5 Star Makeover Roundup: Meatballs

This month our challenge was to transform a classic comfort dish, Meatballs, into a 5 star gourmet dish. I was so impressed with the variety and the uniqueness of the creations in our group. Thank you all for your hard work and creativity! Please, enjoy looking through all the meatballs and don't forget to click on the title link to check out the recipes and more details of all the dishes.

5-Spice Duck Meatballs with Scallion Bacon Pancakes and Hoisin Mayo

by Natasha, 5 Star Foodie

5 Star Makeover: Tirolerknödel with Foie Gras Sausages

by Evelyne, Cheap Ethnic Eatz

Meatball BBQ Plate

by Lazaro, Lazaro Cooks!

A Quinoa Meatball Landscape
by Lori Lynn, Taste With the Eyes

Truffled Pork and White Bean Meatballs with Porcini and Truffle Sauce
by Linda, The Squashed Tomato

Bison Meatballs with Pickled Red Onions, Avocado Relish & Spicy Aji Amarillo Sauce

by Debi, Table Talk

Meatloaf Meatballs

by Marisa, Cook's Book

Duck and Date Meatballs

by Kelly, The Pink Apron

Fish Meatballs in Tomato Saffron Cream Sauce

by Trix, Tasty Trix

Game of the Goose Meatballs

by Deana, LostPastRemembered

Crunchy and Crusted: Crinkle Meatballs

by Jessica, Bacon and Soufflé

Thai-Inspired Meatballs with Vinegar Pickled Cucumbers

by Tanantha, I Just Love My Apron

Chicken Pate Truffles

by Priscilla, She's Cookin'

Meatballs with Savory Blueberry and Pear Compote

by Angela, Spinach Tiger

Vegetarian "Meatballs" with 5 Star Flair

by Alisha, The Ardent Epicure

5 Star Makeover: 5-Spice Duck Meatballs with Scallion Bacon Pancakes and Hoisin Mayo

After taking two months off for the holidays, our 5 Star Makeover cooking group is back together for a new exciting year. This month our theme is meatballs. It is a fun challenge to try to transform this classic comfort dish into a gourmet dish. I am looking forward to seeing everyone's unique creations which will be posted here this Friday! For my dish, I have decided to make Chinese fusion meatballs to celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year, 5-Spice Duck Meatballs with Scallion Bacon Pancakes and Hoisin Mayo. To make the meatballs, I put the duck meat, trimmed of skin and fat, through the grinder, along with onions. Then I mixed the ground duck meat mixture with Panko breadcrumbs moistened with a little bit of cream, salt, pepper, and 5-spice. I formed the meatballs and fried them in hot chili oil and melted butter. In addition to scallions I added Mangalitsa bacon pieces (from Marx Foods) to the pancakes. Hoisin mayo was a combination of homemade mayonnaise and Hoisin sauce. The savory and rich Mangalitsa bacon, aromatic 5 spice, the sweet Hoisin sauce and a bit of a spicy kick from the hot chili oil were an excellent combination in this dish.

5 Star Foodie Junior: "Kitchen Sink" Nishiki Rice Wrap

Welcome to the January edition of 5 Star Foodie Junior, a series of monthly posts that feature my daughter learning how to cook in the kitchen. Featured this month is a rice dish, with a terrific combination of ingredients that 5 Star Foodie Junior came up with all by herself.

5 Star Foodie Junior: One of my favorite foods of all is rice. I love all kinds of rice, and one day I decided to make my own rice dish, a "kitchen sink" rice. I used Nishiki rice, which has a special nutty taste and a bite to it. To the rice, I added: Buttered corn kernels,

Green onions,

Mandarin oranges,

And seared shrimp.

Then I mixed everything together along with Teriyaki sauce.

We ate this rice by itself and also in a Cracked Pepper Wrap from New York Deli Wraps that Mommy for a sample. It was delicious!