April 1, 2019

Tapping Into the Marvels of Maple Syrup

Despite the fact that it was imported from far away Vermont and Canada, maple syrup was one of those things we always had on hand in the Philippines when I was growing up. My mother would give it to us with pancakes and use it as a glaze for her famous fruitcake. Maple syrup is the concentrated sap from sugar maple trees that grow only in New England and Eastern Canada. It’s collected, usually starting in March, when the nights are still near freezing but the days are starting to warm. The sugar in maple syrup is considered unrefined and […]
January 8, 2019

Ostrich (or Turkey) Meatballs

In my family we call these meatballs albondigas. I tweaked this recipe by making the broth out of green tea and using ostrich meat from a local farm. You can use store-bought vegetable broth instead of homemade. You can use it instead of the green tea, but you won’t get the same health benefits. You can use organic or free-range ground chicken or turkey instead of ostrich meat. The benefits include: Green tea leaves are full of catechins, theaflavins, and safranal, which are all cancer killers. Ostrich meat contains copper, riboflavin, and selenium. Copper is a necessary component of collagen […]
April 20, 2018

Orzo Salad ‘Lambs’ It Up!

To make this dish gluten free, use gluten-free bread crumbs in the meatballs and swap in quinoa for the orzo. Herbed Lamb Meatballs with Orzo Salad Ingredients: 2 cloves garlic, peeled ½ cup packed flat-leaf parsley leaves 2 Tbs. fresh mint leaves 1 Tbs. fresh oregano leaves 1 tsp. ground cumin ½ tsp. salt ⅛ tsp. ground pepper 1 pound ground lamb ½ cup bread crumbs 1 egg 8 ounces orzo pasta 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes 1 small cucumber, sliced ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley 2 Tbs. olive oil ½ cup crumbled feta cheese FOR THE LEMON-PARSLEY YOGURT SAUCE: […]