Mediterranean Meatballs with Tzatziki

I made this dish the first time on a whim, looking for something a little different and lower in carbs than a typical tomato-based sauce. Tzatziki is what the Greeks call their cucumber and yogurt sauce, variations of which are served all around the Mediterranean. We usually eat this for lunch or supper, but it also would make great hors d'oeuvres.

Meatballs
2 lbs ground beef
2 T dry minced onions
2 eggs
½ c grated Romano cheese (1 oz)
2 t dried parsley

1. Mix together all ingredients and form into 24 balls.
2. Bake on a metal rack set over a baking pan at 400°F for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through.

Tzatziki
1 small cucumber (5 oz)
½ t salt, divided
2 cloves garlic
1 c yogurt
⅛ pepper

1. Peel cucumber and slice thinly.
2. Sprinkle slices with ¼ t salt.
3. Set in colander to drain for at least 30 minutes.
4. Mash garlic with remaining salt to form a paste.
5. Add garlic paste to yogurt and cucumber slices and puree until smooth.
6. Refrigerate until chilled through.

Nutrition Facts (Meatballs)	Nutrition Facts (Tzatziki)
Serving Size 4 meatballs Serving per Recipe 6	Serving Size ¼ c Serving per Recipe 10
Amount per Serving Calories 516 Total Fat 43.1 g   Saturated Fat 17.6 g   Polyunsaturated Fat 2.0 g   Monounsaturated Fat 18.6 g Cholesterol 195 mg Sodium 184 mg Potassium 403 mg Total Carbohydrates 1.6 g   Dietary Fiber 0.2 g   Sugars 0.0 g Protein 28.9 g	Amount per Serving Calories 17.5 Total Fat 0.8 g   Saturated Fat 0.5 g   Polyunsaturated Fat 0.0 g   Monounsaturated Fat 0.2 g Cholesterol 3 mg Sodium 128 mg Potassium 59 mg Total Carbohydrates 1.6 g   Dietary Fiber 0.5 g   Sugars 1.3 g Protein 1.0 g

Strawberries and Cream Pipsicles

I find regular popsicle molds a bit big for my kids. The popsicles melt all over the house before they get eaten. Plus, they tend to come in sets of three or four pops. That means I either have to buy several sets, or else I'm making a new batch every other day. My solution? Pipsicles! Tiny little popsicles made in standard ice cube trays. The perfect size for my kids and they can be made 16 at a time. It's a win-win. This is probably our favorite pipsicle recipe, developed one week when strawberries were on sale and we somehow ended up bringing four pounds of them home.

10 oz fresh strawberries (about 20 berries)
1½ T honey
⅓ c heavy cream
⅓ c yogurt

1. Puree ingredients until smooth
2. Spoon 2 T into each section of a standard ice cube tray
3. Stand a toothpick in the center of each section
4. Freeze until solid

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 pipsicle Serving per Recipe 16

Amount per Serving Calories 32 Total Fat 2 g   Saturated Fat 1.2 g   Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1 g   Monounsaturated Fat 0.5 g Cholesterol 7 mg Sodium 4 mg Potassium 43 mg Total Carbohydrates 3.2 g   Dietary Fiber 0.6 g   Sugars 2.6 g Protein 0.4 g