Evolution of the Creation/
A Quinoa Meatball Landscape

Meatballs. Swedish meatballs. New Nordic Cuisine. Landscape design. Bed head. Tousled. Meatballs. Vegetarian. Quinoa. Fundamental naturalism. Foraging. Windy. Wavy. Ruffled. Native. Tasty. Satisfying. Elemental. Pickled. Fresh. Healthful. Tumbled. Unordered. Artfully disheveled. Meatballs…

Natasha, the 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro of Lazaro Cooks! host the 5 Star Makeover Cooking Group, an outstanding monthly event for sharing ideas and creating gourmet makeovers of selected classic dishes or flavor combinations. It continues to be a great source of inspiration and my absolute pleasure to be a part of their fabulous Cooking Group.

Our Five Star Cooking Group challenge for January: MEATBALLS.

“We are excited to resume our monthly cooking event, and the theme for January is Meatballs. We thought it would be a fun challenge to try to transform this classic comfort dish into a 5 star gourmet creation.”

Elements of the Landscape/
A Grazing Platter for 2

garlicky hummus with tahini

quinoa & beef meatballs

roasted baby beets and pickled red onions

pickled cranberries, fresh cucumber

nasturtium whorls, micro greens

quinoa, feta, olive oil

Recipes/
Quinoa Meatballs, Pickled Cranberries

Quinoa Meatballs

The meatballs can be vegetarian or made with quinoa plus lean ground beef.

• 1 c. cooked quinoa
• 1/2 lb. lean ground beef (optional)
• 1/4 c. minced red onion
• 1/3 c. fresh bread crumbs, moistened with non-fat milk
• 2 egg whites, beaten
• 1/4 c. fresh chopped parsley
• 1/4 c. finely chopped walnut
• a pinch of nutmeg and allspice
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil to sauté

Blend all the ingredients together by hand, taking care not to overwork. Form balls of different sizes to make a more interesting landscape. Sauté in olive oil until browned and cooked through.

Pickled Cranberries

•  1 1/2 c. red wine vinegar
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1 T. Kosher salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 8 oz. frozen cranberries

Boil vinegar with 1/4 c. water, sugar, and salt, stir until sugar and salt are dissolved. Let cool slightly, pour into a glass jar. Add cranberries and fresh ground pepper. When mixture comes to room temperature, cover and refrigerate overnight or longer.

Heart Healthy/Meatless

♡ My heart-healthy version of the Landscape which is high in fiber and has zero choleserol includes non-fat feta and vegetarian meatballs.

Make sure to visit 5 Star Foodie and Lazaro Cooks!
for the Round-Up on Friday 1/27/12
where a group of super-creative cooks make
a bold gastronomic statement with the humble meatball.

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purple sweet potato soup – coconut, red chile, toasted cumin

Color, color, color. This is one intensely hued soup. It is warm and comforting because it is soup, after all. But it is also exotic, spicy, jazzy. Made from purple-fleshed sweet potatoes from the farmers’ market. But what if one was to close the eyes? No “Taste With The Eyes” allowed. Would this soup still hit the mark? Flavor, texture, balance, intrigue…yes, yes, yes.

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Organic Kale with Dried Cherries & Shirataki Noodles
Garlicky Chili Lime Dressing

I’m not usually a fan of those free food samples at the supermarket. Seen too many “grazers” with poor manners and questionable hygiene, I suppose. But every once in a while, when there is a conscientious host passing out tastes of a unique offering, I might give it a try, as was the case this past weekend at Whole Foods.

A charming older woman was enthusiastically portioning out little cups of this interesting raw kale salad. It turned out to be an outrageous combination of flavors and textures, so fresh and bright, with an unexpected umami note. I put a bag of her shirataki noodles in my cart, and went home to create a salad inspired by that sample.

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Broiled Lobster Tails with Manila Clams & Corn
Sherry Cognac Lobster Broth with Tarragon & Parsley

My brother Bill is in town from the Florida Keys. I invited him over to try out a Bobby Flay recipe of striped bass in a lobster broth. Being Bill, he asks, “Lobster broth, without lobster tails?” Being Bill, of course he showed up with the tails, mighty big ones I might add. I’ll try Flay’s striped bass next time.

So we went for a hike along the coast, checked out the aftermath of the major landslide that occurred in November, then cooked a dinner that was simple and easy to prepare yet had complex flavor pairings and was nothing short of extraordinary. My thanks to Bill and Bobby.

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Korean Pancakes
Bindaetteok

Mrs. Lee's Embroidered Tablecloth

Gina Lee tells her Korean Pancakes story:

“She was a fabulous cook. When Scott and I were first married she would often bring Korean dishes over to our house, including these wonderful savory pancakes. I would ask her: What is this? It’s so delicious.  I’m good at figuring out the ingredients in a dish.  What’s in the batter? Is it egg, or corn meal? I’m Italian, I thought about polenta…What makes it yellow?

But my mother-in-law would just smile.

Korean.

Pancakes.

I gave up trying to figure it out and just enjoyed them over the years. Fast forward, my husband made Korean pancakes at home as a test for our restaurant menu. And it was then I finally learned the secret. Mung beans? Mung beans and water. Really?”

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