Authentic Italian Meatballs

Adapted from Food.com & In Memory *of* Brats

Homemade meatballs are such a great comfort food, and who can say no to delicious meatballs that have been simmering in a yummy sauce for hours? It's like having built-in potpourri! I usually make my marinara sauce from scratch, but I am a sucker for Rao's sauce. This go around, I tried a new meatball recipe and simmered it using Rao's Tomato & Basil sauce. I served it over some pasta, whole wheat for Nick, regular for me :) This recipe made about 14 meatballs, so there will be plenty of leftovers! The original recipe calls for dunking the raw meatballs in the sauce and simmering for 3 hours. I decided to brown them first on both sides so that they wouldn't fall apart, and to keep the flavor sealed in. This cut my simmer time down a bit. With plenty of sauce, about a jar and a half, I simmered them for about 2 hours and turned them a couple of times. This will definitely win some folks over, and are great for a group! Enjoy :)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef (I used 93/7)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tb fresh Parsley
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder 
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1-1/2 jar of good quality marinara sauce (or homemade)

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl (except the marinara sauce). Form into meatballs, approximately the size of a golf ball. Put a swirl of olive oil in a pan and once hot, brown the meatballs on each side, just about 30 seconds per side. Place the meatballs into a dutch oven filled with the marinara sauce and simmer for approximately 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally. These could be done after an hour, but I needed to let mine go a bit longer to keep them warm. Meanwhile, boil some pasta of your choice. Once the meatballs are done, top the pasta and add some freshly grated Italian cheese and parsley.

Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca

Courtesy of For the Love of Cooking blog

Chicken can get boring, but that's why you spice it up with something like prosciutto and fresh sage! This dish was full of flavor and fairly simple to make for a week night meal. There's a lemon sauce that gets drizzled on top that really gives it a nice zing. Even though the recipe called for 3 pieces, I was able to get 4 out of it and there was still plenty of sauce with the measurements below. I just bought two normal chicken breasts and sliced them through the middle to make 4 breasts. This dish was even better for leftovers. I served this with wild rice so that it could soak up the lemony sauce (not pictured). Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless and skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 9 fresh sage leaves
• 6 slices of prosciutto
• 4 tsp olive oil (divided)
• 1/2cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp cornstarch
• Fresh parsley, chopped (optional, for garnish)
• Lemon wedges (optional)

Directions:

Place the chicken breasts between two pieces of wax paper. Flatten the chicken to 1/2 inch thick with a mallet, or you can buy thin sliced chicken breasts, or slice a thicker breast in half. Season both sides of the flattened chicken then place three sage leaves on each breast. Wrap two pieces of prosciutto on each chicken breast. Heat 3 teaspoons of olive a skillet over medium high heat. Once the pan and oil are hot, add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes until golden brown; flip the chicken over and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until the chicken is done. Let the meat sit aside on a platter to rest. Combine the chicken broth, lemon juice, and cornstarch together in a small bowl and whisk until well combined. Place the skillet over medium high heat then add the lemon juice mixture to the pan and bring to a boil. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Drizzle the sauce over the chicken breast. Serve immediately.

Bacon Topped Turkey Meatloaf with BBQ Sauce

Adapted from Skinnytaste

Bacon and BBQ sauce -- need I say more? These are two of my favorite things, especially together. I usually make my Mom's meatloaf, which is so delicious, but I'm always up for new twists on traditional dishes! The original recipe splits these into 6 individual servings in a petite loaf pan. Since I didn't have one, I just used my regular loaf pan. You just need to adjust the cooking time. This was very moist and had a great smoky flavor, and it uses ground turkey which makes it even more healthy! Enjoy :)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup grated zucchini, all moisture squeezed dry with paper towel
• 2 tbsp onion, minced
• 2 tbsp diced red pepper (I left this out b/c I didn't have any)
• 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (I used Italian)
• 1/4 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's)
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1.3 lb raw 93% lean ground turkey
• 2 slices center cut bacon, cut into pieces to fit your loaf pan
• approx. 3 tbsp BBQ Sauce (for topping the bacon)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray. In a large bowl, mix the zucchini, onion, red pepper, breadcrumbs, BBQ sauce, egg, paprika and salt. Add the turkey and combine until mixed through. Place the mixture into the loaf pan. Place the bacon slices over the loaf and top each with additional BBQ sauce. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Ginger & Cilantro Baked Tilapia

Courtesy of theKitchn

Wow, I have been on a hiatus from cooking, my apologies! I really have no good excuse except that we've been very bad this past month or two with going out to eat and ordering bad food (oops). I finally got back in the kitchen last night after realizing that a) no more weight needs to be gained and b) I just really miss cooking! So, this is a recipe I found a while back on Pinterest and have been wanting to try. It was really simple and pretty quick to whip up for a week night meal! I have leftovers for lunch today, so I am looking forward to that :) This would also work on other mild, white fish such as flounder, etc. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 pound domestically farmed tilapia fillets
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 inch fresh ginger, grated, about 1 tablespoon
1 jalapeño pepper, roughly chopped (optional)
1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves
1/4 cup white wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Scallions, chopped for garnish
Extra cilantro, to garnish
Brown rice (served along side)

Directions:
Heat the oven to 475°F. Pat the fish dry, season lightly with salt and pepper, and lay in a 9x9-inch or 8x8-inch ceramic or glass baking dish. Put the garlic, grated ginger, chopped jalapeño, and cilantro in a small food processor with the white wine, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Whir until blended. (Alternately, you can finely chop or mash the aromatics in a mortar and pestle, then whisk together with the liquid ingredients.) Pour the sauce over the fish, rubbing it in a little. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily and is cooked through.Serve immediately over brown rice or orzo, garnished with the additional scallions and cilantro.

Grilled Pork Chops with Pan Sauce

Adapted from Chef Mommy Blog

I pinned this a while back but just got around to making it. I had a pork loin which I had frozen, but it did not look so good when I defrosted it. Therefore, I decided to use this marinade for some thick pork chops instead. They turned out really delicious with a lot of flavor. I served them with wild rice which soaked up the pan sauce, yum. Definitely give this a go! NOTE: This recipe is how I prepared the pork chops, so the cooking time and preparation varies from the original.

Ingredients:
1⁄2 cups olive oil
1⁄3 cup soy sauce
1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1-2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1-2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tsp dry mustard
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3 thick cut pork chops (this can vary based on the size)

Directions:
Combine all marinade ingredients and reserve 2-3 Tbsp. Place the pork tenderloin and marinade in a Ziploc bag and let marinate for at least 3-4 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a hot skillet over medium-high heat, sear each side of the pork chops for 2-3 minutes. Place in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the meat has reached 160 degrees. Let rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Pan Sauce:
Pan scrapings from pork tenderloin
1/2 cup of chicken broth
2-3 tbsp of pork marinade (thoroughly mixed)
1-2 tsp butter

Meanwhile, place the skillet back on the stove over medium heat. Add the chicken broth and scrape up all the browned pieces from the bottom of the pan. Add the marinade and let it boil down for 2-3 minutes. Add the butter and remove from heat stirring until butter has melted. Pour over the pork chops.

 

Lemon Dill Chicken

Courtesy of Eating Well

Ah, Pinterest. You're good for so many things, but especially recipes. I came across this one last week and decided to give it a shot this week. I really liked this dish -- it's somewhat simple and also healthy, but the sauce is just really tasty. I served this with my Roasted Cauliflower, but I think it would be really good with rice (to soak up the delicious sauce). I could eat it with a spoon, and I may have done a little of that. This is a great week night meal and would also be great leftovers, although I had none b/c I was feeding myself and two dudes. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (1-1 1/4 pounds)
• Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, or canola oil, divided
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 3 (or more if you like garlic) cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2-3 teaspoons flour (I ended up using 3)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, divided
• 1-2 tablespoon lemon juice (I used a whole lemon, but I love lemon)

Directions:

1. Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear until well browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate and tent with foil.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk broth, flour, 1 tablespoon dill and lemon juice in a measuring cup and add to pan. Cook, whisking, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
3. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan; reduce heat to low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a warmed platter. Season sauce with salt and pepper and spoon over the chicken. Garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill.

 

Roasted Cauliflower

Courtesy of One Perfect Bite, Inspired by Emeril Lagasse

I know I just posted a recipe for cauliflower last week, but it's becoming one of my new favorites...and it's in season! I still roasted the cauliflower, but switched up the ingredients a little with this recipe. The verdict of the boyfriend was that this one was better -- I think I like them both pretty equally :) This recipe is very easy and delicious, so give it a whirl!

Ingredients:
1 medium head cauliflower (about 2-1/4 pounds), trimmed and cut into florets
3 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced (I minced mine)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Combine cauliflower and garlic in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Transfer, in a single layer, to a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast at 450 degrees F for about 25 minutes, stirring once. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately.