I have this enduring love of Mediterranean cuisine; truly I do, whether it's "Egyptian Lentil Soup" or "Italian Pasta with Garlic and Oil"

It seems to me no matter how much I love meat and potatoes, owing to my Austrian-Irish heritage, I just can't get enough of that delicious and healthy Mediterranean diet...
Be it Humus or Kebab, Branzino or Paella—there are just so many healthy, flavorful and delicious choices to choose from...

Today I decided on a fusion of favorites and flavors from across the Aegean and Mediterranean; what I ended up creating was a Greek Bifteki, shaped like an Italian meatball and filled with an incredible mix of cheeses, spices and herbs from all across Turkey, Greece, Hungary, Bulgaria and Italy...

Topped with fresh cucumber, tomato, red onion and the "Tzatziki" yogurt sauce inside of a griddle warmed Pita bread—it was truly just a perfectly wonderful blending of tastes and flavors reminding me of my lovely travels across the seas surrounding the beautiful shores of Italy, Greece and Turkey...

This is one healthy dish to serve for lunch or dinner and is sure to become a family favorite in your own home—so why not give it a try; I think you will find that it is, oh so
"Definitely Delish"

"Bifteki Style Meatball Gyro" with "Tzatziki"

Ingredients:
Bifteki:
8 oz. ground Pork
8 oz. ground grass-fed lean Beef
4 oz. ground Lamb
4 tablespoons Red Onion, minced
2 teaspoons Shallot, minced
2 cloves Garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon Thyme, fresh chopped
2 tablespoons Italian Parsley, fresh chopped
1 teaspoon dried Greek Oregano (I used some I bought in Corfu at a roadside stand)
1/2 teaspoon Turkish Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Hungarian Paprika (Szeged brand)
2 teaspoons Mediterranean Sea Salt, fine
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper, fresh ground
1 tablespoon Kalamata Olive Oil (I used a bottle I bought in Olympia Greece)
1 tablespoon Italian Red Wine Vinegar
2/3 cup Panko style plain Breadcrumbs
1 large Egg
3-4 oz. Feta Cheese, grated (I used Bulgarian Feta for the smoother, less salty & tart taste)
2 1/2 small vine ripe Tomatoes, minced after seeds and insides removed (mine were Hothouse variety, just smaller than a golf ball in size)

Tzatziki:
2 (7 oz.) containers fat-free Greek Yogurt
1 Cucumber, seedless
1/4 cup low-fat Sour Cream
2 tablespoons Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed
1 tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
1 tablespoon Dill, fresh minced
1 1/2 teaspoons Garlic, finely minced
2 teaspoons Mediterranean Sea Salt
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper, freshly ground

Topping:
3-4 Kirby Cucumbers, diced
4-6 small vine ripe Tomatoes, seeded & diced
1 Red Onion, sliced or chopped
Sea Salt & Black Pepper
1/2 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
2 tablespoons Italian Parsley, fresh chopped

Other:
Fresh Made or Quality Store Brand Pita Bread

Directions:
Bifteki:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit; then in a large bowl add all of your minced and chopped ingredients along with your spices, meat, cheese, egg and breadcrumbs...
2. Mix well by hand. (I wear plastic gloves for this and when forming the meatballs)
3. Take out a baking tray with a rim and begin forming small meatballs, around 1 to 2 inches in size, placing them in the baking tray—then repeat with the remaining meat mixture until all of its used...
4. You'll end up with 40-60 meatballs depending on size. Now place the tray and bake them at 350 degrees for 35 minutes...
5. Once they are done cooking they can be stored in a container in the fridge for 3 or 4 days; when ready to use, heat a pan on the stove on medium high heat and brown the outside of the meatballs till warmed through and ready to eat...

Tzatziki:
1. Place the yogurt in a medium bowl…
2. Grate the cucumber on a grater and squeeze the grated cucumber with your hand, or using cheesecloth, to remove some of the liquid….l
3. Add it to the yogurt along with the sour cream, lemon juice, vinegar, dill, garlic, salt and pepper and stir to combine…
4. Refrigerate until ready to use…

Toppings:
1. Dice the cucumbers and place them in a small container or Ziploc bag with a dash of sea salt and pepper with the red wine vinegar—then toss to combine and refrigerate until ready to use...
2. Remove seeds and inside of tomatoes, then dice and store in a small container or Ziploc bag till needed—repeat with the red onion and parsley...

Gyro:
1. Warm a skillet or griddle pan on the stove at medium heat and lightly toast/warm your pita bread on both sides...
2. Put 2 tablespoons of Tzatziki sauce on the "Gyro" with 4-6 "Bifteki" meatballs, some of the cucumbers, tomatoes and parsley—then enjoy....

*"White on White on Blue"-Santorini by R.Fisher*

I love coming home, or getting up on a weekend and throwing a huge pot of sauce on to simmer the whole day. Especially when it's my "Sunday Gravy" or "Bolognese Sauce" recipes; which are just full of a ton of yummy, delicious flavors & meats...

Time, though, is not always on my side. So not to long back I worked out a way of cutting the time down on my personal "Bolognese Sauce" recipe from 6 or 7 hours of slow cooking, simmering, goodness to a more manageable 3 hours or less - which has been nothing short of incredible if you ask me...

Now after years of doing certain things a certain way; my "Bolognese" perfected, my meatball recipe for my "Sunday Gravy" set - I decided it was high time to try to play around with everything and make something new out of thin air...

So taking up some of my very best, tried and true recipes; I then force-ably smashed them together, and from the scattered remnants I started picking through the fragments of tasty puzzle pieces left hither & thither across the length & breadth of my kitchen island...

From these bits and pieces of culinary invention I began to cobble together a new, imaginative, culinary creation for me and the family to enjoy - and that's where this delicious dish first sparked to life...

So fitting some of the tastes and ingredients of my "Bolognese" with my recipe for "Meatballs" and throwing that in with a slightly altered version of my "Capellini Aglio e Olio" I ended up with this extremely tasty dinner treat; which, for want of a better name, I am calling for now "Veal Bolognese Balls with Pasta & Garlic in Oil" or "Vitello Bolognesi Sfere con Capellini & Aglio e Olio"

I know, I know; I definitely need to figure a better name down the road for this tasty pasta dish but for now it'll do, because regardless of what it's called - it is, oh so "Definitely Delish"

"Veal Bolognese Style Meatballs with Pasta & Garlic in Oil"
(Vitello Bolognesi Sfere con Capellini & Aglio e Olio)

Ingredients:
For Meatballs:
1 pound ground Veal
4 ounces lean Pancetta (or Prosciutto), thick cut & diced
1/2 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan, Asiago & Romano cheese, grated & mixed
1/4 White Wine
1/4 Red Wine
1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
2 cloves fresh Garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup Fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
2 Eggs, room temperature
1/2 sweet Vidalia Onion, minced
1/2 teaspoon each of Sea Salt and Black Pepper

For Pasta:
1 lb dried Capellini pasta
1/2 cup Olive Oil
4 tablespoons Butter
9 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup fresh parsley, minced
3/4 cup white wine (Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)
1 teaspoon fresh Basil, minced
1 teaspoon fresh Oregano, minced
1/4 teaspoon Paprika
1/2 cup Parmesan, Romano & Asiago cheeses, freshly grated & mixed together
1 teaspoon Pink (or Sea) Salt
1/2 teaspoon Ground black pepper
1 lemon, juiced

Directions:
For Meatballs:
1. Place ground Veal (Beef or Beef substitute if desired) in a bowl and then add both the red and white wine; mix them together, then allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes...
2. Meanwhile grate your cheese, chop your parsley and mince your onion and garlic in preparation...
3. At this time heat a small frying pan over medium to medium high heat and cook your pancetta (or proscioutto) till it just begins to brown, 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat. (Do not overcook, it will cook more in oven)
4. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (see Notes for options); then add all of your meatball ingredients to the bowl containing your meat, and mix extremely well using your hands...
5. Take out a cookie sheet or baking tray with a lip and begin rolling your meatballs; I try not to pack them overly tightly, and stick to medium and small sizes so that you make a good amount of meatballs from the bowl of mix...
6. Place each meatball onto the baking tray, and once you've used up all of the meat, place them into the oven to bake for 30 minutes or cooked through. (Do not overcook to avoid drying them out) While they bake, prepare your pasta...

*"Baked Meatballs with Pasta and Garlic"*

For Pasta:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add the pasta, cooking until al dente, about 3 minutes (for Capellini); reserve 3 cups of cooking liquid from the pot on the side, then run the pasta itself under cool water to stop the cooking process....
2. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat...
3. Add garlic and stir frequently until the garlic is nice and golden...
4. Then add red pepper flakes, salt and pepper...
5. Next add 4 tablespoons of butter and melt, stirring...
6. Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes more, then add in the 3/4 cup of white wine and cook for an additional minute or two before adding the pinch of basil and dash of paprika...
7. Add the Al dente cooked Pasta directly to the pan. Toss until it is thoroughly coated with the garlic oil, add reserved cooking liquid (1/2 cup at a time) as needed to thin the butter/wine/garlic/oil sauce on the pasta...
8. Add several pinches of parsley and a couple of tablespoons of fresh grated Parmesan, Romano & Asiago cheeses along with the juice from 1 lemon and stir...
9. Now add the baked Veal Meatballs to the pot, mix in and cook - stirring to meld flavors for a couple minutes more....
10. Remove pan from heat; add the remaining parsley, grated cheeses and then toss well. Check for flavor and adjust the salt & pepper if necessary. (If needed add additional reserved cooking liquid)
11. Garnish with more Parsley and Parmesan if desired—then serve and enjoy....

Notes:
1. Serve with a nice white wine; such as a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. Also, hot crusty Italian bread with plenty of softened butter as well as extra grated cheese is a must in our home when serving this up...
2. Alternatively you can cook the Meatballs in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until cooked through...
3. If you are against veal, or dislike beef or pork you can also try this with ground turkey or chicken - though the taste will be different depending on the meat or meat mix you use...