stuffed balls

A great combo...

Turkey Meatballs

2 lbs ground turkey (2/3 dark meat, 1/3 white meat)
1 egg
2 leaves of swiss chard
1 clove garlic
half an onion
parmesan cheese
romano cheese
salt
pepper
garlic power
onion powder
dried basil

Chop up swiss chard, spinach or kale very finely. Mix ground turkey with one egg, chopped chard, finely chopped garlic, finely chopped onion, parmesan and romano cheeses, and spices (all spices to taste). Form into meatballs. Pan fry in olive oil.

Grated cauliflower, carrots or zucchini, in place of the swiss chard, will also go very well and add needed moisture to the meat.

Top with tomato sauce.


Mini Stuffed Peppers

1 package of mini-peppers
1/2 pkg cream cheese
shredded mozzarella cheese
salt
pepper
garlic power
onion powder
dried basil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove the tops and the seeds of the peppers. Heat cream cheese for 20 seconds and add spices. Mix to combine. Stuff peppers with cream cheese mixture and top the cream cheese mix with a small bit of shredded mozzarella cheese. Place on cookie sheet and brush each pepper with olive oil. Cook in the oven for 28-30 minutes. Be sure to remove from the cookie sheet as soon as possible to prevent the cheese from sticking to the pan.

this isn't your momma's home-cooking

Over the course of a week I had three amazing home-cooked meals, all with new ingredients or new cooking methods. I'm very lucky to have friends who love to cook and are really good at it. I just hope I can recreate these in the future.

Lamb Chorizo with Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Ingredients:
2 links of lamb chorizo
1 store-bought package of sweet potato gnocchi
1 sweet potato
2 roasted tomatoes
1 1/2 cups of frozen okra
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 cup chicken broth

To roast the tomatoes: turn oven to the lowest setting, cut smallish tomatoes in half, place in baking dish and sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in oven for at least 3 hours. The longer they roast the more intense the flavor will become.

Heat the sweet potato in the microwave to soften, about 5 minutes. Peel the sweet potato and cut into 1 inch pieces. Place these on a cookie sheet and broil first for 6 minutes, then flip over and broil for another 5 minutes.

Begin boiling water for gnocchi. When water boils, add gnocchi and cook for 5 minutes or until they float.

Brown the chorizo in a large frying pan. Add the garlic and fry for about a minute before adding the frozen okra, tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Add the  gnocchi and sweet potatoes. Simmer until the sauce thickens. Ladle into a bowl and top with parmesan cheese if desired.


White Fish with Red Chilis and Lime

Ingredients:
1/2 pound white fish
cornstarch to coat
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 limes
zest of 1 lime
2 red chilis
peanut oil


Pork with Roasted Vegetables and Balsamic Glaze

Ingredients:
2 pork chops
roasted vegetables: peppers, red onions, eggplant, portobellas
grape tomatoes
1/2 cup balsamic fig vinegar
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (or 1 cup if you don't also have balsamic fig)
1/4 cup brown sugar
ricotta


Sweet Hot Apricot Chicken (SHAC)

Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 pounds of chicken thighs
1 10 oz bottle of apricot fruit spread
6 teaspoons of Frank's Red Hot
2 teaspoons wildflower honey
salt and pepper
1/2 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons bacon fat

Heat bacon fat in frying pan. Salt and pepper both sides of chicken. Brown both sides of chicken in the bacon fat. Meanwhile, combine apricot fruit spread, Frank's Red Hot and honey. When chicken is brown, pour apricot sauce over chicken in pan and simmer until chicken is cooked through and slightly orange outside. Raise heat on stovetop and continue boiling sauce until it reduces. After 10 minutes of reducing add butter and stir in. Cook for another 3 minutes. Pour sauce over chicken and devour.