Keftedes-Greek Meatballs (Breadcrumb free version)

1. 1 small onion chopped
2. 2-3 cloves garlic chopped
3. 1/4 chopped fresh fennel (OR breadcrumbs)
4. 2 Tablespoons fresh chopped dill
5. 1/2 Teaspoon dried oregano
6. 3/4 Teaspoon Salt
7. Black Pepper to taste
8. 1 lb ground lamb
9. 1 lb ground por
10. Black Olives for garnish sliced into 3rds

Preheat oven to 350º. Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.

Combine first 7 ingredients in a food processor and chop until fine but not pulverized.

In a large bowl combine mixture with both the ground lamb and ground pork. Mix well until well combined.

Measure out an ice cream scoop size ball and shape into a football shape. Place on cookie sheet. Repeat until it makes about 18-20 Keftedes. Press a slice of black olive in the center of each one. Drizzle with some good olive oil and bakes until well browned (about 20-30 min.)

Serve with Herbed Lemon Potatoes or rice. Can also be used as an appetizer!

Cheesy Leek Casserole

• 1/2 Stick butter
• 1/2 Teaspoon marjoram
• 1^1/2 Garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 Cup all-purpose flour or GF measure for measure
• 2 Cups milk
• 1 Cup shredded Gruyere or Jarlsberg cheese
• 1/2 Cup shredded Parmesan Reggiano cheese
• Pepper to taste
• 6 Leeks, white and light green portions, rinsed well and thinly sliced
• 4 Slices bacon cooked and crumbled
• 1^1/2 Tablespoons olive oil (extra-virgin)

Preheat an oven to 375°F. Butter a large gratin dish or 8-inch square baking dish.

Rinse the leeks really well and thinly slice.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the marjoram and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until golden, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk, making sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding more. Add the cheese and cook, stirring frequently, until melted, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with pepper.

Heat the oil in the pot. Add the leeks. Cover and cook over medium to medium low heat, stirring, until tender, 7 minutes. Uncover and add the bacon and garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant. (about 2 minutes). Add the leeks to the saucepan, stirring to coat them with the cheese sauce. 

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Bake until the top is browned and the leeks are tender in the upper third of the oven for 25 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving to prevent burning your mouth.

Herb and Mustard Crusted Fresh Ham

• 1 (8 to 10-lb) Fresh uncured bone-in butt or shank portion
• ½ cup Dijon mustard mixed with ½ cup whole grain mustard and ¼ cup honey
• ½ cup plain breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 Tbsp (Herbes de Provence - basil, rosemary, tarragon, savory, marjoram, oregano, bay leaf)
• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Let the ham sit at room temperature 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Trim off any skin from the ham if needed. Score the ham through the fat in a diagonal crosshatch pattern without cutting into the meat. Mix together the breadcrumbs, herbs together in a bowl and set aside.

Mix the mustards, olive oil and honey together in a small bowl. Slather the ham with mustard/honey mixture  by patting, rolling or hand covering the entire ham and then with the herb mix. Place the ham, flat-side down, on a rack in a roasting pan. Pour 1/4 inch of water into the bottom of the pan. Roast the ham until it reaches an internal temperature of about 130ºF, about 2 1/2 hours or 15 minutes per pound.

Increase the oven temperature to 425ºF. Add water as needed to the bottom of the pan. Cook for about 25 minutes more.

GREEK STYLE LAMB SHANKS

•  2 - 4 Lamb Shanks
• 1/2 Cup flour for dusting (more if needed)
• 1 Yellow onion cut into chunks
• 2 Large carrots cut into chunks
• 1 15oz. Can diced fire roasted tomatoes
• 2 Fresh fennel stalks cut up
• 4 Garlic cloves sliced
• A few sprigs of fresh Lemon Thyme (can use plain thyme)
• 1 Sprig of fresh Rosemary
• 3 Tablespoons of capers OR a handful of Kalamata olives
• 1 Teaspoon All Purpose Greek Seasoning Blend (Cavendar's)
• 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 Cups beef broth
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Gravy Master finishing sauce (Optional)

Season the flour with some salt and pepper and dredge the shanks in flour, using more if needed. Shake off any excess flour. 

In a large Dutch oven pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add lamb and cook until golden all over, about 4 minutes per side. Work in batches as necessary. Remove lamb from pot and place on a plate. 

In the Dutch oven pot, add the fresh rosemary and thyme, onion, fennel and carrots and cook until soft, 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. 

Pour in the broth and tomato sauce, adding the capers and the Greek seasoning blend and return the lamb shanks to the pot and bring to a boil. Cover and cook until the lamb shanks are almost tender about 2 hours.

Transfer the lamb shanks into a baking dish, cover with 1/2 of the liquid and and reserve the rest in the dutch oven pot. Roast an additional hour or until the meat falls off the bone. The top should be browned at this point. While the shanks are in the oven, season your juice/sauce that is in the dutch oven pot to taste, adding the Gravy Master at this point if desired. Add additional salt and pepper if needed. Reduce down to half. 

Any juices left in the oven pan after cooking the shanks can be combined with the reserved juice in the Dutch oven pot.

Plate and pour juice/our sauce over shanks and enjoy! Serve with roasted lemon potatoes. 

CUBAN PORK STEW

 This is an easy-to-prepare, healthy dinner with interesting flavors, spice from the tomatoes and green chiles, and sweet from the sweet potatoes. This meal is bursting with clean flavors, filling and delicious.

 

• 2 Lbs. Lean Pork Tenderloin Cut Into Cubes Or Thick Slices
• 3 links of fresh chorizo sliced into rounds (can use Italian Sausage)
• 2 Large Sweet Potatoes Cut Into 1/2″ Chunks
• 1 Red Pepper Seeded & Cut Into 1/2″ Chunks
• 1 Cup Carrots Sliced Into Rounds
• 1 White Onion Roughly Chopped
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Anise Or Fennel
• 4 Heads Of Garlic
• 3 Scallions Stalks Chopped
• 1 Jar Of Goya Cilantro Cooking Base
• 1 Can Rotel Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies
• 1 Can Fired Roasted Tomatoes
• 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Finish with:

• Adobe Seasoning To Taste: If you do not have Adobo seasoning you can use a combination of garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt and pepper
• Juice Of 1 Lime
• 1 Small Bunch Of Chopped Cilantro
• 1 Small Can Chopped Green Chiles
• Handful Of Spanish Olives (Optional)
• 2 Tablespoons Gravy Master (Optional)

Place pork, sausage, potatoes, red pepper, carrots, onion, fennel, garlic, scallions Goya base, Rotel,  tomatoes and olive oil into slow cooker. Cover and cook 7 hours on low or 5 hours on high.

 

Stir in adobo a little at a time, lime juice, cilantro, green chiles and olives and let simmer a little longer to meld flavors. If you like a richer broth, you can stir in 2 tablespoons of gray master toward the end of the cooking time.

 

Serve with Spanish rice.