Italian Stir-Fry of Beef and Cherry Tomatoes by Sicut Cervus

I'm oh so pleased that you are intrigued by the fusion experiments. Last night's involved beef and cherry tomatoes, stir-fried in "Italian bread dipping sauce" -- olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and herbs -- and finished with some leftover orange-ginger sauce that is Chinese and does have soy sauce in it (don't remember where I got the recipe for it but it's excellent), plus white wine. Served over wild-rice-from-a-box (we all have our shortcuts, now don't we?) and steamed broccoli (with butter of course) on the side. It would have been even better if I'd marinated the meat beforehand in the bread-dipping sauce, but I tend not to think of that sort of thing until it's too late.

Then I stuck all the bones and trimmed fat from the beef (we've been eating off this one hunk of cheap steak for three days) in the oven and roasted them down, and made some stock with what I managed to keep from eating of the roasted bones and crackling. So that, with a few days' leftovers, will be soup sometime next week.

Gingery Pork by Sicut Cervus

I've been experimenting with Chinese / Northern Italian fusion, using stir-fry techniques and cornstarch as a thickener, and spices like ginger and cayenne, but leaving out the soy (which my husband and I are not all that fond of) and adding things like artichoke hearts and rosemary that are my vernacular. I've had some dandy results, including this evening.

Here's one of them, for a gingery pork, that I made up about six weeks ago and had the presence of mind to write down.

Cut up 2 pork chops into bite-size pieces. Dredge in cornstarch seasoned with salt, pepper and basil.

Chop fine: 2 t. garlic and 2 t. ginger root

Get ready in small dishes, cut up for stir frying:

2 stalks celery (yeah I know you hate it)
6 baby bella mushrooms
3/4 c. snap peas
4 oz. fresh spinach

Mix up a sauce of 3/4 c. white wine, 2 T. vinegar, 2 t. sugar and set aside.

Sauté meat in olive oil. When nicely browned, add garlic and ginger, then celery, then mushrooms, then snap peas, then spinach. When vegetables have wilted, add sauce, stir and serve immediately with rice or over pasta.

Veggie Balls, aka Lentil Balls with Walnuts and Parmesan

The Meatball Shop’s
Veggie Balls
[I called it lentil balls with walnuts and parmesan, for honesty's sake]

"The Meatball Shop’s staff eat these around the clock. You’ll often find them at the bar with a big bowl of these and a side of steamed or sautéed spinach. You can also top with Spinach-Basil Pesto. And when it comes to feeding children, this is a great and tasty way to sneak in more veggies."

2 cups lentils
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons tomato paste
8 ounces button mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
3 large eggs
1/2 cup grated rennet-free Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

1. Combine the lentils and 2 quarts water in a medium stockpot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the lentils are soft but not falling apart, about 25 minutes. Drain the lentils and allow to cool.

2. Add 1/4 cup of the olive oil to a large frying pan and sauté the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme and salt over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and just beginning to brown. Add the tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, for 15 more minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. When cool, add the lentils to the vegetable mixture.

3. Add the eggs, Parmesan, bread crumbs, parsley and walnuts to the cooled vegetables and lentils and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated. Place in the refrigerator for 25 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface. Set aside.

5. Roll the mixture into round golf ball-size meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches), making sure to pack the vegetable mixture firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, allowing 1/4 inch of space between the balls and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid. The meatballs should be touching one another.

6. Roast for 30 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes in the baking dish before serving. Yield: About 2 dozen five dozen 1 1/2-inch meatballs.

One recipe is supposed to make one 9x13" panful of 24 non-meatballs. Instead it made enough to fill two pans plus two pie plates. And the leftover no-meat-balls are delicious eaten cold with the fingers while passing by.

My fifteen-year-old ate plate after plate of these, without pause for comment. My meat-loving nineteen-year-old ate plenty of them, but did mention that he prefers meatballs with real meat. His taste limitations can be a little tiresome.