Thai Basil Turkey Meatballs

I am in love with this girls site! She has great healthy recipes and she talks about her journey through weight-loss in real life terms. This is her recipe for Thai Basil Turkey Meatballs. Check out her site here: Can You Stay for Dinner


Ingredients: 

Meatballs


1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp chopped green onions
2 tbsp chopped basil(I used dried)
2 tsp hot chili sauce(I used ancho chili powder instead)
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 clove grated garlic
1 1/2 tsp fish sauce
1 lb ground turkey
2 egg whites
2 tsp oil, for brushing

Sauce

1/4 c soy sauce
2 tsp fish sauce
2 tsp brown sugar(I upped it to 2 tbsp)(balanced out some of the salt)
3 cloves grated garlic
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp minced scallions
2 tsp hot chili sauce(I omitted this)
2 tsp cornstarch

Directions:

Meatballs

1. Mix all ingredients except for oil
2. Place 1 in balls on an oiled baking sheet
3. Brush each meatball with oil
4. Bake for 12 min at 350 degrees

Sauce

1. Mix all ingredients in a small saucepan
2. Bring to a boil, then simmer 2-3 min til it coats the back of a spoon
3. Serve over meatballs


DH loved this dish. I served it with mashed butternut squash and a bed of lettuce. I do warn you the sauce is salty, a little bit goes a long way. But it was healthy and yummy! A definite win!

food quote

" I said to myself, “Anyone who throws caution to the wind and uses an unlimited amount of butter, cream, oil, and the like, will ultimately make a dish that tastes delicious. Because butter, in and of itself, takes taste to the next level. But the true challenge, the mark of a truly good cook, is the creation of flavor. Knowing the essence of good food, understanding flavor complements, how to use herbs and spices to cultivate that perfect palate pleaser, believing that food can be just as beautiful on its own without makeup and a ballgown. "

quote from Can You Stay for Dinner?

Crab Pockets

Ingredients:

1 (6-oz.) can crab meat, rinsed, well drained
1 (3-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sliced green onions
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
2 (8-oz.) cans Pillsbury® Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
1 teaspoon sesame seed

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F.
2. Spray large cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
3. In small bowl, combine crab meat, cream cheese, onions and garlic salt; mix well.

4. Unroll both cans of dough; separate into 8 squares.

5. Place 1/4 of crab mixture on center of 4 of the squares about 1 inch from edges.

6. Place the remaining 4 squares over the tops, and pinch edges down.

7. Place on sprayed cookie sheet.

8. Sprinkle with sesame seed.(For this step it said to do an egg wash but I saw no need)

9. Bake at 375°F. for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown

DELICIOUS!

Mystery Mocha

Ingredients:

¾ cups Granulated Sugar
1 cup Sifted All-Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
⅛ teaspoons Salt
1 piece Unsweetend Chocolate (1 Square)
2 Tablespoons Butter
½ cups Whole Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
½ cups Brown Sugar
½ cups Granulated Sugar (additional)
4 Tablespoons Powdered Cocoa (Not Drink Mix)
1 cup Cold Strong Coffee (I used Starbucks Mocha Via Yummy!)

Directions:

1. Sift together 3/4 cup sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

2. Melt square of unsweetened chocolate and butter in the microwave.
3. Add to dry ingredients alternately with the milk and vanilla, blend.
4. Pour into a greased 8×8 pan.
5. Combine brown sugar, the 1/2 cup additional granulated sugar and cocoa powder.
6. Sprinkle over the cake batter.
7. Pour the one cup COLD coffee on top.
8. Bake 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
9. Serve warm with ice cream or sweetened whip cream or whipped topping.


Tasty, again shared with friends. Great coffee and chocolate flavor, had the consistency of a lava cake.

Avacado Pesto Pasta

Ingredients:

1 pound of Pasta (I used frozen tortellini)
1 whole Avocado
½ whole Lemon
2 cloves Garlic
½ teaspoons Kosher Salt
¼ cups Basil
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Fresh Grated Parmesan

Directions:

1. Boil water, cook pasta

2. Roughly chop avocado
3. In a food processor blend, avocado, lemon zest and juice, garlic, salt, and basil
4. Blend for a few seconds then slowly add in olive oil
5. Blend until creamy
6. Drain pasta
7. Mix pesto into pasta and serve with a garnish of Parmesan


Shared with many friends it was deliciously light and healthy. Could be made even healthier with whole grain pasta of some sort. All the creaminess comes from the avocado so it's really great for you. This is the first dish I've made where the lemon isn't completely overpowering.

(The original recipe called for 1/2 a lb of pasta but I spread it out a little more and I think it tasted better that way)

Turmeric Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry.

Ingredients:

1 Pound Chicken
1 Large Head Broccoli(2 cups)
1 Onion
5 Cloves Garlic
2 Inches Ginger
1 Heaping Tablespoon Turmeric
1 Teaspoon Cumin
S+P
2 Tablespoons Butter(evoo)

Directions:

1. Slice the onions into strips.(I diced)
2. Slice the chicken into strips.
3. Cut the broccoli into bite size chunks(I used frozen so it was already in chunks)

4. Mince the garlic and ginger together into one chunky paste.

5. Saute the onions in the butter until softened. 5 minutes.

6. Add the Ginger and Garlic Paste. Cook 1 minute

7. Add the Spices. Cook 1 minute

8. Add the chicken and broccoli and cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the broccoli has reached your desired texture.

9. Serve over rice

Very delicious and very healthy all of us liked it. It could have used a bit more salt the original recipe never called for it but I had to add it in.


09/27/12 update
I made this same recipe with halibut instead of chicken for my dear friend S who doesn't eat chicken. It was just as yummy as the original. We paired it with a rocket salad with butternut squash. Made for a wonderful meal together!

Sloppy Joe Pizza

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1 can (15.5 oz) sloppy joe sauce (or one packet: follow directions)
1 can Pillsbury® refrigerated classic pizza crust
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 cup shredded cheese

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 425°F
2. Cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain.
3. Stir in sloppy joe sauce.(or packet and ingredients)
4. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 5 minutes.
5. Unroll dough

6. Spoon hot beef mixture over dough.

7. Top with onions and cheese.

8. Bake according to package directions or until crust is golden brown

Crock Pot Taco Soup

Ingredients:

½ pounds Hamburger

1 whole Onions, Diced
1-½ stalk Celery, Diced
24 Oz Chicken Broth
16 Oz Can, Diced Tomatoes With Juice
½ jar 16 Oz Salsa
½ can 10 Oz. Cream Of Mushroom Soup
2-10 Oz Cans, Of Your Favorite Chili (I used Walla Walla Onion Chili with no beans)
¾ cups Frozen Corn
½ envelopes Taco Seasoning, 1 Ounce Packet
Garnishes: Your Favorite Taco Toppings

Directions:
 
1. Brown hamburger, onion, and celery over medium heat until hamburger is cooked through and onions and celery are soft.
2. Drain grease, add the hamburger mixture to your 6 to 7 quart crock pot
3. Add all the remaining ingredients to the crock pot (except for the garnishes)
4. Cook for 4 to 6 hours on low.

5. Serve in bowls with your favorite taco toppings


Very easy, very yummy

Onion Strings

Ingredients:

1 whole Large Onion

2 cups Buttermilk (or 2tbsp white vinegar and just under 2 cups milk, or just milk)
2 cups All-purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon (scant) Salt
¼ teaspoons (to 1/2 Teaspoon) Cayenne Pepper
1 quart (to 2 Quarts) frying oil (I used veggie)
Black Pepper To Taste

Directions:
 
1. Slice onion very thin.
2. Place in a baking dish and cover with buttermilk and soak for at least an hour.

3. Combine dry ingredients and set aside.
4. Heat oil to 375 degrees.
5. Grab a handful of onions, throw into the flour mixture, tap to shake off excess, and PLUNGE into hot oil. 6. Fry for a few minutes and remove as soon as golden brown.
7. Repeat until onions are gone.


HB and I couldn't stop eating them as I pulled them out of the pot! Absolutely delicious and the house smelled of yummy fried onions for days(This was a good thing) I put them on top of Blue Cheese Stuffed Buffalo Burgers! Oh man pure delicious decadence!

Muffaletta-Stuffed Pizza Pockets

Muffaletta-Stuffed Pizza Pockets

Ingredients:

For the olive salad:


1/2 cup pimiento-stuffed olives or pitted Sicilian olives
1/2 cup pitted black olives
1 roasted red pepper, homemade or store-bought
2 large clove garlic, grated
A few leaves of basil
A small handful of flat-leaf parsley

For the pizza:

2 containers of crescent rolls
2 cups(ish) of Italian blend shredded cheese
About 1/2 lb of any Italian sandwich meat, Salami, Sopressata, Pastrami(yum)


Directions:

(Heat oven to package specifications)
1. In a food processor, add olives, roasted pepper, garlic, basil and parsley. Pulse to form a finely chopped relish.

2. Separate crescent rolls into rectangles, they should naturally come apart into 4 rectangles
3. Top with a layer of olive salad
4. Top with cheese
5. Top with sliced meats
6. Bake 9-10 min
 
I really liked this and had a second one for lunch today, TB however was not impressed. So this one goes in the Faithly only file!

Our Valentine's Day dinner!

We had our Valentine's dinner on Saturday since TB had to work on Monday.

Pasta ai Quattro Formaggi

I got this recipe from Pioneer Woman she explains here where she got the recipe.

Ingredients:


1 pound Angel Hair Pasta
½ cups Grated Fontina Cheese (I left this out b/c I couldn't find it)
½ cups Grated Parmesan Cheese
½ cups Grated Romano Cheese
½ cups Goat Cheese (chevre)
2 Tablespoons Butter, Softened
1 cup Heavy Cream
1 whole Garlic Clove, Peeled
½ teaspoons Salt, More To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Minced Fresh Parsley

Directions:

1. Heat cream in a small saucepan on the stove over low heat.

2. Rub garlic clove all over the inside of the bowls you are using.
3. Cook pasta according to package directions in lightly salted water, leaning toward the al dente side.
4. Drain pasta, saving a little bit of the water, then return to the cooking pot.
5. Pour in cream, add butter, and add cheeses and salt and pepper.
6. Stir gently to combine, adding hot pasta water as needed for consistency. Don’t overmix
7. Taste and add more salt if needed.
8. Put pasta into bowls.
9. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately
(Can use whatever four cheeses you’d like!)


Steak

Ingredients:

Thin sliced steak
1 bottle of any bbq sauce or marinade
1 Ziploc freezer bag

Directions:

1. Place steak into plastic bag
2. Pour in sauce
3. Smush around to cover the meat and leave in the fridge for an hour or so or even overnight
4. Let meat come to room temp
5. Heat a skillet over med-hi with some oil (veggie, olive, whatever)
6. Put steak into skillet sear about 1-2 min a side, a little longer if you prefer your steaks well done
7. Let the steak rest for a few minutes before slicing
8. Enjoy!