Dinner!

We all need to eat, and if we can have something that tastes good and is nutritious, fantastic! Here's today's offerings. Enjoy!

MEATBALL SANDWICH

This is from Macrina Bakery's emailing list. The bakery, located in Seattle, is one of those places I wouldn't mind visiting, if I ever take a road trip. But since that road trip isn't in the near future, I'll stay on their Recipe of the Month emailing list.

The meatball sandwich recipe starts off with the following: "Meatball sandwiches are a fun way to shake up your weeknight dinner rotation. We play up the flavors in our Italian-style meatballs with a generous slather of pesto and toothsome slices of fresh mozzarella. Our Fresh Herb Roll is strong enough to hold in all of the juices while adding the earthiness of freshly picked herbs and coarse sea salt. Warning: This sandwich can be messy, but it is guaranteed to get a thumbs-up from the whole family!"

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

1/2 cup day-old bread, trimmed of crust and diced into 1/4-inch cubes

1/2 cup milk

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

8 ounces ground turkey

8 ounces ground pork

2 tablespoons tomato paste or ketchup

1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

1/2 cup Parmesan, shredded

1 large egg

For the sandwiches:

4 Macrina Fresh Herb Sandwich Rolls, 5 ounces each

1/4 cup pesto

12 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced into 8 to 12 pieces

2 cups tomato sauce

Preparation

Makes 4 Sandwiches

Assembling the meatballs:

Preheat the oven to 400°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the diced bread into a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the milk until it starts to boil. Remove from heat and pour over the diced bread. Let the bread mixture stand and cool to room temperature. As it cools, the bread will absorb the milk.

In a skillet over medium, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté just until fragrant. Set aside.

Add the garlic, turkey, pork, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, salt, basil, Parmesan and egg to the bread mixture. Use a spatula to thoroughly combine the ingredients.

Using a small ice cream scoop or your hands, form 12 golf ball-size meatballs. Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Assembling the sandwiches:

Slice each roll lengthwise and place cut side up on a baking sheet. Brush each half with the remaining olive oil and spread with 1 tablespoon of pesto. Top the bottom halves with 2 to 3 slices of mozzarella.

Warm the bread in the 400°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the tomato sauce.

Once the bread is removed from the oven, top each bottom half with three meatballs and ladle them with tomato sauce.

Enjoy these sandwiches with a side of mixed greens - and don’t forget a few napkins!

FRESH ASPARAGUS SALAD

Another Macrina Bakery offering, this one from the April, 2014 email. The recipe starts with, "The days are longer, flowers are blooming, and markets are stocking produce bins with the trappings of the season. Spring has arrived! We're celebrating the season's fresh flavors with this delicious salad accented with truffle salt and toasted walnuts. The slight bitterness of endive pairs well with asparagus but any favorite green can be substituted."

Ingredients

2 tbsp walnut oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

1/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

1/2 cup walnuts

1 1/2 lbs fresh asparagus

1 spear endive or 1 cup of another favorite spring green

1/4 tsp truffle salt

Preparation

Serves 4

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

In a small mixing bowl add the oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and kosher salt. Whisk well to combine and set aside.

Place the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown and fragrant. Remove the walnuts from the oven and toss them with about 1/2 teaspoon of the prepared dressing and a sprinkle of kosher salt. Coarsely chop the walnuts and set aside.

Thoroughly wash and dry the asparagus and endive. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the asparagus spears into long ribbons. Cut the endive spear in half and then into 1/4-inch strips.

Place the vegetables on a salad platter, drizzle with dressing and toss gently with salad tongs. Top the salad with the toasted walnuts and truffle salt and enjoy with your favorite rustic loaf!

RHUBARB CRUMBLE

Recipe courtesy of the Food Network Kitchen.

Read more: here.

Total Time: 1 hr 15 min; Prep: 15 min; Inactive: 15 min; Cook: 45 min; Level: Easy

Ingredients

Crumble

1 C flour

1/3 C oats

3/4 C sugar

pinch of salt

6 T melted butter

1/2 C chopped hazelnuts

Fruit filling

2 pounds chopped rhubarb

1/3 C sugar

1/4 C flour

1/2 vanilla extract

1/2 tsp orange zest

1/4 tsp salt

Directions

Crumble

Combine flour, oats, sugar and pinch of salt in a bowl. Stir in melted butter and chopped hazelnuts; squeeze into large crumbles and place in the freezer.

Fruit filling

Toss chopped rhubarb, sugar, flour, vanilla extract, orange zest and salt in a 8-by-8-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Scatter the crumble on top and bake in a preheated 375 degrees F oven until golden and bubbly, 45 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes; serve with whipped cream.

CLASSIC LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Kathy Kingsley, About.com's American Food blog's guide, writes, "This two-layer lemon meringue pie is a year-round American favorite. Take one bite and you'll know why, the tangy lemon filling topped with billowing puffs of meringue is a heavenly combination. This pie is best served on the day it is made."

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

Pastry for single-crust pie (purchased or homemade)

Lemon Filling

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch

Yolks from 4 large eggs

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

2 cups water

3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

Meringue

Whites from 3 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin to a 12-inch circle. Fold in quarters, place into pie plate, and unfold Trim the edge of the pastry to 3/4 inch. Fold the pastry edge under to form a rim. Crimp or flute the rim. Prick the bottom and sides at 1-inch intervals with a fork.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Set the pie crust on a wire rack to cool.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.

Make the lemon filling: Whisk 1 1/4 cups of sugar and the cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the egg yolks and lemon juice until smooth. Stir in the water with a wooden spoon and continue stirring over medium heat until the mixture comes to a full boil. Boil for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the filling is translucent and thick. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the butter and lemon zest and stir until the butter melts. Pour the hot filling into baked pie shell.

Make the meringue: Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition until the sugar dissolves. Beat for 2 minutes longer or until stiff peaks form when beaters are lifted.

Spoon the meringue around edge of filling. Spread to edge of crust. Spoon the remaining meringue in the center and spread and swirl with back of a teaspoon to evenly cover the filling.

Bake the pie until the meringue is browned, about 20 minutes.

Set the pie on a wire rack to cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours. To serve, cut with a long-bladed knife dipped in cold water.

Recipe Notes and Tips

To keep meringue from shrinking or weeping, drop teaspoonfuls around edge of pie, spread to touch crust all around, then spread remaining meringue in center

FAST CHICKEN CURRY

From my e-cookbook, Off The Wall Cooking.

1 C sour cream

2-5 oz. cans boned chicken

4 T butter

2 T flour

1 1/2 tsp. curry

1 small can pineapple, crushed

1 lb. cooked string beans

salt & pepper, to taste

Melt butter slowly & add chicken. Stir constantly & heat thoroughly. Add flour, curry, salt & pepper. Add enough water to make thick cream sauce. Add pineapple, string beans & sour cream. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Serve over boiled rice with hot rolls & tossed salad. Serves 4. Time about 1/2 hour.

BAKED NOODLES & CHEESE

Another from Off the Wall Cooking.

8 oz. noodles, cooked

2 1/2 C grated cheese

2 eggs

1 C milk

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

2 T butter

Layer noodles & 2 C cheese alternately in a 2-quart casserole. Beat eggs, milk, salt & pepper together & pour over noodles & cheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese over it & dot with butter. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes until set.