Stuffed zuchini

Meat, Tomato, and Mozzarella Stuffed Zucchini Cups 
(Makes 6-8 servings, recipe created by Kalyn)

2 large zucchini or yellow squash, about 12 inches long
2 tsp. + 2 tsp. olive oil (may need more, depending on your pan)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 green pepper, finely chopped
2 T finely minced fresh garlic
1 lb. ground beef (10% fat or less)
12 oz. ground turkey (10% fat or less)
(use any combination of ground meat you'd like, but use low-fat ground meat for the South Beach Diet.)
1-2 tsp. Spike seasoning (optional but recommended)
2 C flavorful tomato-basil pasta sauce
2 cups low-fat mozzarella or other mild white cheese (I used low-fat blend of six cheeses called Italian blend.)

Preheat oven to 350F/175C. Chop onion and green pepper. Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a non-stick pan, then saute onion and pepper for 3-4 minutes, until just starting to soften. Add minced garlic and saute about 1 minute more, being careful not to brown the garlic. Remove the onion, pepper, and garlic mixture to a bowl.

Add 2 tsp. more olive oil to the pan. Crumble in the ground beef and ground turkey, season with Spike seasoning, and cook over medium heat until the meat is well browned. Tilt pan to see if there is any extra fat, and remove with a spoon if there is, then stir cooked vegetables and garlic back into the meat. Add tomato sauce and simmer until the mixture has thickened and liquid has cooked off, about 10 minutes, then turn off heat.

While meat cools, cut zucchini into 2 inch thick slices, discarding ends. Use a sharp spoon or melon baller to hollow out a cup in each zucchini slice, leaving just over 1/4 inch of zucchini flesh. Be careful not to get too close to the skin or the cups will leak liquid when they cook.

Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray and stand up zucchini cups, open end up. Stir 1 1/2 cups grated cheese into the cooled meat mixture (it doesn't need to be completely cool), then spoon the meat-cheese mixture into zucchini cups, pressing down with the spoon and mounding it up a little over the top of the zucchini.

Bake zucchini cups for 20 minutes, then remove from oven and use remaining cheese to top each one with a generous pinch of cheese. Put back in oven and bake 10-15 minutes more, until zucchini is slightly soft when pierced with a fork and cheese is melted and lightly browned. Serve hot.

Cevapcici - serbien meat dish

These three recipes were found in the Milwaukee Journal in December of 2010. 

Erica's CevapciciMakes about 2 pounds or 20 small cevapcici

1 pound finely ground beef

½ pound finely ground pork

½ pound finely ground lamb

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon baking soda

Finely chopped onions

In large bowl, thoroughly mix together all ingredients except onions with your hands. Shape mixture into small cylinders about 1 inch in diameter and 2 inches long.

Grill over medium heat about 8 minutes on each side or until well done. Serve with finely chopped onions on a roll.

Susan's Cevapcici (Cevaps)Makes 6 servings

2 ¼ pounds ground pork

1 ½ pound lean ground beef

¾ pound ground lamb

2 egg whites

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 ½ teaspoons cayenne pepper

¾ teaspoon paprika

Finely chopped onions for garnish

Preheat a grill to medium-low.

In a large bowl, combine meats and egg white. Add garlic, salt, baking soda, black pepper, cayenne pepper and paprika. Mix well using your hands, and form into finger-length sausages about ¾ inch thick.

Lightly oil the grilling surface. Grill sausages until cooked through, turning as needed, about 4 minutes per side or until no longer pink in the middle. (Place sausages carefully on grill so they don't slip through.)

To serve: Place cevapcici on a serving platter that has been lined with chopped onions.

David and Mladen's CevapciciMakes about 4 pounds

3 pounds ground beef (use 85% lean; see note)

1 pound finely ground lean lamb (use butt)

1 tablespoon salt

½ tablespoons black pepper

½ tablespoon baking soda

1 tablespoon seltzer water (must have CO2)

2 to 3 small cloves garlic (do not mince)

2 medium onions, cut into discs

Pita or flat bread

Chopped onion

In a nonreactive dish (plastic, ceramic, stainless steel), mix meats together with salt, pepper, baking soda and seltzer. Cover mixture with crushed garlic and onion disks. Wrap tightly and refrigerate at least 12 hours; however, 24 hours is best.

When ready to prepare, remove from refrigerate two hours before grilling.

Remove all the onion and garlic and discard. Mix meats again to incorporate flavors.

Roll up cevapcici by hand. They should be between ½ and ¾ inch in diameter and 2 ½ to 3 inches long. Formed cevapcici should be tight and uniform in thickness. You should get 18 to 20 cevapcici per pound of meat.

Let rest at least 30 minutes

To prepare: Heat grill to between medium and medium-high. Grill until cevapcici is firm and bounces a little off the grill plate when dropped from about 8 to 12 inches.

Roll frequently. No traces of well-done or crispy bits should be on cevapcici.

Put pieces of pita or flat bread over the meat for just a minute or two to warm before removing from the grill.

Serve 5 to 10 cevapcici per person with the bread, onions or kajmak. Kajmak is a mixture of feta and cream cheeses beaten with butter until fluffy.

Note: Beef that is 80% lean can be used, but be careful when grilling, as you can get flames.

Polpette (Meatloaf)

This is the best meatloaf I've tasted. It is by Lucinda Scala Quinn. It is a little more complicated than your normal meatloaf but I'm sure you'll agree when you taste it, it was well worth the time. How many meatloaf recipes do you know that have pistachio nuts in it?

INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 cup milk

• 1 slice bread, crust removed

• 1 pound ground pork

• 1 pound ground veal or beef

• 1/3 pound mortadella, minced

• 1 small onion, finely chopped

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

• 1/4 cup pistachio nuts, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

• 2 tablespoons white or red wine

• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat milk in a small pan until warm but not scalded. Turn off heat. Place the bread in the milk and let sit to absorb the milk, turning once, about 1 minute per side. Remove the bread to a board, finely chop it and place the bread in a large bowl.

Add the pork, veal, mortadella, onion, parsley, cheese, nuts, garlic, eggs, wine, salt and pepper to the bread. Using your hands, mix to combine completely. Form into an oval-shaped loaf and place in a large baking dish. Cook for 55 minutes.

TIPS

Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Stuffed Cabbage Soup

While Tim was growing up, his mom made stuffed green peppers. He hated that meal. He said if I ever made that meal he would divorce me. I know he was just kidding around. For the past couple of months I have been hearing people rave about stuffed green pepper soup. Knowing Tim hates green peppers, I found a soup from Rachael Ray that used cabbage. I served it with some fresh bread that I made that afternoon. Great meal.

4 T olive oil, divided
1 C raw rice
1 quart plus 2 cups chicken stock, divided
1 1/2 pounds of meatloaf mix
1/2 t allspice
1 1/2 t coriander
2 t smoked paprika (i used just the regular paprika)
salt and pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 - 3/4 Savory cabbage, thinly sliced (savory cabbage is the wrinkly cabbage)
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup tomato sauce
handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped
3 T dill, finely chopped

Heat a sauce pan over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the raw rice and toss to coat in oil. Add 2 cups of chicken stock and bring to simmer, cover and cook for 16-18 minutes or until the rice is tender.

Heat a deep pot over medium heat. Add the remaining olive oil, add meat and begin to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Season the meat with allspice, coriander, paprika, salt and pepper. Add bay leaf, onions, and garlic. Cook veggies 2 to 3 minutes to begin to soften them, then add cabbage and wilt it down a bit. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and remaining stock and cover the pot. Raise the heat to high and bring the soup to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Once the rice is cooked, add to the soup and continue to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Stir in parsley and dill, adjust salt and pepper to your taste and serve.

FYI: The original recipe does not say to drain grease after browning meat, I did.

Great Chili

This recipe is a knock off of Wendy's famous chili. I will usually go to Wild Oats or another health food store and buy dried beans (soup mix or chili mix). The night before making my chili I will take one cup of beans and mix in two cups of water into a bowl, cover and put overnight into the frig. The next morning drain any excess water out of the beans and use in this recipe along with the other beans. This makes a healthy recipe if you use the ground turkey instead of the ground beef. Tim likes a little pasta in his chili so I will cook up a small amount for him to mix in with his bowl. Sprinkle a little cheddar cheese on top and serve with a slice of focaccia bread dipped in olive oil.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pounds ground beef or ground turkey
  
• 2 29-ounce can of tomato sauce
• 1 29-ounce can of kidney beans
• 1 29-ounce can of pinto beans
• 1 diced green pepper
• 1 diced medium onion
• 1/2 cup diced mild green chiles
• 1 to 6 diced jalapeno peppers (if heat desired)
• 1 29-ounce can diced tomatoes or 3 chopped medium tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons cumin powder
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt
• if too thick had a little water
  

PREPARATION:

1. Brown the beef in skillet or microwave and drain off the fat.
2. Combine all of the ingredients in a crockpot.
3. Cook on low for 3-10 hours.
4. Leftovers can be frozen and kept for months.

Gyro's

Found this easy recipe in a Las Vegas magazine. It took a little time to prepare and cook but well worth it. This is one of the best gyro's I've tasted. No need to head out to the Greek restaurant to get your gyro fix once you make this recipe.










Ingredients:
1 lb. 30%fat ground hamburger (do not use lean)
1 lb. ground lamb
3/4 cup onion chopped very fine
2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp oregon
1 tsp marjoram
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Pita bread
Tzatzki (cucumber sauce) sauce -available at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods or make your own
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Onions
Feta cheese

Drain onion by wrapping tightly in a paper towel and squeezing out excess fluid. Usiny your hands, combine meats, onions, spices, sugar and lemon juice in a large bowl. Once combined, and working in batches if necessary, finely grind meat mixture in a food processor, blending approximately 1 minute until paste like. Hand pat and tightly squeeze mixture into a medium size glass loaf pan, pressing down to eliminate any air pockets. Cover and chill overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover loaf and bake for 50-60 minutes until somewhat dry. Drain fat and place a brick wrapped in foil atop loaf to compress further, leaving intact for approx. 20 minutes. Slice meat thinly and wrap in warmed pita bread, serving with Tzaziki, tomatoes, onions and feta. If desired, brown slices in a small amount of olive oil in a frying pan before assembling.

Russian Pelmeni

This is a recipe Kelly acquired while a student in Madison.

Pelmeni belongs to the family of dumplings. They are closely related to Polish pierogi and vareniki - a Ukrainian variety of dumplings with a filling made of mashed potatoes or cottage cheese. They are also similar to Chinese jiaozi and potstickers. The main difference between pelmeni is that they are made with a meat filling. Pork, lamb, beef or any other meat can be used. Various spices such as pepper and onions are mixed into the filling.

2 1/2 c flour
1 c milk or water
1/2 ts salt
1 tb vegetable oil
3 eggs
1/2 pound beef
1/2 pound pork
1 onion
salt and pepper to taste

sour cream
Sriracha hot chili sauce (found in Asian aisle)
Rice vinegar
Curry powder (optional)
cilantro

Method:
1. Grind beef and pork twice in meat chopper. Then add chopped onion, salt, and pepper. To make mincemeat more tender and juicy, add a bit of milk. Reserve.

2. Mix flour with eggs and milk, salt and oil until a soft dough forms. Knead on floured surface until dough is elastic.

3. Roll out dough on floured service until 1/16 inch thick.

4. Take a glass or a cup (2 inches in diameter) and cut circles out of the dough. Fill each circle with 1 teaspoon of the mincemeat, fold into half-moons.

5. Pinch edges together and connect the opposite sides. Pelmeni can be frozen to be cooked later ( you can keep them in the freezer for a long time), or cooked immediately.

6. To cook pelmeni, boil a large amount of water, as they can stick to each other. Carefully drop pelmeni into boiling water. When they float to the surface cook two more minutes. Then transfer to a pan with melted butter and saute until light browned.

5. mix equal parts of rice vinegar with Sriracha hot chili sauce or mix according to taste preference)

6. Put pelmeni in a bowl and top with cilantro, sour cream, curry powder and Sriracha mixture. Stir to cover all pelmeni.

Note: Sriracha hit chili sauce is spicy so you might want to try less and increase if you want spicier. Picture above does not have Sriracha mixture on it.

Grilled Turkey Burger

A healthy burger alternative.

Serving: 6 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes

2 tsp olive oil
to taste freshly ground white pepper
1/4 finely chopped cup onion
1 finely minced clove garlic
1 1/4 or chicken lb lean ground turkey
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

1 lightly beaten egg
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp Dijon mustard
to taste salt

1. In skillet, heat the oil to medium high and sauté the onion, stirring often, about 4 to 5 minutes, until lightly golden. Add the garlic, stir to combine, remove from the heat, and allow to cool slightly. . In a medium bowl, combine the turkey or chicken with the remaining ingredients including the cooked onions, mixing with your hands, until well blended. Form into 6 flat burgers, place on waxed paper, cover and refrigerate until ready to cook. . Lightly coat an outdoor or indoor grill, broiler, or a well-seasoned ridged stove-top grill pan with nonstick cooking spray and preheat to medium-high. Grill the burgers for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until no longer pink in the center Serve the turkey burgers hot accompanied by toasted hamburger buns, lettuce leaves and tomato slices.

Turkey Meatballs

Fast and Friendly Meatballs
These oven-baked meatballs are fast and easy to prepare .You can serve them with pasta and spaghetti sauce.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (20 ounce) package ground turkey
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

Directions
1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with the olive oil, and place it in the oven while preheating.
2 In a medium bowl, mix together the ground turkey, egg, and bread crumbs using your hands. Using an ice cream scoop if possible, form the meat into golf ball sized meatballs. Place about 1 inch apart in the hot baking dish. Press down to flatten the bottom just slightly.
3 Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, then turn them over, and continue baking for about 5 more minutes, or until somewhat crispy on the outside. Serve with pasta and
sauce or however you'd like.