Italian Meatballs

This is an easy weeknight meal. Serve with a green salad tossed with Italian dressing, or just a vinegar and oil dressing. Impress yourself and your family with your Italian food. Simple is often the best recipe....and wear a bib! It's no fun if it doesn't dribble....



Italian Meatballs



1 lb. ground beef

1 small mild Italian sausage

1 small hot Italian sausage

1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs-pulse 2 slices of bread in a food processor until is is fine crumbs

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. oregano-crushed in the palm of your hands

Mix all ingredients together, shape into golf ball sized meatballs, and place on foil lined

cookie sheet.

Heat oven to 400°. Bake meatballs for 25 minutes. At 10 minutes, open your oven and

shake the sheet pan to redistribute meatballs. Do again at 20 minutes into the cooking

time. When 25 minutes is up, remove, and immediately put into a stockpot with your

favorite jarred pasta sauce. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring every ten minutes. Serve on sliced sandwich rolls.

Cabbage Rolls

There are so many people who have never tried this old fashioned comfort food. This is one of the best recipes you will ever add to your files. Enjoy!

Cabbage Rolls


Bring a large pot, filled half way with water, to the boil. Add about 3 Tbsp. of salt to water. Core the bottom of a green cabbage, and gently place it in the boiling water, core side down. Boil two minutes, remove carefully, and rinse under cold water, or place in ice water bath, for two minutes, and then drain. Carefully remove the outer leaves, without tearing them.

For the sauce:

1 - 15oz. can of tomato sauce

1 Tbsp. light olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced fine

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

1 tsp. prepared yellow mustard

1 tsp. white wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. sugar

In sauce pan, place olive oil and heat. Add garlic, and stir until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add all other ingredients, and bring to a simmer. Simmer 15 minutes. Depending on the tomato sauce, you may need to add a little more sugar. This sauce should have a faint tang, and a slight sweetness.


For the meat:

1 lb. ground beef

1 cup of cooked white rice

1 egg

½ tsp. paprika

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

1 Tbsp. finely grated red bell pepper

1 Tbsp. finely grated yellow onion

1 Tbsp. finely chopped white onion

Add everything but the beef to a large bowl. Mix to combine ingredients. Then add the beef, and work the mixture with your hands, until all ingredients are combined.

Divide meat into six to eight portions, depending on how many rolls you want to make.



Place the meat on the inside of the cabbage leaf, forming it into a log shape. Then roll the bottom of the leaf up over the meat, bring the sides in, and then continue to roll up, like a burrito. Continue until all the cabbage rolls are formed.

Place one cup of sauce in the bottom of a large casserole dish, and tilt the dish to distribute the sauce evenly. Place the cabbage rolls in the dish, and pour the remaining sauce over the top.

Put casserole dish, uncovered, into a 350° oven, for 45 minutes. Baste every 15 minutes with the sauce in the dish.

Remove, and serve with home made mashed potatoes, and the sauce.

Avocado Salsa...

Avocado Salsa


This is not guacamole! This can be used on tacos, as a dip for chips, drizzled over any enchiladas, chiliquiles or huevos rancheros.Great to make for parties, you don't need a whole lot of avocados, and everyone likes it.

1 ripe avocado

1 large jalapeño, sliced, seeds and all

1 cup water

1 tsp. white vinegar

2 tsp. rice wine vinegar

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Process in food processor or blender, until emulsified. Jalapeño will be finely minced. Pour into serving bowl.

Now stir in:


2 Tbsp. finely minced white onion

2 Tbsp. finely minced cilantro


Cover and chill until ready to serve.

This makes about 1 1/2 cups, and can easily be doubled.

Buen provecho!