Country Ham Balls

Besides bourbon, Kentucky has a great country ham scene, and why not highlight it with this delicious recipe?  Not only is it easy and delicious, the meatballs can be made ahead of time then baked when you need them!

country ham balls

Inside showing the country ham and pork sausage!

country ham balls

adapted from Sterling Bits

makes 24-36 balls (depending on how you roll them)

2 pounds local country ham, diced into 1/4 inch pieces

2 pounds local pork sausage

1 1/2 cup bread crumbs

2 local eggs, beaten

2 cups brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoon mustard

1 cup white wine vinegar

1. Mix country ham, sausage, bread crumbs, and eggs together until well combined.
2. Roll out meat mixture to golf-ball sized meat balls.  At this point, the meatballs can be cooked or frozen for future use.
3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350.
4. Meanwhile, combine brown sugar, mustard, and vinegar in a pot.  Boil until rolling and allow to boil for 2 minutes.
5. Place meatballs in a 9x13 casserole dish and pour hot sauce over meatballs.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, turning balls at least once, or until done.
7. Serve.

Jennifer is the chef behind a girl eats world; head over for more Kentucky Proud recipes!

Dublin Coddle

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It's that St. Patrick's time of year!  What better way to celebrate than by making an Irish recipe to enjoy with your Irish beer/whisky (or to soak it up at least!)?  This recipe is so delicious and fantastic, I can't wait to have it again (and I won't even have the excuse of the holiday because I have no shame)!

The recipe notes for this coddle gives a great background so I will let it do the talking while I finish my bowl of coddle:

"This traditional supper dish of sausages, bacon, onions and potatoes dates back at least as far as the early eighteenth century. It seems to be more of a city dish than a rural one; it was a favorite of Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels and dean of Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin.... The name of the dish is probably descended from the older word caudle, derived from a French word meaning "to boil gently, parboil, or stew"...Serve with Guinness and Irish soda bread. Although this is an easy to prepare one pot meal and its simplicity belies its amazing taste and flavor - comfort food at its best!"

I mean, can you really go wrong with potatoes, onions, bacon and sausage! (Side note:  I didn't get around to making soda bread this year, but it's already on the list for next year!)

Dublin coddle
adapted from www.food.com

makes 6 servings

1 pound bacon (local favorite Stonecross Farm), diced
1 pound sausage links (local favorite Stonecross Farm), diced
2 onions, sliced
2 pounds potatoes (local), diced
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1. Heat a pot up to medium.
2.  Add bacon and cook until browned.
3. Add sausage links and onions to bacon; cook until browned.
4. Add potatoes and broth.
5. Boil potatoes until tender about 40 minutes.
6. Season with pepper (you shouldn't need salt).
7. Serve topped with parsley, bread, and Guinness (please drink responsibly!).

Sláinte! (cheers/good health)

My favorite Irish proverb

Jennifer is the chef behind a girl eats world.  Head over for more seasonal, KY Proud recipes!

Dark Chocolate Truffles

Valentine's Day is around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than to make your sweetheart dark chocolate truffles?  This recipe is easy to do in an afternoon, or as a last minute idea-not that you didn't plan anything ;o)

dark chocolate truffles

you can cover with coconut, chopped nuts, etc

traditionally truffles are covered with cocoa powder

dark chocolate truffles

makes 30 truffles

16 oz dark chocolate (70 percent cocoa), chopped

1/2 cup coconut oil

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Pinch sea salt

1/4 cup cocoa powder, toasted coconut, or toasted nuts, for rolling

1. Heat chocolate, oil, and 3 Tbsp water in a double boiler, stirring, until just melted. 
2. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and sea salt.
3. Transfer to an 8-inch baking dish and refrigerate until mixture is set but still pliable, about 2 hours. 
4. Using a 1-inch scoop or spoon, scoop out chocolate mixture and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. 
5. Coat hands in cocoa and roll chocolate into balls. 
6. Refrigerate on parchment-lined baking sheet 10 minutes or until outsides firm up again.
7. Roll in the topping of your choice--more cocoa powder, toasted coconut, toasted chopped nuts, etc
8. Enjoy!

There is also no shame in making these for yourself as a special treat regardless of the time of year!  How else do you think these got made?  Not that I need much of an excuse to make anything with chocolate!

Jennifer is the chef behind a girl eats world.  For more delicious recipes, head over and hang out for a while!

Spicy Squash Salad with Lentils and Feta

I originally made this as part of my Thanksgiving series, but my family didn't care for it.  Mainly because none of us like goat cheese, and this recipe called for goat cheese so I used it.  *smack hand to forehead*  I can't tell you what I was thinking when I did that....

So I made it again with feta cheese (still goat cheese but brined to get the strong taste calmed down), and we all loved it much better. This hearty salad is almost a complete meal in itself; you could add some grilled chicken or steak; you could serve it with some more vegetables for a meatless meal.

Spicy Squash Salad with Lentils and Feta

Close up

spicy squash salad with lentils and feta

from smitten kitchen

Serves 6 as an appetizer, 3 as a main

3/4 cup black or green lentils
6 cups peeled, seeded and 1 inch cubed butternut squash (local from about a 2-pound squash)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
4 oz feta cheese
1/4 cup thinly sliced mint leaves (optional; I used this, but added it after I took a photo)
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar, plus additional to taste

4 cups baby arugula (I skipped this because I forgot the recipe called for it--didn't miss much)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. 
2. Toss squash or pumpkin cubes with 2 tablespoons oil, cumin, paprika and salt. 
3. Arrange in a single layer on baking sheet and roast 20 minutes. Flip pieces and roast for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until tender. Cool.
4. Meanwhile, soak lentils for 10 minutes in a small bowl, then drain. 
5. Cook lentils in boiling salted water until tender but firm, about 30 minutes. Rinse with cold water, then drain and cool. 
6. Combine lentils, pumpkin, feta cheese, vinegar, and 1 tablespoon oil. 
7. Season with salt and pepper and extra vinegar, if desired (we felt it needed it). 
8. Serve immediately by dividing among plates.  This salad is not great cold so if you make it beforehand, let it sit out for about 1 hour before serving.

Do you have any hearty salads that you love to make?

Jennifer is the chef behind a girl eats world.  Head over for more recipes and tips!

German Butter Cookies

One of my favorite holiday traditions is making Christmas cookies.  My favorite cookie?  A delicious butter cookie (although shortbread is a very close second).  When I was a child, my family would make butter cookies during the Christmas season.  My mom would make the dough; my dad would roll the dough out, and my brother and I would press the cookies.  Then mom would watch while they baked. 

This year, I wanted to share this recipe because this is the first time that I have made the dough myself.  I rolled the dough out, and I pressed cookie with cutters that I used as a child.  It brought back so many good memories, but I also made new ones.

When these cookies are still warm, you can put jelly on them and make a cookie sandwich.  My mom prefers them this way, but I prefer the single cookies.  Use any jelly you love!  We were going to use strawberry rhubarb, but I am a horrible daughter and forgot the jelly.

German Butter Cookies

Makes 36-48 cookies (depends on the shapes and sizes)

• 2 1/2 sticks butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

In another bowl, mix dry ingredients together and whisk until combined.

1. Once the butter and sugar are creamed, add eggs and vanilla, beating until light and fluffy.
2. Slowly add flour mixture and mix until just combined.
3. Allow dough to sit in the fridge overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 350.
5. Roll out dough until about 1/4 inch thick; cut cookies out of dough.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges just begin to turn golden.
7. Cool for 1-2 minutes on a cookie sheet and then transfer to cooling racks.
8. These can be eaten plain, with jam sandwiched in between, and/or with powdered sugar.

Does your family make Christmas cookies?  Do you have a favorite?  If you're still looking for that perfect cookie, head over to this Christmas cookie recap for some ideas!

Jennifer is the chef behind the website, a girl eats world.  Head over for more Kentucky Proud recipes!

Christmas Traditions: The Nutcracker

During Christmas, my family has many traditions.  We enjoy German advent calendars (little candies every day to count down to Christmas), watching The Muppet Christmas Carol and The Grinch, and making cookies.  The Hubby and I have our own tradition; every year we go shopping for a Christmas ornament.  My favorite tradition:  going to see The Nutcracker. 

My parents took my brother and me to see it every year since I was about 5 until they divorced a decade later.  After that I didn't go to a live ballet--too emotionally draining for me.  Then about 5 years ago, The Hubby took me, and I've been obsessed again ever since.

Why do I love it so much?  I just adore the music.  I listen to the music all year (seriously!), and around Christmas, I love to see the ballet live.  Occasionally, we can't make it to a live ballet, so I watch my favorite version: George Balanchine's with Maculay Caulkin (dirt cheap right now at $3.75)

This year, we will be going to see the live ballet: my mother, brother, sister-in-law, and myself.  I cannot wait!!!  We are going to see the one by The Lexington Ballet at the Lexington Opera House.  Not only are we honoring our past family tradition, we are supporting the local ballet.

What are some of your family Christmas traditions?  What's your favorite?

No Knead Bread

I am not a bread baker.  I'm assuming that you aren't either.  In the spirit of National Homemade Bread Day, I've made a bread recipe that ANYONE can make.  I promise!  As long as you can read a recipe, measure ingredients, and mix it together, you will make bread!

My family has a long history in bread-making.  Growing up, my family made their own bread in our bread machine.  I love the smell of baking bread!  When it was done, we would cut the top of the bread off, slather it in butter, and eat it in pure happiness!!!

Fresh homemade bread

Bread dough right after it's been mixed together

Dough after it has risen

Getting ready to bake

No-Knead Bread

Makes 1 medium loaf

3 cups bread flour (can substitute up to 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour)

1 5/8 cups warm water

1 envelope of active dry yeast

1. Place yeast in warm (NOT hot!) water; this is called blooming the yeast.  Since the yeast is in a dry form, it works best to rehydrate it before using it.  Just let it sit for 3-5 minutes or until the yeast looks like super soggy cereal.
2. Add yeast and water to flour.
3. Mix to create a sticky dough.
4. Cover bowl with plastic wrap (or lid) and let sit for at least 12 hours, preferably 18 hours, at a warm room temperature.  Dough is ready when the surface is dotted with bubbles.
5. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
6. Heavily flour the work surface with flour; form dough into a ball shape. 
7. Heavily flour the top of the dough and cover with a cotton towel.  Let it rise for two hours or until double in size.
8. About 30 minutes before the dough is done doubling, preheat an oven to 450.  Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in the oven as it heats.
9. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under the dough, and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but don't worry.
10. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.
11. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned.
12. Cool on a rack.

How easy is that?  Mix it up; leave it.  Play with it a bit; leave it.  Bake it; DONE!  Fresh, homemade bread with no stress or worries!

For more easy recipes, head to a girl eats world!