Polpette Alla Napoletana, by Cheryl

For the first cookbook club that I hosted I chose the cookbook Cucina Napoletana. I thought it would be different than the typical American food cookbooks that we have chosen and I could also use my nice Italian ceramic dinnerware! These meatballs were amazing!! I have always wondered how to get my meatballs as tender as the ones we had in Italy and this recipe does it. I think the trick is soaking the bread in milk beforehand and then when it's mixed into the meatballs it produces such a softness and tenderness to it. I will definitely be making meatballs this way again. Yum!

Ingredients:

1lb 2 oz stale crustless bread (I bought the pre cut stuffing cubes)
a little milk
1lb lean ground beef
handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 large egg, beaten
1.75 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1.5 oz golden raisins (optional)
1.5 oz pine nuts (optional)
EVOO
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 lb 5 oz canned whole peeled plum tomatoes
salt and pepper

Directions:

1) Soak the bread in a little milk. Squeeze gently to remove any excess liquid and place in a bowl with the ground beef, parsley, and garlic. Mix well and add the egg, a pinch of salt, black pepper, Parmesan, golden raisins, and pine nuts. Combine thoroughly with your hands. Shape into meatballs.

2) Fry in plenty of hot oil in a large heavy pan over medium heat for ten minutes .Keep turning the meatballs carefully to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Remove and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

3) Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Sweat the onion in a little olive oil in a heavy pan over medium heat until soft and translucent. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the meatballs to the sauce and cook for ten minutes to heat through. Serve hot.

Broccoli Salad, by Diane

This was a really great side dish to accompany my lunches this week! You can easily modify this to fit your taste, but I really loved this combo. Recipe insp from @wholefoodfor7, I mixed some ingredients in/took some out that I liked (posted below).

Ingredients:

6 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite size pieces
2 broccoli slaw
8 slices bacon (I used prosciutto), diced small
1/2 red onion, diced small
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 sliced almonds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup mayo
6 dates + 1 cup hot water
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar


Directions:

1. Soak the dates in hot water.

2. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Blend mayo, vinegar, and dates (toss the water) until smooth, and pour over dry ingredients.

Qabuli, by Diane

I made this dish last night for our Afghani-themed spread at book club. We read The Pearl That Broke It's Shell, by Nadia Hashimi, and it was set in Afghanistan (an excellent read!!). I've had this dish both at Afghani and Uzbeki restaurants (in Uzbekistan it's called Plov), and it's delicious. Traditionally it is served on a bed of rice, but since some of our bookclub members were keeping Passover, I omitted that part. I also used meat from kubideh kabobs that I purchased at a local Afghani restaurant, but traditionally qabuli uses lamb that is cooked in onions and spices (a google search brings up all kinds of recipes for how to cook it this way). I'm posting the recipe as I made it, which was cheap, quick, and surprisingly simple! This was a big hit at the bookclub, and I'll definitely make it again for lunch or dinner during the week.

*Note: traditionally I've seen this dish made with candied orange peels (which you would create by adding orange peels into the carrot step), saffron (also added into the carrot step), pistachios instead of or with almonds, and rose/orange blossom water (added in with the raisin step or to cook the rice in). Afghani food is very fragrant and uses a lot of ingredients that have a variety of good scents! All taste amazing and you can customize how you want! Last night was a busy one so I picked the easiest of all options and it still wound up tasting delicious!*

Ingredients:

2 kubideh kabobs
2 tbsp EVOO
1 lb shredded carrots
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp garam masala
1 cup black raisins (golden raisins are also used in this dish)
1 cup slivered almonds
Rice (basmati works best!)

Directions:

1. Soak the raisins in a bowl with hot water for 10 minutes (you want them to be plump and juicy!).

2. In a large saucepan heat EVOO on medium high. Add in carrots, brown sugar, and garam masala and cook until the carrots are slightly browned and tender. 

3. Drain the raisins and add them into the mix. Cook another 2-3 minutes until raisins are warmed and set aside in a bowl.

4. Add the almonds into the pan and lightly toast. There should be some reminants of the oil and spices left in the pan for the almonds to absorb. Make sure to watch these as they will burn easily! Add to the bowl and mix together.

5. Serve your dish with rice on the bottom, meat, and then the carrot/raisin/almond mixture on top.

Curried Chicken Salad, by Cheryl

Wow! The flavors in this chicken salad are amazing! I have been looking for healthy lunch options and this one hit the nail on the head. Delicious, healthy, easy to make, and did I say delicious??? Cooking Light comes through again! Yum!


Ingredients:

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 heaping teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons water
1.5 cups of chopped skinless, boneless chicken breast (I boiled it to save time)
3/4 cup of chopped apple
1/3 cup diced celery
3 tablespoons raisins
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1) Combine mayonnaise, curry powder, and water in a bowl and whisk together until well-blended.

2) Add the chicken, chopped apple, celery, raisins, and salt. Stir mixture well to combine. Eat plain or on bread for a sandwich.

Moroccan Chicken with Lemons and Olives

This is one of my most favorite recipes, so much so that it's hard for me to believe I haven't posted this over the years. It's simple, amazingly tasty, and impressive for company. Combined with a bed of couscous and mint tea you really can't go wrong!


Ingredients:

2 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground pepper
4 chicken breasts, cubed and patted dry
2 tbsp EVOO
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 cup water
juice of 1 lemon
2 lemon peels, sliced thinly
1 cup green olives, pitted (reserve 1/2 cup liquid)

1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4-1/2 cup dates, sliced

Directions:

1. Combine spices in a large bowl, add in chicken and toss to coat. Refrigerate for one hour.

2. Heat EVOO in a large saucepan on medium high heat. Add in chicken and brown on all sides.

3. Lower heat to medium low, add in garlic and onions, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.

4. Add in water, lemon juice, and olive liquid to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom to loosen any bits that have browned. Add in remaining ingredients, lower heat to low, cover, and cook another 30 minutes. All liquid should be evaporated, if not cover and cook until liquid is gone.