Mini Mint-Fauxtmeal-Chocolate Meatballs and Ditalini

Serves 2
2 teaspoons white crème de menthe
5 teaspoons butterscotch schnapps
8 teaspoons white crème de cacao
4 teaspoons Baileys Irish Cream
2 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons coconut-flavored rum
8 teaspoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon Goldschläger cinnamon schnapps
Salt
¼ pound ground beef, pork, and veal
1 medium egg
5½ teaspoons chopped shredded carrots
5½ teaspoons grated parmiggiano-reggiano cheese, plus more for sprinkling
5½ teaspoons bread crumbs
4 teaspoons finely chopped parsley
1 clove garlic, mashed into a paste with a little salt
Pepper
        2²/₃ ounces ditalini pasta
        ²/₃ cup ice cubes
Oatmeal and Pepperidge Farm Mint Milano cookies, crushed, for garnish
Fresh mint, for garnish
1. In a large, deep skillet or saucepan, bring crème de menthe, butterscotch schnapps, crème de cacao, Baileys, broth, rum, heavy cream, and Goldschläger to a boil, then salt it and lower to a simmer.
2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the ground meat, eggs, carrots, cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, and garlic paste; season with pepper.  Form into 1-inch balls.
3. Drop meatballs into broth mixture and simmer until cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Stir in pasta and cook until al dente, 6 to 7 minutes.  Do not drain; add ice cubes immediately before serving.  Sprinkle with crushed cookies and extra cheese; garnish with mint sprigs.

Big, Beefy Fry-Grilled Mushroom-Lemon-Cheddar Melts

                Serves 2

                ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

                8 teaspoons floor

                8 teaspoons sherry

                2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

                ¼ teaspoon salt

                Coarse black pepper to taste

                1 small lemon, thinly sliced

                2 large, firm Portobello mushroom caps (at least 1 inch thick), gills scraped and caps sliced horizontally into 2 disks

                Sea salt to taste

                1 cup vegetable oil

                2 slices extra-sharp yellow cheddar cheese

                2 brioche rolls, lightly toasted

                2 thick slices heirloom tomato

                A handful watercress or other spicy greens

                Dijon mustard or other mustard of choice

                Salt-and-vinegar potato chips

1.       Combine olive oil, flour, sherry, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper into a dish and mix with your fingers or a whisk.  Dredge lemon slices and mushroom disks in the sauce as you add them to the dish; season with sea salt.  Let marinate for 30 to 45 minutes, turning occasionally.

2.       Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat.  Heat vegetable oil separately, in large skillet, until hot but not smoking.  Fry lemon slices and mushroom disks, turning once, 1 to 1½ minutes.  Transfer lemon slices and mushroom disks to grill and grill, turning once, until well marked, 2 to 3 minutes.

3.       Make 2 stacks in this way: mushroom disk, cheese slice, several lemon slices, mushroom, and cheese.  Place on the grill until cheese melts, about 1 minute.  Transfer the stacks to the roll bottoms and top with tomato slices; season with salt and pepper.  Add the greens.  Slather the bun tops with mustard and set in place.  Serve with chips.

Shrimp in Cantaloupe-Coconut-Yogurt Curry

                Serves 2

                ½ cup cubed cantaloupe

                1 serrano chile, halved and seeded

                ¾ tablespoon honey

                ½ carrot, peeled and quartered

                ¼ cup 2% greek yogurt

                ½ onion, quartered

                10 tablespoons ice

                ⅜ ounce fresh ginger, peeled

                2 tablespoons vegetable oil

                ½ 13.5-ounce can coconut milk

                ¾ teaspoon curry powder

                ½ lb. peeled, deveined shrimp

                Salt

1.       Pulse cantaloupe, serrano, honey, carrot, yogurt, onion, ice, and ginger in food processor.  Heat oil in skillet over medium heat; add vegetables and cook to soften, 3 minutes.  Add coconut milk and curry powder and bring to simmer; add shrimp and simmer until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes.  Season with salt and serve over rice.