Asian Meatballs

Well, it seems like that new blog I started has kind of taken over my life. I have spent a lot of time during the last two months working on cards for the Mutton Hollow Country Barn Boutique. I made over 200 cards. Unfortunately, only about 7 of them actually sold. Needless to say, I don't think I will be doing that craft show again. So now I am back to spending my time cooking and blogging about it. I have actually missed writing about my recipes. I actually made several really good ones while I was on hiatus. I will be posting those over the next several weeks, until I have to take another break to move into our new house.

Anyway, I found these meatballs on For the Love of Cooking. They tasted great. I also really liked the tangy dipping sauce that went with them.

Meatballs:

1 lb ground turkey

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

2 Tbsp green onions, finely chopped

1 Tbsp ginger, minced

1 tsp minced garlic

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

salt and pepper, to taste

Dipping Sauce:

4 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp lime juice (approximately 1 fresh lime, juiced)

2 Tbsp water

2 tsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp green onion, finely chopped

1/4 tsp honey

Preheat oven to 500° For meatballs, combine all ingredients. Gently mix until combined. Form meatballs using approximately 1/4 cup mixture per meatball. Place on a baking sheet and bake until they are cooked completely, about 15 minutes. 

While meatballs are cooking, combine ingredients for dipping sauce and whisk until they are combined. 

Serve meatballs and dipping sauce immediately. The meatballs and dipping sauce also taste great when served over rice.

Carne Asada Tacos

My husband had an extremely busy week on the week of my birthday. I know that he wanted to make my birthday special, and would insist on making me dinner even though he was working 12 hours a day so I chose something that would be quick and easy and that wouldn't have too much clean up. I found this amazing Carne Asada recipe and knew it had to be my birthday dinner. I put the marinade together the night before so all my husband had to do was grill the meat on his barbecue (one of his favorite activities). We worked together to make pico de gallo and guacamole and had the dinner ready in no time at all.

Prep time: 10-20 minutes (and marinate over night)

Serves: 4 people

1 1/2 lb flank steak

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp paprika

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp chili powder

2 tsp oregano

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/8 cup lime juice (or juice of two limes)

1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a Ziplock bag, mixing thoroughly before adding flank steak. Marinate for between 6 and 24 hours.

Over a preheated barbecue, grill until the meat reaches your desired level of doneness. Remember that the meat will keep cooking for a few minutes after you have removed it from the heat. Let the meat rest for several minutes before slicing across the grain.

Serve over corn tortillas with pico de gallo, guacamole, and hot sauce.

Cilantro Ranch Dressing

I got this dressing from snaptheconference.com and did it almost exactly the same as she did. It wasn't quite the same as Cafe Rio, but it was close enough. We really liked it anyway. I only added 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, but in the future I will definitely add more. I like that spicy kick that it gives.

1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix

3/4 cup mayonnaise

3/4 cup sour cream

1/3 to 1/2 cup milk

1/2 bunch cilantro

1/8-1/4 cup salsa verde

2 cloves garlic, minced

lime juice from 1 lime (approx. 2 Tbsp)

Combine everything in a blender and blend until creamy and smooth. Refrigerate for an hour before serving.

Pizza Sauce

I found this recipe on myrecipes.com when I was looking for an authentic New York style sauce and decided to try it. I have to say that it really tastes nothing like New York pizza sauce, but I still liked it a lot and would definitely use it again. 

1 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes

1 can tomato paste

1 tsp minced garlic

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp oregano

2 tsp basil

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil

7 Tbsp water

Salt to taste

Combine ingredients in a medium bowl. This does not need to be cooked before using on pizza.

Red Enchilada Sauce

This is an authentic Mexican red enchilada sauce. One of the reasons that I like it is that it isn't nearly as bitter as canned enchilada sauces. The secret to removing the bitterness is to strain it and to make sure that the veins and seeds are not in the sauce. This sauce stores in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. I like to double or triple the recipe and then store it in the freezer until I am making enchiladas. The dried chiles for this sauce can actually be purchased in a regular grocery store. I couldn't find them in the first store I went to, but they were in the second one so I didn't have to go to a mercado latino, although I would have if there was one near me.

5 New Mexico red chiles

2 Guajillo Chiles

5 California Chiles

1 Chile de Arbol (optional for heat)

Water

1 clove garlic

1 tsp salt

1 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. chicken bullion 

1 Tbsp oil

Rinse, break off stems and remove seeds. Cover with boiling water for 10-20 minutes to reconstitute. Then remove the veins of the peppers, which are hot and bitter and not good in the sauce.

Puree chiles with about 3-4 cups of the water in which they were boiled, and the garlic, salt, cumin, and chicken bullion. Push puree through a wire strainer into a saucepan, to remove the pieces of skin. Add oil and bring to a boil. Simmer on low for 20 minutes.

Baked Shells with Bolognese Sauce

This was a little pasta dish that I came up with on the fly when I was trying to save money by using the ingredients we had in our home already. Luckily, we had some pretty good ingredients lying around. I used the jumbo conchiglie (shells) pasta, but if I were to make it again I would use the smaller shells or some other type of bite-sized pasta. The sauce is similar to a bolognese sauce, but just a little different because of time and some ingredient constraints - close enough, though.

Bolognese Sauce:

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 lb ground beef

1/2 lb sausage or ground pork

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can tomato paste 

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

3/4 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup milk or cream

Salt and pepper to taste

White Sauce:

2 Tbsp butter

1/4 cup flour

2 1/2 cup milk

1 egg

1/2 tsp basil

1 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

Pasta:

2 cups dried conchiglie (shells)

2 Tbsp dried Italian style bread crumbs

2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Add garlic and cook for 20-30 seconds before adding in onions, carrots, peppers, and celery. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften, then add meat. Cook, stirring frequently until there is no pink left in the meat. Season with oregano, basil, salt and black pepper. Add chicken stock, tomato paste, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add milk (or cream) and turn down heat. Taste and add seasonings according to preference.

While Bolognese sauce is simmering, boil pasta according to the directions on the package. Preheat the oven to 375°.

In another pan, cook the white sauce by melting the butter in a pan, then adding flour. Cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add milk slowly, whisking to combine until sauce is smooth and thick. Season, then remove pan from heat. 

Drain pasta and put it into a casserole dish. Pour Bolognese sauce over top and stir to mix. Beat the egg into the white sauce and pour over the pasta mixture. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and bread crumbs and bake on 375° for 15-20 minutes

Asian Chicken Sandwich

We have been grilling a lot more food lately because it is summer. What a fun way to cook! (Plus, my husband is the self-proclaimed King of the Barbecue, so when I plan a barbecue dinner he does all the cooking.) I have also been looking for more ways that I can marinate meat in order to create a distinct flavor. This one was really good. Maybe a little spicy because of the ginger and red pepper flakes, but still very enjoyable to eat.

Marinade:

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp sesame seeds

1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

1 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 chicken breasts, sliced in half to make them thinner (4 pieces total)

Shredded Napa Cabbage

hamburger buns or large rolls

tomato, sliced

Create marinade by pouring all ingredients into a gallon sized ziplock bag. Make sure it has combined completely before putting chicken into the bag and marinating for 8-12 hours in the refrigerator. While chicken is in the refrigerator, turn occasionally to ensure that the chicken has been evenly marinated. 

Prepare barbecue grill at medium-high heat. Cook chicken, brushing with some of the remaining marinade until it is no longer pink inside, approximately 12-15 minutes. Serve on buns with cabbage (or lettuce) and tomato. 

Sirloin Steak Marinade

I had some sirloin steaks in the freezer and have been wanting to pull them out and cook them. I don't have a lot of experience with marinating things so I am working to build up my arsenal of marinades. This is certainly one that I will use again. I searched "marinate stake with Italian dressing" and found this recipe on allrecipes.com, cut it in half and made a few personal substitutions, which I was very pleased with. Really, how could you go wrong with Italian salad dressing and barbecue sauce?

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup Italian-style salad dressing
1 teaspoons minced garlic
a few dashes of freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup barbeque sauce
1 pound sirloin steak

Make a few small slices in the steaks to allow the marinade to soak in. Refrigerate steaks in marinade in a Ziploc bag for at least 5 hours (they can be in the fridge for up to about two days - the longer the better). Remove steaks from the refrigerator and allow them to reach room temperature before cooking them on a preheated barbecue grill for 3-4 minutes on each side.

Chicken Wing Sauce

My husband found this very simple recipe online about a year ago and it has become one of his favorite things to make for guests. They say it tastes just like the sauce Wingers restaurant uses on their famous wings. Our friends almost always ask for the recipe and are shocked at how simple it is.

3/4 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp Franks Original Red Hot sauce
2 Tbsp water

In a saucepan over medium heat stir together Frank's, brown sugar and water. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved, then cook and stir for 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Sauce will thicken as it cools. In a plastic container add sauce and chicken, seal and shake to coat.

We use breaded chicken from the store cook it in our oven but you could make your own if you would rather. This is enough to cover 8-10 chicken fingers. Double or triple recipe as needed.

Alfredo Sauce

I had tried a recipe for homemade Alfredo Sauce before and it was truly disgusting. After that I started to wonder if I even liked alfredo sauce because I don't like the kind from the store and I didn't trust that a homemade one would turn out any different than that first one. But my hubby finally convinced me to try his mother's recipe and WOW it turned out great.

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
about 2 cups milk
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a large skillet. With a whisk mix flour in, a little at a time. Cook until bubbly. Stir while slowly adding milk until you reach desired thickness. Add Parmesan cheese and stir to melt. Add garlic powder, basil, salt and pepper.

Steak Marinade

My husband and I were planning on making steak kabobs for Sunday dinner but we wanted to try out a new stake marinade. We decided to use one from "The Cooking Blog" because she had a whole section about how to make steaks. It tasted pretty good; I used dried basil that comes in a shaker but I would use fresh basil next time. We used this recipe for 4 lb of top sirloin steak.

8 tsp minced garlic
4 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and Pepper
4 Tbsp chopped parsley
4 tsp chopped basil
8 tsp. oregano
12 oz. Red Wine


I read on a website that it is better to use real wine as opposed to cooking wine, but I don't really know how big of a flavor difference there would be. I used red cooking wine for this. If you have any experience using wine in cooking I would be happy to receive input. Also, the recipe said to let it marinate for 2 hours but we left it overnight. It was pretty good; I need to get more experience doing marinades.