Vietnamese Chicken Meatballs

Versions of these meatballs appear all over Vietnam and Thailand, where they are usually skewered and grilled over an open flame. Delicious though they are, our pan-fried version removes the need for either skewers or an open flame. It also allows us to wrap them in lettuce cups and eat them with our hands, which we love. These are lovely as a group snack, with everyone making up their own wraps; they also work with blanched rice vermicelli noodles, tossed with the salad, herbs and dipping sauce.

Prep 15 min
Cook 25 min
Serves 4

For the meatballs
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped (50g)
30g coriander, leaves picked and stems finely chopped
10g mint leaves, finely chopped, plus a few extra leaves to serve
1½ tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp caster sugar
Salt and ground white pepper
100g leftover cooked rice
500g ground chicken

For the nuoc cham sauce:
2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 small red bird’s eye chilli, roughly sliced
1 large mild red chilli, roughly sliced
¼ tsp flaky sea salt
2 tbsp roughly chopped palm sugar, or caster sugar
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

To serve
1.5 heads of romaine lettuce, leaves separated
½ cucumber, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 400* F.

Put the first six ingredients for the meatballs in a medium bowl, add a quarter-teaspoon of salt and three-quarters of a teaspoon of ground white pepper, then stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the rice and chicken, mix well, then form into about 24 roughly 1 oz balls. Flatten each ball slightly, then place on a baking tray and put in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the nuoc cham. Put the garlic, chillies and flaky salt in a mortar and pound to a wet paste: the chillies won’t break down completely. Add the remaining dressing ingredients, then transfer to a screw-top jar. Seal, shake vigorously, then put in the fridge until ready to serve. If you don’t have a pestle and mortar, put everything in a food processor and pulse until the chillies and garlic are broken up.

When ready to serve, prepare the salad platter by stacking the lettuce cups on the side and strewing the cucumber and reserved herb leaves around and about. Pour the nuoc cham into small serving bowls, so each person has their own little dipping sauce.

Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

 

Total: 30 mins, plus 6 to 10 hrs cooking time

Ingredients (10)

• 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 (4-1/2- to 5-pound) boneless or bone-in pork shoulder (also known as pork butt), twine or netting removed
• 2 cups barbecue sauce (optional)

Summary

The easiest and, arguably, tenderest pulled pork comes out of the slow cooker. Here, we coat pork shoulder with a spice rub of dark brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, and cinnamon, then cook it on a bed of garlic and onions moistened with chicken broth. Six to ten hours later, the juiciest pork imaginable is ready to be shredded and served atop Pulled Pork Nachos, or in a sandwich with your favorite Barbecue Sauce (for the best version ever, make your own Hamburger Buns). This no-fuss, versatile recipe makes enough to feed a crowd, and the leftovers—should you have any—freeze well.

Instructions

1. Place the onions and garlic in an even layer in the slow cooker and pour in the stock or broth. Combine the sugar, chili powder, measured salt, cumin, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork and place the meat on top of the onions and garlic. Cover and cook until the pork is fork tender, about 6 to 8 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low.
2. Turn off the slow cooker and remove the pork to a cutting board. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium heatproof bowl. Pour the onion mixture from the slow cooker through the strainer and return the solids to the slow cooker. Set the strained liquid aside.
3. If the pork has a bone, remove and discard it. Using 2 forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, discarding any large pieces of fat. Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker, add the barbecue sauce, if using, and mix to combine. If you’re not using barbecue sauce, use a spoon to skim and discard the fat from the surface of the strained cooking liquid, and then add 1/4 cup of the liquid at a time to the slow cooker until the pork is just moistened. Taste and season with salt as needed.

Panko crusted honey mustard salmon

An assertive fish like salmon can handle mustard’s bold flavor. Top the fish with honey for freshness and breadcrumbs for crunch.

• Yield: 4 servings
• Difficulty: Easy
• Total: 25 mins

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for coating the foil
• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 (20-ounce) skin-on salmon fillet (1 1/4 pounds)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons panko

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat an area about the size of the fish with olive oil; set aside.
2. Place the measured oil, mustard, and parsley in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Lay the salmon on the foil, skin side down, and season it generously with salt and pepper. Evenly spread the mustard mixture all over the top. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the mustard mixture until it’s completely covered, then gently pat to get the panko to adhere.
3. Bake the fish for 12 to 15 minutes, then check for doneness. The center should spring back to the touch and the breadcrumbs should be golden brown. If it’s not ready, return the fish to the oven for a few minutes more. If the fish is ready but the breadcrumbs aren’t browned, broil about 2 minutes more or until golden brown.

Grandma's Best Potato Salad

 This easy, classic potato salad recipe is THE BEST! It was handed down from some grandma to me and includes their secret tips that makes it the very best potato salad recipe every single time.

 

 

Ingredients

• 6 medium white potatoes or Yukon golds , about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds, skin on and quartered
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• 2 celery stalks (ribs) , diced
• 6 green onions , diced
• 5 hard boiled eggs , peeled
• 1 1/2 cups Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• paprika for garnish

Instructions

• Add the potatoes to a large pot of cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a lightly rolling boil over medium heat and add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork or paring knife. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle.
• Peel the skins from the potatoes and cut into 1/2" to 3/4" square pieces. Transfer the warm potatoes to a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with the white vinegar. Toss the potatoes with the vinegar and set the potatoes aside to cool, about 15-20 minutes.
• Add the celery and the green onions to the potato mixture. Chop 4 of the hard boiled eggs and add to the potato mixture.
• In a medium bowl, mix the Miracle Whip or mayonnaise, yellow mustard, celery seed and salt and pepper. Fold into the potato mixture and season with more salt and pepper to taste. Slice the last egg into thin slices and place the slices on top of the salad. Sprinkle with paprika if desired. Chill for at least 1 hour or overnight before serving.

Notes

• If you prefer, substitute the Miracle Whip with mayonnaise. Or, use half mayonnaise and half Greek yogurt or sour cream for more tang. 

Nutrition

Calories: 171kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 678mg | Potassium: 645mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 330IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 5mg

Wegman's Marble Cookies

This recipe appeared in a western NY newspaper several years ago. It was from the "Dear Ask-it" column with this introduction: "This is for M.F. of Canandaigua. It is a very close substitute for Sibley's original Chinese Marble Cookies. I make them all the time. It was submitted by K. L. from Hilton, NY. These are very crisp and delicious."

For Carol, these are a time-machine back to the "Cookie Club" when she was younger - you know the one where you get a free cookie for a kid each time you come in. Well, imagine the cookie being one that you actually could share with a parent who would eat it! That's these.

The big trick here is to make the dough and then cut in the chocolate, but not so much that you smear the chocolate - you want sharp lines of chocolate and non-chocolate dough. Ingredients

• 1 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1.5 ounce unsweetened chocolate, melted

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Beat the shortening with sugar and egg until light and fluffy.
3. Add dry ingredients and beat until well combined.
4. Add vanilla and mix gently.
5. Add chocolate a little at a time, cutting in with a knife. Do not stir.
6. Form dough into balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Flatten with the bottom of a sugar-coated glass.
8. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until lightly golden - watch them carefully, you may have to pull them early or later, depending on your oven's quirks.

Best Apple Fritters

Perfect for a cold or snowy day as a treat.  For Carol... or Eiley... or whoever :)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp of white sugar
• 1 Tbsp of cinnamon
• 2 tsp of baking powder
• 2/3 cup of milk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 cups of grated Granny Smith apples
• 2 cups of confectionary sugar
• 1/4 cup of cream/milk
• 1 tsp of vanilla
• 1 Tbsp of butter

Steps:

1. Mix together well flour, sugar, cinnamon and baking powder in a large bowl.
2. Add milk and beaten eggs and mix slightly.  Add apples and mix well, let stand 5 minutes.
3. Drop large spoonfuls into 350 F oil and fry 3 minutes for 1st side, 2 minutes for second side.
4. Place on paper towels for 5 minutes to dry.
5. In a pot on the stove, add sugar, cream, vanilla and butter.  Warm on medium low and stir often until it forms a thin glaze.
6. When fritters are cool, dip each in glaze.

Sunrise Surprise Smoothie

This is a Weathertop original recipe - we came up with this during a long week of cold weather, coughing, and leftover fruits in the fridge. 

Ingredients

• 1 banana, ripe and peeled
• 1 mango, ripe and peeled
• 1 can of mango slices, dump the syrup
• 3 cup of Banilla yogurt
• 1 cup of orange juice

Steps

1. Toss the banana and mango into the blender.
2. Add yogurt and blend on puree for 20 seconds.
3. Add orange juice and puree for 20 more seconds.

Serves 4 with a 1 cup serving.