Asian mini meatballs in lettuce cups

I tried this recipe from Martha Stewart and it turned out really well.  I've made it a few times since and it's really simple and delicious.

Mini Asian Meatballs in Lettuce Cups
from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 12 cloves garlic
• 3 tbs. peeled ginger
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1 tsp. fish sauce
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tbs. sesame oil
• 1/4 c. Greek yogurt
• 1 tbs. lime juice
• lettuce cups, chopped roasted peanuts or almonds, sprigs of cilantro, sliced Thai chilies for garnish

Directions

1. Place garlic, ginger, and scallions in a food processor and pulse until chopped.
2. Combine beef, garlic/ginger/scallion mix, and fish cause in a medium bowl.  Form into mini meatballs.
3. In a large skillet, heat sesame oil over medium high heat.  Cook meatballs about 5 minutes each batch.
4. In a small bowl, mix yogurt and lime juice.  Serve meatballs in lettuce cups with yogurt sauce and garnishes.

Sausage and Plantains

I learned about this dish from one of my veterinary school friends, Christina.  She brought it as lunch one day and all the rest on the rotation smelled how amazing it smelled and had to know what it was.  Sausage and plantains!  It is a very popular Central American or Caribbean dish.  I even had the girl checking me out at the grocery store tell me her grandma makes the same thing when she saw I was buying plantains.  It certainly a super easy weeknight meal, as it takes about 10 miinutes and involves two ingredients.

If you use yellow plantains, they will taste more like potatoes when cooked.  The more ripe the plantains, the more sweet they will be.

Sausage and Plantains

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 3 plantains, sliced at a bias
• 3-4 links of sausage, any variety of choice, sliced at a bias
• 1 tbs. coconut oil

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat
2. Add sausage and cook for about 5 minutes.
3. Add in plantains and cook for 2-3 minutes per side.