Mediterranean Inspired Orzo Salad

Here's a new favorite salad of mine, created in my mind a while ago, and served on the table tonight. It's light and tasty and will make every little taste bud dance in your mouth. I promise it will, and the pastabilities are endless!

Mediterranean Orzo Salad
Serves 6

Orzo
2 T canola oil
1 large onion diced
Kosher salt
Pepper
1 cup uncooked orzo
Additional salt and pepper
1-3/4 cups water

Salad
1/2 English cucumber peeled, seeded and thinly sliced in half moons
4 scallions chopped 1/4 inch
4 oz roasted grape tomatoes halved
10 Kalamata olives halved
2-3 oz feta cheese chopped 1/4 inch
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Dressing
2 T store bought hummus
Juice of 1 lemon
2 T light soy sauce
1 T toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste

To cook the orzo: In medium size saucepan on medium low heat, heat your canola oil. Add the chopped onions and some salt and pepper. Cook uncovered on stovetop to soften the onions, not brown them. After about 5 minutes they will be translucent and ready to accept the orzo. Add the cup of orzo and coat with the buttery onions. Add a bit more salt and pepper (the orzo has absolutely no flavor if you do not season it). Stir to combine onions and orzo and let the orzo toast a bit (2-3 minutes). Add water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to the lowest simmer and cook 12-13 minutes. Set aside and let cool.

While orzo is cooking, make your dressing and prep your veggies. The dressing is so simple...just put all ingredients into a medium size jar, shake and dressing is done. Even though there's soy in the dressing, I add a pinch or two of salt. It's up to you, but I like that little extra pinch in there.

Place all salad ingredients into a medium size bowl and toss with a 1/4 cup of dressing.

Now add the cooled orzo and dress with another 1/4 cup of dressing. Add some more cilantro leaves and serve in lettuce cups if you desire.

And now for the re-mixes: How about adding a cup of chick peas or artichoke hearts? And if you'd like to take this out of the vegetarian arena, give some small dices of salami a try- I bet that would be delish. You could also switch out the cilantro for mint. Or try a creamy goat cheese, buttery fontina or tangy blue. My favorite addition/idea to this salad so far will be to add some falafel croutons. I haven't tried that yet, but I will for sure. And soon!

Saucy Grilled Shrimp and Pasta Salad

I'm in love with the flavors of Asia. Whether it's a curry, stir fry or salad, I'm giving it a try in my kitchen. And I have spent hours upon hours testing recipes that mimic my favorite dishes from the authentic Asian restaurants I frequent. Imagine my delight when I tasted Saucy Mama's Pacific Rim Ginger Dressing? Wowser!! Was I impressed! It had all the flavors I usually strive for when I make my garlic/ginger dressing. And there's no grating ginger or chopping garlic, no checking the pantry and fridge for rice vinegar and soy sauce, and no measuring anything. And I'm reluctant to admit, but I will...it's as good or maybe even better than my homemade.

So let's get cooking and put together a simple salad that's perfect for a weeknight meal or company fare. And it's only seven ingredients. Yes, you read that right, seven ingredients.

Pacific Rim Ginger Grilled Shrimp and Pasta Salad
Servers 4 to 6

1 lb Gulf Shrimp peeled and deveined (I like the 16-21 count)
1 cup Saucy Mama Pacific Rim Ginger Dressing divided
1/2 lb sugar snap peas
1 large red pepper sliced 1/4 inch
2-3 scallions chopped
1/4 cup cilantro chopped
8 oz linguini

I just made this tonight and it's fresh in my mind. This is what I did. I soaked some wooden skewers in water for a half hour (so they don't burn on my indoor grill). While they were bathing I poured 1/2 cup of Pacific Rim Ginger Dressing into a gallon size plastic bag. In went the cleaned shrimp, and they had a bath of their own for 30 minutes. I then skewered them and cooked them in my grill pan on my stovetop for about 2-3 minutes per side.

Yummy looking right? One of these skewers is meant for the chef, so help yourself, simply delish. The shrimp can sit for a bit while you assemble the salad. Cook linguini according to package directions and drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. While pasta is cooking, chop the cilantro and scallions, and microwave the sugar snaps for 1-1/2 minutes. Most people don't cook their red peppers, but I microwave mine for about 45 seconds (Crazy? maybe, but I think they're just a little bit sweeter that way). Combine pasta and cooled veggies, scallions and cilantro in a bowl and toss with remaining 1/2 cup of dressing.

Plate and garnish with cilantro leaves. You can serve the shrimp on skewers as I did, but when it's mixed with the pasta salad, it's pretty impressive as well. Serve at room temp or even cold.

Saucy Giveaway! Yes, a giveaway. Please leave a comment here or on my facebook page for a chance to win some Saucy Mama products. I see some good eating in some reader's future. Details about the giveaway will be posted soon.

Diane Smith, you've won the giveaway! I'll message you with the saucy choices. Congrats!!!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I have been a fan of PF Chang's since my first visit about 3 years ago. It was love at first sight. So it only makes sense that I keep trying to recreate their recipes at home. The cooking project for tonight was Chicken Lettuce Wraps. The procedure is rather simple because you just brown ground chicken with a few veggies on your stovetop. But the sauces are really what make this dish memorable. I say sauses because there are two. There's the sauce you add to the cooked chicken in the pan (that's sauce#1). Then there's the sauce you add to the finished dish (#2). Be still my heart, they are both so good.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps
inspired by PF Chang's

Sauce #1
cooking sauce
1 T hoisin sauce
1 T reduced sodium soy sauce
2 T oyster sauce
2 T water
1 tsp hot sesame oil
1 tsp Splenda no calorie sweetener

Sauce #2
2 T Splenda no calorie sweetener
1/2 cup water
3 T low sodium soy sauce
1 T rice vinegar
1/4 tsp hot sesame oil
2 T chopped scallions
2 T Sambal Olek- I like Huy Fong
1 tsp Dijon mustard

Chicken
1 T canola oil
1 pound ground chicken
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 tsp minced fresh garlic
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 cup button mushrooms chopped- if you have exotic mushrooms around, by all means use them
3/4 cup cooked edamame

Iceberg lettuce or Bibb lettuce for wrapping

Whenever I make Chinese food I get all my prep work done first. So make your sauces and set aside. Just whisk all ingredients together in two separate bowls.

Now prepare your vegetables.

On stovetop over medium heat add canola oil to sauce pan or wok. Add ground chicken and brown a few minutes. Break up the ground meat while browning. Add ginger, garlic, scallions and mushrooms and saute until chicken is cooked and not pink anymore.

There's nothing pretty about the dish at this point. Until you add Sauce #1.

Stir in the yumminess and add the edamame.

Now you're ready to plate the dish. I used Bibb lettuce, but iceberg works maybe even better because it's sturdier. Place a few tablespoons of chicken mixture into lettuce cups, sprinkle with cilantro leaves, spoon some of sauce #2 on top and enjoy. And then go for seconds.

If you happen to have any left over chicken, here's an idea. Boil up about 6 ounces of linguini, mix with leftover sauce #2 and chicken and reheat for another meal.

Not Your Average Quesadilla

Thanks to my friend Lynn Socko I have a fridge full of yummy ingredients that became last night's dinner for family and tomorrow's take-to-work lunch for me. I haven't come up with a name for this unconventional combination of deliciousness, so for now I'll call it "Not Your Average Quesadilla". It contains Lynn's creamy, mildly spiced pimento cheese, her pico de gallo, Mrs Dash Southwest Chipotle salt free seasoning, and fat free canned re-fried beans. I must admit it would be more "Lynn like" if I had made her unfried no-fat refried beans, but Lynn honey, you move too fast for me and I haven't had a chance to make those little gems yet. But I will- you know I will.

Unlike my usual recipes I'm not giving specific measurements for the ingredients. Whatever you come up with will be tasty.

Not Your Average Quesadilla
Ingredients Inspired by Lynn Socko

Flour tortillas
Refried beans- I use the fat free in a can
Pimento cheese- I've posted this recipe on the blog within the last few weeks
Lynn's pico de gallo- recipe to follow
Mrs Dash Southwest Chipotle salt free seasoning
Cooking spray

Some Garnishes
Diced avocado dressed with lemon juice
Chopped lettuce
Salsa
Low fat sour cream or no fat plain yogurt
Shredded cheese
Sliced olives

To make the Pico de Gallo:
1 medium onion finely diced- I also threw in some scallions
2 small jalapeno peppers, ribs and seeds removed
2 firm Roma tomatoes
1 T fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
pinch of cumin

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate until you're ready to use. By the way, prior to using the pico in the quesadillas earlier in the week, I slathered it on some oven baked tortilla chips. And occasionally dove in spoon first, and enjoyed it that way.

To Assemble the Quesadillas:
On one side of the tortilla spread refried beans and sprinkle with Mrs Dash.

Now add the pico. Doesn't that look good already?

Top the pico with the pimento cheese and cover with another tortilla. Place in pre heated pan that has been coated with cooking spray. Cook 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Flip and cook another 2 minutes until both sides are golden.

Let cool a few minutes since the cheese tends to be very runny and needs time to set up. Slice into 4-8 portions and dig into this Not Your Average Quesadilla.

Last night when I made these, I added some left over chicken that I shredded and layered in between the pico and the pimento cheese. Just that little addition of chicken made this a very hearty meal. I served the quesas with a Bibb Lettuce based salad topped with garlic, lemon-kissed avocados (a marinade I will post soon). It was a very satisfying meal, with a very satisfied cook.

Slow Cookin'

Tonight my friend Fran, known on this blog as "the gardener" came over with a steaming pot of soup made in her crock pot. I don't own a crock pot, but I think I'd like to purchase one now.

I have never before posted a recipe that I haven't made myself, but tonight I decided to share Fran's delicious Unstuffed Pepper Soup that can feed a crowd, and please that crowd as well. If you like stuffed peppers, this soup is for you. It has all the flavors of your mom's stuffed peppers, but none of the fuss. We served it with sliced, grilled ciabatta bread rubbed with fresh garlic, then dove into this hearty meal that was oh-so-good. Not to mention healthy and economical.

Fran's Slow Cooker Unstuffed Pepper Soup

1 lb ground turkey
1 cup chopped onion
2 tsp minced fresh garlic
28 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
6 oz can tomato paste
4 cups fat free, low sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
3 cups chopped green pepper
2/3 cup uncooked brown rice
2 T brown sugar
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt

In large skillet, cook turkey, onion and garlic over medium heat until browned. Drain any juices or fat and transfer mixture to your slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients and stir to mix. Cook on low for 6 hours. Add water to thin if necessary.

If I were to re-mix this, I'd toss in a teaspoon of red pepper flakes before cooking and add some lemon juice to the soup before serving. But this is the kind of recipe that you can really make your own. Thanks Fran. I know what I'm having for dinner tomorrow. And I'm happy.

Cauliflower and Cheddar Cheese Casserole

I often forget to include cauliflower in my diet, but when I make this decadent, cheesy side dish I'm as happy as a gal can be. According to my Food Benefits Chart, cauliflower helps to combat breast and prostate cancer, strengthen bones, banish bruises and guard against heart disease. Great credentials for a bland looking veggie that dresses up beautifully and stars in this casserole.

Cauliflower and Cheddar Casserole

1 head of cauliflower separated into florettes, cooked and cooled (I microwave for 3-4 minutes on high)

1 can cream of celery soup (I use low fat, low sodium)

1 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese shredded

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

1 T chopped onion (I use the frozen that comes in a bag)

2 large eggs beaten

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 T hot sauce

1 cup Panko bread crumbs

1 T butter (optional)

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare baking pan with cooking spray. I like to bake this in a soufflet dish, but an 8x8 square pan would work fine. Combine all ingredients (from cooked cauliflower to hot sauce) in a bowl. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and top with Panko. If you're feeling decadent, break apart a tablespoon of butter and add to the top of the bread crumbs.

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. You'll have a creamy, delicious side dish that goes well with any protein you decide to serve it with. I enjoyed mine with a mushroom, onion and pepper meat loaf with store bought, low-cal mushroom gravy. I highly recommend this simple casserole. I promise you'll eat it up! And it re-heats like a dream.

'Tis the Season to be Nibblin'

I don't go to many cocktail parties these days, but if you're a reader of this blog you know I love little bites and appetizers more than a big, sit-down meal. Here's a recipe I treated myself to last night that is perfect when friends come over for cocktails or as an accompaniment to a nicely dressed green salad or a simple butternut squash soup (recipe for soup to follow). I can't decide if this nibble is a bread or an egg dish, but I can tell you it's yummy and certainly not on my diet.

Turkey Bacon, Egg and Cheese Nibbles

1 stick unsalted butter
4 eggs
1 cup egg substitute
1/3 cup AP flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
8 slices turkey bacon cooked and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
6 oz shredded reduced fat Mexican cheese blend (I like Sargento)

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter and cool. Pour cooled butter into a large bowl, add eggs and egg substitute and beat well. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until combined. Pour into 8 x 8 inch pan prepared with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then lower heat to 350 and bake 30 minutes more. Let cool ten minutes and slice into 16 servings. Serve warm or at room temperature. Doesn't this look tasty?


It's always nice when your friends are gardeners and you're a willing candidate to accept any produce they give you. Earlier in the week I confronted 2 baby butternut squash on my countertop and decided the time was right to make a soup. I perused the internet and found about 10 different recipes that looked enticing, but I ended up using my instincts and came up with a tasty soup that can be prepared in under 30 minutes.

Quick Butternut Squash Soup

2 baby butternut squash, peeled and seeded
2 T butter
1 medium onion diced
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 cans (14.5 each) low sodium, fat free chicken stock
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


Cut squash into 1 inch chunks and set aside. In large pot melt butter, add onions and cook on low until translucent (8 minutes). Add squash and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until squash is tender (15-20 minutes). Add nutmeg, salt and pepper. Remove from heat, take a potato masher and squash the squash. You can also put the mixture in a blender to puree. Serve hot with Bacon, Egg and Cheese Nibbles.

After the Storm

The day after I got my electricity back I went to the market to replace some of the food I had thrown away. I didn't buy too much since the threat of another storm seems imminent. You might think I picked up a steak or something decadent, but I bought some turkey bacon and fresh vegetables. I was in the mood for comfort food and decided on Turkey Bacon and Cannelini Bean and Vegetable Soup, my adaptation of a recipe I discovered in Southern Cooking. This is a quick fix, no fuss recipe for whatever has gotten you down. The beans are creamy, the broth is flavorful, the bacon is smokey and the vegetables and simple spices make this a go-to recipe when you've had a tough week.

Turkey Bacon and Cannelini Bean and Vegetable Soup

8 strips turkey bacon cooked and chopped, one inch pieces
1-1/2 cups chopped onion -I used frozen
1 large carrot diced
2 small celery stalks diced
5 cloves garlic minced- this sounds like a lot, but it's really very mellow
2 T canola oil and any leftover bacon fat
Salt
lemon pepper
3 dried bay leaves
2 cans (14.5 oz each) low sodium, fat free chicken broth
2 cans (15.5 oz each) cannelini beans rinsed and drained
2 T hot sauce
3 oz baby spinach chiffonade
Shredded Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)
Croutons for garnish (optional)

Cook bacon and set aside. In large pot, add oil and bacon fat and warm over medium/low heat. Add carrots, celery and onion and stir. Cook about five minutes, add garlic and 1/2 tsp salt and lemon pepper. Cover pot and sweat vegetables another 5 or 7 minutes. Add turkey bacon.



Cook another minute or two and add bay leaves, broth and beans. Cook 20 minutes covered. Add spinach and hot sauce and cook until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes. Taste and re-season if necessary.

I wanted to jazz this dish up a bit so while the soup was simmering I made Anne Burrell's croutons, shredded some Parmesan cheese and made this a very special meal. This recipe will serve four people, but it's so good that I ate two portions in one sitting. I'll double it next time.

Spicy Asian Noodle Soup

I've been reading and sampling recipes from Cooking Light for as long as I can remember. More often than not I'm thrilled with what they have to offer, but occasionaly their dishes seem to fall flat. This weekend I made their Spicy Asian Chicken and Noodle Soup (September 2011 issue) and was almost satisfied with the recipe. I omitted the rotisserie chicken and carrots, have done some tweaking and think you'll be happy to try this spicy, low cal, low fat variation. It's a perfect appetizer, or with the addition of one of my many Asian meatball recipes, a hearty main course that comes together in a snap. All ingredients are available in your local supermarket.

Spicy Asian Noodle Soup
adapted from Cooking Light

4-1/2 cups fat free low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup thinly sliced snow peas
1 can (7 oz) corn
2 tsp Sriracha sauce (I use Huy Fong)
2 tsp lower sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1-1/2 tsp Thai red curry paste (I use Thai Kitchen)
1 (2 inch) piece of peeled fresh ginger
Juice of one lime

*****
4 oz dry linguini (I use Dreamfields-low carb)
1/3 cup sliced scallions

Bring first 9 ingredients to a simmer in a medium saucepan (chicken broth through ginger) and keep warm on low heat. Cook linguini according to package directions, drain and rinse. Discard ginger chunk from soup pot, add lime juice and stir. In each of 4 bowls, add equal amounts of linguini and ladle broth and vegetables over each serving. Top with chopped scallions.

If you want to make this a complete meal, try adding these chicken meatballs. They really round out the dish. I guess the pun's intended.

Chicken Meatballs
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 tsp sambal olek
2 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp minced garlic
1 slice of white or wheat bread ground in food processor or spice mill
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 T minced cilantro (I use Gourmet Garden Cilantro Herb Blend)

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and mist it with cooking spray. Set aside. In medium size bowl combine all ingredients except chicken. When all ingredients are incorporated, add chicken and mix gently with fingertips. You're now ready to make the meat balls. I made sixteen 1-1/2 to 1-1/4 inch meatballs out of this mixture. Place meatballs on baking sheet and bake 25 minutes. Add to your Spicy Asian Noodle Soup and enjoy.


Re-Mix: The possibilities are endless when it comes to switching out the veggies in this soup. I think I'd like to try it with bok choy or cabbage in place of the snow peas. Some straw mushrooms, baby corn and bean sprouts would also be nice. And if you want to replace the meatballs with another protein, a sliced hard boiled egg would certainly do the trick. Other garnishes? How about chopped peanuts or a sprinkling of fried won tons.

Son of Street Food

When I last left you I had made sausage, onion and pepper hoagies. Fran and I finished only two portions, so after vegetating at the pool today I put together a pasta cheese bake with the leftovers. All the work was basically done yesterday, and today I chopped some fontina cheese (best melting cheese you could ever ask for) and cooked some penne pasta.

Sausage, Pepper and Onion Pasta Cheese Bake

Leftovers from original sausage, onion and pepper hoagies
1-1/2 cups Dreamfields penne rigatte -this pasta claims to be low carb and tastes just like the real thing- I use it all the time
1-1/2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup cubed Fontina cheese
2 T grated Parmesan cheese

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions. Combine leftover sausage mixture with marinara, Fontina, and pasta . Pour into prepared dish (I use a glass 8"x8" pan misted with cooking spray). Sprinkle sausage mixture with Parmesan and bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool about 10 minutes and serve. I think the Fontina makes the dish. You may just like how all the flavors work together. All in all, it's a great way to end a relaxing three day weekend and definately stretch a dollar. Enjoy.

Vegetable Rice Pilaf

It was time to go through the fridge and do something with last weeks unused produce. I had half an onion, one lonely carrot, a green pepper and a package of button mushrooms that were desperately looking for attention. I also had an abundance of Near East Rice Pilaf bought on sale for a dollar a box that somehow seemed to fit into the mix. I decided to try a vegetable pilaf (you know how I love the combo of rice and orzo) and figured vegetable pilaf would go great with the two chicken breasts that also needed to be cooked. The chicken recipe- so easy I'm embarrased to post it. You can find it on any can of French's Onion Rings. It's quite good and I recommend it.

The pilaf, that's my contribution and it turned out great. Simple, versatile, yummy and a quick fix.

Vegetable Pilaf

1 box Near East Rice Pilaf Original flavor

1-1/2 tsp canola oil

1/2 medium size onion diced

1 carrot diced

1 green pepper diced

8 oz mushrooms chopped

Salt

Pepper

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Cook rice according to package directions (I add 1 T of butter to the boiling water for richness and flavor). While rice is cooking, warm canola oil in large skillet on medium heat, then add diced onion, carrot and green pepper. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes if using. Cook a few minutes and add chopped mushrooms. Cook all vegetables until soft. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if necessary.

When rice is done, fluff with a fork and combine the veggies with the rice. If you're a fan of Parmesan, top the pilaf with a teaspoon or two of cheese.

One Pot Rice and Vegetables

If you like rice and vegetables cooked as a one pot dish, this recipe is for you. If you like it a little spicy and don't mind taking some help from packaged foods, then you're really going to be happy. I have never been a successful brown rice cooker, but somehow between Uncle Ben and Thai Kitchen, I've figured this baby out. My Thai inspired rice and veggies first come together with the help of Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste.


This little 4 ounce jar is packed with flavor and has all the exotic spices you've come to expect when making curried Thai food. But all the work is done. There's no chopping or grinding or figuring out measurements. Sit back and check out this simple recipe.

Thai Inspired Rice and Vegetables

1 T canola oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 T Thai Red Curry Paste
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 tsp ground cayenne pepper (use less if you're not familiar with the heat)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup lite coconut milk
1 14.5 oz can of low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 T fish sauce (available in the International aisle of your supermarket)
1-1/2 T brown sugar- this sounds like a lot of sugar, but it adds so much to the dish, that I wouldn't cut back on it)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 red pepper sliced
4 oz fresh sugar snap peas
1 can 4 oz baby corn sliced
juice of half a lemon
2 bags Uncle Ben's Boil n Bag brown rice

Heat oil in large pot over medium/low heat. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes until onions are soft and translucent. Add garlic, curry paste, cayenne pepper and salt. Stir to combine and cook about 1 minute. Add coconut milk, broth, fish sauce, brown sugar and black pepper. Stir again until all ingredients seem to be incorporated. Bring liquid to a boil. Add vegetables and 2 packages of rice (remove the rice from the boil-n-bags). Cover, reduce heat to simmer and cook 10 minutes. Remove cover, add another pinch or 2 of salt, stir and cook uncovered 2 or 3 minutes more. Turn off heat and squeeze lemon juice into the rice mixture. Stir again and serve.

I love this dish. It's delicious served hot, cold or at room temp. And it can be made with different vegetables, or none at all. But what I like most about it, is that it is pretty much fool proof and in 20 minutes you've got a tasty dish to bring to the table. I consider this a lower calorie version of vegetable fried rice and would serve with an egg roll, fried shrimp or chicken fingers from the local take out and call it a meal. A delicious meal!

An Appetizing Dinner

I love to make appetizers and small bites a complete meal. A few days ago I was craving PF Chang's chicken lettuce wraps and found many comparable recipes on line. But after perusing awhile, I opted for another approach that intrigued me. I combined a few different recipes I saw and came up with one of my own. And I must thank Kitchen M and Food and Wine for their inspiration. From their recipes I came up with Lemongrass Ginger Meatballs with Pickled Cucumbers in Bibb Lettuce Wraps. I loved Kitchen M's idea of using baking soda in the meatballs (no eggs or breadcrumbs) and Joyce (from Food and Wine) for serving her meatballs with Thai chili sauce and cucumber, wrapped neatly in Bibb lettuce leaves. From there I decided to pickle the cukes, add ginger to the meatballs and use ground beef instead of chicken or pork. Sometimes these brainstorms don't work, but this time- I believe it did.

Lemongrass Ginger Meatballs with Pickled Cucumbers in Bibb Lettuce Wraps

Pickled Cucumber and Onion

1 English cucumber

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

1 tsp salt

1-1/2 T sugar

1 T soy sauce

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Peel cucumber and remove seeds (I do this with a spoon). Cut into almost paper-thin slices. Slice onion into thin strips as well. Put slices into a bowl, add salt and toss. Set aside and make the vinaigrette. In a small jar, combine the rest of the ingredients and shake well to incorporate. Pour dressing over cucumber and onion mixture, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes (or until you're ready to serve the meatballs).

Meatballs

1 pound ground beef

1 T Gourmet Garden Lemongrass Herb Blend

1 T grated fresh ginger

1 T grated red onion (this was a tearful experience and I will chop my onion finely next time)

1 T fish sauce

1 T soy sauce

2 tsp grated garlic

2 tsp baking powder

2 pinches of salt and a few grates of freshly ground black pepper

12 Bibb lettuce leaves

Sweet Red Chili Sauce (I use A Taste of Thai brand)

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl combine all ingredients except the beef, lettuce leaves and chili sauce. When you hear and see the baking powder reacting with the liquids add the ground beef and mix with your hands until all ingredients are combined. Form into 12 1-1/2 inch balls and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake on middle rack for 22 minutes. To each of 12 lettuce leaves, place a meatball and drizzle with chili sauce.

Add a tablespoon or two of cucumber mixture, fold lettuce, pick up the bundle and eat with your hands. Or use a knife and fork because it is kind of messy.

If you're serving this as an appetizer or at a cocktail party, I'd recommend 2 per person. If you're making a meal of this, well... I ate 3 and could have gone for another.

Afterthoughts: This was a very tasty meal. Did you notice I didn't put a spicy (hot) ingredient in either the meatballs or the pickles? I purposefully didn't because I wanted the lemongrass and ginger to stand out, and they did. And I wasn't sure if the pickles could take any heat. But I must admit, I missed the spicy bite I'm used to getting in an Asian lettuce wrap, and will have to figure out a way to please myself and some of my friends who have less tolerance for heat than I do. I'll be working on that and will keep you posted. I also think the next time I make this I'll sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds on top of the meatballs for some more texture and visual excitement.