small dash of cinnamon, and, if you prefer, the thyme and nutmeg. Heat to a simmer and add additional milk or half and half to thin sauce to desired consistency. Add meatballs back to the pan and cover with sauce, simmer, covered, for 10-12 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.

Serve over the remaining rice. This freezes really well if you want to make it in large batches.

*panada; panade
[pah-NAH-duh (Sp , ), puh-NAHD (Fr. , )]
1. A thick paste made by mixing bread crumbs, flour, rice, etc. with water, milk, stock, butter or sometimes egg yolks. It's used to bind meatballs, fish cakes, FORCEMEATS and QUENELLES. 2. A sweet or savory soup made with bread crumbs and various other ingredients. It may be strained before serving

Kofta Kebabs - These are AMAZING

Cook Time20 min
Level
Easy
Yield
4 to 6 servings
CloseTimes:Prep15 min Inactive Prep30 min Cook20 min Total:1 hr 5 min Recipe Tools:

Ingredients
Kebabs:
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch
1 pound ground beef chuck or lamb
3 tablespoons grated onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil, for brushing the grill
Raita, recipe follows
Grilled flat bread

Directions
Smash the garlic cloves, sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear mixture to a coarse paste. Mix the paste and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt with the meat, onion, parsley, and spices.

Line a pan with aluminum foil. Divide the meat mixture into 6 rough balls. Mold each piece around the pointed end of a skewer (if you use wooden ones, soak them in water for 15 minutes before threading them), making an oval kebab that comes to a point just covering the tip of the skewer. Lay the skewers on the pan, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.

Heat a grill pan over medium heat or prepare a grill. Brush the pan lightly with olive oil. Working in batches, grill the kebabs, turning occasionally, until brown all over and just cooked through, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with tzatziki and flat bread.

Raita: Yogurt Sauce (Greek yogurt and cucumber sauce)

2 cups plain whole milk yogurt or 1 cup Middle Eastern-style plain yogurt

1 medium cucumber, peeled, halved, and seeded

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus a pinch

1/2 clove garlic

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon dried mint, crumbled

If you're using plain whole milk yogurt, line a small sieve with a coffee filter. Put the yogurt in it, set it over a bowl, and refrigerate 12 hours. Discard the expressed liquid and put yogurt in the bowl.

Grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater into another bowl. Sprinkle with the 2 teaspoons salt and rub into the cucumber with your hands. Set aside 20 minutes, then squeeze the cucumbers to express as much liquid as possible.

Smash the garlic, sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Stir the cucumber, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and mint into the yogurt. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Yield: 1 1/4 cups

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Inactive Prep Time: 1 hour

Ease of preparation: easy
Recipe courtesy Food Network Kitchens Cookbook, Meredith Books, October 2003

Raita

2 cups whole milk plain yogurt or 1 cup Greek style
1/2 clove garlic
1/2 tsp. dried mint crumbled
1 medium cucumber
2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. lemon juice

Drain yogurt in a coffee filter in a colander for at least 3 hours so that the excess liquid drains away.

Peel, seed, and grate the cucumber. Add salt to cucumber and let sit for 20 minutes. Squeeze excess water out.

Mix cucumber, pressed garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and mint together. Mix in yogurt. Let stand for 1 hour. Serve with kabobs or even plain with some grilled pita. This is seriously refreshing and silky raita.

From the Food Network Kitchens Cookbook

Kristan's Marinated Turkey

1 12-20lb turkey or 2 turkey breasts thawed
1/2 liter 7-up
1 cup soy sauce
1 star anise
6 cloves garlic (peeled and smashed)
1.2 tsp. chili flakes or garlic chili sauce
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 t. ginger powder

Mix ingredients in a large bowl. Place meat in a roasting pan. Pour marinade over turkey, cover with foil, and cook at 250 for 8-10 hours. This recipe may be halved and done in a slow cooker on low for 8 hours or high for 5.

Quick Ham Mac and Cheese

2 slices deli ham
1 cup frozen spinach (thawed and water removed)
1 box Kraft mac and cheese
Handful grated cheese
3 Tbs. butter
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbs. whole milk, half and half or cream

Cooked macaroni according to package directions. Use a chopper or knife to cut the spinach and ham into small pieces. Drain pasta and add ham, butter, 1/4 cup milk, cheese packet, and spinach. Mix thoroughly and then add the grated cheese and 2 Tbls. dairy. Mix thoroughly and serve hot.

Mom's Famous Baked Beans

2 32. oz cans Van Camps pork and beans
1 large onion chopped
1 bell pepper chopped
1 lb. bacon chopped
1 6 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. ground mustard

Cook bacon and reserve. Saute onion and bell pepper in bacon grease. Stir onion mixture, tomato sauce, mustard powder, and brown sugar into beans. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes uncovered. Serves 20

Zarela's Creamy Rice

Food Network show The Best Thing I Ever Ate with my son, chef and Food Network star, Aaron Sanchez

Ingredients
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups converted rice
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
• 2 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 (16 ounce) can corn
• 1/2 lb grated white cheddar cheese
Directions

Bring water to a boil and add butter and salt. When the butter is melted add the rice and bring back to a boil. Lower the heat to very low and cover the rice with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, Take rice out of the saucepan and spread on a baking sheet to cool or allow to cool in the pan uncovered.

Meanwhile, combine the sour cream with the 1/4 cup chopped onion and cilantro and add salt to taste.

Heat the lard in a frying pan and add the 1/2 cup chopped onion and garlic.

Dice the poblanos and add to pan when the onion is wilted.

Saute for one minute.

Let cool and combine with the rice.

Drain the can of corn well and add to the cool rice and poblano mixture.

Add the sour cream mixture and mix in the grated cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes or until heated through in a 350 degree oven.

If using a Pyrex dish, the oven temperature should be 325 degrees

Tomato and Corn Summer Salad

3 medium garden ripe tomatoes
3 cups corn kernels cooked and cooled to room temp(Costco's frozen corn works beautifully)
4 slices thick cut bacon (fat reserved)
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup sherry vinegar (any vinegar you like works fine)
2 Tbls. fresh basil

Cut bacon into small pieces and fry until crisp. Set aside to drain and reserve 4 Tbsp. bacon grease. Add onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add vinegar and reduce for a few minutes or until the vinaigrette thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper.

Dice tomatoes and toss with the corn. Slice basil into strips. Pour vinaigrette over salad, add basil and toss. Garnish with cooked bacon. Enjoy!

Sea Salted Caramel

1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup cream
1/2 tsp. fine or flaked sea salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Add sugar to a medium saute pan over medium heat. Let the sugar cook until it begins to liquefy. Then swirl the pan so that the sugar melts evenly. Swirl and cook until the sugar becomes a dark amber color. Add the cream and stir briskly(the mixture will boil violently and the sugar with solidify). Cook and continue stirring until the cream and sugar combine into a smooth caramel(about 5-10 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla and salt. Serve over vanilla ice cream and sprinkle the top with a little more sea salt. You may increase or reduce the amount of cream to adjust the consistency. This recipe will produce caramel that solidifies on top of the ice cream but then it melts in your mouth very quickly. It has a very silky and creamy mouth feel.

Recipe from Gourmet Magazine

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2 lbs. chicken tenders (about 8)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup corn starch
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste

1 16 oz. can pineapple chunks, drained, with pineapple juice reserved
1 red bell pepper
1/2 large onion
6 Tbls. rice wine vinegar
5 Tbls. brown sugar
1/2 cup chicken stock
6 tsp. corn starch mixed with 6 tsp. water
1 tbls. grated ginger

Cut chicken into bite sized pieces, mix 1/2 c. corn starch and all of the flour together season with salt and pepper. Beat egg into milk. Dredge chicken pieces in flour and shake off excess, dip into milk mixture, and back into flour.

Shallow fry chicken in vegetable oil until golden brown and cooked through. Do not overcrowd the pan. Remove chicken and allow to drain on a cooling rack so that the bottom of each piece does not get soggy. (You may also place the chicken on the center rack in your oven, set to broil, on the cooling rack to keep hot and crispy)

Saute the onions and peppers until crisp tender (about 2 minutes). Lightly fry the pineapple for 2 minutes. Add all of the liquid (pineapple juice, vinegar, chicken stock), sugar, and ginger to the pan and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and add your corn starch slurry. Allow to thicken. Remove from heat. Serve chicken with the sauce over rice.