side dish
Some foods just don’t picture well and these meatballs are one of those foods! The good news is these meatballs have great flavor. You can make larger meatballs for a main course or small to have as an appetizer, these can also be served over buttered noodles or over mashed potatoes. The day we had these we simple ate them as is and they did not last the day in fact they were gone before Robby could even try them. My batch made about 18 medium size meatballs.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE MEATBALLS
1 Lb. ground beef
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon thyme
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup whole milk (I used fare life)
1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips
FOR THE GRAVY
2 Tablespoons butter or dairy free butter
2 Tablespoons flour, I used a gluten free flour
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups beef stock, can use more if you want a thinner gravy
1 Tablespoon minced onion
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Parsley to garnish if desired
DIRECTIONS
Pre heat oven to 400 degrees.
Grease 2 baking sheets with non stick spray and set aside.
Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and mix until combined.
Form meatball mixture to your desired size. I made them into about 1 1/2 inch balls. Place the meatballs on your prepared baking sheets. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and put them in the gravy to finish cooking through if needed.
To make the gravy add the butter into a large skillet. When the butter is melted add the flour and whisk constantly for about 30 seconds. Add in the beef stock and whisk until combined. Add the Worcestershire sauce and all of the seasonings except the parsley.
Allow the gravy to simmer until thickened, just a couple minutes. Add your meatballs and let simmer for another five minutes. Sprinkle with fresh parsley if desired.
Enjoy!
For many, many years now I have been making my own Chinese food for New Years Eve. I keep it very simple but this year I added a couple new recipes to my usual fried rice and egg rolls. I added as Asian ginger salad dressing to a simple salad along with the recipe I’m sharing today the Boneless Chinese Ribs. When our daughter Amanda was little she would always call them the “red things” so anytime we got Chinese take out we always made sure to order the red things for her! I think she still calls them that to this day!
This was my first time making them at home and I did make a couple changes to keep them gluten free for Robby and I did NOT add the food coloring to the sauce that gives them that red color that we all know. I can say this was super simple to make and we all enjoyed them. They are not quite the same as what you get from your favorite take out place but a great at home option.
INGREDIENTS
1.5 pounds boneless pork loin or boneless spare ribs. I used the loin
1/3 cup lite soy sauce
1/3 cup Hoisin sauce, I used gluten free but any will work
1/4 cup fry red wine
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 Tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon of Chinese five spice
2 drops natural red food coloring, optional
DIRECTIONS
Thinly slice the pork into strips about 3 inches long and place in a large disposable plastic bag.
Whisk together the remaining ingredients in a small bowl until well combined and pour the marinade into the bag with the pork and allow to marinate in the fridge for at least four hours or up-to over night.
When ready to cook pre heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with tin foil and top with a baking rack.
Place the pork slices on top reserving the marinade. Depending on the size of your pork slices bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through.
Add the reserved marinade into a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes. Remove from heat.
When the pork is cooked through remove the pan from the oven and pour the sauce over the pork. Move the oven rack to the top portion of the oven and turn the oven to broil.
Put the pan back into the oven for just a couple minutes to get some of those crispy edges and the sauce carmalized. Keep an eye on them during this part as they will burn quickly. Remove from oven and serve.
Enjoy!
This is a recipe I made a while ago but at the time I was having some difficulties adding pictures into the posts. Well, today I fixed that! This dish would be great for the upcoming holidays!
I will be doing some catch up posts next week with some restaurant reviews from some of our travels and I also have some quick and delicious stir fry and one pot dishes coming up!
INGREDIENTS
- 2 Tablespoons of salted butter
- 2 Tablespoons of honey
- 1 bag (16 ounces) frozen corn
- 2 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- pinch of salt
- pinch of pepper
DIRECTIONS
In a skillet over medium high heat melt the butter and honey. Once melted add the frozen corn and cook for 5-8 minutes stirring occasionally until cooked through.
Add the cream cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir together and let cook an additional 3 minutes. Stir occasionally. Serve immediately. Left overs can be stored covered in the fridge.
Enjoy!
There was a hummus brand that made a roasted carrot hummus, however, I have not been able to find it. What’s a girl to do but make my own. This was delicious and could possibly be my favorite hummus yet! I served this with sliced veggies and Naan bread. I shared this dish with a friend and she really enjoyed it as well. So much so, she requested the recipe.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 can organic chickpeas
- 1 cup peeled, diced carrots
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 3-4 Tablespoons olive oil into the processor plus more for drizzling over veggies and garnish
- 2 Tablespoons tahini paste (sesame seed paste)
- 1 Tablespoon water
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce plus more to drizzle on the top (I used Cholula hot sauce)
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds (I found them already roasted and shelled in the grocery store)
- veggies and Naan bread for serving
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread the carrot slices and garlic cloves over a sheet pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables and stir to coat them. Roast for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool and remove skins from the garlic.
NOTE– This can also be done in an air fryer, air frying at 400 for 5-minute increments until the vegetables are soft.
Place all ingredients in a large food processor and process for a few minutes until you have the desired consistency. Scrape the processor sides down once or twice through this process. Remove to a serving dish, drizzle with olive oil, and more hot sauce if desired. Top with sunflower seeds.
Enjoy!
This is another favorite dish of ours from last summer. We made it many times over the summer and it never failed to disappoint. As you can see in the picture I served it as a side dish with st.eak and shrimp but this would make a fantastic dessert served over vanilla ice cream!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pineapple cut into spears
- 1/2 cup of pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl whisk the pure maple syrup and the cinnamon together. Turn your grill onto medium heat and place the pineapple spears on the grill. Grill the pineapple for 7-10 minutes turning the pineapple.and basting the pineapple with the maple cinnamon sugar mix until the pineapple is just heated through and slightly softened. Remove from grill and serve warm.
Enjoy!
