Meatballs in a Sweet Asian Sauce

These meatballs make for great finger food or it can also be eaten as a main meal.  If you use this dish as a finger food, the sauce is quite sticky, so make the meatballs bite size so you can fit the whole thing in the mouth in one shot, otherwise you can have a big mess on your hands.  Can be eaten warm or at room temperature.

Ingredients:
(makes approximately 20 meatballs)
-350 grams of ground beef
-1/2 cup of bread crumbs
-1 finely chopped onion
-1/3 cup of milk
-2 eggs
-3 finely minced garlic cloves
-1 teaspoon olive oil
-1/2 cup ketchup
-1/3 cup honey
-1/2 cup soy sauce
-1 tablespoon of white and black sesame seeds

Instructions:

-Combine and mix together the meat, bread crumbs, onion, milk and eggs.

-Shape into 1 inch balls and place on a baking sheet.

-Bake for 12-15 minutes at 210 degrees C.

-Place olive oil and garlic in a fry pan and saute until garlic is soft.

-Add the ketchup, honey and soy sauce.  Bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring often.

-Add meatballs to the sauce and mix well.

-Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Optional:

-Stick a toothpick in each meatball if serving as a finger food.

-Serve with rice if eaten as the main meal.

Vegetable Rolls

This is a fun way to eat veggies and can serve as an appetizer or side dish.  Use any of your favourite legumes for this recipe.  For the wrapper, in French, it's called feuilles de brick.  In English, I think it's called phyllo pastry.  Otherwise, use spring roll wrappers. 

Ingredients:
(Makes 5 rolls)
-2 carrots
-1 zucchini
-1 onion
-2 cloves of garlic
-1/2 red pepper
-Salt & pepper
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-5 feuilles de brick (phyllo pastry or spring roll wrappers)

1. Place veggie mixture on the wrapper

2.  Fold up the wrapper

3. Fold the edges in

4. Roll the wrapper

Instructions:

-Julienne the carrots, zucchini & red pepper.

-Chop up the onion and finely mince the garlic.

-Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil until soft.

-Add the rest of the veggies and saute for approximately 5 minutes. 

-Do not overcook.  I like my veggies a bit on the crunchy side.

-Season with salt and pepper.

-Let the veggie mixture cool off before rolling.

-Place about a 1-1/2 spoonful of the mixture on the pastry and follow the photo instructions above.

-Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or pan fry in oil for about 3 minutes on each side

until golden brown.

-Goes great with sweet chilli sauce.

Chicken Ragu

This is my favourite one pot recipe.  It's so tasty, simple and great for dinner parties as you can prepare it in advance and warm it up right before serving, so you're not spending all your time in the kitchen while the party is going on. 

Ingredients:
(Serves 4-6)
-6 chicken thighs
-1 large carrot
-1 onion
-2 celery sticks
-1 red pepper
-1/2 cup of pitted green olives
-1/2 cup of red wine + 3 cups of water
-1 small can of tomato paste (70g)
-Salt & pepper
-1 tablespoon of olive oil

Instructions:

-Chop up the carrot, onion and celery.  Chop up the green olives in half. Chop the red pepper into thin slices.

-Cut off any excess skin on the chicken and season each side with salt and pepper. 
-On high heat, brown the chicken on each side with olive oil. Take out the chicken and saute the carrot, celery, red pepper and onion until soft (around 5-7 minutes) on medium heat.

-Add the tomato paste to the veggies and stir on medium heat for a few minutes.

-Add the red wine and let it evaporate for a few minutes, while stirring.

-Place the chicken back with the veggies and add the 3 cups of water.  Bring everything to a boil and let it simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
-Season with salt & pepper.

-I've served this chicken on a bed of couscous.  It can also be served with pasta or rice.

Baked Camembert

This is another recipe from Jamie Oliver's collection.  This baked Camembert can be served as an appetizer or main dish.  Personally, I like treating this meal like a fondue - dipping a warm crusty baguette in the gooey cheese with a side of salad and a glass of white wine.  Alternatively, the melted cheese can be dumped on a pile of pasta.  Many great ways to eat this cheese.

Ingredients:
(Serves 2)
-1 round Camembert (250 grams)
-2 cloves of chopped garlic
-1 sprig of rosemary
-Pepper
-Olive oil

Instructions:

-Cut the top of the Camembert off.

-Place cheese back into the wooden box that it came in.

-On top of the cheese, sprinkle with the chopped garlic, pepper and rosemary.

-Drizzle lightly with olive oil.

-Place the cheese in the wooden box on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 25 minutes at 185 degrees C.