Spicey Swedish Meatballs With Goat's Milk

by Susan Fox
Alas, I have recently found out I am sensitive to cow's milk. (It raises my blood pressure.) However, this was actually a happy event because I have discovered the wonder and flavor of GOAT'S MILK!
Except for the beef, you could almost call this a vegan recipe as it has no eggs, cow's milk or cow's milk cheese. It is great for people who can't tolerate lactose as my husband has that problem, and his digestive system likes this recipe.
My husband and numerous guests agree this recipe I developed for Swedish Meatballs using goat milk and goat butter is delicious.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE MEAT BALLS
Use beef hamburger -- no need to add more expensive veal, lamb or pork hamburger, the fatter and cheaper is better as we will use the grease to make a gravy. This recipe is actually better with plain beef hamburger because the goat butter and milk gives it the exotic flavor.
Two pounds beef hamburger
1/2 teaspoon Watkins dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon Watkins black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Watkins cumin
1/8 cup white wine
2 slices of bread (I used organic sprouted wheat with flax seed)
1/4 cup whole goat milk
1/2 sweet onion chopped
12 large fresh basil leaves chopped
1 teaspoon ground New Mexico Chile (more or less to taste. This amount will create a medium hot flavor)
6 large cloves of garlic chopped
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
2 tablespoons of Goat Butter or more to prevent burning

Mix all the ingredients except the butter together, working the spices and salt into the hamburger. Using your hands form little one-inch balls and saute the meatballs in the melted goat butter turning them until they are browned on all sides.

Remove the meat balls to a large casserole dish. Save the fat and meat juices in the pan.

NOW THE GRAVY!

1/4 teaspoon Watkins black pepper
about 3 cups whole goat milk
2 tablespoons goat butter
2 oz Goat Cheddar or other goat cheese
2 tablespoons of flour
4-5 large leaves fresh basil chopped
1/4 teaspoon New Mexico ground chili
1 tsp salt
juice of 1 lemon

Add two more tablespoons of goat butter to the remaining fat and meat juice and melt. Watch so it doesn't burn!
Then add two tablespoons of flour. Stir and gradually add about 3 cups of goat milk, adding 1/2 cup at a time then a little more as the gravy thickens. Use medium heat but watch so the gravy doesn't burn. While you are in the gravy making mode you can add another 1/4 teaspoon New Mexican Chili ground, 1 teaspoon of salt (check flavor may need more or less), juice from one lemon (taste as you do may need more or less), 1/4 teaspoon Watkins black pepper,
4-5 large leaves fresh basil chopped and two ounces goat cheese (it will melt0. Check taste of gravy when done and see if you need any more of the above ingredients. Then pour the gravy over the meatballs in the casserole dish, and put them in the oven warmed up to 350 degrees. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
DELICIOUS! This will make a meal for four people. Can be served with potatoes, rice or it's really luscious with Organic Low Glycemic Quinoa. Having a large party? Double or triple the recipe and serve with toothpicks as an appetizer.

Watkins black pepper is more flavorful then other peppers because we buy top-quality Malabar and Lampong peppercorns (the two most potent varieties), carefully screen out fillers and stems, then granulate (not grind) them through our exclusive process, which creates less friction and preserves their high essential oil content. Experience the Gold Medal-winning taste of the most flavorful pepper on the market.

Irish Cream Caramels: Utterly Delicious and Easy to Make

by Susan Fox
I love these caramels. They are easy to make, store well, and delicious to eat. Order the Watkins ingredients before Dec. 10, 2009 for Christmas delivery.
Give the Caramels for Christmas, or give the ingredients:
Either way, it's a great gift.

2 cups whipping cream
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 tsp butter
1 tsp Watkins Irish Cream Extract
1 tsp Watkins Original Double Strength Vanilla
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Combine cream, sugar, syrup and butter in large heavy saucepan. Using a candy thermometer, heat to 245°F, stirring constantly. Remove from heat at once. Stir in extracts; pour into buttered 8 x 8 x 2-inch pan. Cool just until firm. Loosen candy around edges with a knife; invert on cutting surface. Cut into 1-inch squares with a sharp knife. Cool completely and wrap each in waxed paper. Store in a cool place.

Note: These caramels keep well, and may be made several weeks in advance.

Watkins Cinnamon makes a delicous Diabetic Snack

by Susan Fox
"Take also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make bread of it. . . " (Ez 4:9)

Have you heard of Ezekiel Bread?
Described in the Holy Bible in Ezekiel 4:9 from which it derives its name, this bread is made from freshly sprouted live grains and contains no flour. It's high in protein and low in carbohydrates, so it's excellent for diabetics, but everyone can benefit from the nutrition in Ezechiel bread. Sprouting is the best way to release all of the vital nutrients stored in whole grains.

Because it is a sprout bread, it has to be refrigerated unless you plan on eating it all in one day as it gets moldy easily. I keep it in the freezer and then toast one slice at a time. The problem with Ezechiel bread is that it doesn't really taste as good as a slice of ... say toasted white bread. So I buy the Ezechiel 4:9 Cinnamon Raisin bread. Then I smother it in butter and French Peach Preserves (Bonne Maman). Then I sprinkle the jam generously with Watkins 100% Organic Ground Cinnamon.

There you have it, organic bread with organic cinnamon. I kid you not, this little snack is delicious. And it's better with the organic cinnamon rather than regular. You can't believe the flavor. I discovered this little gem all by myself, but after I did I read the label on the cinnamon and it said, "Use in all types of baked goods and fruit desserts, especially apples and peaches."

Watkins cinnamon is different than the Ceylon variety you get in the grocery store. Watkins award-winning high-oil Korintje cassia is about twice as flavorful as the Ceylon variety, and is the best quality cinnamon available anywhere. Plus it is the only cinnamon that will help stabilize blood sugar. For that reason, my goddaughter's mother puts it on her oatmeal every morning, and reduces the amount of sugar on her cereal, thereby insuring a healthy breakfast.

Your diabetes doctor will want you to eat protein with it, so if it's breakfast, I serve it with a boiled or poached egg. And if it's a snack I eat it with a handful of pecans. Ezekiel bread can be found at Whole Foods and other health food stores.

Hamburger Goulash! Tasty and Easy to Make

Watkins has a great new Ground Beef Seasoning, so I decided to try and make a hamburger goulash with it tonight. It was surprisingly delicious -- no sugar, but a hint of sweetness due to the onion, tomato and garlic plus the Ground Beef Seasoning.
Here's the recipe, which can, of course, be doubled and tripled:
1 pound hamburger cooked with red wine (about 1/2 cup of wine). Drain the excess fat and add 1 teaspoon Watkins Ground Beef Seasoning. (The ratio is one teaspoon of the seasoning to each pound of beef.) Set aside.
Cook about five red potatoes. Cut out the eyes, but leave the skin on and steam them. That's the best way to keep the vitamins and minerals in. Set aside to cool. Then cut the potatoes into thin slices.
In another frying pan, cover the floor of the pan with olive oil. Add one chopped onion, fresh tomato (I used about 20 grape tomatoes and burst them in the pan), about six-10 cloves garlic chopped. Cook over medium heat, adding olive oil as necessary so it doesn't burn, until the onion is soft. I use a large stick-free frying pan. Then add the meat and potatoes to the frying pan and heat everything thoroughly. If necessary, add salt to taste, but it may be salty enough. Then I sprinkled each portion with shredded cheddar cheese. It was delicious with dinner rolls and a green salad. Enjoy! Susan Fox

Mississippi Mud Pie

My son is afraid I will lose this recipe. I remember how anxiously I looked through my mother's recipe books after she died to find the special ones I loved. Now with the wonder of online blogging I can save this recipe for him and allow you to share it too!
This is the most wonderful chocolate pie you will ever encounter. It's like the Chess Pie in Kentucky, but chocolate flavored. The kind of chocolate you use really makes a difference as do the other ingredients. I have no stock in Ghirardelli, but I would use no other kind. The recipe calls for Ghirardelli Sweet Chocolate, which is not available any longer so I use Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips. You can get them at Walmart.
Be sure and use my mother butter crust recipe:
Here is my MOM's FAMOUS PIE CRUST RECIPE: Sift together 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon Watkins Aluminum Free Baking Powder,1 heaping tablespoon of organic sugar, 1/8 teaspoon of salt, then put in 1/2 cup softened organic butter. Cut with a knife, then flour your hands and rub the butter and flour together until thoroughly mixed. Add 1 teaspoon water and mold into a ball. Roll it out and put in the pie pan. I always have to reconstruct this crust in the pie pan as it is not easy to make a butter crust.
This pie only calls for one bottom crust, so after you complete the above steps you are finished with the pie crust part.
Now you need:
4 oz. Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 Cup butter
3 eggs
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 cup sugar (organic sugar is nice)
1 teaspoon Watkins Original Double Strength Vanilla
Pinch salt
In a heavy saucepan or microwave oven, melt chocolate with butter. Beat eggs, mix in corn syrup, sugar and vanilla and salt.
Combine with chocolate mixture. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 or 40 minutes or until top is cracked and filling is still soft. Cool to room temperature. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Easy Raspberry Vinaigrette

I heard about this recipe at a Watkins conference. And it sounded wonderful.
Watkins is famous for its great variety of flavor extracts. The success of this dressing is to use the Pure Vanilla Extract. The Original Grapeseed Oil is flavor neutral and it allows the flavor of the vanilla and raspberry to come through.

Mix the following thoroughly and pour immediately over your salad
1/3 C Watkins Original Grapeseed Oil
2 tsp Watkins Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Watkins Raspberry Extract
1/4 C white wine vinegar
2 1/2 tbsp sugar

Add more or less sugar to taste. If it's sour you need more sugar. And for fun in the summer you can add four or five raspberries. But these are optional.
Susan Fox

Easy Basil Oil & Vinegar Salad Dressing

Dear Friends,
I have been making this salad dressing for my husband for years. But recently I added a new Watkins ingredient -- Watkins Garlic & Parsley Grapeseed Oil instead of olive oil.
He didn't recognize his regular salad dressing and asked me where I got this wonderful new salad dressing! He loves it. I hope you will too.
I make it in 16 oz (two cup) portions and put it in a salad dressing shaker. I fill the shaker with about 2/3 cup sugar (organic sugar is great). Then I add red wine vinegar about three-fourths of the way up. Red Wine Vinegar is the best vinegar to use.
I mince about four cloves of garlic, and add 1 1/2 teaspoon Watkins Basil.
I grind Watkins Garlic Peppercorn Blend into the mixture to taste. This is my favorite pepper to cook with.
I add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Watkins Sea Salt.
Then I shake it very well and taste it. If the vinegar is still sour, I add more sugar. It may need a little more salt. The other ingredients will get more flavorful with time in the refrigerator.
Then I pour the Watkins Garlic & Parsley Grapeseed Oil over the top, so it's full to the brim. Then I shake the whole mixture vigorously so all the sugar dissolves, and I shake it again just before it's served. Watkins also has its Grapeseed Oil in Citrus & Cilantro and in Original Flavor.
Enjoy! Susan Fox