A different ricotta meatballs

I already came up with one recipe for ricotta meatballs but I substituted hot Italian sausage for ground pork this time for a different taste.

Ricotta Meatballs

1 lb ground beef, extra lean
1 lb hot Italian sausage
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 large egg slightly beaten
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mix all of the ingredients together until completely blended.  I fried them in a light olive oil in a pan that I had used to heat my onions and garlic in for my sauce and then I let them finish cooking in my favorite pasta sauce.
Serve on your favorite pasta and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese

White, international pizza

It started out as a simple dinner.  A white pizza with a variety of cheeses using local products.  I did make the exception for garlic infused olive oil which came from Italy, which it should. 

Next came ricotta.  Made in Minnesota...we're off to a good start.

Fresh mozzarella and feta cheeses...made in Wisconsin.  They're a cheese state and proudly wear cheese hats at football games.  Makes sense to me, plus they're relatively close.

Parmesan wedge...another Minnesota product - score!

Now we come to the fresh oregano.  My plant is still in the infancy stage and if I took what I needed, it would be depleted.  I picked up some oregano at the grocery store and the front of the package says a city in Minnesota. 
Now here's the part that was frustrating.  I opened the package of oregano and noticed on the back side it says - product of Columbia.  What?  I had visions of little Scandinavian children in a Minnesota sweat shop packaging up Columbian oregano in little plastic packages with large mosquitoes hovering and waiting to suck their souls due corporate greed.

I know that the growing season is short with 9 months of winter and 2 months of flooding but still there are green houses.  I have seen them.  They do exist. 
/rant

Here's a picture of my pizza ~

Edited to add ~ the pizza recipe is simple

The dough recipe came from here ~ http://micheleswomancave.blogspot.com/2011/05/rapture-homemade-pizza.html

I spread out the dough to the edges of the pan and applied a thin coating of the garlic infused olive oil.  Toppings were 1 cup ricotta, 2 oz feta cheese, 1 fresh mozzarella ball, 1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese and 2 tbsp fresh oregano.  Baked at 350°F until a golden brown.

Long, relaxing weekend

Cheese curds.  Usually these are found at state fairs and made so unhealthy but delicious.  I had a package of them in my refrigerator and I originally wanted to do a beer batter on them.  Then I thought about the fat content, oil smell throughout the house, the settlement of them on my hips and thighs and decided to come up with a healthier version.  There aren't the prettiest but they are tasty.

Baked Cheese Curds

1 pkg white cheddar cheese curds - 12 oz
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/4 tsp cayenne
salt & pepper for your taste

Mix egg in a separate bowl.  Mix together flour, Panko and spices in a 2nd bowl.  Dip cheese curds one by one into the egg mixture and then in the flour mixture and put on a piece of parchment paper in a baking sheet.  Do this to every curd and then put tray in freezer for at least 4 hours.

Bake at 400°F.  Turn after 10 minutes and then bake until cheese is almost oozing out of the crumb casing.

Cookies n' ice cream

Had a good weekend catching up with a friend who came to visit.  I made strawberry ice cream to go with burgers on the grill on Saturday and today I made my favorite form of oatmeal cookies.

Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Covered Raisin Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp milk
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups quick cooking oatmeal
2 cups chocolate covered raisins (I prefer dark chocolate)

Cream butter and sugars together.  Gradually beat in eggs, vanilla and milk.  Combine all the dry ingredients and slowly add into butter mixture.  Stir in chocolate covered raisins last.  Bake at 325°F for 10-12 minutes.
Makes 5 dozen cookies.


Strawberry Ice Cream

1 quart heavy cream
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 pound strawberries, mashed

Clean and mash strawberries in a large bowl.  Add in sugar and vanilla.  Gradually stir in cream and then transfer to your ice cream maker.

What makes me smile

This was at the top of my list yesterday when I got this awesome artwork from Haley. 

Haley started 1st grade today and has been one of my taste testers.  On her advice, I did add more pears into my pear muffin recipe and am reminded I should put up a cookie recipe that she also tried out and gave me feedback on. 

Take note chefs, you not only have to please the parents but the younger foodies too.  They do help to make the decisions at where the family eats at. 

Thanks again Haley and have a good school year.  More treats will be coming your way for you to taste test!

A new record for me

I flipped 20 pancakes without any crashing and burning.  I'm not planning on giving up my job in corporate America and go to work for iHop, but I will proudly boast about my accomplishment.

My sunflower has grown another 2" since Sunday.  For a plant that is rarely watered and never fertilized, it's doing great.  It's almost twice as tall as the other plants. 

Back to food....

Cinnamon & Sour Cream Pancakes

1 cup flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
dash nutmeg
1 cup milk
3/4 cup sour cream
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp butter, melted

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix together all the wet ingredients in a smaller bowl and whisk into dry ingredients.

I used a strawberry syrup with these and it was wonderful. 

My view

This is the view outside my kitchen window.  I think my sunflower is on steroids because my window is not at ground level. 

Tonight I made an easy salsa chicken recipe over white rice.

Salsa Chicken

Brown 6 chicken breast fingers in extra virgin olive oil with one clove of minced garlic.  Season with Ancho chili pepper, pepper and salt (this depends on how salty your favorite salsa is).

Place in a baking dish and cover with one cup of salsa.  Bake at 325°F for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and cover with cheddar cheese and return to oven until cheese is melted.

Such an easy meal.  It's actually a perfect meal to make on a work night when you're in a hurry.

In case you are wondering where my Ancho chili pepper came from - it's Penzey's.  It's a mild accent to add in and I've used it twice today.