Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Super Bowl Saucy Asian Meatballs


I love the website for Taste of Home and their magazine. I can become a hoarder of those magazines, real quick LOL

Surfing their website this morning for healthy recipes to make for game day, I ran across this recipe and thought I would share. Who doesn't like saucy meatballs? I'm sure not many.

* 36 Servings
* Prep: 20 min. Bake: 20 min.

Ingredients

* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1 teaspoon plus 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce, divided
* 1 pound lean ground turkey
* 1/4 cup rice vinegar
* 1/4 cup tomato paste
* 2 tablespoons molasses
* 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Directions

* In a large bowl, combine the garlic, ginger and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-in. balls.
* Place in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.
* In a large saucepan, combine the vinegar, tomato paste, molasses, pepper sauce and remaining soy sauce. Cook and stir over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Add the meatballs; heat through. Yield: 3 dozen.


Nutrition Facts: 1 meatball equals 32 calories, 2 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 9 mg cholesterol, 89 mg sodium, 2 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 2 g protein. Diabetic Exchange: 1/2 fat.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Grace Young's Vinegar Glazed Chicken

I follow this blog and when I came across this recipe, I just had to try it.

I've changed a few of the ingredients to meet my dietary needs and I'm crossing my fingers that it will turn out as amazing as this recipe.


Grace Young's Vinegar-Glazed Chicken
from Stir-Frying To The Sky's Edge

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bite size pieces
4 teaspoons dark soy sauce (try to find the low sodium kind)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon sugar (I'm going to use Agave Nectar)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon roasted and ground Sichuan peppercorns (I didn't use these but I know they would make everything taste even better)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 scallions, halved lengthwise and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1. In a medium bowl combine the chicken, 2 teaspoons of the dark soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of the soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of the rice wine, agave nectar, cornstarch, ground Sichuan peppercorns. Stir to combine. In a small bowl combine the sesame oil and the remaining 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon rice wine.

2. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch skillet over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Swirl in the peanut oil, add the scallions, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes, then, using a metal spatula, stir-fry 10 seconds or until the aromatics are fragrant.

I just might leave out the olive oil all together and put a few tablespoons of veggie broth instead.


Push the aromatics to the sides of the wok, carefully add the chicken, and spread it evenly in one layer in the wok. Cook undisturbed 1 minute, letting the chicken begin to sear.


Then stir-fry 1 minute or until the chicken is lightly browned but not cooked through.


Swirl the soy sauce mixture into the wok and stir-fry 1 minute, or until the chicken is well glazed with the soy sauce. Swirl in the vinegar and stir-fry 30 seconds or until the chicken is just cooked through.

To see The Amateur Gourmet blog, please visit www.amateurgourmet.com

Monday, January 10, 2011

Sweet and Savory Beef Kabobs


Tonight it will be just the boys and I home for dinner. I thought to my self, "What in the world can I fix that is easy and they would love to eat?" Well the answer is, Beef Kabobs!!!

Michael will enjoy helping me put them together.

The marinade I will use consists of:

1/2 cup brown sugar or 1/2 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup pineapple juice unsweetened
1 T freshly grated ginger
5 garlic cloves, finely minced
2lbs flank steak or london broil
Any veggies that you like and will work well on the skewer

I like to marinate the steak for at least 2 hours but tonight will not be the case due to the time I get home. I'll have a good hour though, to let it all soak in. While your marinating the meat, go ahead and toss in the veggies while your at it.

Since my husband will not be home and I have no clue how to start our bbq, I'll be broiling them and turning them every 5 minutes and it should only take about 10 minutes to cook.

Thinking about making a brown rice dish to serve along with it.

Enjoy

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Sweet Creations by Stephanie: Banana Cream Pie Cupcakes

A wonderful friend of mine is the best baker I know.

I want to share her blog with you.

I will for sure be making these cupcakes for my next batch to take to my coworkers.

Sweet Creations by Stephanie: Banana Cream Pie Cupcakes: "We were headed north to have dinner with friends and his birthday was coming up the folowing week so I decided I'd make him some cupcake..."

Under the weather Sunday

I have been feeling like a cold has been trying to settle into my system for several weeks now. Last Thursday I felt it in my chest and just knew I was doomed. I've been taking meds for the symptoms and feel alright if I don't over do it.

With that said, I really didn't want to head to the grocery store for a full load trip. I had to get something, our kitchen was empty.. Growing teenager, enough said LOL

Sitting in my La Z Boy with my lap top on my lap working, my husband and I started talking about a challenge. He said, "Hey I bet you can't go to the store with $30 in my pocket and get lunch and dinner"..

Hmmmm I started to think Oh heck ya I can.

So I headed to the store, not feeling my best, and bought the following items.

1 flat of chicken thighs
1 onion
1 large can cream of mushroom soup
4 cans tuna
1 large bag of lunch chips
2 bags of bread
1 carton eggs
2 bags of whole wheat english muffins
1 jug water
1 bag hamburger buns

I already had lunch meat so there is the finishing touch on the school lunches.

I had a box of stuffing left over from the holidays so I'll mix that with some chicken stock I have and add the onion. I'll lay that into a baking dish and top with the chicken thighs and bake until golden brown.

So there is dinner, probably for two nights.

I even bought items for another dinner.. sloppy joes and breakfast, the english muffins and eggs, so I actually bought more then what the challenge stated!!! So there hubby.. I WIN!!!!