Teriyaki Meatballs

I love this recipe. It’s very flavorful and I had basically all of the ingredients on hand. Also, it’s easy and involves no chopping. I’ve made it twice (once on my sister’s birthday at her request) and plan to make it many times in the future.

Ingredients:
Meatballs:
1.5 pounds ground beef (at least 90% lean)
2 eggs
2/3 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons milk

Sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 3/4 cups water
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water

Directions:
For the sauce, in a medium bowl mix the soy sauce, 1 3/4 cups water, ginger, garlic powder, brown sugar, and honey together. In a separate small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch into the 1/2 cup cold water. Set both bowls aside.

For the meatballs, in a large bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients except for the ground beef and mix well. Add the ground beef and mix until combined. Form ground beef mixture into 1 to 1 1/2-inch meatballs. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat two tablespoons oil over medium heat until the oil is rippling and hot. Add the meatballs to the hot skillet and brown on all sides, turning with a pair of tongs. The meatballs don’t need to be completely cooked through, just equally browned on all sides.

When the meatballs have browned, pour the sauce ingredients over the meatballs and gently turn the meatballs to coat them in the sauce. Heat the sauce until just simmering and add the cornstarch/water mixture, carefully mixing so as not to break apart the meatballs as you combine the cornstarch mixture with the teriyaki sauce. Simmer the meatballs and sauce over medium heat, maintaining a constant simmer but not cooking at too high of a boil, until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce is thick and smooth, about 10-15 minutes, turning the meatballs every two or three minutes to ensure even cooking. Serve over rice.

*I found this recipe at: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/01/teriyaki-meatballs.html

Can’t go wrong with any of her recipes! Oh PS- it makes a lot.

Honey Mustard Chicken & Rice Pilaf

The complete title of this dish is "Honey Mustard Chicken & Rice Pilaf with Kale & Red Peppers." That seemed a little long. I've never used kale before, but I'm assuming it tastes similar to spinach. It looks a lot like spinach and I didn't have kale available, so I used spinach. Spinach was good. This meal was easy and yummy. It was so good that my sister (who is the world's pickiest eater) loved it!

Ingredients:
2 c brown rice
olive oil cookng spray
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
1/4 c diced white onion
1 large bunch kale, stems removed and finely minced
1/2 diced red bell pepper
2 tbsp honey
1/4 c dijon mustard
1/8 c apple cider vinegar
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
sea salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley

Directions:
Cook rice according to package.

Heat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over high heat for 1 minute. Reduce heat to med-high, mist pan with spray, and saute chicken for about 5 minutes or until cooked through. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Mist same pan with cooking spray. Add onion, kale and red pepper and saute for about 3 minutes. Add rice to veggies and saute until warm. Remove all from pan and keep warm.

In a medium bowl, whisk together honey, mustard, vinegar, oil, garlic, and 2 tbsp water. Season with salt and pepper. Reheat pan over med-high heat, add chicken and sauce to pan and saute for about 3 minutes.

Divide rice among four plates, top with chicken and sprinkle with parsley. Serve!

Beef & Broccoli Orange Stir-Fry

This was so delicious! I got this recipe from Clean Eating Magazine (March/April 2010) I made this ages ago, but since I have time now, here's the recipe.

Ingredients:
12 oz soba noodles (in the international food aisle)
olive oil cooking spray
1 lb lean round steak, pounded to 1/4 inch, sliced into strips
1/2 c diced white onion
2 c fresh broccoli florets, bite-size pieces
1/2 julienned red bell pepper
3 tbsp soy sauce
juice of 1 medium orange
1 tbsp orange zest
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp honey
2 tsp whole-wheat flour (works with white flour)

Directions:
Cook noodles according to package and set aside.

Heat large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over high heat. Reduce heat to med-high, mist with cooking spray and saute steak for about 5 minutes or until cooked through. Remove steak, leaving juices in the pan.

Mist same pan with cooking spray. Add onion, broccoli and pepper and saute over med-high for about 5 minutes or until cooked through.

In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, orange juice, zest, garlic and honey.

Add steak back to veggies in pan and pour in sauce. Saute over med-high heat for about 2 minutes, then whisk in flour to thicken for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add noodles to pan and cook until warmed.

Enjoy!

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Yes, I know we have a lot of chicken and broccoli casserole recipes on this blog. I can't help but share this one, though! It has a great, light flavor. It doesn't have any condensed soup in it (I've been minimizing my use of condensed soup lately). And it's just a bit different than any that I've tried before now. I very much enjoyed it. James even liked it (he loves pasta and broccoli :) )!

I found this recipe at Lillian's Food. It's the same blog where I found the recipe for Spaghetti alla Carbonara. The flavors of her recipes are sophisticated and light. I like them a lot.

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

adapted from Lillian's Food

Ingredients:

1 lb. uncooked pasta (I used bowtie, but penne or rotini would work well, too)

2 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

2 broccoli heads, cut into small florets*

vegetable oil

1/2 red onion, diced (other types of onions work, too)

3 T. butter

3 T. flour

3 c. milk

pinch of nutmeg

1/4 c. panko (or other bread crumbs)

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 T. minced fresh flat leaf parsley

*Lillian said that this casserole can be made with almost any vegetable. She listed asparagus and zucchini as good options.

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to directions on package.

Steam broccoli for a couple minutes (longer if you like your broccoli very tender). This casserole doesn't cook in the oven for very long, so you want your broccoli to be almost the way you like it before putting it with everything else.

Heat a little bit of oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until lightly browned on all sides and fully cooked in the middle. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and saute for a few minutes. Add flour, stirring constantly, and cook for a minute or two. Slowly add milk, whisking continuously. Whisk frequently until sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Once pasta is finished cooking, drain and return to pot. Add chicken, broccoli, and white sauce to the pot and combine. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish. Turn oven on to broil.

In a small bowl or ziploc bag (I prefer ziploc bags since it's so easy to shake up all the ingredients), combine panko, Parmesan cheese, and parsley. Sprinkle evenly over pasta mixture. Place casserole under the broiler until bread crumbs are golden brown and casserole is bubbling around the edges. Check frequently so that it doesn't burn (it goes fast). Mine took about 5 minutes.

Like I said, I really enjoyed this casserole because it's slightly different from others out there. Be sure to season it with enough salt and pepper so that it isn't too bland. Here's a link to the original recipe: Chicken and Broccoli Casserole.

Meatball Soup

I made this soup last year and kept forgetting to post the recipe. This is a delicious and very healthy soup. We served breadsticks on the side for a perfect meal! This recipe was found in what my family called the checkerboard cookbook (Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook).

Ingredients:
1 beaten egg white
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs*
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp black pepper
8 oz. lean ground beef
2 14-oz. cans beef broth
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, undrained
1 15-oz. can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup dried small bow tie pasta
3 cups torn fresh spinach or 1/2 of 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

Directions:
In medium bowl combine egg white, bread crumbs, onion, garlic powder, and pepper. Add ground beef; mix well. Shape meat mixture into thirty-six 3/4-inch meatballs (sounds really precise...I just made small meatballs)

Lightly coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Cook meatballs over medium heat about 8 minutes or until no pink remains, turning occasionally to brown evenly. Set meatballs aside

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan stir together broth, undrained tomatoes, garbanzo beans, mushrooms, and water. Bring to boil; add pasta. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 10 to 12 minutes or until pasta is tender. Stir in meatballs and spinach. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes more or just until fresh spinach wilts or frozen spinach is heated through.

*I used regular bread crumbs and I think my meatballs were a little more fragile because of it. I'm not sure. But it turned out with regular bread crumbs.

Creamy White Chili

I really enjoyed this chili! I keep accidentally calling it soup, though, because it's on the thin side for a chili. It was very flavorful, just spicy enough, and nice and filling.

Creamy White Chili

Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

1 medium onion, diced

1 1/2 t. garlic powder (it seemed like a lot to me, but I went with it, and it was delicious!)

1 T. oil

2 cans (about 15 oz each) Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (or about 1 3/4 c.) chicken broth

2 cans (4 oz. each) chopped green chilies

1 t. salt

1 t. cumin

1 t. oregano

1/2 t. pepper

1/4 t. cayenne pepper

1 c. sour cream

1/2 c. cream

Directions:

In a large saucepan saute chicken, onions, and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies, and seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and cream. Serve immediately.

Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired. Also, it tastes really good served with tortilla chips. We only had a tiny bit of chips in the bottom of a bag, and we were going for every last little crumb. ;)

Once again, it's a big hit from My Kitchen Cafe. Her site is really full of great ideas! Here's a link to the original recipe: Creamy White Chili.

Smoky Chipotle-Chicken Corn Chowder with Salsa Salad

I enjoyed this Rachel Ray recipe a lot more than the last one I tried. It was flavorful and yummy. Be forewarned, though, the soup is on the spicy side! Those chipotle chilies in adobo sauce are mighty spicy!

The food didn't photograph very well (with my limited skills and basic camera anyway), but it was definitely tasty. My favorite was the soup, but to my surprise, James really loved the salad! Well, he ate a bunch of avocado from it anyway. ;)

Here are the two recipes:

Smoky Chipotle-Chicken Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 chipotle chili in adobo, chopped (these come in a can in the Mexican food section of the store)

2 ribs celery, finely chopped

1 t. ground coriander

1/2 t. cumin (wow, I totally left this out last night...I was having a very clumsy pregnant-brain night)

salt and pepper

tortilla chips (enough for 1 c. finely crushed crumbs and some more for serving)

1 quart chicken broth (or stock)

3 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

20 oz. frozen corn

1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

Preheat a large soup pot over medium-high heat with olive oil. Add the onions, celery, garlic, chipotle chili, celery, coriander, cumin, and a little salt and pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions start to become tender.

Meanwhile, crush enough tortilla chips to make 1 c. crumbs. You can do this either in a food processor or by hand in a ziploc bag. Add the chips and chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 8-10 minutes.

Add chicken and corn and continue to cook until chicken is done (about 5 minutes). At this point, simmer on medium-low heat until you are ready to serve. If the soup is too thick add more broth, and if it's too thin, keep simmering until it reduces to your liking. Stir in parsley before serving. Serve with Salsa salad and tortilla chips.

Salsa Salad

Ingredients:

juice of 2 limes

1 T. dijon mustard

3 T. olive oil

2 ripe avocados

1 pint grape tomatoes

2 T. fresh cilantro, chopped

1 small head romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine lime juice and mustard with a wire whisk. Gently whisk in the olive oil. Set dressing aside. Slice the avocados and cut the grape tomatoes in half. Place them in a large bowl. Add the lettuce, cilantro, and red onions. Toss salad with dressing and serve.

I think I may top the soup with a dollop of sour cream in the future to offset the spiciness. It was a little too much for me otherwise. Like I said, though, the soup was very tasty. Also, the salad dressing is rather strong, so you may want to taste it before pouring it all on the salad. I probably would have used a little less of it if I had tasted it first.

Enjoy!

Chickpea Burger with Sweet Potato Fries

Surprisingly good! Start the potatoes first and work on the burgers while they're cooking.

Burger Ingredients:

2 tsp oil
1/3 c. finely chopped raw onion
1 tsp mixed dried herbs
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/3c. finely chopped raw peppers (I used a little of green, yellow, and orange bells)
1 c. canned chickpeas (garbanzo)
3/4 c. cooked soya (soy) beans (I used canned black beans)
1/3 c. dry oatmeal
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro

Veggie Shreds - Mozzarella flavored (this is used as "cheese" and can be found at the health foods store)

Directions:

Heat 1 tsp oil on medium heat and cook onions and spices, stirring, for about 2 minutes.

Add peppers. Cook, stirring for about 3 minutes, until everything is tender and the mixture is dry.

In a food-processor (I used a blender), blend the chickpeas and beans. Add the oats, onion-pepper mixture and cilantro and blend again.

Squeeze together into burgers - I made 6. You might need to add a few more oats if it is too sticky. Heat remaining oil on medium and cook burgers for 4-5 mins on each side, until heated through. Place Veggie Shreds on top until melted.

Sweet Potato Fries Ingredients:

1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled

1 tsp olive oil

kosher salt

ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450.

Cut potatoes, "french fry" style. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Arrange potatoes on a nonstick baking sheet and bake for about 30 - 40 minutes, depending on the thickness of your potatoes. Even if you burn them a little (which I did), they're still good. They kind of taste like burnt marshmallows.