Garden Lentil Balls, and Gremolata

If you are looking for something pretty...this isn't the dish you should be looking at, but if you are looking for something healthy, and good-for you vegetables made into meat balls...actually there's no meat in them just all vegetables mashed up, egg whites, and bread crumbs to bind them.

I almost forgot to mention the incredible gremolata which was mixed into the vegetables that really added the flavor to the lentil balls. Inspired by Joy Bauer's Slim and Scrumptious "Garden Lentil Burgers" recipe, I re-created something entirely different from a few basic ingredients. I will certainly make the Lentil Burgers next time, which has brown rice, soy sauce, and different kinds of veggies, and spices.

Spaghetti Con Aglio e Olio=Spaghetti With Garlic and Oil

Exactly one week ago, I was in such a daze, and so helpless seeing my sweet daughter Lora in so much pain and going through a major surgery like that was not something any of us were expecting, but fortunately she had all the love and support from family, and friends, and all her and my friends through both of our food blogs, as well.

Thank you so much to all of you dear friends for your kind words of caring, and support throughout this past week!

I should be cooking up a "storm" and baking something fabulous, but she has her amazing mother in-law Teresa from Como, Italy there, to cook and bake every day. They have not had store bought bread in the two weeks because Teresa has her trusty cup of "starter" in the fridge to make fresh homemade breads and rolls every day. As I mentioned before, I always have the basic herbs, and spices on hand, and I'm virtually never without fresh parsley, basil, and of course fresh garlic. A nice quality of spaghetti, and a good chunk of imported Parmigiana Reggiano freshly shaved, will make a gourmet dish that does not require anything else...perhaps a side salad, and a nice piece of crunchy bread.

Comfort Food-Lunch For Ten

Shrimp is another staple I keep lately in the freezer, because we get the best frozen, as well as the fresh shrimp, of course. 24oz. of large shrimp from our local Publix market, $11.99. is a real bargain, and oh, so good.  Sauteed just with olive oil, garlic, and butter, with spiced with my favorite Hungarian hot paprika, fresh parsley, and fresh lemon. Served over jasmine rice. All of these items, is a must have in my kitchen. I can't say, that I get anywhere from 4 to 14 people dropping in, (I would not tolerate that.) That was in the days when I was growing up, in our family home. My Mom would feed the whole neighborhood just with her huge pots of home made soups. I can say, that I do get 10 people, just about every Sunday, my 2 children, their spouses and their children, 2 for each.(4) and my ex-husband.(you can never really get away from a Sicilian...LOL)Family gatherings are always nice. You don't have to wait for a holiday to have them. I live on the beach now, practically my back yard, so everyone enjoys the beach, and the large Olympic pool. The beach is private, so we don't have to venture out to a public beach. My condo apartment is small, but just the right size for me. If anybody feels like cooking in the closet, well, that would be me. Both my children have nice fairly large kitchens, with plenty of counter space, well, I have a "shoebox" of a kitchen, but then, I have the vast ocean ground to make up for it...LOCATION, LOCATION! That's the "key."

I used the Moroccan spice blend to rub on the chicken, and also baked the baby sweet potatoes along side. Roasted the the ripe peaches and plums to have them with the chicken, also.

The potatoes take less time to roast than the chicken, so you have to remove them after about 45 minutes/

Broccoli spears, steamed and dressed with your favorite vinaigrette.