Week 33: Recipe #2--Porcupine Meatballs

When I was young, I remember going over to my friend Jessica's house for dinner.  Her mom was making porcupine meatballs.  I was horrified, as I actually thought we would be eating porcupine.  I politely took a few nibbles, but tried not to eat it without being rude.  Not until many years later, as an adult, did I find out from one of my coworkers what they actually were...and guess what?  No porcupine.  I came across this recipe a couple weeks ago from a blog one of my FB friends writes called On Our Dinner Table (see link below).  I hadn't had them since that night as a child, so I thought I'd give them another try.  They are tasty!  I will definitely make them again.  They take a bit because you have to let them simmer for one hour, but the prep time is hardly anything.  I served them with green beans and clementines.  Makes 12 meatballs.

Photo from www.tasteofhome.com

You'll Need:

• 1/2 c. uncooked long grain rice
• 1/2 c. water
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper (I always add a bit more of this)
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder (and this...)
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 2 cans (8 oz. each) tomato sauce
• 1 c. water
• 2 Tblsp. brown sugar
• 2 tsp. worcestershire sauce

Preparation:

1. In a bowl combine rice, water, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and ground beef.
2. Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls.  In large skillet, brown meatballs and drain off any fat.  (If you use really lean beef then you may need to add some oil to the pan.)
3. Combine tomato sauce, water, brown sugar, and worcestershire sauce and pour over meatballs.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour or until meatballs are done.

Recipe and link:  http://onourdinnertable.blogspot.com/2012/04/porcupine-meatballs.html

Week 33: Recipe #1--Cheesy Quinoa Cakes with a Roasted Garlic and Lemon Aioli

I'm not sure how I stumbled upon this recipe (most likely via Pinterest), but it is from a site called Spoon Fork Bacon (see link below).  I had never cooked with quinoa before, and wasn't really sure what to expect.  These cakes (along with the aioli) were really good!  I will definitely make them again.  I followed both recipes exactly--no changes.  Will do the same next time, they were so tasty!  Took a little bit longer than I had planned because I had to roast the garlic first, but it was worth it.  I served these with a green salad and grapes.  Yum!  Makes 10 to 12 cakes.

Photo from spoonforkbacon.com

You'll Need:

For the cakes:

• 2 c. cooked quinoa
• 2/3 c. grated fontina cheese (Okay, I did add a little more cheese here, so I guess I changed the recipe just a bit)
• 3 Tblsp. all-purpose flour
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced 
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 Tblsp. extra virgin olive oil
• salt, to taste

For the aioli:

• 1/2 c. light mayonnaise
• 1 head of garlic, roasted
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. For the cakes:  Place all ingredients, except for the oil, into a mixing bowl and stir together until well combined.  Season with salt and allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes.
2. Pour oil into a large saute pan and place over medium heat.
3. Form 1/4 cup patties with the quinoa mixture and place in the heated saute pan. This will be have to be done in batches.
4. Cook quinoa cakes for about 5 minutes on each side.  Repeat with the remaining patties until all of the cakes have been cooked.  Set aside.
5. For the aioli:  Place all ingredients into a food processor, season with salt and pepper and blend until smooth.  Pour into a small bowl and serve alongside the warm quinoa cakes.

Recipe and link:  http://spoonforkbacon.com/2011/11/cheesy-quinoa-cakes/

Week 32: Recipe #5--Chicken Florentine Bowtie Pasta

I found this recipe on Pinterest.  It is from a site called Picky Palate (see link below).  It was good, and I liked the flavor.  It was a little dry, but I think that's because I didn't put enough of the cooking creme in it (I only had one 10 oz. container, and the recipe called for 2 cups).  Still tasty though.  I used a rotisserie chicken to save on time, and served this with come fresh honeydew and a Caesar salad.  Makes 8 servings.

Photo from Picky Palate

You'll Need:

• 2 Tblsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 c. finely chopped white onion
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 4 c. baby spinach leaves
• 2 c. cooked shredded (or cubed) chicken breast
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 c. Philadelphia Cooking Creme (I used Italian Herbs and Spices--and only 10 oz...a bit too dry)
• 1 lb. bowtie pasta or other small noodle
• 1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Place oil in large pot over medium heat (or a large skillet, that's what I used).  Add onion and cook, stirring until tenter, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook, stirring for 1 minute.  Stir in spinach leaves, cook, stirring until wilted, about 2 minutes.  Add chicken, salt, and pepper, and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.  Add cooking cream, stirring to combine.
3. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and run under cold water to stop cooking.  Add pasta to chicken mixture, stirring to combine.  Transfer to prepared baking dish and top with cheese.  Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until cheese is melted.  

Recipe and link:  http://picky-palate.com/2011/08/05/chicken-florentine-bowtie-pasta/

Week 32: Recipe #4--Mexican Haystacks

I found this recipe on a site called Yummy Fun (see link below).  I've heard of "haystacks" before, but have never tried them.  Oh my goodness, these were good.  This was one of my husband's favorite recipes on here by far.  He loved them.  Plus, it's a crockpot recipe, which I love.  We ate them just like the recipe suggests (over rice and tortilla chips, although we left out the bread sticks...), but I will put this over salad for leftovers to save on the carbs.  SO GOOD.  It was a little runnier the first time we ate it, but today reheated for lunch it was perfect.  This recipe makes a lot; I would probably half it next time.  I served this with fresh fruit.

Photo from www.jensyummyfun.com

You'll Need:

• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 2 c. milk
• 1 c. water
• 1 c. sour cream (I substituted Greek yogurt for this)
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1 med. sweet onion, diced
• 1 Tblsp. chicken bouillon
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
• 1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch dip (in other recipes I've noticed this generally makes things too salty, but that wasn't the case here)
• 3-4 frozen chicken breasts
• 2 can diced green chiles
• 1 bag frozen corn
• 2 cans black beans
• 2 cans Rotel (I used Rotel sauce, not sure if that's the same thing)
• fresh cilantro
• cheese

Preparation:

1. Combine all ingredients but chicken, beans, corn, and Rotel.  Heat until smooth and blend until creamy.  Immersion blender works best.  Then add remaining ingredients and let cook all day, stirring occasionally.  Once chicken is cooked it can either be removed from crockpot to be diced up or the longer it simmers, the closer you'll get to it shredded on it's own.
2. Serve over a bed of tortilla chips and rice with warm bread sticks.  Garnish with cheese and fresh cilantro.

Recipe and link:  http://www.jensyummyfun.com/2011/12/mexican-haystacks.html

Week 32: Bonus Appetizer Recipe--Skinny Asparagus and Gruyere Tart

This tart is AMAZING.  I found it on a site called What's Gaby Cooking (see link below) and made it as an appetizer for Easter.  It was super easy to make and looks (and tastes) much fancier than it is.  It was so delicious; I'll definitely be making this again (soon!).  Makes 6 servings.

Photo from What's Gaby Cooking

You'll Need:

• 1 sheet puff pastry (I used store-bought Pepperidge Farm, located in the freezer section near pies)
• 1/2 c. gruyere, shredded
• 1/4 c. parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1 bundle skinny asparagus
• 1 Tblsp. olive oil
• sea salt
• crushed black pepper

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Thaw the puff pastry either by placing it in the fridge overnight or by laying it on the counter, on a piece of parchment paper, for about an hour.
3. Trim the ends of the asparagus by 1 inch to get rid of the woody stalk.
4. Once thawed unfold the flap and slightly roll out the dough to get rid of the seams.  (I skipped that step--turned out fine.)  Transfer the puff pastry dough while still on the parchment paper to a baking sheet.  Sprinkle half the gruyere and parmesan on the puff pastry.  Line the asparagus on top of the cheese.  Scatter the rest of the cheese on top of the asparagus and drizzle with the olive oil.  Bake for 20 minutes until the pastry dough has puffed and the asparagus is roasted and cooked through.  
5. Sprinkle with salt and cracked black pepper before serving.

Recipe and link:  http://whatsgabycooking.com/skinny-asparagus-and-gruyere-tart/

Week 32: Recipe #3--Saucy Asian Meatballs

These are technically an appetizer, but I thought I'd make these for dinner and serve them over rice.  They were pretty tasty!  I found these on a site called Gimme Some Oven (see link below).  They were super easy to make, and I already had everything in my pantry/fridge, except for the green onions, which I left out.  I'd like to try them next time, but the meatballs were still really good.  I served these over rice with green beans and applesauce.   Makes about 35-40 meatballs.

Photo from www.gimmesomeoven.com

You'll Need:

For the meatballs:

• 2 lbs. ground pork or ground beef
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 c. Panko or breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 2 eggs
• 3 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 c. thinly-sliced green onions
• optional garnish:  toasted sesame seeds, sliced scallions

For the Asian sauce:

• 2/3 c. hoisin sauce
• 1/4 c. rice vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tblsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. ground ginger

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix together meatball ingredients until well-combined.  Shape into balls (about 1 to 1 1/2 inches) and place on a greased baking sheet or in a 9 x 13 baking dish (I found they fit better on a baking sheet).  Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until meatballs are golden on the outside and no longer pink on the inside.
3. While the meatballs are baking, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients until blended.  Once meatballs have finished cooking, you can either dip each meatball individually (using a toothpic) in the sauce mixture.  Or you can pour the sauce over the meatballs and gently stir them until covered. (I did the latter, and then served them over rice--yum!)

Recipe and link:  http://gimmesomeoven.com/saucy-asian-meatballs/

Week 32: Recipe #2--Slow-Cooker Carne Guisada

I found this recipe on Martha Stewart's website (see link below).  It was EXTREMELY flavorful, and so tasty!  Oh my gosh, did it smell good when I came home from work.  My husband put this together in the crockpot (as it was his day off), and he followed the recipe exactly.  We served this in tortillas with fresh fruit on the side.  Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Photo from www.marthastewart.com

You'll Need:

• 2 1/2 lbs. beef chuck roast or bottom round, cut into 1-inch pieces
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 Tblsp. vegetable oil
• 1 med. white onion, diced
• 1 med. green bell pepper, seeded and diced medium
• 1 large jalapeno, seeded and diced small
• 5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp. chili powder
• 3/4 tsp. dried oregano
• 6 Tblsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• flour tortillas, warmed, grated cheddar, and cilantro, for serving (We also added sour cream)

Preparation:

1. Season beef with salt and pepper.  In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over high heat.  In two batches, cook beef until browned on all sides, 5 minutes per batch (add two teaspoons more oil for second batch).  Transfer to a 5- to 6- quart crockpot.
2. In same skillet, cook 2 teaspoons oil, onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and garlic over medium heat, stirring and scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.  Add cumin, chili powder, oregano, and flour and cook 1 minute.  Slowly pour broth into skillet, stirring until liquid is smooth.  Simmer 2 minutes, then transfer mixture to slow cooker, along with tomatoes and bay leaves.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir to combine.  Cover and cook on high heat for 6 hours.  Serve in tortillas with cheese and cilantro.

Recipe and link:  http://www.marthastewart.com/329032/slow-cooker-carne-guisada?czone=food/comfort-foods-center/comfort-foods-dishes&center=854190&gallery=274310&slide=286249

Week 32: Recipe #1--California Pizza Kitchen BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad

My husband and love this salad from California Pizza Kitchen, so I was so happy to find this copycat recipe from the blog Deals to Meals (see link below).  It pretty much tasted just like the way I remember it, minus the cilantro, as we were all out.  It took a bit to prep, and there was quite a lot of chopping involved, but it tasted GOOD.  Plus, I have lots of leftovers for lunches in the next few days.  The girls loved the chicken and the jicama, which I hadn't tried giving them before.  They ate it like candy.  Plus, anything with black beans is a plus for both of them--they can't get enough.  I served this salad with grapes.  Makes 6 servings.

Photo from Deals to Meals

You'll Need:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, seasoned well with Montreal Steak seasoning and grilled until cooked thoroughly, then cut into bite-sized pieces and smothered in BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's, as recommended)
• extra BBQ sauce, for drizzling over the salad
• 2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1/2 jicama, peeled and cut into 1/4 in. strips
• 2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 can black beans
• 1 c. frozen corn, thawed
• 1 avocado, seeded, peeled, and cubed 
• 1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
• 3 tomatoes, diced (I used roma)
• 1/4 c. green onions, sliced
• tortilla strips or chips (I used the strips you can find at the store specifically for salads)
• 2 c. ranch dressing
• 1 Tblsp. green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 Tblsp. fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. dill weed, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. basil, chopped

Preparation:

1. For the dressing, put the 2 cups ranch dressing, green onions (1 tablespoon), parsley, dill weed, and basil in the blender and blend until smooth.  Set aside until ready to serve.
2. For the salad, put all of the ingredients into a large bowl and mix.  Serve with dressing and extra BBQ sauce for garnish.

Recipe and link:  http://dealstomeals.blogspot.com/2011/06/california-pizza-kitchen-bbq-chicken.html

Week 31: Recipe #5--Mini Shepherd Pies

These were really good!  The meat had a great flavor and they were pretty easy to put together.  I found these on a website called Quick Dish (see link below).  They are 8 WW+ points a pair--not bad!  I served these with a green salad and applesauce.  Makes 12 "pies", or 10 if you use the biscuits like I did.

Photo from Quick Dish

You'll Need:

• 2 large whole potatoes (I used four small)
• cream for mashed potatoes
• 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 tsp. steak seasoning
• 1 Tblsp. ketchup
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (I used a tablespoon...I like worcestershire sauce...)
• 1/3 c. frozen vegetables (peas, carrots, or mixed--I used mixed; always trying to get more veggies into the girls)
• 1 can (8 oz.) Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations refrigerated seamless dough sheet (I could not find these, so I just used refrigerated biscuits--there are 10 in a can)

Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly spray 12 standard muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Peel and quarter potatoes, boil in salted water until tender (about 15 minutes).
3. While the potatoes cook, heat a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat then add olive oil and ground beef.  Add steak seasoning then cook, occasionally using a spoon to break up meat, until browned.
4. Add ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and frozen vegetables, then cook 2-3 minutes until heated through.  Taste for seasoning and add salt or pepper as necessary.  Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Unroll crescent dough on lightly floured work surface.  Press dough into 12 x 9 inch rectangle.  Cut into 12 evenly sized rectangles.  Fill each muffin cup with 1 square, gently pressing dough into bottom and sides of cup.  (Or, use the biscuits and save time and this extra step.)
6. Drain then mash potatoes with cream and season to taste with salt and/or pepper.
7. Fill each dough cup with 1-2 tablespoons of beef filling, then top with a spoonful of mashed potato.  Bake in oven 15-20 until dough is golden brown.  Cool 5 minutes then serve.

**Original recipe suggests to save time, you can use instant mashed potatoes--I can't do it.  I'll spend the extra time and use real ones.

Recipe and link:  http://quick-dish.tablespoon.com/2012/03/10/mini-shepherds-pies/