PB&J Meatballs

PB&J Meatballs?  One wouldn't normally think to combine these flavors - in fact, when my neighbor found this recipe in one of my cooking magazines on the coffee table, he too wasn't sold.  But I was intrigued.  Reminds me of that classic episode of Friends when Rachel makes the trifle and mistakenly combines two recipes: one for a dessert trifle, one for a Brittish meat version.

Joey:  I mean, what's not to like? Custard, good. Jam, good. Meat, good! 

So what's not to like? Peanut butter, good. Jelly, good. Meatballs, good!

The sauce comes out sticky and sweet, with a hint of teriyaki, peanut butter, and even the grape jelly.  I used chunky peanut butter because it's what we keep in the house and a low-sugar grape jelly to control some of the sweetness.  I also didn't have any regular teriyaki sauce in the house (I know, right?!), but I did have some island teriyaki, so I used that. 

Now, I know you're still not sold - who would actually try something like this?  Well, I would - and I'm not sorry.  

PB&J Meatballs

PB&J Meatballs

What You Need:

• 1/2 c grape jelly 
• 1/3 c teriyaki sauce
• 1/3 c peanut butter
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1/4 tsp sriracha
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 package frozen turkey meatballs

How You Do It:

1. Combine all ingredients expect meatballs in a large skillet; whisk over medium-high heat until silky smooth.
2. Add meatballs (frozen); heat until bubbly, stirring frequently.
3. Simmer uncovered 15-20 minutes until meatballs are heated through.

PB&J Meatballs recipe adapted from a Target ad in one of my many food magazines.

Honey Dijon Salmon with Green Beans

I’m always looking for different ways to cook fish.  We are big fish fans and I’m always afraid we’ll get bored with the same preparations over and over.  So when I saw this in a pile of recipes I had pulled from old magazines, I thought I’d give it a try. 

Now here’s a salmon recipe with an added bonus – leftover honey Dijon vinaigrette to use with salad or veggies later in the week!  A quick whisk of oil, mustard, honey, and vinegar makes a good amount of dressing and for this salmon you only use a couple tablespoons. 

I had never thought of baking the salmon right on top of onions before, but it really worked well.  The onions came out so tender and sweet and gave the salmon an extra hint of flavor.  Mixed with some steamed green beans and a little drizzle of the vinaigrette and this dish packs a sweet and subtle flavor not to be missed. 

Quick, easy, and light, this salmon recipe is a good base to try lots of different flavors.  And best of all – when all was said and done – my recipe looked just like the one in the magazine photo, so I was pretty damn excited!

Honey Dijon Salmon with Green Beans

 

Honey Dijon Salmon with Green Beans

What You Need:

• 2 tsp honey
• 4 tsp Dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp white-wine vinegar
• 1/2 c olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 4 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
• 2 6-oz pieces salmon
• 1 pound green beans, trimmed

How You Do It:

1. Whisk together honey, mustard, vinegar, and oil; season with salt and pepper.
2. In a deep baking dish, toss onion with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette and bake at 425* for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, stir 1 tablespoon vinaigrette into panko. Coat fish with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper; top with breadcrumb mixture and add to baking dish. Bake until fish is cooked to your liking, about 12-15 minutes.
4. While the salmon cooks, steam green beans to desired tenderness.
5. Remove salmon from baking dish and set aside. Drain green beans and toss with onion and 1 tablespoon vinaigrette. 

Honey Dijon Salmon with Green Beans recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food.

Lemon Garlic Chicken

Over the weekend I made what is probably one of the best chicken recipes in my arsenal: Lemon Garlic Chicken.  I can’t really do this recipe justice without you actually trying it.  The chicken in tender, the garlic and lemon flavor is through the roof, and the house smells amazing for hours after.

Trust me on this one – don’t wait.

Lemon Garlic Chicken

 

Lemon Garlic Chicken

What You Need:

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
• ½ c seasoned breadcrumbs
• 5 tbsp butter
• 4 garlic cloves, pressed
• 6 tbsp lemon juice

How You Do It:

1. While the oven preheats to 350°, melt the butter in the bottom of a deep baking dish.
2. Once the butter melts, and garlic and stir. 
3. Toss chicken chunks in breadcrumbs, place in baking dish with garlic butter.  Toss to coat. 
4. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally. 
5. Add lemon juice and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Lemon Garlic Chicken recipe from my mom.

Chicken with Balsamic Onions over Sautéed Spinach and Mushrooms

This week my husband has been on a no-carbs, no dairy kick.  And you know what, he’s done a really great job of it.  It has, however, been a bit of a cooking challenge at night, as I like to have rice or a little cheese or some sort of carb (in moderation, of course) with dinner.  And while I've managed to pull off a week of no-carb, no-dairy dinners, last night’s was noteworthy. 

Added bonus – I found another opportunity to use the Herbs de Provence I snagged on our honeymoon last summer! 

Anyway – the chicken was so tender, and took only a few minutes to cook on the stove-top, thanks to slicing the breasts in half.  The onions on top – yum!  While I don’t love a super strong balsamic flavor (even on salad), they offered just enough flavor to give the chicken just the right kick.  I served this over some sautéed fresh spinach and mushrooms for more vegetables and a good balance.

Super easy, super quick – this is a no-carb, no-dairy keeper!

Chicken with Balsamic Onions over Sautéed Spinach and Mushrooms

Chicken with Balsamic Onions over
Sauteed Spinach and Mushrooms

What You Need:

• 1/4 c flour
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half to make 2 thin cutlets each
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 c water
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 tsp Herbs de Provence*
• 1 package sliced mushrooms
• 2 bags fresh baby spinach

How You Do It – Chicken with Balsamic Onions:

1. In a large Ziploc bag, combine flour and pepper. Add chicken, one piece at a time, and shake to coat.
2. In a large skillet, cook chicken in oil over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm.
3. In the same pan, cook onion until tender.
4. Add water, stirring to loosen browned bits.
5. Add balsamic and Herbs de Provence; cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened. Serve over chicken.

How You Do It – Sautéed Spinach and Mushrooms

1. While the chicken and onions cook, in a separate large skillet, cook mushrooms until soft.
2. Slowly fold in spinach by the handful, until wilted.

* If you don’t have Herbs de Provence or cannot find them in the store, the original recipe calls for 1/2 tsp dried thyme and 1/8 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary.

Chicken with Balsamic Onions recipe adapted from HeritageSchoolhouse.

Beer-Braised Chicken Tacos

I probably have mentioned before I have a love for Mexican food.  We don’t have it often, but every once and a while I can't resist.  So, here’s a quick and easy taco recipe a bit different from chopped meat with a packet of seasoning. 

Other than the hard shells and enchilada sauce, I had everything for this recipe on hand.  I always keep shredded/diced cooked chicken in the freezer in 2-cup packages, usually leftover from making chicken soup, but could easily be pulled from a store-bought rotisserie chicken.  The seasonings are staples in my cabinet and I almost always have an onion or two in the pantry.  And with all the beer left from my birthday bash a couple weeks ago, there was no shortage there.

One pot does the trick for this one and really you need only about 20 minutes from start to finish – a quick and easy Mexican fix.  While there is a little beer in the recipe, didn't taste it much at all and the chili powder (which next time I would reduce) and enchilada sauce gave this a nice heat.

And – I cannot close out without a shout out to the hard shells.  We don’t normally go the hard taco route, but I saw an ad for these “fiesta flats” and had to see for myself.  Let me tell you – they are genius!  You can fill them and set them without tipping.  And while I still stand by the soft shell and feel hard shells get stale while they sit on the table (and most often than not, are stale when you take them out of the package) these were a rare treat.

Beer-Braised Chicken Tacos

Beer-Braised Chicken Tacos

What You Need:

• 2 c diced cooked chicken
• ½ large onion, diced
• 1 can enchilada sauce
• ¾ c beer
• 1 tbsp chili powder (I might try ½ tbsp next time)
• ½ tsp cumin
• Shells and toppings as desired (We topped ours with sour cream and a little shredded cheese)

How You Do It:

1. Sauté chicken and onion in rimmed skillet until onion starts to soften, about 2-3 minutes. 
2. Add seasonings, beer, and enchilada sauce.  Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to an almost-simmer, and cook an additional 15 minutes uncovered, until the sauce reduces to desired consistency.  (Note:  I added a little slurry to thicken at the end).

Beer-Braised Chicken Tacos recipe adapted from Betty Crocker.

Ramen Vegetable Lo Mein

Sometimes the best cure for a rough day is dinner with friends.  So when I got a text from a girlfriend that she was going to be around tonight and wanted a hug, I offered to ease up the rest of the of the night with dinner at our place. 

Knowing I had to make a meat-free meal (she’s a Chopra, look it up!), I stopped at the store on my way home to pick up some vegetables to make a stir-fry and remembered yet another pin for a recipe using Ramen noodles. 

I couldn't believe how quickly the HUGE bowl of stir-fried vegetables and noodles cleared.  While I thought the meal was just mediocre, apparently I was in the minority.  I thought the sauce I used was a little sweet and could have used a hit of red pepper flakes, my dinner “guests” said not to tweak a thing. 

So, here’s the recipe, without tweaking a thing.

Ramen Vegetable Lo Mein

 

Ramen Vegetable Lo Mein

What You Need:

• 4 packages Ramen noodles
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 package shredded carrots
• 1 package broccoli florets
• 3 large cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 c chicken broth
• ½ c teriyaki sauce (I used this)

How You Do It:

1. Boil noodles according to package, discarding seasoning packet.  Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat sesame oil in large skillet.  Add onion and sauté until slighted softened.  Add broccoli and carrots and continue to sauté until tender.
3. Add garlic and sauce, stirring to combine and soften garlic.
4. Add noodles and chicken brother, toss to combine and heat through.

Cheesy Turkey and Bow-Ties

Last night we were supposed to toss something on the grill for dinner.  It has been a pretty hectic week and I wasn't really interested in putzing around in the kitchen.  Alas, something on the grill!  However, yesterday morning I got a text from the hubs asking if I had a backup plan: it was pretty gross outside - rain, fog, a real mess.  I knew there wasn't much in our refrigerator (read: a pretty hectic week) and that I really didn't want to go out or even order in, but I did have a package of ground turkey in the freezer.  The hubs took it out to defrost.

That brings us to last night's dinner - this pretty much tex-mex-ish mac and cheese.  The sauce takes a little help from the grocery g-ds, canned soup and prepared salsa, but sometimes you just need a little help - nothing wrong there!  Combined with a little corn hitting on my midwestern roots, ground turkey instead of beef to hit the somewhat-health factor, and some veggie pasta, I had dinner on the table in under 30 minutes.  Take that, Mother Nature!

The slight salsa flavor paired with the cheese soup really made a nice combination of mac and cheese meets chips and salsa.  For something quick and easy to hit the table on a night when you don't really feel like cooking, give this a try!

Cheesy Turkey and Bow-Ties

Cheesy Turkey and Bow-Ties

What You Need:

• 2 1/2 c uncooked bow-tie pasta
• 1 lb lean ground turkey
• 1/2 chopped onion
• 1 can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
• 1 c salsa
• 1 c frozen corn (do not defrost)
• 1 1/2 c shredded cheese

How You Do It:

1. Boil pasta according to package directions, or done to your liking.
2. While pasta cooks, in a large skillet, brown turkey.
3. Add onion and saute until slightly softened.
4. Add soup, salsa, and corn, stir to combine, and let simmer while pasta finishes cooking.
5. Drain pasta and add to meat mixture.  Sprinkle on cheese and let melt.

Cheesy Turkey and Bow-Ties recipe adapted from Pillsbury.com.