Sasha's Kitchen: Lamb Meatballs

I came up with this delicious recipe for ancho chile flavored lamb meatballs the other night which was just perfect.  The little delicious meatballs are perfect as either a main course for two, or as an appetizer at a party.  I like serving them with some pomegranate seeds as a garnish in a martini glass for some extra pizzaz.  The sweet potato adds flavor, moisture and a bit of color to these delicious meatballs.  Remember to make them small - they are cuter that way!

Sasha's Lamb Meatballs
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3 tsp ancho chile powder
3/4 of a small sweet potato, grated
1 lb ground lamb
3 scallions, minced
1 1/2 tsp grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp finely peeled ginger
1/4 tsp kosher salt
pomegranate seeds (as a garnish)

Combine all of the above ingredients and work them into the meat.  You can either pan cook the meatballs in a bit of oil, and then bake them through for about 15 minutes, or bake them for about 40 minutes at 350.  Serve with a garnish of pomegranate seeds.

Sasha's Kitchen: Lamb Meatballs

Sasha's Kitchen: Ricotta, Pomegranate & Honey Dessert Eggrolls

I made these delicious dessert eggrolls after making a similar recipe in my recent Chinese dumpling class.  They are really good as long as you learn how to roll the eggroll wrappers, which os actually quite easy.  The only problem is that the recipe makes a whole batch of them so they're really better for a dinner party when you have  large group to serve so the extras don't go to waste, since they don't hold up.  This is a fun take on a chinese eggroll and you can vary up the chocolate and fruit in the filling to make your own creation.

Sasha's Dessert Eggrolls
15 oz ricotta cheese
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
eggroll wrappers
1/2 cup fo confectioner's sugar

Mix the ingredients for the filling (the ricotta, pomegranate, chocolate chips and honey).  Place a large dollop in the center of an eggroll wrapper.  With the corner facing you, roll on a diagonal, folding in the sides to make an eggroll.  At the end of the rolling process, seal the tip with a couple drops of water. Then pan fry the eggrolls until brown in canola oil.  Using a strainer, dust with the confectioner's sugar before serving warm.

Sasha's Kitchen: Ricotta, Pomegranate & Honey Dessert Eggrolls

Sasha's Kitchen: Grilled London Broil Steak Sandwich

It is officially the start of summer, as yesterday was the summer solstice. That means that grilling season is here. Although my husband and I have outdoor space here in Brooklyn, we do not yet have a grill - something that we plan to rectify soon.  However, when I received some free samples of Nature's Pride hamburger buns and hot dog rolls from the Foodbuzz  Tasemaster's Choice program, I couldn't resist the chance to do some indoor grilling to use some of the free samples. Seriously, what's better than coming home from work to discover a large box with free samples?  I had a nice cut of London Broil from Fresh Direct so I decided it was time to make some steak sandwiches.

Sasha's London Broil Grilled Steak Sandwich (serves 4-5)
Nature's Pride Country White Rolls
2 lb cut of London Broil
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup soy sauce
grated parmesan cheese
pomegranate seeds
arugula

Marinade the london broil steaks (which can be divided into four steaks or into strips) in the marinade of the pineapple juice and soy sauce for about an hour. Then, grill the steaks on a grill pan (or an outdoor grill) on each side to your liking.  We then cut the steaks into strips and further grilled them to medium well, which is how my husband and I like our meat prepared.  I served in a fairly non-traditional way with pomegranate seeds, fresh grated parmesan and arugula on a Nature's Pride Country White Roll.  It was delightful!

Sasha's Kitchen: Grilled London Broil Steak Sandwich

Sasha's Kitchen: Scallops With Organic Mushrooms, Spicy Lemongrass-Thyme Coconut Broth, and Pomegranate

Scallops make perfect small plates.  I'm really never in the mood for a full size scallop entree, so whenever I make scallops, it is almost always as a small plate with a delicious broth and dressing and other ingredients to dress it up.  This is the first of two scallop appetizers I plan to post this week.  This dish served as the introduction to our home-cooked Valentine's Day dinner, after a fabulous night out last night for Valentine's Day eve, capped off with a scrumptious chocolate fondue.


Without further ado, as I am writing between the commercial breaks of the olympic pairs figure skating and moguls, here is how I prepared my impromptu scallop small plate.  This dish features a thai-spiced coconut broth, and a medley or organic mushrooms.  The combination of flavors was dynamic, and the pomegranate seeds were the perfect accompaniment to finish off this winter dish.  I love how the broth turned out - it was delicious and complemented the scallops nicely.  The mushrooms were high quality and flavorful, while the pomegranate seeds gave the dish a nice, tart lift.


Sasha's Small Plate Scallops With Organic Mushrooms, Spicy Lemongrass-Thyme Coconut Broth & Pomegranate (Serves 2 as an appetizer)


1 can lite coconut milk
1 cup low sodium organic chicken broth
1 sprig of thyme
2 tsp dried lemongrass
1/3 tsp red pepper flakes (add some heat, or leave out for a milder broth)
6 sliced organic shiitake mushrooms
handfull of organic tiny chanterelle mushrooms
3 T canola oil
4 scallops
1 T butter
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp pomegranate seeds


First, prepare the broth, by combining the coconut broth (use lite broth, which is much lower fat), chicken stock, thyme, thai lemongrass and red pepper flakes.  Bring to a boil and then allow to simmer for about twenty-five minutes.  In a saute pan, saute the mushrooms in canola oil (about 2T) and then add to the broth.  


Pan sear the scallops in a mixture of a tablespoon of canola oil and a tablespoon of butter, seasoning liberally with pepper and a bit of salt.  Pan sear until slightly browned and cooked through.

Plate by serving the scallops in the coconut broth with the mushrooms, and top with the pomegranate seeds and a bit of chives.  I love the way that I executed this dish from start to finish, and I was very pleased with the plating.

Sasha's Kitchen: Scallops With Organic Mushrooms, Spicy Lemongrass-Thyme Coconut Broth, and Pomegranate

Sasha's Kitchen: Turkish Mini Meatballs With Pomegranate Pearl Onion Sauce

Tonight's dinner was one of those perfect appetizers or main courses for presenting in martini glasses (a wedding registry gift that had gone unused) - which is one of the best ways to make any small-food look beautiful.  For tonight's meatballs, which are a Turkish inspired food, I used a recipe that I adapted from Marcus Samuelsson's new cookbook, New American Table.  My verdict on this cookbook after trying a number of recipes is loud and clear - it's a winner, one of the best new cookbooks of 2009.

As weird as the sauce sounds, it really turned out to be the perfect combination of flavors between the pomegranate juice, white grapes, pearl onions and red wine.  I made a few changes to the original recipe - I garnished using chives and a healthy amount of pomegranate seeds (about 1 T per serving).  The pomegranate seeds were my addition and frankly the recipe would be incomplete without them.  In addition, I added a diced shallot to the meatball recipe.  I also omitted the sumac and the basil - and didn't miss either one.

Thus, the recipe featured below is my adaptation of Marcus Samuelsson's original recipe.  The recipe served three people (myself, my husband and my sous-chef Alicia, who joined us for dinner tonight), as a light main course (after cheese appetizers).  However, it would easily serve two people with larger, more filling portions.  The sauce was the huge winner here, as the combination of flavors was quite exceptional.  This makes the perfect entree or small plate.

Meatballs (my variation from Marcus Samuelsson's recipe):
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground lamb
1 diced shallot
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 T chopped parsley
1 egg
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp coriander

Combine the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix together with your hands.  Form into small meatballs - this recipe made about 28 meatballs, about two inches in diameter.  Cook the meatballs in a couple of table spoons of canola oil in a saute pan until cooked through and lightly browned.  

Marcus Samuelsson's Grape & Pearl Onion Ragu Sauce (I cut the recipe in half and found the amount perfectly sufficient)
8 cloves garlic, diced
1 1/2 cups pearl onions, peeled and diced
1/2 cup red wine
2 T honey
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1 cup white seedless grapes
1 T chopped fresh thyme
1 cup chicken stock
juice of 1 lemon
1 T butter
salt and pepper to taste

As Samuelsson instructs, combine the garlic, wine and onions and bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes.  Then, add the honey, pomegranate juice, grapes, thyme, chicken stock and lemon juice.  Simmer to reduce for another 10 minutes or so.  Stir in the butter at the end and season with salt and pepper.  Coat the meatballs in the sauce and serve together.

Serve with chives and one tablespoon of pomegranate seeds for each portion.

Sasha's Kitchen: Turkish Mini Meatballs With Pomegranate Pearl Onion Sauce