Apricot Prosciutto Toasts

About 3 1/2 years ago my sister started a cooking club with a bunch of her friends and invited me. I was newly married and really didn't have too many married friends. Every month we would get together with a theme (an ingredient, an idea, a dish) and everyone would bring a dish. It was so fun. Saturday was my last cooking club ever. I choose the theme - using an ingredient you have never used before. I have eaten plenty of prosciutto in my day, but never actually cooked with it. And I have never used mascarpone cheese. I saw this recipe on Food Blogga. It is so delicious. I think everyone needs to try it.
What I will give you is the process, but if you want the full recipe check out Susan's recipe over at Food Blogga.

Grilled Apricot Toasts with Prosciutto and Mascarpone Cheese

Crusty Bread
Olive Oil
Apricots
Mascarpone Cheese
Honey
Fresh Rosemary (my grocery store was out of Rosemary, so I used thyme. Still great)

Brush slices of crusty bread with olive oil, grill until golden brown, flip, repeat. Set aside. Cut apricots in half, brush with olive oil and place cut side down on the grill. Cook until grill marks appear, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook for a minute or two, just to help the fruit warm all the way through. When done, cut each half into four wedges.
Assembly: On each piece of toast spread a layer of mascarpone, then place a slice of prosciutto,  (I put mine on the grill pan for a few seconds to bring it to room temperature.) drizzle with honey, and top with a little rosemary (or thyme in my case). These are great warm or room temperature.

Tip: Use a grill pan, these are fast, and then you don't have to heat up your grill.

Thank Susan for the recipe - what a great balance of flavors and textures!

Barbecue Meatballs

This is a favorite recipe in our house. My husband would like me to make this every week (but I need more variety than that). I did a tutorial, for my friend Katy, who told me she likes to see how things are made.
This would also be a great thing to make for your superbowl party in a couple weeks. You can make the meatballs ahead, freeze them, and then put these together just before game time.

Barbecue Meatballs

Meatballs

3 pieces white bread, crusts removed
milk
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 small onion, diced fine
1 tsp fresh garlic, grated
1 Tbsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 egg

Sauce

1 (12 oz) jar chili sauce
1 (12 oz) jar grape jelly

1. Tear bread into a few pieces and cover with milk. (I smashed mine down after the picture so it was covered).
2. Gather ingredients. This is why I don't like saying "2 garlic cloves." Look at those! They are enormous, almost as big as my egg!
3. Grate garlic with this beauty
4. About that much... I ended up using 1 1/2 enormous garlic cloves.
5. Dice onions
6. Combine meat and egg.
7. Now that your bread is soaked...
8. Break into small pieces and combine with meat.
9. Add remaining ingredients
10. Mix with hands until just combined. But don't over work the meat!

11. Roll into desired size. (mine were about 1 1/2 inches in diameter)
12. Bake at 400 degrees until almost done, for my size about 11-12 minutes.
13. This is the kind of chili sauce you must use. My mom says. If you don't have this brand (I don't even know what the brand is), then get the best kind you have. Combine this with jelly in your crockpot. (Might help to loosen the jelly in the microwave for a minute.)
14. Add meatballs to sauce. Let them marry flavors until warm, or until your party starts.
15. Serve over rice.

Tips:

• If you want to make these a little lower fat, do half ground turkey and half beef. It's still delicious.
• Use really light fluffy white bread, it makes it much more tender (like Wonderbread)
• For your Superbowl party, omit the rice and put a box of toothpicks next to your crockpot.
• If you don't have grape jelly, use whatever you have in the house
• If you want to make these meatballs ahead: once you have rolled out the balls put them in the freezer, once they are frozen, put in freezer safe bag until ready to bake. OR bake them, let them cool, then place in the freezer.
• Use these meatballs on your spaghetti too - just omit the sauce.