Tag Archives: molasses recipes

Lamb Meatballs with Tomato Cherry Sauce

A good friend of my recently took me to a Lebanese restaurant and we were delighted with the food and the wide variety of small plates offered. This is my version of our favorite dish we experienced that evening. These lamb meatballs are flavorful little bites that work terrific as an appetizer, to serve at a cocktail party or just to make an easy sandwich, a few in a pita bread with some greek yogurt, sliced cucumber and mint. It’s a perfect party food since you bake the meatballs, they fry in the oven, using significantly less oil with a really easy clean up. The sauce has a bit of a sweet and sour component from the cherry preserves and lemon juice, but with a middle eastern twist. It’s wonderful mix of flavors. You’ve love this dish!
From by the bay wishing you , sweet and sour food memories!
Maryann
blog lamb meatball
Lamb Meatballs with Tomato Cherry Sauce
Serves 6 to 8

Lamb Meatballs
Ingredients
1 pound ground lamb
3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
1 egg
1/4 cup scallions, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
olive oil spray
Directions 
Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well using your hands.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray lightly with olive oil spray.  Once the meat mixture has chilled for 30 minutes, remove from refrigerator and dampen your hands and form 28 to 30 meatballs approximately 3/4″ diameter. Place on the lined baking tray. Spray top of the meatballs lightly with olive oil and bake in the heated oven for about 30 minutes, until browned and cooked through. Serve with tomato cherry sauce or just plain as a party appetizer with plain greek yogurt and some chopped mint on the side.
blog lamb meatball 2
Tomato Cherry Sauce

Ingredients
1 cup warm water
1 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup organic low sodium ketchup
1/4 cup cherry preserves
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup scallions, chopped to garnish lamb meatballs with sauce
Directions
Place warm water in a bowl and add dried cherries. Let cherries soak in the water 30 minutes. Strain cherries, adding the water into a medium sauce pan.  To this pan add remaining ingredients except cherries and cook on moderate heat stirring occasionally for 15 minutes. Add the cherries and simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve with lamb meatballs. Garnish with chopped scallions.

Rosemary Baked Beans

What’s another easy and impressive side dish to serve guests this Memorial Day Weekend? Homemade Rosemary Baked Beans. It is a quick toss of ingredients and then bake in the oven and you have taken this ordinary side dish into an extraordinary treat! Using cannellini beans makes the dish lighter and fresh rosemary really steps up the taste. If you are making the ketchup from last week’s post this is another perfect use.  It’s definitely another taste sensation!
From by the bay wishing you cannellini food memories!
Maryann
blog baked beans
Rosemary Baked Beans
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 28 ounce cans cannellini beans, drained in rinsed
6 tablespoons ketchup, homemade if possible
1/4 cup dark molasses
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fine black pepper
6 slices bacon
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. In a mixing bowl add all ingredients except the bacon and mix well. Pour the beans into 2 lodge mini 12 ounce servers. Cover with top with bacon strips and place on a baking sheet and place in the over for 25 minutes or until bacon is browned and fat rendered. Serve warm.

Spiced Pomegranate Molasses Glazed Turkey

 

The leaves are falling, their is a definite chill in the air and it will soon be time to gather loved ones around the table to celebrate Thanksgiving and kick off the holiday season for 2013. I can’t think of a better centerpiece for your Thanksgiving than this spiced pomegranate molasses glazed turkey. One of the most important aspects of making this recipe is in the shopping for the turkey. I suggest first and foremost that it’s fresh and second if possible organic. Preparing a fresh turkey makes a big difference in the end result and I find it’s definitely worth both the cost and the effort. The brining process works best with a turkey that has no additives since the additives often include salt solutions. I have found the a fresh turkey such as Bell and Evans works deliciously. I’ll be posting additional recipes all month so that you have a perfect Thanksgiving meal to share with friends and family when the big day arrives!

 

From by the bay wishing you pomegranate glazed food memories!

Maryann

 

 

blog pom turkey

 

 

 

Spiced Pomegranate Molasses Glazed Turkey

1 16-18 lb. turkey, preferably organic

Brine

16 cups cold water, or more to cover turkey

1 cup fine sea salt

1 cup light brown sugar

4 cloves garlic

3 oranges

2 tablespoon black peppercorns

2 onions , peeled and quartered

3 sprigs rosemary

To roast turkey

2 oranges, cut in half

1 pomegranate cut in half

1 bunch rosemary

2 tablespoons fine grey sea salt

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

To baste

8 tablespoon unsalted butter at room temperature

¼ cup pomegranate molasses

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Directions

Prepare brine by combining water, sea salt, sugar and peppercorns. Stir to dissolve the salt and sugar. Then add to the brine the garlic, oranges, onions and rosemary. Clean turkey with cold water removing any giblets and or neck. Keep giblets and neck in the refrigerator to use later for gravy base.  Place turkey and brine into a resealable plastic bag or into a large non reactive bowl covered with plastic wrap. The turkey should be covered with the brine, if not add more water. Refrigerate over night.  The next day remove the turkey 40 minutes before planning to place into the oven. Preheat oven to 425F. Remove turkey from brine and pat dry with paper towels inside and out.  Season the turkey cavity with salt and pepper.  Fill the cavity of the turkey with the oranges, pomegranate and rosemary. Tie turkey legs together and place into roasting pan. In a small sauce pan melt butter, mustard and pomegranate molasses together on a low heat. Use this to baste turkey once before placing into the oven. Roast the turkey at 425F for 30 minutes then lower the oven to 350F.   For an 18lb turkey cooking time will be approximately 3 hours. Use a meat thermometer to check that the meat registers 175F at its thickest part of the thigh. Baste the turkey about every 30 minutes with the butter and syrup mixture. If the turkey browns too quickly tent that part with aluminum foil. When ready remove from the oven. Take turkey from the roasting pan and place on a cutting board to rest before carving, at least 20 minutes. If you are serving later then 20 minutes from removing from oven tent turkey with aluminum foil until ready to serve.