Saucy Asian Meatballs Recipe

Saucy Asian Meatballs Recipe

Ingredients:

Meatball Ingredients:

- 2 Ibs ground pork or ground beef

- 2 tsp. sesame oil

- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

- 2 eggs

- 3 tsp. minced garlic

- 1/2 cup thinly-sliced green onions

- optional garnish: toasted sesame seeds, sliced scallions

Asian Sauce Ingredients:

- 2/3 cup hoisin sauce

- 1/4 cup rice vinegar

- 2 garlic cloves, minced

- 1 tsp. sesame oil

- 1 tsp. ground ginger 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

In a large bowl, mix together meatball ingredients until well-combined. Shaped into balls (I made mine about 1.5 inches, yielded 25 meatballs), and place on a greased baking sheet or in a 9x13 baking dish. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until meatballs are golden on the outside and no longer pink on the inside.

While the meatballs are baking, whisk together all the sauce ingredients until blended. Once meatballs have finished cooking, you can either dip each meatball individually (using a toothpick) in the sauce mixture. Or you can pour the sauce over the meatballs and gently stir them until covered. 

Serve warm, sprinkle with additional garnish if desired. 

Simple Nacho Cheese Recipe

Simple Nacho Cheese Recipe

4 oz. pepper jack cheese,shredded
4 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk, divided
2 teaspoons hot sauce
pinch salt

Toss together cheese and cornstarch, in a medium-sized saucepan, until evenly coated. Stir in 1 cup evaporated milk, the hot sauce and salt. Cook, stirring often, over medium-low heat until thickened, smooth and bubbly. Stir in additional evaporated milk, if needed, until desired consistency is reached.

BLT Chicken

BLT Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c. bar-b-que sauce ( I use Bull's Eye)
1/4 c. real bacon bits
1 c. colby and jack cheese, shredded
1 14 oz. can Rotel tomatoes, drained (canned with green chilies added)
sliced green onions
pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pound out chicken breasts to flatten. Season with pepper. Grill chicken until no long pink (we used our George Foreman grill) and place on baking sheet covered with foil. Top each chicken breast with one tablespoon bar-b-que sauce, 1/4 c. cheese, 1/4 c. tomatoes, green onions and one tablespoon of bacon bits. Place in oven and bake until cheese is melted (about 5 minutes).

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PJ’s Meatballs and Sauce

PJ’s Meatballs and Sauce

(makes 12-15 meatballs and 4 cups marinara sauce)

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 28oz can crushed or ground, peeled tomatoes

1 6 oz can tomato paste

1 tablespoon dried oregano

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

For the meatballs:

1 lb ground beef (80-85% lean)

1 egg

1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

2 ½ teaspoons dried mint

2 teaspoons dried oregano

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

Make the sauce:

Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan completely. Add the onion and garlic and saute, stirring occasionally, for about 7 minutes, until browned. Lower the heat if they begin to burn. The more color that develops on the onion and garlic, the more flavor they’ll add to the finished sauce.

Once the onions and garlic are tender and caramel in color, add the crushed tomatoes and the tomato paste and stir until the mixture is smooth and well combined.

Add the remaining ingredients (oregano through pepper), stir, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Lower the heat to the lowest setting, cover and let cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the bottom does not burn.

Make the meatballs:

Break apart the beef as best you can in a large mixing bowl. Lightly beat the egg in a small bowl and then pout evenly over the top of the beef. Sprinkle the bread crumbs, oregano, mint, salt, and pepper over the beef and egg and use your hands to blend the whole mixture into one uniform mass. You do not want to overwork you beef, or it will yield tough meatballs, but you do want to incorporate all of the ingredients into the ground beef so that each meatball will have a bit of the breadcrumbs and herbs and spices.

Shape the meat mixture into about 15 1” balls. Drop into the sauce, stir gently so that they’re all covered in sauce, and then let them cook, covered, for about 45 minutes to 1 hour over low heat. Stir the pot occasionally to prevent burning.

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Cucumber and Avocado Summer Rolls with Mustard-Soy Sauce

Cucumber and Avocado Summer Rolls with Mustard-Soy Sauce

Ingredients:

• Juice from 1/2 lime
• 2 Tbs. rice bran or canola oil
• 1 Tbs. rice vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• 2 Haas avocados
• 20 rice paper rounds, 6 or 8 inches in diameter
• 10 green lettuce leaves
• Leaves from 1 bunch fresh basil
• Leaves from 1 bunch fresh mint
• 2 carrots, coarsely shredded
• 1/2 English cucumber, cut into thin strips

Directions:

In a small bowl, stir together the lime juice, oil, vinegar, mustard, soy sauce and brown sugar until the sugar dissolves; set aside.

Halve, pit and peel the avocados, and then cut them into 1/2-inch dice.

Place a wide, shallow bowl of warm water on a work surface. Lay a clean kitchen towel next to the bowl. Dip 1 rice paper round into the water for a few seconds to soften, then lay it flat on the towel. Dip a second round into the water and lay it directly on top of the first one. Using another towel, pat the top of the rice paper dry.

Center a lettuce leaf on top of the stacked rice papers. Starting about one-third in from the edge closest to you, arrange a few of the basil and mint leaves in a line across the lettuce. Top with a small row each of the carrot, cucumber and avocado; be careful not to overstuff the roll. Lift the bottom edge of the rice paper up and over the filling and then roll once to form a tight cylinder. Fold in the sides of the rice paper and continue to roll the paper and filling into a tight cylinder. Set aside, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining rice paper and filling ingredients to make 10 rolls.

Cut each roll in half crosswise and arrange, cut side up, on a platter. Place the sauce alongside for dipping and serve immediately. Makes 20 rolls; serves 8 to 10. 

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Nacho Cheese Sauce

Nacho Cheese Sauce

• 4 oz. pepper jack cheese,shredded
• 4 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk, divided
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce
• pinch salt

Toss together cheese and cornstarch, in a medium-sized saucepan, until evenly coated. Stir in 1 cup evaporated milk, the hot sauce and salt. Cook, stirring often, over medium-low heat until thickened, smooth and bubbly. Stir in additional evaporated milk, if needed, until desired consistency is reached.

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Zucchini Fritters with Tzatziki

Zucchini Fritters with Tzatziki

2 cups coarsely grated zucchini
1/2 cup coarsely grated potato
kosher salt
pinch of flour
1 egg
1 tablespoon chopped chives (or whatever herb you like)
1 tablespoon chopped mint (or whatever herb you like)
zest of one lemon
1/4 cup diced white onion
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Tzatziki:
1 cup Greek yogurt
2 T. finely diced red onion
1 T. chopped mint
kosher salt
squeeze of lemon juice

1. Place the grated zucchini and potato in a colander. Spread the veggies out to allow for maximum surface area exposure and sprinkle all over with kosher salt. Let sit for at least 30 minutes to drain.

2. Meanwhile, make the tzatziki, if desired: Stir together yogurt, onion, mint, salt and lemon juice. Taste. Add more salt if necessary. Chill until ready to use.

3. After the 30 minutes, squeeze veggies out and wrap in paper towels. Squeeze again. [Note: The veggies will not drain out enough liquid on their own in the collander, so squeezing them with a paper towel is a critical step to mopping up that moisture.] Open up the paper towel and spread out your veggies. Sprinkle with a pinch of flour to soak up leftover moisture.

4. In a bowl, whisk together egg, herbs and lemon zest. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add onion and grated zucchini-potato mixture. Stir well.

5. Preheat over to 200˚F. Place a foil-lined cookie sheet in the oven. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter. When foam subsides, drop a spoonful of your fritter batter in. Gently pat with a spatula to flatten out the fritters, which will help make them crispy.

6. Cook about 3 fritters at a time until golden brown on each side. Place fritters in the oven while you make additional pancakes. Serve as soon as possible with tzatziki on the side.

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Angel Hair Pasta In Garlic Sauce

• 1 (16 ounce) package capellini (angel hair pasta)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1. 1
   Cook pasta as directed on package.
2. 2
   Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
3. 3
   Saute parsley and garlic in oil.
4. 4
   Drain pasta well and mix with garlic mixture; top with cheese.
5. 5
   Serve with pepper.

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Baked Tofu

Baked Tofu

1 (16-ounce) block extra firm tofu
1/2 cup soy sauce or other marinade

Drain and rinse the block of tofu. Set it on a clean dish towel (or paper towels) on a rimmed dinner plate. Place another plate on top and weight it down with something heavy, like a handy can of tomatoes or a heavy skillet, to press out some of the excess liquid. Let sit 15 - 30 minutes.

Cut the tofu into pieces. You can do cubes for croutons, sticks for dipping, flat squares to layer on sandwiches, or any other shape you feel like.

Put the cut tofu in a shallow dish, cover with marinade, and let sit for 15 - 30 minutes. Flip the tofu a few times so the marinade is absorbed evenly. The longer you let the tofu sit, the deeper the flavor will be.

Pre-heat your oven (or toaster oven!) to 350-degrees. Cover a baking sheet (or toaster oven insert) with aluminum foil and coat with non-stick spray. Cook the tofu cubes for 10 minutes and then flip them over. Continue cooking and flipping every 10 minutes until the tofu is as baked as you like it, 20 - 45 minutes total.

As you bake, the tofu will shrink, the texture will get chewier, and the flavor will get more concentrated. For salads, we like it baked so it's just toasted on the outside but still silken in the middle. For snacking or dipping, we like to bake it until it's pretty dense and has a good bite.

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Strawberry Shortcake Sushi + Strawberry Coulis

Strawberry Shortcake Sushi

Ingredients:

cake -

• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 eggs + 2 more egg whites
• 1 t vanilla
• 2 T powdered sugar, for the towel when wrapping the cake

filling* -

• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 t vanilla or 1/2 a vanilla bean
• 1 cup diced strawberries + more for topping

* I had a little less than half left over, so feel free to cut the filling recipe in half and you should be fine.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400º. Coat a 15 x 10-inch jelly roll cookie sheet with cooking spray; line the bottom with parchment paper, and coat with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl using an electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer beat together the eggs and sugar at high speed until pale and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Stir in vanilla.
3. Add the flour mixture half at a time mixing on low until each portion is mixed in completely.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan; spread evenly. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cake springs back when touched.
5. While the cake is baking sprinkle a clean dish towel with powdered sugar.
6. Remove the cake from the oven. Cut the cake in half long ways so that you have 2 long rectangles. Invert onto the powdered sugared towel. Peel off the parchment and on each side of the towel roll the cakes from the long side toward the center. Flip the towel wrapped cakes over seem-side down on the counter for 30 minutes to an hour to cool.
7. Make filling. Beat together the whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until fluffy and thick. Stir in the strawberries.
8. Unroll the cakes from the towel and either pipe or spread the filling into the center. Roll up so the ends touch and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for a couple hours or over night.
9. Slice, using a serrated knife into sushi-sized pieces. I ended up with about 18 pieces. Top with a strawberry slice and serve with strawberry coulis

Strawberry Coulis

Ingredients:

• 2 cups quartered and hulled strawberries, mashed
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 T granulated sugar
• 1 T lemon juice

Directions:

1. Combine strawberries, water, sugar and lemon juice in a blender. Blend until very smooth. Press through a fine mesh strainer to remove seeds. Cover and refrigerate until cool. Place in a small dish for sushi dipping!

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Shrimp with Spicy Garlic Sauce

Shrimp with Spicy Garlic Sauce

Serves 4

• 1 1/2 pounds uncooked large shrimp
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons chili sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped
• 1 pinch freshly-ground black pepper
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced

1. Peel the shrimp, leaving the tail segments intact. Devein the shrimp if you choose.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, chili sauce, sesame oil, rice wine, and sugar and set aside.

3. In a wok or large pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir-fry the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and cook until both sides are pink, about 2 minutes on each side. Add the sauce mixture and stir so the shrimp is fully coated. Season with black pepper.

4. Remove from the heat and garnish with chopped scallions. Serve with rice or vegetables.

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Pasta Pie Recipe

Pasta  Pie

• 1 pound Rigatoni
• 2 Tablespoons Olive oil, divided
• 1 pound Ground beef (I used ground sirloin)
• 2 Garlic gloves, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon Freshly ground pepper

• 1 can (28 ounces) Good quality crushed tomatoes
• Butter, for pan
• Salt
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 8 ounces Coarsely grated mozzarella cheese

Directions

• In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until slightly underdone (I cooked mine for 12 minutes when the box indicated 14 minutes). One pound of pasta should be cooked in 6 quarts of water, make sure you are using a big enough pot so the pasta doesn't stick together. When done, rinse in cold water and drain again. Toss pasta with 1 Tablespoon olive oil to coat. Set aside.
• Heat remaining 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef. Cook, stirring occasionally until browned. Add garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes more.
• Add crushed tomatoes; simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.
• Toss pasta with Parmesan cheese. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Tightly pack pasta into pan, standing each piece on end. Spread meat sauce on top of pasta.
• Push the meat sauce into the pasta holes filling each one up. Stuffing the meat into the holes is a weirdly satisfying task. Enough said.
• Place in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and bake another 10-15 minutes until cheese is golden. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen and then unmold.
• Cut into wedges and serve with any remaining meat sauce you might have.

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