Moroccan Flavored Meatballs with Pita, Tomatoes, and Cucumber

Are you ready for March Madness?

I have THE PERFECT party platter for you to make while watching all the exciting games.  These little babies are small but mighty!  They pack a lot of flavor into a bite sized portion.  Meatballs that are flavored with Moroccan spices are just perfect tucked inside some bite sized pita breads.  

I picked up the mini pitas at Trader Joe's, but if you can't find them, you could use lavash, flatbread, or large pitas or even roll them in tortillas, cut into bite sized portions.  They go perfect with a spicy dipping sauce made with yogurt and Harrisa, which is like a hot sauce traditional to Morocco.  Again, any hot sauce will do. 

These are like mini sliders, Moroccan style.  So cute, yet very filling.  They are terrific with the tomatoes and cucumbers.  Something cool to counter the spicy flavors.  

The meatballs are not hot with spice, so ideal for the whole family.  Although the yogurt sauce can be so you can adjust the heat to your liking.  Trust me, the whole family will enjoy these.  A great way to get your kids involved in cooking by shaping the meatballs.  They are so much fun to eat, we just loved them!

Moroccan Flavored Meatballs with Pita, Tomatoes, and Cucumber 

Makes about 1 dozen mini meatballs

4 T olive oil, divided

¼ small yellow onion, minced
½ lb ground sirloin
1 egg, lightly beaten

¼ cup Italian parsley, minced

2 T mint leaves, minced

1 T panko bread crumbs
½ t ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced

½ t salt
¼ t ground pepper
½ cup plain yogurt

1 t harissa or other hot sauce

Mini pita bread rounds

1 cucumber sliced thin

Cherry tomatoes, halved

In a fry pan over medium-low heat, warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. 

In a bowl add onion, sirloin, egg, parsley, mint, bread crumbs, cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Mix gently to incorporate all ingredients.  Shape into small meatballs a little smaller than a ping pong ball. 

Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and working in batches cook the meatballs until crispy and brown.  Turn half way through cooking, cook about 6-8 minutes.   Add remaining oil and cook remaining meatballs. Place on a paper towel lined plate to drain. 

Meanwhile make the yogurt sauce by combining yogurt and harissa or hot sauce in a small bowl and stirring to combine.  Set aside.

Arrange sliced cucumbers around platter creating a border.  Place halved cherry tomatoes on both ends just overlapping the cucumbers.  Cut mini pitas in half.  To assemble:  Take one half pita and place a meatball inside and top with a dollop of yogurt sauce.  Place pitas in the center of the platter and serve.

Huevos Rancheros with Monterey Jack - “Gringo” Style

Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day.

It provides you with the fuel you need, the brain power to make good decisions, and the supplements after a long night's rest.  Not sure about the long night's rest (I don't seem to ever get enough!) but breakfast is mighty powerful.

I think I've told you that we have a little Mexican hole-in-the-wall restaurant down the street from us.  A local place that is very popular during breakfast time.  They serve a wonderful breakfast, almost diner style, of a mix of American and Latin flavored dishes.  I often meet a couple of girlfriends there for some spicy food and spicy talk.  One of them always gets the Huevos Rancheros.  A common dish of fried eggs served on top of a tortilla, smothered with a tomato chile sauce and served with rice and beans.

One day i got a hankering to make this popular dish at home for me and MGG.  So I did, changing some of the ingredients such as corn tortillas for low carb flour, and added mashed beans to that actual dish along with enchiladas sauce.

It turned out wonderful!  I promptly told my girlfriend (of Hispanic origin) being so proud of myself that I made them, listing my ingredients and method.  She laughed at me and said "those are Gringo style Huevos Rancheros"  hence the title of the dish!

So what's a gringo girl to do?  So, they may not be authentic, but they sure are tasty anyway.  Someday I'll get her to teach me the 'old fashioned, authentic way'. 

So I hope you will give these a try.  Perfect for lunch or dinner too. They're easy to make and taste just as good as the one's down the street, in my opinion!


Huevos Rancheros with Monterey Jack - “Gringo” Style

Serves 4

1 10 oz can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained such as Rotel

1 10 oz can enchilada sauce

1 T lime juice

2 T water

1 16 oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

Cooking spray

4 large eggs

4  8” low carb flour tortillas

1/4 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Combine the tomatoes and enchilada sauce in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and add lime juice, stirring to combine.  Set aside.

Place water and beans in a microwave-safe bowl, and partially mash with a fork. Cover and microwave on full power for about 2 minutes or until hot.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium. Add eggs and cook sunny side up, leaving the yolk intact, about 3 minutes, or until the yolk is set but not hard. 

Warm the flour tortillas according to package directions. Spread about 1/3 cup of the beans over each tortilla.  Top the tortillas with an egg.  Spoon 1/3 cup sauce around each egg.  Sprinkle each serving with 2 tablespoons of cheese.  Serve immediately.  

Classic Irish Dishes for St. Patrick's Day

The luck o' the Irish is among us!

This is the biggest drinking day of the year they say...but it's also filled with so many wonderful food items that are typically Irish, and some that aren't. 

I recall a potluck at work one year to celebrate St. Patrick's Day we made the theme "GREEN".  Anything goes.  We had green bagels, green chips, guacamole, green enchiladas, you name it, if it was green, it was there.  So much fun!

I've cooked quite a few "classic" Irish dishes over the years, and some that aren't so classic.  Today I'd love to share them with you again to inspire you to make something special this weekend to celebrate the holiday.

St. Patrick's Day Cheddar Biscuits
Pioneer Spotted Dog
Chocolate Bailey's Milkshake
Potato Cakes
Irish Stew

 I'm getting hungry...

Erin go bragh!
Happy St. Patrick's Day!