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This is a delicious meat ball dish. In India we meatballs are called koftas. They can be made with a variety of meats. My favorite is goat meat- but pork is delicious as well.. and so is beef.

The key to make this dish successful is to season every component of this dish. I started off with the minced meat which I seasoned with salt, garam masala and a small shallot. I let that mixture sit for a few hours (over night would be great). I then prepared a spice mixture consisting of coriander and cumin seeds. It is important to use whole spices as the grounds ones don’t give as much flavor- although, in a pinch one can use the ground variety. The next step was to blend an onion with ginger and garlic- that is the base of the gravy. If the steps are followed- the dish is a sure hit.

It is not the fastest dish to make- so I would leave this for the weekend.. but it is definitely worth the extra time….
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I think I was living somewhere in Latin America, Mexico or Spain in my previous life. At least that is how I feel these days. Everything I am inspired to make has Latin flavors running all through. A few years ago I felt I was Italian in my previous life- loved all the delicious flavors and still do.

For now, it is all about the bold, delicious flavors from Argentina. We were grilling on a Sunday (as usual) and I decided on making steak. I love buying skirt steak as it is a delicious cut of beef and is very reasonably priced. I sprinkled the meat with a spice rub that included coriander and smoked paprika (my favorite spice). I then took cilantro, parsley, garlic, a lemon and an orange. The processor did its job and I had a delicious, savory, tangy sauce. It complemented the steak perfectly. I served it with a delicious guacamole and roasted potatoes..
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This was a new sauce I tried after reading about La Esquina’s chef and how easy his signature sauces are to make. The salsa verde was easy with tomatillos, lime juice, cilantro and avocado. It was delicious with shrimp and then yummy used in the fish and rice I made with the leftover sauce. This particular sauce used a particular kind of dried Mexican chilies I couldn’t find at the store… so, I decided to make some substitutions. I am sure the actual sauce is delicious especially since my version was yummy as well.

I recently made my way to the La Esquina brasserie and the food was unbelievable.. by far the best Mexican food I have had in New York. It is hard to get reservations but it is definitely worth it once you are able to get in there.

Anyway, I roasted poblano peppers, tomatoes, garlic, onion and paired it with raisins. It resulted in a well balanced, delicious sauce. I grilled some steak and served the delicious sauce on top- it was a big hit. I had a lot leftover and made a delicious stew.. recipe to follow…
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This is another yummy recipe using kumquats. I had a pack in my fridge needed to be used. I looked around online for a good recipe and found one on Epicurious. It was a Chinese inspired stir fry with pork and used a delicious spice I don’t use very often. It used Chinese five spice powder- which includes a mixture of cloves, fennel, cinnamon, star anise and Szechuan peppers. Szechuan peppers have an interesting numbing effect to the tongue. The five spice powder has the same flavor and effect. It is a delicious way to make stir fries, stews and curries.

I started with center cut pork chops and marinated them in hoisin and oyster sauce. I then made a sauce with orange juice, chicken broth, rice vinegar and the five spice powder. The kumquats need to be halved and deseeded. I sprinkled some sugar on them to sweeten them further.

The stir fry was delicious. I served it brown rice and sauteed bok choy. My daughter ate the dish but didn’t care for the little oranges… so, we kept them aside and went on with the evening….
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Here is another burger recipe. As I mentioned before, I am trying to create a different burger every Sunday- which is our day for grilling. The other day my husband and I were at a specialty food store- Eden Gourmet. We were looking to buy things for dinner including some veggies and some meat. My husband peeked into their cold storage case and saw a few different kinds of pre-made burgers. He wanted to buy the basil burgers but I insisted on buying the ground meat so I can make my own. I told him I will make the burgers with basil and garlic and will add more flavor to them and obviously make them yummier- plus I am always leary about pre-made meats.. I never what all is in there…

I decided to add fresh basil and garlic into the grass fed beef we bought. Speaking of grass fed… I think it is important to get the best quality meat that you can buy.. it makes the a huge difference with taste when you buy good quality ingredients. I thought about doctoring up some store bought mayo but then realized how much fat it has.. so, I decided to add one tablespoon of mayo to some non-fat Greek yogurt. I then added kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper. The spread tasted amazing and it was hard to tell how healthy it was….

The burgers were delicious with some grilled baby zucchinis and potatoes.. recipes to follow…
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