Bacon, bacon, bacon

I must admit that there are not many people who do not like bacon. I don't eat it often, but I do enjoy the thick slice bacon. In spinach salad and of course the infamous "BLT"!! Bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich is the perfect summer lunch. Farm grown tomatoes add a certain, summer only, flavor to this simple sandwich. My sons love bacon and could make a meal of bacon itself. I know that David (my youngest @ 18) has made many bacon sandwiches. Forget the lettuce and tomato for him as those are vegetables the last time I checked. Yes, your child can grow up just fine having not touched a vegetable or fruit since the baby food became chunky. This from my child who ate his share of baby food spinach. It was a FAVORITE of his!! Thank goodness for 100% fruit juices! Oh, and the calcium from all of the cheese and yogurt he ate too. One day, he will be pleasantly surprised when he does eat something of the fruit and veggie family and enjoys it.

We've all done that haven't we. Something we never ate as a child, but once tried as an adult, we like it. Growing up, I was not fond of Chinese food. Once I gave it an honest try again in college, I had many years of Chinese meals to satisfy my new found enjoyment of this delicious cuisine. Now, I eat Chinese food quite often and have even made homemade egg rolls, sizzling rice soup, and many entrees. There is something about eating out of those little take out boxes that puts the fun back in eating.

Now, back to the bacon.... Bacon cheeseburgers, bacon sandwiches, bacon for breakfast, and one of David's new found favorites: Bacon wrapped pork chops. I first had this delicious treat at my friend's house. Sue is an awesome cook, who has introduced me to the many fine flavors of her South African heritage as well as from her travels. Not sure of the origin of this recipe, and I don't make it as good as her, but it's wonderful nonetheless. David will eat three at a time with no problem! He enjoys them.

Bacon Wrapped Pork Chops

5 center cut pork loin chops, cut about 1/2 inch thick

5 pieces maple, hickory smoked bacon (thick cut is best)

1 clove garlic, minced

olive oil

salt

pepper

Sprinkle the pork chops liberally with olive oil, pat minced garlic on each chop, add salt and pepper to taste and let sit for about 30 minutes. Wrap each pork chop with a piece of bacon. I don't wrap around the edges, but around the flat surface of the chops. No need to secure with toothpicks, as I just cook the portion with the wrapped end first. These are best cooked over a charcoal grill, but will do nicely in a frying pan. Fry the pork chops over medium heat until done, turning once. I fry the pork chops in a mixture of olive oil and butter (probably a good 3 tablespoons of each).

After the pork chops are done, I drain most of the oil except for about 3 tablespoons (the bacon will add extra flavor to the pan juices). Saute 1 onion sliced, 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves minced and several mushrooms in the remaining pan drippings. Add a little white wine to the mushrooms and onions after they have nicely browned and are tender. Serve with basmati rice, fresh peas, and crusty Italian bread. For a more casual meal, omit cooking the mushrooms, and serve with potato salad, and fresh crispy pickles, and yellow mustard to serve with the pork chops.

Make extra as your children will want to eat more than one of these!!!

Greek Meatball Appetizers

When I was a little girl, Sunday lunch was at our house or my Aunt's house. It didn't matter where it was, there were always certain things on the table while lunch was being prepared. Greek olives (Kalamata), Feta cheese, stuffed grape leaves (if we were lucky), Greek appetizer meatballs (one of my all time favorites). and chewy crusty bread from the bakery. I still go to the International bakery on Cheshire Bridge Rd. to get delicious Greek cheeses. I don't go there often as I can't resist the baklava or other pastries.

Sitting around the table giggling with my cousins, lifting a lid on the stove, peeking in the oven were all weekly occurrences. Walking into the kitchen the aroma of Greek foods and spices wafting out into the carports, brought a feeling of great anticipation of favorite foods for lunch. I don't think I ever heard anyone say they weren't hungry, because we surely ate, and ate, and ate. Sitting at the table for hours laughing, talking, and nibbling on the foods on the table. My mom, Christina, was a great cook. She did not like lamb at all, but she made it often for the "carnivores" of the family (which was everyone else). Dad was usually the one who cooked the steaks when we had them as we liked them rare (but not cold in the middle). I know mom was probably squirming in her seat when she watched us eat it. She would eat meat, but she ate hers well done. No wonder she wasn't wild about beef. Well done beef loses so much flavor in my opinion. She would make the Greek appetizer meatballs sometimes and they were always a treat. They can be eaten hot, warm, or cold. I like them all ways. I used to dip them in yellow mustard sometimes for a change of flavor.

I had some ground chuck in the refrigerator today and decided that it had been a long time since I've made the meatballs (called keftedes in Greek).

Keftedes

Ground chuck (my pack happened to be about 1.12 pounds, but a pound will work for these ingredients

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 small vidalia onion minced very fine

1 piece of bread made into crumbs

1 large egg

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. lemon pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves

Put the meat in a large mixing bowl. Mince the onion very fine and put in a mesh colander to drain the juices. Grate the bread with a rotary grater (it works great for fresh bread crumbs). Add onion, bread crumbs, oregano, egg, lemon pepper, salt, pepper, and juice of one half lemon to the ground chuck. Mince the parsley leaves very fine and add to meat mixture. Blend the meat mixture until all ingredients are incorporated. Form meatballs into walnut size shapes. I happen to like my "meatballer" gadget as it always makes them the same size. I made about 24 meatballs with this mixture. Heat 1/2 cup vegetable oil and about 1/8 cup olive oil in a large skillet. Over medium heat, cook the meatballs (about 8 at a time) about 8 minutes until done. I constantly am turning the meatballs in the oil to get them uniformly brown. After the second batch, you may need to add more vegetable oil. Drain on a paper towel lined plate until cool. Alternatively, they can be cooked over a charcoal grill (that is my favorite way to cook them). These are also great with tzaziki sauce too.

A variation on the above recipe........... I'm always changing recipes.

3/4 pound ground chuck

1 green onion, chopped

1/2 tsp. lemon pepper

1/4 dried bread crumbs

1/4 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 egg

1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

Gently mix the above ingredients. Form into walnut-size meatballs. Put meatballs on oiled, flat skewers. Grill over charcoal until cooked through. Serve hot or cold.

(here is the link to the sauce: http://frenchfriesonwednesday.blogspot.com/2009/05/my-favorite-sauce.html