Sweet & Sour Muffin Meatballs

Mar 12, 2012 by

I love when I find a good recipe. Better yet, I love when I find a good recipe that I can improve on 🙂 A while back, I wanted to make meatballs but not just regular plain meatballs – nothing boring. I came across Sweet & Sour Muffin Meat Loaves from myrecipes.com so I decided to try. The first time I made it, I wasn’t sure of the texture and it certainly did not have the colour I was hoping for. I tried again, taking notes on the changes I made and I never looked back. Instead of calling them meat loaves, I’ll say that these are awesome baked meatballs, full of flavour and a nice rich colour.

I wanted to serve it with mashed potatoes and steamed carrots but.. since the meatballs were super spectacular, I’d have to jazz up the company! This was such a great meal! It was different and comforting.

 

Sweet & Sour Muffin Meatballs, Carrots & Baked Potatoes

 

Sweet & Sour Muffin Meatballs
 
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Baked meatballs with a sweet and sour sauce
Author:
Recipe type: Dinner
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1½ lbs Ground Turkey
  • 1 Cup Ketchup, divided into 2½ cup portions
  • ¼ Cup brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp White Vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 Onion, finely chopped
  • ½ Cup Breadcrumbs
  • 1 Tbsp Oregano
  • 2 Tsp All Purpose Seasoning
  • Salt & Pepper
  • 4 Large Carrots, cleaned and chopped into ½ inch pieces
  • 2 Tbsp Butter
  • 2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
  • 2 White Potatoes (or any kind you like suitable for baking)
  • Olive Oil for the potatoes
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 450F
  2. In a saucepan, set carrots to boil about 20 minutes until soft. Drain and then mash with butter and maple syrup. Set aside.
  3. In an oven proof pan, grease the potatoes with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  4. Pierce the potatoes with a sharp knife. Cook for 1 hr, until the skin is crispy and a knife goes through the skin with no resistance
  5. Grease a 12 Cup Muffin Pan
  6. In a 1 Cup measuring cup, mix ½ cup ketchup, brown sugar and vinegar
  7. In a medium bowl, combine ground turkey, egg, onion, breadcrumbs, soy sauce and remaining ketchup
  8. Add salt and pepper, combine well with a fork or better yet, your hands
  9. Add about a tablespoon of ketchup mixture to each muffin cup, reserving about half of the liquid
  10. Form the meat into 12 meatballs, as equal in size as possible
  11. Place in each muffin cup, pressing down to flatten the top slightly
  12. Bake for 30 minutes
  13. After 20 minutes, brush each muffin with the remaining ketchup mixture and continue baking until cooked through
  14. Remove from oven and allow to rest before carefully removing the meatballs.
  15. When the potato is cool to the touch, slice and serve
Notes
The muffins can be baked alongside the potatoes once the potatoes are half-cooked. I used tongs to remove the meatballs from the muffin pan Portions can be 2 meatballs per person, with meatballs left over for lunch the following day

 

And here’s the fun part!

Add ketchup mixture into each muffin cup

 

 

Add each meatball on top of the ketchup mixture

 

After about 20 minutes, the meatballs will look something like this

 

Partially cooked meatballs

 

Brush the meatballs with the remaining sweet and sour mixture

 

Meatballs brushed with sauce

 

Pop them back in the oven for about 10 minutes or so. Your kitchen will smell marvellous. Don’t let your meatballs burn! Watch them carefully. Cover with foil if needed.

 

Sweet and Sour Meatballs - cooked!

 

I especially love the dark, caramelized sweetness of the meatballs and the sweet and sour sauce. I found that it paired well with the carrots and potato. Each component complimented each other quite nicely.

 

Dinner is served!

 

Take a bite!

 

Meatballs, Carrots and Baked Potato - Stacked

 

Seriously. I’m hungry.

 

Happy Monday, friends! ~ Lyn

 

 

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Chicken, Linguine and Crimini

Mar 2, 2012 by

I’m getting to like this business of freestyle cooking (cooking without a recipe). It adds a little mystery to meals. It’s kinda cute when my husband asks “whats cooking?” and I say “Oh, you’ll see *bats eyelashes*” when what I really mean to say is “Honey, I have no idea!”. I’ve always been pleasantly surprised at how great the meals turn out. I LOVE it. One of my recent freestyle meals was Smoked Paprika Chipotle Chicken with Spirali Pasta and Kale Pesto. I had ingredients that I wanted to use and I ran with it.

My ingredient for today’s post is Crimini Mushrooms. I can’t say that I’m a big fan, however I wanted to be adventurous and incorporate it into a meal. It’s a great thing to challenge yourself. I knew I wanted pasta, and I knew I wanted it creamy. I just wanted a quick way of doing it, while utilizing items in my Pantry. So anyway, the idea was born on a recent trip to the grocery store. Crimini Mushrooms were on sale so I grabbed a pack and here is what I came up with.

 

Chicken, Linguine, Crimini

 

I will say, that when I am preparing a freestyle meal, I get really focused and sometimes I don’t get to take photographs of the process. So I only have the finished result today. It tasted great and I got my little man to eat it! He only questioned the mushrooms half way through, but he ate everything in his plate. You should have seen him slurping the pasta. The things that bring mothers joy. *insert big smile here*

 

5.0 from 1 reviews
Chicken, Linguine and Crimini
 
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A quick family meal using Crimini Mushrooms
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Serves: 3
Ingredients
  • Linguine Pasta
  • Grapeseed Oil to cook the chicken
  • 3 Chicken Breasts (Skinless, Boneless)
  • 2 Tsp All Purpose Seasoning
  • 1 Cup Sliced Crimini mushrooms
  • 1 Can Low Fat Cream of Chicken Soup (284 ml)
  • 1 Onion, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • Salt & Pepper
  • ½ Cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth (or whatever you need)
Instructions
  1. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, all-purpose seasoning
  2. In a hot skillet, add grapeseed oil and cook chicken 6-8 mins on both sides over medium high heat until cooked through and juices run clear. Set aside
  3. Set pasta to boil, following the directions on the package (I used half a pack)
  4. In a warm skillet, add olive oil. Add onions and saute until translucent
  5. Add crimini, and saute until soft, about 5-7 minutes
  6. Season with salt and pepper
  7. Add can of cream of chicken soup
  8. Stir to incorporate
  9. If you find it too thick, add broth until you have reached your desired consistency
  10. When pasta is cooked, drain and add to the skillet with the mushrooms
  11. Toss to incorporate
  12. Plate immediately and serve with sliced chicken on top

 

Chicken Breast, Linguine Pasta and Crimini Mushrooms

Hows that for dinner in a jiffy?

Have a great weekend!!!

 

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Meatloaf & Smashed Potatoes

Feb 29, 2012 by

Have you ever had meatloaf before? It may sound strange to ask. But when I had meatloaf for the first time, I knew I was missing a great deal! I saw the recipe on Everyday Food and decided to give it a go. Of course, I made changes to their recipe. I generally do. Ha! I enjoyed preparing it but found that it’s really a lot of meat! I may have to find a way to prepare it differently or make mini meatloaves or something. All in all, it tasted great and the family enjoyed it. I chose to mix the meats to get the most flavour. Originally I was going to use the usual ground turkey but felt the flavour would not be rich enough. I’m sure there are many variations of meatloaf so if you’re a food blogger, and you happen to come across my version, please leave a comment and a link to your recipe. I’d love to see.

Oh, and as for the smashed mini potatoes – I saw Laura Calder do it and I thought it was hilarious! But after the first few times I did it, I found them to be cute little things. And I LOVE the taste of baked mini red potatoes. LOVE.

I have to tell you guys that my son ate his dinner with no fuss. Knowing that he would not eat meat for so long, and finally he’s eating like a “big boy” really makes me happy. My daughter is now going through this meatless phase, so I’m being patient with her but I look forward to when she can eat just like her brother. She might even start asking for broccoli or string beans with her dinner, just like her big brother! It’s a daily task, offering her different veggies, and foods, but she’s just 2 and still trying to figure it all out. I’m here to help and show her by example. A mother’s work is truly never done.

I’m proud of my first attempt at meatloaf. Here’s the recipe and photographs.

 

Meatloaf, Smashed Mini Potatoes, Steamed Broccoli

 

 

5.0 from 2 reviews
Meatloaf & Smashed Potatoes
 
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A family favourite - Meatloaf & Potatoes
Author:
Recipe type: Dinner, Main
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 12 Baby Red Potatoes, washed and dried
  • ¼ Cup Milk
  • 3 Slices Whole Wheat Bread
  • 1 Small Onion, coarsely chopped
  • 3 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
  • ½ Cup chopped spinach
  • 1 Egg lightly whisked
  • 1 Tsp Dried Thyme
  • 1 Tsp Dried Oregano
  • Salt & Pepper
  • ½ Cup Tomato Sauce + ¼ Cup for garnish
  • 1 lbs Ground Veal
  • 1 lbs Ground Beef
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375F
  2. Boil the potatoes until it can be easily pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes
  3. Tear bread and place in a small bowl
  4. Pour ¼ cup milk over the bread and allow to absorb
  5. In a large bowl, combine bread, beef, veal, onion, garlic, spinach egg, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, ½ cup tomato sauce
  6. Combine to make a loaf (I used my hands) and place into a 9" X 5" bread pan
  7. Bake for 30 minutes
  8. Take the mini potatoes and toss in olive oil and season with salt and pepper
  9. place them onto a rimmed baking tray
  10. using the bottom of a saucepan, smash the potatoes in order to flatten them a little bit, not completely
  11. After 30 minutes, remove the meat loaf and spread remaining tomato sauce on top
  12. Continue baking for another 30 minutes
  13. At this time, add the tray of smashed mini potatoes and bake alongside the meatloaf for about 30-40 minutes
  14. Test meat loaf for an internal temperature of 180F
  15. Remove from oven and allow to rest for about 10 minutes
  16. Removed from pan, and serve in slices
  17. Remove the potatoes when the skin is crispy

 

While taking into consideration the fact that some ovens are hotter than others, I wanted to ensure that the loaf was cooked through. You can never be too sure.

 

Internal temperature

 

It looked great, and smelled wonderful. I couldn’t wait to cut it into slices.

 

Meatloaf

 

The tomato sauce was so sweet… a perfect combination.

 

Meatloaf slices

 

When will you be making meatloaf for your family?

 

Meatloaf, Smashed Mini Potatoes, Steamed Broccoli

 

Take care folks! See you again soon 🙂

 

 

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Chicken And Dumplings

Feb 27, 2012 by

I seemed to have developed a strange attraction and liking to dumplings. But not the dumplings that my mom or grandmother made. These dumplings are not the Caribbean way! But I just love them! I also love the way the chicken is cooked down into a stew. My husband loves how fluffy the dumplings are, and I totally agree.

This Chicken and Dumpling meal truly makes me happy. No leftovers whenever I make this 🙂

I know you guys loved the Chicken Soup With Dumplings. But THIS is where the party is at! LOL Yes, I love it that much.

 

Chicken and Dumplings

 

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Chicken And Dumplings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp Butter
  • 1 Medium Onion, diced
  • 5 Carrots, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces on the diagonal
  • 1 Tsp Dried thyme
  • 1/4 Cup Unbleached, All Purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 Cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
  • 8 Chicken Thighs, Skinless, Boneless
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Grapeseed Oil (to cook chicken)
  • Dumplings:
  • 3/4 Cup Unbleached, All Purpose Flour
  • 1 3/4 Tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/2 Tsp Salt
  • 1/2 Cup Milk (I used 2%)
  • 1 Cup Peas, thawed from frozen

Instructions

  1. Season Chicken with salt and pepper
  2. In a skillet, add some Grapeseed oil and brown chicken on both sides
  3. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside
  4. In a warm dutch oven over medium heat, add butter.
  5. When butter has melted, add onion and sauté until softened
  6. Add Carrots and Thyme
  7. Stir 3-5 minutes over medium heat
  8. Add 1/4 cup flour to make a roux. Stir in gradually to combine
  9. Gently whisk in chicken broth
  10. Bring to a boil while whisking to remove any lumps of flour
  11. Add Chicken. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes
  12. In a medium bowl, add flour, baking powder, salt and milk
  13. Combine with a fork
  14. Using 2 spoons, form dumplings and place in the dutch oven (about 14-16 small dumplings)
  15. Cover and cook for 15 minutes (stir once or twice during this time to ensure chicken doesn't stick the bottom of the dutch)
  16. Add peas
  17. Cook for 5 minutes until peas warmed through and dumplings are cooked
  18. Gently stir
  19. Serve immediately
https://lovelypantry.com/2012/02/chicken-and-dumplings/

5.0 from 1 reviews
 
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Adapted from Everyday Food

 

Dumplings in the pot!

 

This is a definite favourite for me. I just need to win the kids over and then this could be a weekly item. Too bad they are going through that funny texture phase.

 

Chicken and Dumplings – Dinner is served

 

Okay, I need to back away from the computer. I’m getting hungry for dumplings.

Have a great week, everyone!

 

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Chicken Soup With Dumplings

Feb 20, 2012 by

Some recipes show up when they are most needed. If ever there were a time that I needed something to comfort me and make me feel better, now would be it. Last week was a rough week. Between eye infections, visits to the doctor, a trip to the hospital and a root canal, I’d say the members of my family have been pretty active. I think this is the first time in my young family’s history where we’ve all been hit with “something” in such a short space of time. It was a lot to deal with but I sure hope we are finished. Mama’s got things to do.

To put everyone at ease, we are all doing much better now. Apparently we bounce back very well. I was the one who ended up at the hospital after picking a strange infection after frolicking in a pool. The following day I went in for a root canal. I’m still eating soft foods for now. Which of course sent me looking for recipes – ah! the silver lining! Today’s recipe  is from Everyday Food, Issue 89. It was just perfect. I’ve made it twice so far and plan to make it again this week.

These are not the dumplings my mother makes! I’ve never had dumplings like this before. They were so good! Making them was fun too. Scoop with two spoons and drop in the broth. Its way better than rolling the flour in your hands and getting all messy. 🙂

 

Chicken Soup With Dumplings

 

 

Chicken Soup With Dumplings
 
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A comforting chicken soup with dumplings
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 10 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
  • 6 Chicken thighs, cooked & shredded
  • 1 Cup All-Purpose Unbleached Flour
  • ½ Cup Yellow Cornmeal
  • 2 Tsp Baking Soda
  • ½ Tsp Salt
  • ¾ Cup Buttermilk
  • ½ Cup Frozen Spinach, thawed
  • Salt & Pepper
Instructions
  1. Season Chicken thighs with salt and pepper, brown both sides in a hot skillet.
  2. Remove from the skillet and cut into strips. Set aside.
  3. In a large pot, bring broth to a simmer over medium heat.
  4. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.
  5. With a fork, stir in the buttermilk and spinach to form a dough.
  6. Using 2 spoons, form tablespoon sized balls and gently drop into simmering broth.
  7. Cover and cook for about 8 minutes, until dumplings are cooked through.
  8. Add chicken, gently into the simmering pot.
  9. Taste and broth and add salt and pepper as desired.
  10. Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.

 

 

 

Dumpling Batter, ready to go.

 

Chicken, in strips

 

Dumplings in the pot

 

Chicken Soup with Spinach Dumplings

 

 

Chicken Soup with Spinach Dumplings

 

Now this was a soup worth  making!

Happy Monday! And to all my  Canadians in ON, AB & SK – Happy Family Day!

 

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