Chinese Spaghetti and Meatballs

This is a fabulous twist on spaghetti and meatballs. Rachael Ray has less sauce, more veggies and more meatballs. Bigger meatballs too. This is a great recipe. I recommend making the meatballs with ground chicken if you can find it. However, ground pork also gives it a more chinese flavor.

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1 pound whole-wheat spaghetti
• 1 pound ground pork or chicken
• 1 egg
• 2 cups puffed rice cereal
• Black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder, 1/3 palm full
• 8 scallions, 2 finely chopped, 6 cut into 2-inch lengths
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup tamari dark soy, divided
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 2 cups snow peas, thinly sliced on an angle
• 1 red bell pepper, very thinly sliced
• 2 inches ginger root, grated
• 4 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 pound triple washed spinach, leaves stripped of larger stems, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, available on Asian foods aisle of market
• 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, available on Asian foods aisle of market

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place a pot of water on to boil for spaghetti. When it comes to a boil, salt the water and add pasta to cook to al dente. Heads up: reserve 1/2 cup cooking water just before draining.

Place pork in a mixing bowl. Add the egg to the bowl. Place rice cereal in food processor and pulse into a bread crumb like consistency. Add cereal crumbs to bowl.

Add salt, pepper, five-spice powder, 2 chopped scallions and 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Mix the meat balls thoroughly. Form 1 1/2-inch balls and coat with 1 tablespoon oil, scatter onto a baking sheet and roast 15 minutes.

When the meatballs are close to done and the pasta is in, heat a large skillet over high heat with enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom of the skillet, a couple of tablespoons. Add the snow peas, red pepper, remaining cut scallions, ginger and garlic, stir-fry 2 minutes add spinach and wilt, 1 minute. Add the remaining soy sauce, about 1/3 cup, and the sesame oil then drain, add in pasta cooking water and toss to combine so pasta can soak up sauce, about 1 minute. Garnish with sesame seeds and top with lots of meatballs.

Jimmy's Favorite Garlic Bread

Fantastic garlic butter recipe. Even if you don't like sun-dried tomatoes, the butter is fantastic!! Yes, this recipe makes a TON. However, it is completely worth the entire recipe. You can keep it and put it on any bread for any dish that needs that extra side of bread. =)

Ingredients

• Garlic Butter, recipe follows
• 1 loaf sourdough bread, cut in 1/2
• Basil leaves
• 8 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Directions

Liberally apply garlic butter to bread halves. Bake in oven until light golden brown. Remove and top with basil, sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan.

Cut into 2-inch slices.

Garlic Butter:

2 heads garlic

Olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup mayonnaise

Pinch paprika

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley leaves

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Slice the tops off the garlic heads, place in a piece of foil, drizzle olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place in oven and bake for 1 hour, or until soft.

Squeeze roasted garlic out into medium mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and thoroughly mix together, divide in half, and refrigerate.

Cajun Chicken Alfredo

This is a Guy Fieri recipe. It was on the same episode as the recipe I put up called Jimmy's Favorite Garlic Bread. They go great together; no wonder they were on the same episode. =) We used blackening spice that was from Zatarain's. Just make sure, whatever kind you use, use in moderation based on how spicy you want your chicken.

Ingredients

• 4 (5-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup blackening spice (recommended: Paul Prudhomme's Chicken)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 cup roughly chopped marinated sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound cooked fettuccine
• 1/2 cup sliced scallions

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Dredge the chicken breasts in the blackening spice and place in a cast iron skillet over very high heat. Blacken both sides of the chicken and place in the oven for 10 minutes, or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Slice in strips on the bias and set aside.

In a saute pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Add garlic and lightly caramelize. Then add the sun-dried tomatoes and the chicken slices. Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Add the heavy cream, increase the heat to a simmer, and reduce the cream sauce by half.

When the cream sauce is to desired consistency, stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan, salt, pepper, and pasta.

Nest the pasta on large rimmed plates, pour sauce over pasta, and garnish with scallions and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Chili Tamale Bowls

This is an amazing recipe for your taste buds. It is a chili with polenta that ends up tasting like a tamale. One change we made was the peppers. We couldn't find dried Ancho chili peppers. Instead, we used 3 chipotles in adobo. I would recommend 1-2 if you are not a fan of spicy foods. Or you could seed them. Also, we didn't have any tomato paste at the time, so we substituted with tomato sauce.

Ingredients

• 3 Ancho chili peppers, seeds and stems removed
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 pounds ground pork
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin, a palmful
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika
• 2 pinches cinnamon
• A pinch of ground cloves
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup lager beer
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup quick cooking polenta
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 rounded tablespoon honey or agave syrup
• 2 cups shredded Pepper Jack or other soft melting cheese
• Suggested garnish: wedges of lime, fresh chopped cilantro, thinly sliced scallions
• Yields: Serves 4

Preparation

Place anchos in a pot and cover with about 2 1/2 cups stock
and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer to soften peppers,
7 to 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons EVOO, a couple of turns of the
pan, over medium-high heat. Add pork and brown meat, breaking
into small pieces. Season the meat with cumin, coriander, paprika,
cinnamon, cloves, salt and pepper. Add onions and garlic to meat
and cook to tender 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, incorporate
it and then add beer to the pan.

Purée the stock and softened anchos, then stir into chili.
Reduce heat under chili to low.

Bring remaining 1 1/2 cups of stock and milk to a boil then whisk
in polenta and whisk about 2 to 3 minutes to thicken. Stir in butter
and honey and season the polenta with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour polenta into individual bowl and form a well in the center.
Fill polenta lined bowls with chili and top with shredded cheese.
Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over top of tamale bowls and
garnish with scallions and cilantro, optional.

Deconstructed Guacamole Chicken Sammies

This sandwich is quick and easy.

Ingredients

• 4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast, 6 ounces each
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika, a palmful
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
• 2 ripe Haas avocados
• Juice of 1 lime or 1/2 lemon
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 15-ounce can diced, fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 4 leaves lettuce
• 4 crusty, cornmeal-topped Kaiser rolls, split
• Flavored specialty corn or blue corn chips

Preparation

Heat a griddle pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Combine remaining spices in a
small bowl and rub all over chicken. Drizzle griddle or skillet with a
tablespoon of EVOO. Cook chicken 12 minutes, turning once. Remove
from pan and let cool enough to handle; slice each piece on an angle into
4 pieces.

Halve and pit avocados and dress with lime or lemon juice. Cut each half
into 4 pieces and layer between chicken slices.

In a small skillet, heat remaining tablespoon EVOO, a turn of the pan.
Add onion, jalapeño and garlic, and sauté a few minutes to soften.
Add tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Turn off heat and mix
in cilantro.

Place lettuce on bun bottoms and top with chicken and warm salsa,
set bun tops in place. Serve with a few chips alongside.

Thai Chicken Pizza

No, I never get sick of Rachael Ray's food. haha. This pizza is delicious. I recommend planning for two pizzas when you go grocery shopping. The veggies call for half of what is possible to buy...for example you only need 1/2 a bell pepper for one pizza. Another reason to buy for 2 pizzas, besides having leftover ingredients, is that it's so good! The hubby and I eat one pizza by ourselves. So naturally, we are still craving it a few days later because there were no leftovers. Also, the sauce, we just buy what is available out of the two options. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 pizza dough, any brand
• 1/2 cup duck sauce or plum sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 package (2 cups) shredded provolone or Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 rounded tablespoonful peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce
• 2 teaspoons grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning) eyeball it
• 4 chicken breast cutlets, 1/2 pound
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar
• 1/4 seedless cucumber, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 1 cup bean spouts, a couple of handfuls
• Palm full cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped peanuts, 2 ounces

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Form pizza crust on pizza pan or cookie sheet. Top with duck or plum sauce - spread it around like you would pizza sauce. Sprinkle the pizza with some crushed red pepper flakes then top with cheese and peppers. Bake until golden and bubbly, 15 to 17 minutes.

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Combine vegetable oil, soy sauce and peanut butter with hot sauce and grill seasoning. Use the microwave to loosen up peanut butter if it is too cold to blend into sauce, 10 seconds ought to do it. Add chicken and coat evenly with mixture. Let stand 10 minutes then grill chicken cutlets 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until firm. Slice chicken into very thin strips.

While chicken cooks, mix honey and vinegar and add the cucumber. Turn to coat evenly.

Top the hot, cooked pizza with chicken, scallions, sprouts and cilantro. Drain cucumbers and scatter over the pizza. Garnish pizza with peanuts, cut into 8 wedges and serve.

Creamy Pasta with Spinach and Fried Capers

Want a meal with virtually NO PREP?! This pasta is great as a meal or a side dish. You need to decide what you will use it as and modify the recipe accordingly. However, it's pretty good as leftovers too. The pasta is gemelli. You may not know about this pasta but it is fun! It's like rotini being in a spiral shape but it is skinny and hollow with fatter twists. Just find it and enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

• Salt
• 1 pound gemelli, strozzapreti or other short pasta
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1/4 cup capers, drained
• 1 large clove garlic, smashed
• 2 packed cups spinach, stemmed and chopped
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• Pepper
• 1 pinch nutmeg (optional)
• 
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving the pot.

2. While the pasta is working, in a medium skillet, heat the EVOO, 8 turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add the capers and fry until they open, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook until lightly golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until wilted, 1 minute.

3. In the pasta pot, whisk the ricotta and milk over low heat until warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with the thyme, some pepper and the nutmeg, if using. Add the pasta and toss to coat. 

4. Discard the garlic and stir the spinach into the pasta. If desired, add some of the spinach oil from the skillet. Top with the fried capers.