Spicy Balls w/ Salad

Spicy Balls w/ Salad

(this is adapted from an old issue of Delicious Living Magazine, February 2009, original recipe is called Spicy Chicken in Lettuce Cups)

1 pound ground turkey or chicken

Combine 6 TB soy sauce, 2 TB chicken broth, 1 TB cornstarch/arrowroot powder

Stir until smooth.

Place ground meat into a medium bowl and separate into 4-5 big lumps. Pour in mixture and mix slightly to cover all meat. Set aside for 10-15 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat 2-3 TB oil.

Add:

1/4 cup chopped red pepper (other colors work too!)

2-3 TB garlic

2 TB chopped FRESH ginger (fresh is way better, but powdered works in a pinch)

Cook, tossing often until softened but not browned.

Add in seasoned meat, crumbling it in and using a spatula to spread out in a fairly even layer. Let cook for about 1-2 minutes, until it begins to brown on one side. Turn to cook other side, breaking meat up into large chunks.

When meat is cooked through and very crumbly (maybe dime to quarter size chunks)

Add:

2 TB soy sauce

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

(optional, will add quite a bit of spicy-ness!)

1/4 cup finely chopped green onion

3 TB freshly shopped cilantro

1 TB toasted sesame oil

(adds good flavor, but I have left out when I don't have any)

Toss well with cooked meat mixture.

Serve on top a nice green salad and top with an Oriental dressing!

Or just balsamic vinegar and olive oil!

This is one of my favorites, though not a favorite of my husbands so I try and make it when he is gone for dinner!

This post is part of Pennywise Platter at Nourishing Gourmet!

Lentil Confetti Salad

Lentil Confetti Salad

This is a yummy cold salad, perfect for warm evenings or lunches. The recipe is easily adaptable to veggies you have on hand or flavors you enjoy!

Dressing

4-5 TB balsamic vinegar or seasoned rice vinegar

3-4 TB olive oil

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)

1/8 tsp pepper

1 tsp dijon mustard

Salad

1 cup dried lentils, cooked*

1 1/2 cups frozen corn,

(you can cook slightly if you like, I usually don't- it thaws quick enough I add to the salad and serve)

2 medium carrots, thinly sliced or coarsely diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup red onion, diced (green onion works too!)

2 TB fresh basil, chopped (mint is a nice variety too!)

Lettuce leaves, pita bread or tortilla to serve in

In a small bowl, combine dressing ingredients, mix well and refrigerate

Combine cooked lentils*, corn, carrots, celery, peppers, onion and basil. Pour dressing over salad and mix gently but well. Refrigerate at least one hour to blend flavors.

Serve either in a "lettuce cup" or in a pita pocket or rolled a tortilla shell.

Makes about 6- 1 cup servings

*to cook lentils, soak 12-24 hours, drain off water and recover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer till lentils are cooked. Tender but not mushy! Maybe 20-30 minutes? Drain, rinse with cold water and drain well.

Credit for the original recipe, this is slightly changed, goes to a friend who got it from a Pillsbury recipe book a long time ago!

This post is part of Pennywise Platter over at Nourishing Traditions

Split Pea Soup

Does anyone else remember this book?

I think of it every time I make split pea soup. I am more a George here as I really don't care for split pea soup all that much. I can eat a small bowl, but that's about it and I usually have trouble getting rid of leftovers since it's hard to make a small batch of soup :-) BUT, my husband really likes split pea soup and so I make it a couple times a year for him. And this is a good week to make it cause I have a ham bone leftover from the ham I cooked earlier this week. (Not really for Easter, we had leftovers on Easter evening, and I cooked the ham on Monday!) Here's the recipe I am using, it does taste pretty good for split pea soup........... anyone want to come over for leftovers tomorrow? How do you think this would freeze?

Oh and if you are looking for other good uses for leftover ham - here's a post from Money Saving Mom with some ideas....... the white bean soup is on my list to try too!

Split Pea Soup

2 cups dried split peas, soaked overnight and drained

Add:

1 qt chicken stock and/or water- may need to add a little more during cooking

1 1/2 pound ham shank bone

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp sea salt (more to taste)

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp dried marjoram

1- 1 1/2 cups diced carrots

2 potatoes, chopped

Bring to a boil and simmer 4-6 hours. Stir occasionally and add more liquid if you think it needs it. I find if I cook it covered it keeps more liquid in there :-) Remove ham bone and take off any meat you want to add back in to soup - or add in leftover diced ham to warm through. Serve with warm bread and a salad!

This is easily adaptable to the crockpot as well.

I would love any thoughts on if you think this would freeze okay......... I may have to give it a try!

This post is part of Pennywise Platter over at Nourishing Gourmet!

Lemonade

With the days getting warmer I have been enjoying making lemonade lately. Here's the recipe I have been using, you can adjust your sweetener to your taste, and yes, any type of sugar would work as well, but I wanted to try and find one with honey that I liked to avoid more refined sugar! And to mix it up somedays I make it with lime juice instead of lemon :-)

1/2 cup honey

Mix with about 1 cup boiling water and stir to dissolve.

Add 1/2 cup lemon juice and stir.

Pour into a 1 quart jar and add water till full.

Refrigerate till cold and enjoy!

This post is part of Nourishing Gourmet's Pennywise Platter Thursday!

Salmon Salad Sandwiches

Salmon Salad Sandwiches

(I like this best hot, but it could easily be eaten as a cold sandwich as well!)

9 ounces Salmon, ready to eat

(canned & drained, cooked & flaked apart, or however you like)

2 hard boiled eggs, smashed

1/4 cup yogurt

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayo

4 green onions, chopped finely

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

2 TB slivered almonds

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp dill seed

(I think this sounded good to me cause I am pregnant. You could easily leave out or replace with some finely diced pickles which is what I really wanted to put in, but didn't have in the house!)

Throughly combine all ingredients. Chill until ready to make and serve. (If you are keeping more then 12 hours or so, you might want to add your almonds just before serving. I made it a couple hours before dinner and it kept fine, but the almonds could start to loose their crunch!)

To serve hot: put salmon salad on one piece of bread and layer some red onion, tomatoes and cheese on another piece of bread. Place under broiler or toaster oven till salad is warm, bread is toasted and cheese melted. Put both pieces of bread together and serve!

To serve cold - skip the warming part :-)

My husband wasn't too sure about this when he asked what was for dinner. I got a rather skeptical look. But after eating it, he said it "was pretty good". I loved it. And the boys both ate a small sandwich and were happy.

This post is part of Pennywise Platter at Nourishing Gourmet!

Italian Wedding Soup

Not from the Campbell's can............ but based off it!

Italian Wedding Soup

8 cups chicken stock/water

(I used about half and half, obviously if you have alot of stock, this would be wonderful with all stock, but I used half and half cause that's what I had out! And I started with about 6 cups but ended up adding a couple more cups during cooking, so you could either just start with it all or add more as needed!)

Add:

1 small onion, finely chopped

4-6 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp basil

2 tsp salt

(might need more - I would let people add their preference while serving though)

1 tsp pepper

Bring to a boil and add:

1 cup acni de pepe pasta

Let cook 7-10 minutes and add:

2-3 cups COOKED mini meatballs - think child's bite size

(I used 1/2-3/4 of a pound, made the meatballs and cooked in the oven earlier in the day. I often make a couple cups of mini meatballs when I make other meatballs and freeze them to make meals like this a little easier!)

2 cups fresh or frozen spinach

Cook till everything is warmed through and spinach is cooked down - maybe 20-30 minutes.

Serve hot with fresh bread!

This post is part of Pennywise Platter at Nourishing Gourmet

Breakfast Bags & Granola recipe

(yes, that's my baby girl.... last Christmas.... she'll be 1 next week..... where did my baby go?)

I am hoping no one on my Christmas list is reading this............ if you are either stop reading or act surprised come Christmas!

This year most everyone is getting some form of this idea, some more then others, some a portion of it..... depending on the person, family and such.

I am taking a basket

(Goodwill often has nice ones, reasonably priced!)

or a reusable grocery sack and making

"Breakfast Bags/Baskets",

here's my current thoughts on what's going inside!

Granola (see recipe below)

(I am thinking in a clear sack, tied with a pretty ribbon!)

Biscuit mix and a jar of homemade jam

( I just followed the directions on the Pomona Pectin insert for the kinds of fruit I used, so far I have made peach, strawberry and blackberry and I am planning on make THIS recipe later this week when my pears get ripe)

Pancake/Waffle mix

Hot cocoa mix

Box of tea

(watch for sales and coupons to stock up almost free!)

I am still working in my biscuit and pancake mix......... combining some "classic" ones I have and trying to make a little healthier, while not requiring refrigeration! I will share down the road when I figure out my recipe exactly. BUT, basically, it will be all the dry ingredients all ready mixed with a note attached on how much water/milk and eggs to mix together before making.

Granola

Mix together:

6 c. oats

2 c. bran cereal

¾ c. slivered almonds

¾ c. sunflower seeds

1 c. flaxseed meal

Heat in saucepan till blended:

1 c. honey

½ c. maple syrup

1/3 c. coconut oil

Pour over dry mixture and blend thoroughly

Pour into a shallow baking pan and cook at 250 for 2? hours, stirring every 30-40 minutes - (I forgot to time how long I actually cooked it!)

Cool completely

Add:

1 c. assorted nuts, chopped

1 c. coconut flakes

½ c. raisins

1 c. dried fruit

½ c. dark chocolate chips (if you like chocolate in your granola, my husband didn’t care for the chocolate, but liked the rest!)

Store in an airtight container. Serve with milk or over yogurt.

This post is part of Pennywise Platter, (Homemade Gift Edition!) at Nourishing Gourmet

Vegetable Pasta Sauce

It was snowing yesterday.

I thought it was a good day for making soup.

I wanted to make my version of Campbell's Italian Wedding Soup.

I realized I didn't have the right pasta -

- after I thawed some chicken broth and my mini-meatballs.

So, I started making something that I wasn't sure what it would end up being.

I started with chicken broth in the pan, added the vegetables I had around and needed to use.

It ended up really good. Good enough to share :-)

And since it was a totally random and clean out the refer type dish,

it ends up being pretty cheap too!

Vegetable Pasta Sauce

1/2 head purple cabbage, sliced/shredded

3 red peppers, sliced

2 potatoes, diced large with skins on

1 head garlic, minced

2 cups chicken broth + water enough to mostly cover vegetables.

Mix everything in saucepan and bring to a boil and let simmer. Add water if needed. I let mine simmer for about 6 hours. I ended up with about 6 cups of cooked vegetables and broth.

Put everything in the blender and blend smooth.

Return to saucepan and add:

1 TB salt

1/2 TB pepper

1 tsp oregano

1 1/2 tsp cumin

Add 1-2 cups cooked mini meatballs and about 2 cups fresh spinach (I tore mine slightly, but it mostly cooks down small so it isn't really necessary)

Heat everything through and allow spinach to cook down a little. Serve hot over pasta or rice or your choice of whatever :-)

Easily opt to leave out the meatballs or serve on the side to have a nice vegetarian option too!

I served it with this foccacia bread recipe I found on allrecipes.com - it ended up good and it really was a quick option for that evening when you didn't get around to making something that needed a long rise time. (Just FYI - I used 1/2 white and 1/2 wheat flour, eliminated the salt and rosemary on top and used dried basil and an Italian cheese mixture of shredded cheese on top, and cooked it my rectangle stone rather then a pan)

I really surprised myself at how tasty this was - it ended up looking like a tomato sauce, though slightly more brownish - has a little spice kick - and packed with good foods! Sorry - no pictures - my husband has the camera at the moment!

This post is part of Pennywise Platter at Nourishing Gourmet!

Baked Oatmeal

Baked Oatmeal

(this is adapted from THIS recipe at Money-saving Mom!)

3 cups oats

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

2 TB flax meal

2 eggs

1 cup honey (or other sweetener)

1/2 cup applesauce

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

(can substitute butter or other oils for the applesauce & coconut oil to equal about 3/4 cup)

1/2 cup yogurt

1/2 cup whole milk

1 tsp vinegar

Throughly mix all ingredients and pour into a greased 9" square baking dish. Drizzle top with molasses if you would like! Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes. Serve hot the way it is or top with butter, jam, maple syrup.........

(I have also made this in muffin tins and that worked nicely. It also doubles well, bake in a 9x13 pan. Stores well for leftovers or morning snacks!)

This post is part of Pennywise Platter at Nourishing Traditions

and

October Fest of Super Foods at Kitchen Stewardship

"Refried" Beans

Spicy Refried Beans

(that I don't actually re-fry!)

2 1/2 cups pinto beans, soaked 12-24 hours

Strain water and replace with fresh water- enough to fully cover beans plus an inch or two

Add spices:

1 onion, minced

8 garlic cloves, minced

4 TB cumin

4 TB chili powder

1 TB sea salt

1/2 TB black pepper

1/2 TB cayenne pepper

Mix well with beans and water - Bring to a boil, then cover and turn down to simmer.

Simmer 6-8 hours - replace water as needed

I usually take the lid off the last hour or two and let the water cook down till the remaining water is enough to just mix in and smush with the beans. And I usually cook till the beans pretty much are mushable with a potato masher or firm spoon.

Mash/Smush/Blend beans to a pasty consistency - leave chunky if you like it that way!

If you would like additional seasoning you can add salsa at this point.

Or serve with a warm tortilla and cheese.

I enjoy adding Chipotle Tabasco Sauce to mine :-)

This is also a great crockpot recipe - after soaking put the beans and spices in the crockpot and let it cook. You typically do not have to replace water using this method, but it is also hard to cook off the water too :-) BUT, it works great when you aren't going to be home and the beans are ready to cook! Depending on your crockpot and whether you use high or low settings, it should take anywhere from 4-12 hours in the crockpot. I have also left them cook overnight....... :-)

The beans also freeze well. I will often cook up a large batch and then freeze some and use some during the week.

This post is part of Pennywise Platter over at Nourishing Gourmet!

As well as part of October Fest Carnival of Super Foods at Kitchen Stewardship!

Red Beans and Rice w/ Sausage

One of K's favorite side dishes is Popeye's Red Beans and Rice. I have been experimenting with a recipe trying to somewhat mimic it. This is what I have so far!

Red Beans and Rice w/ Sausage

Soak & cook about 2 cups of red beans, drain off most of the extra water

(Keep THIS in mind when you soak and cook red beans...........!)

In your crockpot - put in the beans (you want around 3-4 cups of cooked beans).

If you would rather use canned, use 2 cans.

Put in 1-1 1 /2 cups of dry, uncooked rice

(you could probably soak this first, but I didn't this time)

Add 4 cups of liquid - I used a combination of water and beef broth

Add 1 onion, chopped fine

Add 4-6 cloves garlic, minced

Add spices:

2 TB chili powder

1 heaping TB cumin (adjust this down for a little more mild spicy!)

1 tsp salt

1/2- 1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (can leave out, especially if you are serving little ones!)

2 TB dried parsley

If you like, add sausage. I used the large links, a mild Italian sausage. It would also be yummy if you cut these links into "rounds". I let the rice and beans start cooking for about 2 hours before I added the sausage, frozen.

(Because I knew we were going to be gone for the rest of the day and I didn't want it to over cook and my crockpot doesn't have a warm feature! )

This would also be a good vegetarian dish, just leave the sausage out!

Mix well and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. If you can check halfway thru you may need to add a little more water or broth as the rice cooks and absorbs most of the liquids. And really all you need to do is cook the rice and sausage, so once they are cooked you can serve anytime or turn to low and wait till dinner time!

Serve with fresh, homemade sourdough bread!

I let mine cook for a good 8 hours - we ended up coming home later then I had planned, so it was for sure done when we got back! Besides wishing I had had a way to add a little water a few hours earlier, it was still really good. The beans and rice were pretty mushy, but very flavorful and had a good spicy kick. If you don't care for too spicy, tone down the measurements above till you find a good flavor for you!

This post is part of Pennywise Platter over at Nourishing Gourmet!

Quinoa Taco Salad

This post is part of "Pennywise Platter Thursday" over at

The Nourishing Gourmet

I love making "taco-seasoned" quinoa and I decided to get creative this week and I made it into a taco salad. It turned out pretty good. This recipe would probably feed 4 adults, or maybe closer to 6 with some kids in the mix. Keep in mind when you make it though, it doesn't keep well, make what you can eat 'cause the leftovers get pretty mushy!

Quinoa -

Cook 1 cup of dry quinoa according to the directions (2 cups boiling water, add 1 c. quinoa- simmer and cook till water is absorbed)

Add taco seasoning -

I usually do something along the following, but add what spices you like - it's pretty forgiving!

1 can tomato sauce

1-2 TB BBQ sauce, chipotle flavor is my favorite

couple dashs of Chipotle Tabasco hot sauce

2-3 TB chili powder

1-2 TB cumin (vary depending on your preference for hotness)

1-2 tsp garlic powder - or fresh garlic

1-2 tsp onion powder - or fresh onion (I like red onion best)

Mix throughly

Prepare 1 head of lettuce in a large bowl

Add a couple chopped tomatoes (fresh is best but especially in taco salad you could get away with canned if you had to, I would add to the quinoa above and mix there)

Add 1-2 cups crushed/broken up tortilla chips

Add 1 cup cheese

Add 1 cup of kidney or black beans

Add quinoa mixture

Mix everything together and serve immediately.

We all enjoyed this and even my 2 year old ate a full serving and my 4 year old declared it his favorite salad!