Southern Sundays

Happy Southern Sundays!

Summer is coming fast and the Memorial Day weekend is just around the corner.  Although this seems to be the unofficial start of summer, I think it's already started where I live.  The weather here is already hot, promising a scorcher of a summer, I think!  It's time to clean up the old grill and get to some outdoor cooking.


I love eating "alfresco".  Most summers that is where you'll find us.  Outside, enjoying the sunshine, long evenings, and food food.  I've already strung up some beautiful mercury glass outdoor lights I picked up the other day.  They provide a beautiful glow at night, just right for setting the mood for a outdoor dinner experience.  You can see my lights here.  Oh!  I just saw a beautiful monarch butterfly near my new flowers. Gold and black...just gorgeous.  Which reminds me that's another thing I do this time of year...planting.  My love of flowers comes from my mom.  Container gardening is such fun and easily decorates around our dining table...it brings a splash of color and freshness to the area.  What do you do to prepare for a season of outdoor living??

So, on to Southern Sundays!  Last week we had some excellent recipes that you all shared!  I'm overwhelmed by the creativity, and surely am gaining weight from all this!  The most popular recipes are being featured here today.  A great round of applause for these wonderful dishes and to their creators!  Excellent cooking!


Check out these wonderful dishes, and stop by and say hello to the artist behind the dish!

Mimosa Cupcakes

by Marguerite of Cajun Delights

Cheddar Bacon Ranch Grilled Cheese Sandwich

by Alyssa of What's Cooking Love?

Danish Cherry Cheesecake

by Lisa of Flour Me With Love

I'm Hungry now!

So let's party...

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Enjoy, have fun, cook lots of food, and relish your Southern Sunday!

Spiced Meatballs with Saucy Tomatoes

Boy do I have a treat for you!

How about a dish that is nice and light and healthy!  Another plus is that it doesn't require many ingredients, and most you probably have in your pantry or refrigerator already.  


MGG and I love to go out to dinner and try different cuisines.  One we particularly like is Persian or other regional Middle Eastern food.  I love the kabobs, the rice with saffron, the blends of different flavors, YUM!  


A few weeks ago we were out running around in Westwood and decided to go to dinner.  MGG knew an area that they call little Tehran, a street lined with Persian restaurants.  YEA!  So off we went to dinner and a wonderful little restaurant that was romantic and quaint.  One thing that was so cool was that there was a guy in the back making bread by hand.  Rolling out this dough, and then throwing it, literally, in an open fire oven that was shaped like a cone.  The bread was tossed on to this cone shaped wall and cooked very quickly.  The next thing I know is that we are served a basket of this wonderful bread! Not really a Lavash, more like a flatbread.    I HAVE to learn how to make this.  Obviously I don't have a cone shaped oven....but I we'll figure something out.  The entire meal was wonderful!  A great evening, good food, and excellent company.  What is better than that?


So when I came across this recipe from Good Housekeeping I was intrigued.  Spiced Meatballs with Saucy Tomatoes had all the middle eastern flavor that we love. Flavorful meatballs served with feta topped tomatoes.  The dish is served with toasted pita, or flatbread.   So I promptly made this.


Hope you will try this, it is a quick weeknight meal and can also be made ahead.  The meatballs can be refrigerated overnight before cooking.  If you choose the do-ahead method, make sure to cook them an extra 5 minutes to ensure proper cooking.


The flavors in this dish are outstanding!

Spiced Meatballs with Saucy Tomatoes
by Good Housekeeping
Serves: 4

1 pound ground beef
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped, plus additional for garnish
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
Salt
Pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pints grape tomatoes
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1/2 cup)
Toasted pitas, for serving

In large bowl, with hands, combine beef, garlic, parsley, cumin, 1/2 cup onion, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper until well mixed.

With wet hands, shape mixture into 12 small (2-inch-round, 1-inch-high), slightly flattened meatballs.

In 12-inch skillet, heat oil on medium-high until hot. Add meatballs in single layer. Cook 8 to 9 minutes or until they are browned and instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 160 degrees turning once. Transfer meatballs to plate.

Drain fat from skillet and discard. To same skillet, add remaining 1/2 cup onion; cook on medium-high 1 minute, stirring. Add tomatoes and remaining 1/2 teaspoon oregano. Cook 5 to 7 minutes or until tomatoes soften and some burst, stirring mixture occasionally.

To serve, divide meatballs and tomato mixture among serving plates. Sprinkle feta and parsley on top of each. Serve with toasted pitas.

Asian Chicken Salad

The other day for lunch we went to a nice little place that serves rotisserie chicken, salad, and wraps.  While waiting to order I spotted a Chinese Chicken Salad on the menu.  Wow! I haven't had one of those in years.  I'm not sure why either.  I mean, I love them, especially the nice sweet dressing that just adds that zip.  


So, I decided to order it, and it was really good.  I mean, really good, and it brought back all the memories of why I used to eat it often.  The sweet, the crunch, the soft roasted chicken.  Yum!


So I got to thinking "why don't I ever make this at home?".  It's easy....


So if you recall, the other day when I was making the Cajun Chicken Pasta I grilled an extra, plain, chicken breast. 

I saved it with this dish in mind.  Planning ahead made this dish come together in a snap!  We had this for dinner and I served it with some rustic bread.  Perfect!  

Hope you enjoy my version of an Asian Chicken Salad.  Next time I'm going to add some mandarin oranges.  I didn't have any on hand this time, but they would be great in this salad.

Enjoy a healthy dinner!

Asian Chicken Salad

serves 2

1 precooked boneless skinless chicken breast half 
1/4 c chinese chicken salad dressing
2 c mixed salad greens
1/2 c snow peas, sliced diagonally 
1 carrot, cut into match like sticks or shredded
2 T. roasted cashews
fried wonton strips (optional)


Slice chicken into bites size slices.  Divide lettuce among two plates.  Top with  snow peas, carrots, and nuts.  Drizzle with dressing.  Top with fried wonton strips if desired.