Simpleton Turkey Meatballs

When I say these turkey meatballs are simple, I mean it, and not only that, you can feel good eating them because they are 99% fat free! We've purchased the frozen turkey meatballs before, and let me tell you, they taste fine enough, BUT, why not make them yourself and freeze some for later? At least then, you know exactly what you put in them and can get creative and add in your favorite seasonings and other goodies.

Ingredients: (per lb. of ground turkey)
1 lb. ground turkey
2 tbsp olive oil
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup rolled oats (healthier than using breadcrumbs)
A mixture of seasonings to your preference (salt, pepper, basil, oregano, thyme--basically, anything italian related will taste good)

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly oil/grease a baking dish, 9x13 is a good size
3. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. The key: use your hands. Really get in there and mix everything together.
4. Roll meatball mixture so they are gold ball sized. Place meatballs 1 inch apart in baking dish.
5. Bake for 15 minutes, and then flip over and bake for another 5 minutes. (My tip: Watch the baking time. Every oven is different. Ours bakes rather quickly, so I would adjust the time to 10 minutes and then 2-3 minutes.)
6. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack or paper towels so they don't continue cooking.

We used half for our spaghetti dinner that night. I let the sauce simmer until ready and then just placed the cooked meatballs in the sauce to simmer for another minute or so, not too long, since they were already cooked. I froze the other half to use for another dinner, but you could double or triple this recipe if you wanted to have even more at your fingertips for future meals. Easy peasy!

Fall favorites: Molasses Cookies

Nothing welcomes in the holiday spirit more than the smell of baking, especially when molasses cookies are in the oven getting nice and toasty. For those of you not familiar with molasses cookies, welcome, and prepare your taste buds for the quintessential holiday cookie: sugar and spice and everything nice.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup shortening
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp nutmeg

Directions:
1. Mix together shortening and brown sugar. The mixture should get a little creamy.
2. Stir in the egg and molasses.
3. Mix all dry ingredients in separate bowl and fold into the wet mixture.
4. Cover the dough and chill for 1-2 hours or until firm.
5. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
6. Roll dough into small golf balls and then roll in white sugar.
7. Place dough balls on a lightly oiled/greased baking sheet 1/2-1 inch apart.
8. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Remove and let sit for 1minute and then transfer to a cooling rack or if you're like me, you can just spread some paper towels on the counter and let them cool there.

This recipe will make about 3.5 dozen cookies. Yum! You'll have plenty to enjoy, but lots of extra to share with friends, co-workers, and maybe your significant other...maybe. ;) Molasses cookies are best enjoyed in the evening, while wrapped in a cozy blanket, with the fireplace lit (or some fall/winter smelling candle), and a cup of something hot, like hot cocoa or apple cider.

Pancakes vs. Waffles

The battle rages on.

I woke up this morning craving something for breakfast that didn't consist of bran flakes or toast. Instantly, I began the debate between pancakes and waffles. The debate finally ended when my stomach let out one painfully loud growl, and I decided that pancakes were just too heavy and that waffles it would be. From what I can tell, there really aren't that many tricks to making homemade waffles. You can add a few slight variations, but ultimately, you'll follow a recipe like this:

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat waffle iron. Beat eggs in large bowl until fluffy. Mix in flour, milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla, until smooth.
2. Spray waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mix onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown.

I remember being so intimidated to try my hand at waffles, and then I realized how simple and easy it really was. To top it all off, we bought some strawberries at the local farmer's market on Friday and they added a fresh, sweet berry topping to the waffles. Mmm! This recipe makes 6-8 servings, so I just put the extras in a freezer bag, once they cooled down a bit, and will freeze them for later...or tomorrow. ;)

Crab Alfredo

I'm not the biggest seafood fan, and only in recent years have I developed a taste for tilapia, salmon and the occasional sushi (haven't graduated to raw just yet), but tonight I ventured into the deep blue and cooked up some quite delicious crab alfredo. I love cooking up some very complex, layered dishes, but during the week, my energy level sinks after 5 p.m. This crab alfredo recipe is definitely no frills, but is sure to satisfy your appetite while requiring very little work.

The shopping list:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp water
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 head of broccoli (chopped into florets)
• 1 12 oz package of crab meat
• 1 10 oz jar of your favorite alfredo sauce
• 1 package of fettuccine or linguine noodles

How to:

1. Get a pot of water boiling for the pasta. Add pasta and cook until ready, drain and set aside.
2. Heat up the olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium-low heat.
3. Add the garlic and broccoli and add the 3 tbsp of water. Sauté until warm.
4. Add the lemon juice, crab meat and alfredo sauce.
5. Cook over medium heat until cooked through.
6. Add the pasta to the alfredo mixture and stir to coat evenly.

The finished dish!

I think the recipe could be improved significantly by adding the following things:

• Freshly chopped parsley
• A pinch or two of ground pepper
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese on top

I loved the overall consistency and freshness of the pasta, and that none of the flavors overwhelmed the others, but worked together to create a creamy, blissful dish. The whole dish can be made in 30 minutes or less, which makes a great weeknight meal idea!

Food trucks are taking over the world!

....in the best possible way. Food trucks have traditionally received a bad wrap as a less than desirable and somewhat seedy place to get some grub, but today they have become rather gourmet and unique. Living in So Cal, I get a great sampling of what the world of food trucks has to offer. Here are a few of the ones I've indulged in, once, or twice or maybe more. (I'm not telling.)

Calbi - A Korean/Mexican fusion truck with all sorts of yummy goodness oozing onto your plate. Their Black Jack quesadilla is to die for. The flavors are truly unique, and easily something worth trying if you're in the area.

El Flamin' Taco -  What can I say? It's not your average taco truck. As you can see, they've got the decor down, complete with two TV screens. They make their own tortillas, and if el pastor is your cup 'o tea, you can watch them BBQ it. Great quality ingredients, and this place stays open until 4 a.m. for all you late nighters.

Salinas Churros - I have to post about this lovely find. It was our first food truck experience in So Cal, and will always have a special place in our hearts. If you couldn't guess, churros are their specialty, along with some other yummy Mexican dessert dishes. Don't ask for a burrito, because they only serve dessert. The churros are worth the drive!

These three trucks are literally only the tip of the iceberg here in So Cal. You can find a truck for any kind of food you're in to, here are some exciting finds:

The Grilled Cheese Truck
Crepes Bonaparte
Frysmith
PattyWagon

And the list could go on, and on, and on....

For those of you in the So Cal area on Fridays in the summer, you can get your pick of food trucks during Art Walk, an increasingly popular public art spectacular in downtown Los Angeles. Usually over 30+ trucks turn out for the festivities. So whether you can partake in the So Cal food truck extravaganza, or hunt around your local area to find a hidden truck treasure, it's definitely worth trying!

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

A few weeks ago, I bought one sweet potato from the store with the intent of whipping up some yummy mashed sweet potato side dish for dinner. Well, a few weeks later, that potato remained untouched, so I decided to turn it into a lunch side dish of sweet potato fries! I love how simple and easy this side dish is, and how it automatically spruces up your simpleton meal into a bistro dish.

1. One sweet potato serves 2 people. Cut the potato into small fry-like wedges. You can make them thicker or skinner, depending on how hearty you like them. You can peel the potato or leave the skin on, it's up to you. (I like mine peeled) While you're prepping, go ahead and pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Prepare the fry seasoning. 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 tsp. minced garlic,  pinch or two of salt, pinch of pepper, 1/2 tsp. paprika, 1/4 tsp. ground cumin. You can also skip all the dry ingredients and use an all purpose seasoning, like Pappy's. (If you've never had Pappy's, then you haven't truly lived.) Toss the sweet potato fries with the oil and dry seasoning mixture until coated evenly. Spread out in one layer on a baking sheet.

3. Cook the sweet potato fries 20-30 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on how thick you cut your fries, so check in at the 2o minute mark to see how they're coming along.

4. Take out of the oven once fully cooked (should be golden brown and crispy on the outside). Serve hot and enjoy!

I paired the fries with a turkey panini, and a phenomenal sweet potato fry dipping sauce, courtesy of Giada's recipe which is a very simple mixture: 1/2 cup mayo, 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice, 1/2 tsp. minced garlic. Of course, mix these and taste test...add more of anything you want to taste more of! I added my own twist to the sauce and added a little bit of mustard, BBQ sauce, and honey. Sounds strange, but the combo of flavors, plus having time to "marinade" in the fridge, really was the perfect combo.

Brown Rice Risotto Kicked My Butt

At 8:30 p.m. last night, I realized that the brown rice risotto I just spent the past 2 hours on was not going to turn into that wonderfully creamy and soft concoction I had dreamed up. *sigh* I know a risotto is a bit ambitious, I mean you literally have to stir a pot for an hour, but add on top of that the fact that I threw in long grain brown rice to make the dish "healthier" and you might think I'm crazy. Well, as the saying goes: if it 'aint broke, don't fix it. Google gave me some assurance that others have mastered the brown rice risotto, but for some reason mine just didn't cook right. The flavor of my risotto was amazing, exactly like I'd dreamed it up to be, the mixture had exactly the right creaminess to it, despite brown rice being low in starch, but the rice just wasn't cooked enough and far too crunchy for the amount of time it had been cooking. I have a sneaking suspicion it was because I used long grain brown rice.

So I'm writing this post a little disheartened, because all weekend I was so excited to "wow" my husband with this risotto and also to share with you all, but let this be a lesson: it's ok to fail every now and again. (even in the kitchen) As sad as it was, and as silly as I felt being that "wife" who burned the dinner, it gave me that much more motivation to get down and dirty and make it right the next time. I WILL master the brown rice risotto and it will be amazingly delicious. You all will be the first to know! Before I consult Google for any tips and tricks with brown rice risotto, any kitchen chefs out there have any suggestions?

A Summer of Sangria

Summer is beginning...well sort of, we're still experiencing rather chilly weather, but I'm hoping that making a fresh batch of my summer sangria will get things moving in the right direction. It's really a simple recipe, as it should be, and with some creativity, I'm sure you can add some interesting twists. Sangria is the perfect summer drink: fruity, cold, refreshing, and fizzy. Mmmm

Here's my recipe:
1 bottle of Chardonnay (white)
1 bottle of Merlot
1/3 cup peach schnapps
2 8 oz cans of Izze blackberry or pomegranate soda (add to taste, some like it more sweet than others)
2 white peaches, sliced
2 apples, sliced (I prefer to use Fuji or Golden Delicious)

Pour everything into a giant pitcher, stir, add the peaches and let it "ferment" in the fridge or freezer until cold. Usually an hour in the freezer is good for quick serving, but a few hours is always best to really get everything just right. Happy summer!

Side Dish: Red Potato Salad

Potato salad has been a tradition in our household, and when summer rolls around and the BBQs start firing up, it's an even more integral part of our meals. Now I love that smooth and creamy texture, with just the right amount crunch potato salad that grandma used to make, but I aways feel so guilty indulging in too much of it. I recently tried a new potato salad recipe that I was quite pleased with. Still has everything you love in a potato salad, just minus a few calories and grams of fat. ;)

Ingredients:

• 8-10 medium red potatoes (cubed)
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup minced red onion
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp. mayo
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tbsp. white sugar
• Paprika (to taste)

How to:

Before

Dressing

After!

1. Let's start by geting the potatoes ready. Once the potatoes are cubed, put them in a pot of cold water with salt, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and cook until tender (pierced with fork to test), approx. 10 minutes. Pour into colander and rinse with cold water to cool potatoes. Let sit and prepare the dressing.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and whisk together. Dressing will taste very tangy, but don't fret, once they sit with the potatoes in the fridge, the flavors compliment each other very nicely.
3. In a separate bowl, add potatoes and pour the the liquid mixture over them (including peppers and onions), toss gently to coat. Cover and place in fridge for 1-2 hours. Enjoy!

The Perfect Sunday Morning Breakfast

Fruit Bowl: Banana and orange (add a little orange juice and toss the fruit with it for an extra kick)

Makeshift Bacon: 2 slices of deli turkey meat, cooked up in a drizzle or two of pure maple syrup.

Scrambled Eggs: 2 eggs, salt, pepper, and  little onion powder. Sprinkle a little cheddar on top, and add some fresh tomatoes.

Toast: Well, it's just toast. ;)

Breakfast has been devoured, and now the only thing left to do is to make a pot of hot coffee. 

Happy Sunday!

Spruce it Up: Spaghetti and Homemade Tomato Sauce (Vegetarian)

Let's be honest, I've never made my own pasta sauce. We've been long time subscribers to the stuff in the jar. It's so easy to throw a jar in the cart when the pasta isle in the store is just so tempting. The bright fluorescent lights make all the shiny jars glow with deliciousness and the options....oh my....so many. That being said, I've recently been convicted about the processed foods we still buy, and wanted to see if I could try my hand at tomato sauce for spaghetti. The end result is tasty, plus the sauce is hearty and healthy with all of the veggies you added. Next time, I'm thinking of adding even more veggies to beef it up some more. I should also mention that the cost to make your own sauce is significantly cheaper than buying a jar.

Ingredients:

• 1 8 oz. canned of diced tomatoes (juice and all)
• 1/2 a carrot shredded
• 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup (give or take) diced yellow onion
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• Dried oregano
• Italian seasoning
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil

How to:

1. Dice away and prep all the ingredients. 
2. Bring water in a pot to a boil to cook the spaghetti. Cook when ready.
3. Heat (over medium heat) 1 tbsp. olive oil and the minced garlic in a medium sized sauce pan for approx. 1-2 minutes.
4. Toss in veggies, but leave out the canned tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté the veggies until softened. 
5. Once veggies are ready, pour in the can of tomatoes and season with dried oregano and italian seasoning (shouldn't need too much). Stir and bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer until a majority of the liquid has thickened/evaporated. Give it a quick taste to make sure it's seasoned to your liking.
6. Serve over the spaghetti and enjoy!

$5.00 or Less: Veggie Fajitas with Homemade Tortillas

It was a weeknight, and my motivation to cook a meal, was dwindling. Realizing that my only options would be to: 1) Order take-out (which I would feel extremely guilty about), 2) Cook something from scratch or 3) Heat up a can of soup (not appealing), I sucked it up, and decided to get creative. I've never made my own tortillas, and I'm sure I have much to learn, but this simple recipe will do the trick for a quick weeknight meal.

Ingredients:

Tortillas: (yields approx. 4 med. tortillas)

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2-3/4 cup warm water
• 1 tsp. salt

Veggies and rice:

• 1 bag frozen (or fresh) sliced red, green and yellow bell peppers + sliced white onion
• 1 packet of fajita seasoning
• 1 cup jasmine rice

Extras: (optional)

-Sour cream

-Shredded cheese

How to:

1. Start with the tortillas, they will take the longest to prepare. Mix the flour and water in a medium sized bowl. Add at least 1/2 cup water, add more if needed. You want a consistency similar to dough. Let the dough "rest" for 10-15 minutes. 
2. Sprinkle flour on a large cutting board. Make small balls out of the tortilla dough and flatten each ball into a thin tortilla. (I prefer to flatten each tortilla as the one before it was cooking)
3. Heat 1-2 tbsp. of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. When pan is heated, place your first tortilla in the pan. Let cook on each side until slightly browned (you'll just have to watch it), and you'll likely have to add a little more oil as you go along. Repeat the process.
4. Next, get the rice cookin'. I use a rice cooker, it's easy. While the rice is cooking, cook the veggies in a medium sized skillet with 1 tbsp. olive oil. Cook the veggies until almost cooked through, and then add 1/4 cup water and use about 1 tbsp. of the fajita seasoning. Bring the mixture to a boil and let cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. (There's really no rhyme or reason to it, just according to personal taste and preference)
5. Once everything is done cooking, you can assemble the final product. I put everything on top of each tortilla: a scoop of rice, veggies on top, and added just a bit of sour cream and shredded cheese. Each person had 2 of these and they were quite filling.

This meal is extremely cheap ($5.00 or less), and I'd like to think it is pretty healthy for you. You could of course, lose the sour cream and shredded cheese to make it even healthier. Tortillas are a bit messy to make, but nothing over the top, and well worth the satisfaction of making them yourself rather than buying them from a store. We will definitely make this again!

Healthy Comfort Food: Chicken Pot Pie

My husband has been sick, and as you would imagine, he is getting quite sick of your traditional chicken soup. I decided to whip up, from scratch, chicken pot pie. Just the very sound of the name makes my stomach growl with anticipation. I was so excited to begin cooking, when I realized that I did not have the ingredients to make the proper crust, and did not have the motivation to venture out to the store, so I decided to play the "use what's in the cupboard" game and came up with an alternative to the crust: mashed potatoes.

Serving Size: I'd say this recipe makes enough for 2 hungry people, so I'd double it if you're cooking for more.

Ingredients:

• 1 large, boneless skinless chicken breast (thawed)
• 1/4 cup sliced, semi-diced, onions
• 2 carrots, sliced 
• A handful or two of snow peas, sliced
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 4 tbsp. butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3-4 large potatoes (or you can cheat and used the most natural boxed version you can find--no flavors added)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, low sodium
• 2 tbsp. flour

How to:

1. Boil your chicken breast first. (this step takes longest, but the boiled chicken shreds very easily.) Place your thawed chicken breast in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil, immediately cover the pot, reduce heat slightly, and let cook for 10-15 minutes or until cooked. Remove chicken breast, let cool for a bit, and then shred the chicken. Set aside for later.
2. Pre-heat your oven to 425.
3. Peel potatoes, quarter them, and place them in a large pot with cold water (don't forget to add some salt), cover and bring to a boil.
4. Melt 2 tbsp. of the butter in a medium sized skillet over medium heat, add the onions, garlic, some salt and pepper, and sauté until softened. Add in 1 cup of the chicken broth, stir together. Next, add the flour to the remaining 1/2 cup of chicken broth and whisk together. Whisk in this mixture, and bring to a boil (keep stirring). Once it boils, reduce to a simmer. Let cook for approx. 5 minutes, so it will thicken.
5. Next, add your sliced carrots to the skillet and bring to a boil. Add in your shredded chicken and bring back to a boil. Remove skillet from heat and stir in your sliced snow peas. Pour mixture into your medium sized, casserole dish. (Make sure to spray it with a little cooking spray before hand)
6. Let the mixture cool while you prepare your mashed potatoes. Your potatoes are ready to mash when they are soft, and easy to pierce with a fork. Once they are ready, drain the water, and in the same pot, or in a separate mixing bowl, mash the potatoes. Add in the final tbsp. of butter (or more if you so desire), the 1/2 cup milk (or more if the potatoes look too thick), some salt and pepper. Mash until creamy.
7. Spread the mashed potatoes on top of the chicken mixture in an even layer. Put the dish in the oven, and let cook until the potatoes are slightly browned on top--maybe 5 minutes. (Keep an eye on them.)
8. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes, and then...chow down! It's a delicious and fresh take on traditional comfort food. It is much healthier than what you'd buy in the store or at a restaurant, so you don't need to feel guilty. ;) Enjoy!