On Top Of Spaghetti...

All FILLED with cheese.

Meatballs are good. Turkey meatballs are better. Cheese stuffed turkey meatballs are the best!

Normally we mix ground turkey in with the sauce, but this week (yes, we typically have spaghetti dinner once a week) I had a craving for meatballs. I was looking for a recipe and came upon this one on Picky Palate. Stuffing meatballs with mozzarella? Genius!

These meatballs are so delicious! I'm in love. I should mention this is the second stuffed recipe from Picky Palate that I have fallen for. Once again, Jenny is my hero.

I made 12 big meatballs, and am already out. I already plan on making these again for meatball subs next week. :)

Asparagus & Gruyere Tarts

Spring is finally starting to show itself. One sure sign of the season is the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. One of my favorite spring veggies is Asparagus. With Easter right around the corner, I thought this Asparagus Tart was perfect for a Spring/Easter dish.

I found this recipe on Closet Cooking, I LOVE Kevin's blog - he always makes the most delicious foods. What first caught my eye about this recipe wasn't the asparagus, it was the Gruyere cheese. Gruyere is by far my most favorite cheese, I would kill for it. Despite how expensive it is, I try to buy a small block any chance I can get. It's definitely not a cheap habit, but to me it's worth every penny.

This recipe also adds a spread of honey dijon mustard, I used honey mustard instead 'cause it was what I had on hand. I was pretty skeptical about the addition of mustard, seemed kind of odd to me, so I made a few tarts without mustard. Boy, was I wrong -I should have known better than to question Kevin's recipe. Shame on me. :/ The mustard tasted fantastic! The tarts without mustard weren't nearly as flavorful as the ones with mustard. Do NOT shy away from the mustard. Trust me :)

Homemade Mascarpone Cheese

I think we can all agree that mascarpone cheese is hard to find and once you do find it it is ridiculously expensive.

But, it's also ridiculously EASY to make! It is so easy (and cheap!) that you'll be slapping yourself silly wondering why the hell you've been spending a fortune on tiny tubs of the creamy cheese. This is even better for those of you who don't have any access to mascarpone.

Now all you have to worry about is... what to make with it? :)

-Jess

Fried Milk With Cream Cheese

I saw this interesting recipe for deep fried milk and cream cheese over on Table for 2. Immediately I was intrigued by it and wanted to make some right away.

The recipe calls for cream cheese and milk to be cooked together until the mixture forms into a thick pudding, after being refrigerated it is then sliced and fried. My mixture became a thick pudding, but was definitely not firm enough to slice. I think this was because I didn't cook it long enough to thicken properly.

No worries!

I decided, instead of making sticks, I'd make balls. Doing this worked just as well, if not better, as the sticks.

I was a little suspicious of this recipe to begin with, but I have to say, I'm really happy I tried it. I think the fried milk turned out really good! The crust is sweet and crispy, reminds me of rosettes. And the inside is really soft, very creamy. It had a great flavor, although I do wish the cream cheese was more prominent. I did add a good splash of vanilla to the milk to enhance the flavor.

I think these fried milk balls would be great served as an appetizer or even a dessert. :)

Please, visit Wendy's blog Table for 2... Or More for the recipe. I absolutely love her blog, and I know you will too. It doesn't take long at all to find delicious, and interesting, new recipes to try!

-Jess