Veal/Pork Cilantro Meatballs

24 Aug

I went through a meatball-making phase about a month ago, venturing out beyond my regular beef meatballs and turkey meatballs I’ve made in the past.  One of the new versions of the meatball I made was a veal/pork one.  The basic method of making the meatball is the same — but the change-up in the ingredients makes for a new meatball tasting experience.  The veal/pork combination tastes a little sweeter and perhaps more tender in some ways than straightforward beef — we particularly enjoyed the cilantro/habañero pairing with the meats in this variation of the meatball .  (If you are not a fan of cilantro, you can use parsley.)

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A (Lil’) Garden Grows Over Brooklyn

29 Jul

Our garden has expanded into 2 long planters and 2 smaller ones.  We are growing: 4 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, Japanese eggplants, shishito peppers, sage, thyme, 2 types of basil (regular and “lettuce” basil), and a shiso plant.  They are doing quite well and have given our balcony a lush, green look.  We love our little garden!

Our first harvest was a lovely little tomato (which we ate with our bun-less burgers):

Currently, there are 2 Japanese eggplants growing very nicely.  We may eat them by the end of this week!

Our urban petit jardin overlooking Brooklyn — it’s giving us great joy so far this summer!

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Portabella+Shiitake Beef Meatballs (topped w/garlic broccolini)

21 Jul

We love meatballs for dinner, not only because they are simple to make and delicious, but also because they make great leftovers.  My favorite type of beef meatballs are stuffed full of mushrooms, which give the meatballs a juicy, earthy flavor.  Here’s an easy recipe for beef meatballs I often make at home.  In this instance, I added some crispy, garlicky broccolini on top — so it’s a complete meal of meat and vegetables!

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Sweet Potato+Duck Hash w/Fried Eggs

9 Jul

I like to make sure that I get as much meat off poultry (chicken, duck, turkey) before I throw way the carcass.  Although the meat between the bones are perfectly lovely, sometimes they are better eaten within something rather than on its own, since the meat tends to be in little pieces and shreds.  We had a bit of duck leftover from the whole roasted duck, so, for our Saturday brunch, I made us sweet potato and duck hash to go with some fried eggs.  We LOVED it!

Here’s what I recommend you do with leftover, shredded pieces of duck meat:

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Whole Roasted Duck w/Black Plums+Spices

7 Jul

Sometimes, we find ourselves in a little protein rut.  What else can we eat besides beef, chicken, pork and fish?  Last night, David and I went shopping at Whole Foods and felt such a rut.  What protein should we eat for dinner?  When we saw a whole duck (last one, it appeared) and some lovely looking organic black plums,we found our inspiration and challenge: whole roast duck with black plums and spices!

Inspired by Jamie Oliver’s recipe for duck legs, I came up with a recipe that worked out quite nicely.

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GO: Fort Reno BBQ (Brooklyn, NY)

23 Jun

A full rack of ribs with a side of cole slaw.

Love BBQ?  Love grass-fed organic meats?  Then Fort Reno BBQ in Park Slope is a paleo foodies’ dream come true for you.

About the meats, as described on the Fort Reno website:

“In the kitchen, we smoke and braise meats to succulent perfection. About half the menu will change seasonally with the core of the menu being beef brisket, whole-hog pulled pork and pork ribs. Specials like duck, game and odd bits will rotate through the menu, based on availability. The meat served is organic, grass-fed, and sourced from Heritage Foods and Pat LaFrieda.”

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I ♥: Catcher Citrus Reamer

23 Jun

Here is a little kitchen gadget that I use all the time: Joseph Joseph “Catcher Citrus Seed Reamer and Pulp Catcher.”  Since I often use lemon juice in cooking, this super simple gadget comes in very handy.  I have an electric citrus juicer, too, but I find this handheld device is plenty for most lemon juice needs — plus I don’t have to bring out the electric juicer (bigger) and this handheld version is very easy to clean.  Although some little seeds will slip through the sieve, I find this juicer a go-to kitchen gadget.

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Grilled Shishito Peppers

28 May

I love grilled shishito peppers, and am able to eat great quantities of them in one sitting.  Grilled shishito peppers appear to be trending at restaurants these days, which is understandable as they make for great bar snacks.  If you come across good looking shishito peppers (I found some at Fresh Direct recently), it’s super easy to make them at home.

Here’s how I grill them:

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Our Petit Jardin

28 May

This weekend, David and I finally began a little garden on our balcony!  We planted 3 types of heirloom tomatoes, a Japanese eggplant, German thyme, and basil.  We are excited to grow our own vegetables!

Having been inspired by our first planter, we think we will get one more — we plan on adding to our vegetable roster shishito peppers, shiso leaves, sage, and another type of basil (Japanese “lettuce” basil).

Here’s hoping for a plentiful summer!

Post-Workout Eats: Mediterranean-style Albacore Tuna Salad

20 May

For my post-workout lunch, I like to make a Mediterranean-style tuna salad.  I use a 5 oz. can of wild albacore tuna packed in water.  The salad is very much the same as the sockeye salmon salad I make for David, but instead of mayonnaise I use a drizzle of olive oil.

To make the salad: drain the can, and put the tuna in a glass bowl.  Add: about a half handful of capers, a stalk of scallion, finely chopped, juice of half lemon, and a drizzle of good quality, organic olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Mix well, and serve over salad greens… or eat with some sliced avocados and cucumbers, as I did for lunch today.

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