Cocktail Meatballs
One of the hardest things about having friends over is to know what to serve them. There are many finger foods that you can serve your guests but below is a very good recipe for some cocktail meatballs that will truly impress your guests and have them talking the next day about how well your party went.
Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
1/3 of a cup of bread crumbs
2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan Cheese
3 tablespoons minced onion
1 teaspoon of fresh finely diced parsley
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 (8 ounce) can of jellied cranberry sauce
3/4 cup of chili sauce
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, finely minced onion, finely diced parsley, garlic powder, black pepper, Dijon mustard and the lightly beaten egg. Mix well with your hands and then roll into small meatballs, about one inch in diameter.
Place the meatballs onto a baking sheet, place into the preheated oven and then bake for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once.
Your next step is to create the sauce. In a large saucepan blend together the cranberry sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar, and lemon juice with a whisk. Place the saucepan over a medium heat and then bring the sauce to a slight boil. Reduce the heat and bring the sauce to a simmer. Now add meatballs, and simmer for 1 hour before serving.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Friday, January 11, 2013
A Deliciously Creamy Chocolate Fudge Recipe
There are many different kinds of fudge. Fudge can be made with white chocolate, pumpkin, peanut butter, mint and a variety of other different ingredients, but everyone’s favorite fudge seems to be made with creamy chocolate. Below you will find a wonderful recipe for a very deliciously creamy chocolate fudge with hazelnuts.
Ingredients:
2/3 cup of evaporated milk
2 1/2 tablespoons of butter
1 2/3 cup of white sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
2 cups of miniature marshmallows
1 1/2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 cup of hazelnuts, chopped
Instructions:
Line a 8 x 8 inch baking pan with wax paper and then set it aside for later.
To make this fudge you will want to take a 3-quart saucepan and mix together the evaporated milk, butter, sugar and salt in the saucepan and then heat it over a medium heat until the mixture just begins to boil. Make certain you whisk the ingredients while it heats. Continue to cook and stir for 5 minutes after your mixture had started to boil.
After 5 minute you will want to remove the saucepan from the heat and then stir in the marshmallows, chocolate chips, vanilla and chopped hazelnuts. You should now briskly stir the ingredients for about 1 minute to make certain all of the ingredients have completely combined. Once this happens you need to then pour your mixture into the 8 x 8 baking pan.
Now, place the fudge into the refrigerate and chill for 2 hours. After that time you will then want to remove the fudge from the refrigerator and turn it upside down onto a cutting board to remove the fudge from your baking pan. Peel the wax paper off of the fudge and then cut your fudge into squares. Now place your fudge pieces into an air tight container and put it into the refrigerator until you wish to enjoy your treat.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
The Beauty of Los Angeles
While I was in the city of Los Angeles I decided that I wanted to photograph the city so I went on one of the longest walks of my life and photographed a lot of the city. By the time I was finished with my photo walk my feet were sore, my breath was taken and my camera was full. I think I took some very beautiful photos of downtown Los Angeles and other parts of the beautiful city that is known as the city of the angels. I hope you enjoy my photography and the beauty of what is Los Angeles.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe
I fell in love with Chinese Chicken Salad at a restaurant called Mimi’s. I used to go there with my mother when I visited her and we would have a nice dinner together. They had a wonderfully delicious Chinese chicken salad there and I fell in love with this cool crisp, delicious and yet filling meal. Below is not their recipe but one that I created and now eat at home.
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Ingredients For Salad:
1 large head of romaine lettuce
5 wonton wrappers, cut into 1⁄4" strips
1/2 cup of thinly sliced red cabbage
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1 (11) ounce can of mandarin orange segments, drained
1/2 cup green onion, thinly sliced
1 carrot, peeled and thinly julienned
1 lb of broiled boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
Ingredients For Salad Dressing:
4 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
4 tablespoons of brown sugar
3 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons of red chili sauce
2 teaspoons of freshly peeled and grated fresh ginger root
1/4 cup of sesame oil
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
Salt to taste
Instructions:
You will want to wash, trim, and slice the lettuce into 1/2 inch wide strips. Allow the lettuce to drain while you make the wontons.
To make the fried wonton strips you will want to pour enough peanut oil into a 1 quart saucepan so that it reaches a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium high heat until the thermometer reads 350 degrees F. and then add the wonton strips into the oil a little at a time and fry until crisp and lightly browned. This should take 20 to 30 seconds per batch. When finished, immediately remove the strips from the oil with a slotted spoon and then place them on some paper towels to drain. Set them aside for use later.
To make your salad dressing you will want take a medium bowl and then whisk together 4 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar, 4 tablespoons of brown sugar, 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 1/2 tablespoons of red chili sauce and 2 teaspoons of grated fresh ginger and then slowly drizzle in the 1/4 cup of sesame oil and the 1/4 cup of vegetable oil, whisking constantly until thoroughly mixed. You can then season with salt to your taste. It will not need a lot.
You now want to make your salad. In a medium bowl add the lettuce, cabbage, cilantro, mandarin orange slices, green onions and carrots and toss. Give the dressing a quick whisk and then add enough of the salad dressing to coat the salad nicely. Now give the salad a toss to mix the dressing in thoroughly. Now quickly place the chicken strips in a bowl and lightly toss them in some of the salad dressing as well.
The above recipe should be enough for either 2 large salads or 4 small ones. Take your salad bowl and add the tossed salad into them and then top the salad with the coated chicken slices. Now place the fried wonton strips on top of your salads and you are now finished. You many now serve and enjoy your salad.
I fell in love with Chinese Chicken Salad at a restaurant called Mimi’s. I used to go there with my mother when I visited her and we would have a nice dinner together. They had a wonderfully delicious Chinese chicken salad there and I fell in love with this cool crisp, delicious and yet filling meal. Below is not their recipe but one that I created and now eat at home.
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Ingredients For Salad:
1 large head of romaine lettuce
5 wonton wrappers, cut into 1⁄4" strips
1/2 cup of thinly sliced red cabbage
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1 (11) ounce can of mandarin orange segments, drained
1/2 cup green onion, thinly sliced
1 carrot, peeled and thinly julienned
1 lb of broiled boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
Ingredients For Salad Dressing:
4 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
4 tablespoons of brown sugar
3 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons of red chili sauce
2 teaspoons of freshly peeled and grated fresh ginger root
1/4 cup of sesame oil
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
Salt to taste
Instructions:
You will want to wash, trim, and slice the lettuce into 1/2 inch wide strips. Allow the lettuce to drain while you make the wontons.
To make the fried wonton strips you will want to pour enough peanut oil into a 1 quart saucepan so that it reaches a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium high heat until the thermometer reads 350 degrees F. and then add the wonton strips into the oil a little at a time and fry until crisp and lightly browned. This should take 20 to 30 seconds per batch. When finished, immediately remove the strips from the oil with a slotted spoon and then place them on some paper towels to drain. Set them aside for use later.
To make your salad dressing you will want take a medium bowl and then whisk together 4 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar, 4 tablespoons of brown sugar, 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 1/2 tablespoons of red chili sauce and 2 teaspoons of grated fresh ginger and then slowly drizzle in the 1/4 cup of sesame oil and the 1/4 cup of vegetable oil, whisking constantly until thoroughly mixed. You can then season with salt to your taste. It will not need a lot.
You now want to make your salad. In a medium bowl add the lettuce, cabbage, cilantro, mandarin orange slices, green onions and carrots and toss. Give the dressing a quick whisk and then add enough of the salad dressing to coat the salad nicely. Now give the salad a toss to mix the dressing in thoroughly. Now quickly place the chicken strips in a bowl and lightly toss them in some of the salad dressing as well.
The above recipe should be enough for either 2 large salads or 4 small ones. Take your salad bowl and add the tossed salad into them and then top the salad with the coated chicken slices. Now place the fried wonton strips on top of your salads and you are now finished. You many now serve and enjoy your salad.
Monday, January 7, 2013
A Very Italian and Hearty Lasagna
One of my favorite dishes growing up was Lasagna. Oh what a treat it was when we had that wonderful delectably delicious Italian dish. Many of the lasagnas that I have tasted throughout the years often come with this very thin sauce with barely any meat in it. Below is my own recipe that has a very hearty and thick sauce in it. The thickness comes from not only the abundance of meat in the sauce but also from the onions and the diced tomatoes that are throughout the sauce.
Lodge Logic Dutch Oven, 5qt. (Google Affiliate Ad)
Ingredients:
1 pound of coarsely ground beef chuck,
3/4 pound of ground Italian sweet sausage,
1 large onion, coarsely chopped,
Three garlic cloves, finely minced,
2 (15 ounce) cans of diced tomatoes including the liquid,
1 (15 ounce) can of tomato sauce,
1 (6 ounce) can of tomato paste,
1/4 cup of a good red wine,
1/4 cup of beef stock,
1 tablespoon of Italian Seasoning,
1 teaspoon of oregano,
1/2 teaspoon of basil,
1/4 teaspoon of ground pepper,
1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes,
1 teaspoon of sugar.
1 (9 ounce) box of Barilla no-boil lasagna noodles
1 15-ounce container of ricotta cheese
4 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup of fresh Parmesan cheese
Directions:
You will want to place the chuck, sausage, chopped onion and garlic in large skillet or Dutch oven and brown the meat.
Once the meat has been browned you will want to add the tomatoes, the tomato sauce, the tomato paste, the red wine, the beef stock and all of the seasonings with the exception of the sugar into your Dutch oven. You will now want to bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce the heat and allow the sauce to simmer gently for about 3 to 4 hours. I like to cook the sauce this long since it allows the flavors to come together nicely and it also thickens the sauce. If the sauce becomes too thick you can add either some water or some more wine, but do not add more then another 1/4 cup of the wine. Towards the end you will want to taste the sauce and add the sugar. Adding the sugar to the sauce will reduce the acidity of the tomatoes. At this point you will also want to adjust your seasonings to your own taste. I usually end up adding a bit more Italian Seasoning to the sauce since I just love the flavor. Just remember to add a little at a time and not a lot since you can always add more seasonings but you can not take them out.
When the sauce is done you will now want to assemble your lasagna. While assembling the lasagna pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.
To assemble your lasagna take a 9 x 13 x 3 inch baking pan and spread about 1 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the pan. Then place the no-boil lasagna noodles on top of the sauce, making certain to layer the noodles. You now will want to ladle 1 to 1 1/2 cup of the sauce over the noodles, making certain that they are fully covered. Now take 1/3rd of the ricotta cheese and dab it here and there on top of the sauce, trying to place it equally on top of the sauce. It’s a bit hard to spread ricotta cheese since its so thick so just dab it here and there and when it cooks the cheese will melt evenly. Now sprinkle 1/3rd of the mozzarella cheese over the top and then 1/4 of the Parmesan cheese on top of that. Please make certain that the Parmesan cheese that you are using came from the refrigerated section of your market. Do not use that horrible stuff that they call Parmesan cheese that is purchased off the store shelves. You will now want to place another layer of the no-boil lasagna noodles on top of the cheese. Now place 1 to 1 1/2 cup of the sauce on top of the noodles and then place the cheese on top of the sauce as described above. Next place another layer of the lasagna noodles on top of the cheese and then add about 1 to 1 1/2 cup of the sauce on top of them. You will finish assembling your lasagna by placing the remainder of the cheese as described above on top of the sauce. Your lasagna is now fully assembled and ready to bake.
You will want to cover your lasagna with foil so that it doesn‘t burn while baking. To prevent the foil from sticking to the lasagna you can either spray the foil with cooking spray or be very careful and make certain that the foil does not touch the cheese. Now, place the lasagna into the pre-heated oven and bake for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes you will want to remove the foil and then bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes. You will want to cool your lasagna for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting and serving. I suggest serving a nice salad and some garlic bread with your lasagna for a complete meal.
One of my favorite dishes growing up was Lasagna. Oh what a treat it was when we had that wonderful delectably delicious Italian dish. Many of the lasagnas that I have tasted throughout the years often come with this very thin sauce with barely any meat in it. Below is my own recipe that has a very hearty and thick sauce in it. The thickness comes from not only the abundance of meat in the sauce but also from the onions and the diced tomatoes that are throughout the sauce.
Lodge Logic Dutch Oven, 5qt. (Google Affiliate Ad)
Ingredients:
1 pound of coarsely ground beef chuck,
3/4 pound of ground Italian sweet sausage,
1 large onion, coarsely chopped,
Three garlic cloves, finely minced,
2 (15 ounce) cans of diced tomatoes including the liquid,
1 (15 ounce) can of tomato sauce,
1 (6 ounce) can of tomato paste,
1/4 cup of a good red wine,
1/4 cup of beef stock,
1 tablespoon of Italian Seasoning,
1 teaspoon of oregano,
1/2 teaspoon of basil,
1/4 teaspoon of ground pepper,
1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes,
1 teaspoon of sugar.
1 (9 ounce) box of Barilla no-boil lasagna noodles
1 15-ounce container of ricotta cheese
4 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup of fresh Parmesan cheese
Directions:
You will want to place the chuck, sausage, chopped onion and garlic in large skillet or Dutch oven and brown the meat.
Once the meat has been browned you will want to add the tomatoes, the tomato sauce, the tomato paste, the red wine, the beef stock and all of the seasonings with the exception of the sugar into your Dutch oven. You will now want to bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce the heat and allow the sauce to simmer gently for about 3 to 4 hours. I like to cook the sauce this long since it allows the flavors to come together nicely and it also thickens the sauce. If the sauce becomes too thick you can add either some water or some more wine, but do not add more then another 1/4 cup of the wine. Towards the end you will want to taste the sauce and add the sugar. Adding the sugar to the sauce will reduce the acidity of the tomatoes. At this point you will also want to adjust your seasonings to your own taste. I usually end up adding a bit more Italian Seasoning to the sauce since I just love the flavor. Just remember to add a little at a time and not a lot since you can always add more seasonings but you can not take them out.
When the sauce is done you will now want to assemble your lasagna. While assembling the lasagna pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.
To assemble your lasagna take a 9 x 13 x 3 inch baking pan and spread about 1 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the pan. Then place the no-boil lasagna noodles on top of the sauce, making certain to layer the noodles. You now will want to ladle 1 to 1 1/2 cup of the sauce over the noodles, making certain that they are fully covered. Now take 1/3rd of the ricotta cheese and dab it here and there on top of the sauce, trying to place it equally on top of the sauce. It’s a bit hard to spread ricotta cheese since its so thick so just dab it here and there and when it cooks the cheese will melt evenly. Now sprinkle 1/3rd of the mozzarella cheese over the top and then 1/4 of the Parmesan cheese on top of that. Please make certain that the Parmesan cheese that you are using came from the refrigerated section of your market. Do not use that horrible stuff that they call Parmesan cheese that is purchased off the store shelves. You will now want to place another layer of the no-boil lasagna noodles on top of the cheese. Now place 1 to 1 1/2 cup of the sauce on top of the noodles and then place the cheese on top of the sauce as described above. Next place another layer of the lasagna noodles on top of the cheese and then add about 1 to 1 1/2 cup of the sauce on top of them. You will finish assembling your lasagna by placing the remainder of the cheese as described above on top of the sauce. Your lasagna is now fully assembled and ready to bake.
You will want to cover your lasagna with foil so that it doesn‘t burn while baking. To prevent the foil from sticking to the lasagna you can either spray the foil with cooking spray or be very careful and make certain that the foil does not touch the cheese. Now, place the lasagna into the pre-heated oven and bake for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes you will want to remove the foil and then bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes. You will want to cool your lasagna for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting and serving. I suggest serving a nice salad and some garlic bread with your lasagna for a complete meal.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
New Year’s Resolutions
These are just a few thoughts of mine about making a New Year’s resolution and what should be done with such resolutions
What's So Good About Feelin' Good? By Bey, Zaib (Google Affiliate Ad)
Every year people throughout the world make New Year’s resolutions about this or about that and I read somewhere that about 88% of all New Year’s resolutions will fail. I don’t know about you but that seems like an awfully large percentage to fail. This year I decided to make a resolution that I would keep. My resolution would be simple, to the point and easy to uphold. It would also be one that would be of great benefit to me and would help improve my outlook on life and would help to improve about how I felt about myself. This would not be a resolution that I would make and then fail in. Doing such resolutions only damage your self worth.
As such, this years New Year’s resolution is simply that I will no longer make any further resolutions on New Year’s day. Instead, I will simply live my life to the fullest, try my best and do my best to be a better person. I will do all this and more without any promises. I will simply do the best I can with what I have.
At this point you might be saying to yourself “OH COME ON, HOW IS THIS OF GREAT BENEFIT TO YOU?“ Well, let me answer that question with a few questions to you. How does failure make you feel? Do you feel good about yourself? Do you feel like a winner? When we make spur of the moment resolutions that are impossible to keep and then you fail to keep them it lowers our self worth and it makes us feel worthless. When that happens we often give up on our goal instead of trying harder to do better. For example, the person who makes a New Years resolution to loose 20 pounds and then is only able to loose 10 now feels so guilty and totally worthless and instead of feeling good about loosing 10 pounds, which they should, they end up feeling worthless, go on an eating binge and then end up gaining 10 pounds. So now instead of starting at a weight of 190 and ending up weighing 180, they now end up weighing 200.
So instead of making these impossible New Year’s resolutions that are impossible to keep go out and simply do your best. Go out and set some goals that are possible to achieve. If you only get half way there then be happy on your partial success and then try and do better the next time. Just keep on trudging along and do the best you can with what you have. You are a beautiful person. Know that, think that and embrace it. Happy New Years to everyone out there. May your journey in life be a happy one and full of the greatness that is you.
These are just a few thoughts of mine about making a New Year’s resolution and what should be done with such resolutions
What's So Good About Feelin' Good? By Bey, Zaib (Google Affiliate Ad)
Every year people throughout the world make New Year’s resolutions about this or about that and I read somewhere that about 88% of all New Year’s resolutions will fail. I don’t know about you but that seems like an awfully large percentage to fail. This year I decided to make a resolution that I would keep. My resolution would be simple, to the point and easy to uphold. It would also be one that would be of great benefit to me and would help improve my outlook on life and would help to improve about how I felt about myself. This would not be a resolution that I would make and then fail in. Doing such resolutions only damage your self worth.
As such, this years New Year’s resolution is simply that I will no longer make any further resolutions on New Year’s day. Instead, I will simply live my life to the fullest, try my best and do my best to be a better person. I will do all this and more without any promises. I will simply do the best I can with what I have.
At this point you might be saying to yourself “OH COME ON, HOW IS THIS OF GREAT BENEFIT TO YOU?“ Well, let me answer that question with a few questions to you. How does failure make you feel? Do you feel good about yourself? Do you feel like a winner? When we make spur of the moment resolutions that are impossible to keep and then you fail to keep them it lowers our self worth and it makes us feel worthless. When that happens we often give up on our goal instead of trying harder to do better. For example, the person who makes a New Years resolution to loose 20 pounds and then is only able to loose 10 now feels so guilty and totally worthless and instead of feeling good about loosing 10 pounds, which they should, they end up feeling worthless, go on an eating binge and then end up gaining 10 pounds. So now instead of starting at a weight of 190 and ending up weighing 180, they now end up weighing 200.
So instead of making these impossible New Year’s resolutions that are impossible to keep go out and simply do your best. Go out and set some goals that are possible to achieve. If you only get half way there then be happy on your partial success and then try and do better the next time. Just keep on trudging along and do the best you can with what you have. You are a beautiful person. Know that, think that and embrace it. Happy New Years to everyone out there. May your journey in life be a happy one and full of the greatness that is you.
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