Ginger Scallion Meatballs with Asian Apple Slaw

MEATBALLS: 

 10 oz. ground beef 

1 knob fresh ginger 

3 green onions 

 1. Chop green onions, separating whites and greens. 

 2. Peel and finely chop the ginger 

 3. Mix beef with white part of scallions, ginger, and salt and pepper to taste. 

 Place in fridge while you make the cole slaw. 

 4. When ready to cook, shape into meatballs and cook in a pan heated medium-high with a small amount of oil, turning once (approximately 3-5 minutes per side). ]

ASIAN APPLE SLAW: 

2 apples or Asian pears 

1/4 lb. shredded red cabbage 

2 tsp. sesame seeds 

Dressing (almond butter, coconut aminos or soy sauce, sesame oil, and apple cider vinegar, mixed to taste) 

 1. Core a slice the apples into thin slices. Toss with the cabbage. 

 2. Mix dressing to taste, then add to the cabbage. Top with sesame seeds and mix.

Artichoke Mushroom Frittata (plus arugula salad)

1 pack cremini mushrooms 

6 eggs 

3 ounces cooked quartered artichoke hearts 

1/2 - 1 full bag fresh spinach 

1/2 red onion (optional) 

butter for cooking 

salt and pepper 

 1. Chop mushrooms into bite-sized pieces and loosely chop artichoke hearts 

 2. Heat butter over pan until melted and pan is hot; add mushrooms and artichoke hearts and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. 

 3. Add spinach and cook until just wilted; salt and pepper to taste. 

 4. While spinach is cooking, beat eggs in a bowl until blended 

 5. Spread vegetables around the pan then pour the eggs over them evenly; reduce heat to medium-low and cover the pan until eggs are cooked thouroughly (at least 5 minutes). 

 6. Cut into wedges and serve. 

 Tastes lovely alongside apple-arugula salad, which is 1 apple, a bunch of arugula, and a lemon and olive oil. Slice the apple and zest the lemon and toss them into the arugula. Top with olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.

Shamelessly Stolen Crepe Recipe

Saving this here for safekeeping, because I have had some TRULY awful crepe recipes and this one is by far the best: 

2 cups milk (up to 1/4 of which can be water) '

4 large eggs 

3 Tablespoons butter, melted

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 

Toss it in a blender, let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes, then cook. C'est tout!

Turkish Simit

These ubiquitous Turkish snacks (often called "Turkish bagels" despite the fact that, other than their shape, they are not even remotely related) can be found on every street corner in Turkey for a lira, sold by friendly Turkish gentlemen blowing cigarette smoke all about them. In America, however, they are significantly harder to find (not to mention significantly more expensive!). What to do? Make your own! They were surprisingly easy and forgiving, despite what maybe looks like a complicated recipe. I made the dough Saturday night and cooked a couple for a test run. They were nice. Not thrilling, but nice. The rest of the dough we shaped and seeded and stuck in the fridge overnight. When we cooked them in the morning, WOW, were they spectacular! So if you're in a hurry, feel free to cook right away, but do yourself a solid and leave them in the fridge overnight (it also makes sense from a timing point of view if you think about eating them for breakfast.)

For the dough (makes about 6):

2 1/4 cups flour (plus more for kneading)
1 tsp. salt
1 cup warm water
2 tsp. dry yeast
2 T. olive oil

For the outside:

1 T. molasses
2 T. water (or thereabouts; you want to thin out the molasses)
sesame seeds

1. In a small bowl, combine the warm water and yeast to allow it to bloom. In another bowl, mix together flour and salt.

2. Add yeast mixture and olive oil to dough and knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes).

3. Place in a large bowl, cover with a wet cloth, and allow to rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour).

4. After an hour, remove dough and shape into a log; cut into 12 (relatively) equal-sized pieces.

5. Roll each piece into a rope approx. 12 inches. Twist 2 of the ropes around each other and form into a ring; pinch closed so you have something that does, admittedly, look like a twisted bagel.

6. Dip in molasses mixture to wet, then dip in sesame seeds to coat.

7. Place finished simits on a piece of parchment paper; cover lightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.

8. In the morning, preheat oven to 410 with a cookie sheet inside.

9. Spray or sprinkle simit with a little bit of water, then place in the oven for 15-17 minutes.


Serve with tea, olives, cucumbers, tomatoes and feta for a traditional Turkish breakfast.

Uzbek Pilav

This probably isn't close to authentic, but it was really yummy and surprisingly simple (and fairly idiot-proof!) Pretty much every ingredient is optional; just use what you have on hand! I had lamb stock and lamb chunks because we had lamb the night before and were using the leftovers, but honestly it would probably be fine without it. This is loosely based on the recipe found in Saveur.

Ingredients:

2 cups basmati rice
1-3 cups lamb/beef/chicken stock (or whatever you have on hand; optional)
1 cup carrots, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 cup raisins and/or barberries (raisins are sweeter, barberries are more sour; I used both)
1/4 cup slivered or sliced almonds
1/2 cup lamb chunks, roasted and chopped
2 tsp. coriander powder
1 tsp. cumin powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
salt and pepper
2 tsp. butter
oil for cooking

Directions

1. Add water to rice and let sit at least 20 minutes (while you get everything else together)

2. In a small bowl, mix together coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and pepper black pepper to taste. Set aside.

3. Add a little bit of oil to a pot and cook carrots with some salt on medium-high heat until slightly soft (10 minutes or so). Add onions and cook until translucent. Add raisins/barberries for the last 2 minutes or so to allow them to plump. Take off heat and set aside carrot/onion/raisin mix.

4. Drain the rice of the soaking water and place in a large cooking pot. Add butter, half the spice mixture, and 3 cups of liquid(water or stock or any combination thereof; I used 2 cups water and 1 cup lamb stock but it could have done with more stock) and bring to a boil. Lower heat, then cover and let simmer until water is fully absorbed (about 5-8 minutes).

5. Add carrot mixture, almonds, lamb, and the rest of the spices and stir to distribute evenly. Cover again and let simmer for another 10-20 minutes. Salt to taste before serving.

Potatoes and Peas

Loosely based on a recipe I saw online and forgot. These are so buttery and yummy my oldest actually ate the peas. Astounding.

Ingredients:

4 medium potatoes, washed and cut into bite-sized chunks
1 cup frozen peas
2 T. butter
1/2 onion, halved lengthwise and cut into strips
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T. flour
1 cup milk
salt and pepper

1. In a small saucepan, melt butter and add onions. Cook for a couple minutes on medium heat, then add garlic. Continue to cook until fragrant and transparent, then set aside.

2. Meanwhile, bring potatoes to a boil in salted water. Once they start boiling, cook for 10 minutes.

3. After 10 minutes, add peas and continue to boil for another 5 minutes.

4. Drain potatoes and peas.

5. In emptied pot, add milk, flour, and salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cook for a minute or two, then add onions/garlic and peas/potatoes.

6. Allow potatoes to thicken on medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes. Serve.

No Knead Margherita Pizza

This, of course, is not one I can take credit for, but it's absolutely amazing and incredibly easy to make. This one makes two individual-sized pizzas. This pizza sauce is also by far the easiest and also the most fresh and delicious tasting I have every used, and best of all, no chemical-laden canned tomatoes to speak of. Can't recommend it enough.

SAUCE

3 medium-to-large tomatoes (I like on the vine, but roma is also good, although you may need 4 since they are smaller)
a couple tablespoons olive oil
about 1 tsp. salt
fresh pepper to taste

1. Peel the tomatoes then squash them between your fingers.

2. Douse with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper

3. Mix with your hands, and if it is too liquidy you can pour a little out.


DOUGH:

a little less than 2 cups flour, plus more for shaping
a little more than 1/8 tsp. yeast
1 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 cups water

1. Mix together all ingredients in a large bowl the night before you plan on making your pizzas. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place to rise. (NOTE: If by the next day it has risen too much, as evidenced by it starting to sink back into itself, simply shape the dough right then, wrap in plastic, and pop in the fridge. You can also do this if you plan on using the dough later in the week.)

2. When it's ready, place dough onto heavily floured surface and divide into 2.

3. If you plan on using it right away, preheat oven to its hottest setting (around 500 degrees F) for at least 45 minutes with a pizza stone or an upside-down baking sheet inside.

4. When oven is ready and you are ready to use, stretch dough out with your fingers until it's about 10-12 inches in diameter. I like to place it on a piece of parchment paper. Pop it into the oven for about 4-5 minutes by itself (with the parchment paper, of course) to ensure that the bottom gets fully cooked. (I actually think it's best to turn it upside-down after this since the top tends to be more cooked).

5. Add your sauce, cheese, and toppings (I am partial to nothing but buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil and possibly a little parmesan) then pop in the oven again until crust is turning brown and cheese is bubbling. I mean, come on, you know what a cooked pizza looks like.

6. Eat right away.