Turkey-Spinach Meatballs

This is another great idea that my wife gets all the credit for. She helps me to eat healthier. So these leaner meatballs are made with turkey, and actually have spinach inside them.  If it sounds too healthy for some of you, don't worry. There's plenty of bold flavors here so you won't even notice.

I'm going to give you all a quick lesson on dicing onions. Slice one end off, then lay it on that flat side on your cutting board, and slice it straight down the middle. Peel off the outer layer.

Then lay it on the wider flat side and make vertical slits perpendicular to the exposed flat end.  The wider the slits, the larger your diced onions will be. If you want a finer dice, then keep them closer together.

As you slice down, your onions will already be diced up for you. And don't worry if it isn't perfect. You can always cut them up a little more.

Check here for the basic meatball recipe I use.  With turkey, whole wheat breadcrumbs, and spinach these are pretty darn healthy as far as meatballs go. To take it one step further, I baked them instead of pan-frying them. I got that idea from watching a lot of food TV.

You'll notice there isn't a lot of fat that pooled up on the sheet. Then we tossed them into the warming marinara sauce and put them into some fresh buns.

Top it with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese. Yum. (and then more yum). These were fantastic. And I didn't feel guilty at all because it was packed with healthy spinach and lean meat.

Give it a shot. I bet your family will never know how good they are for you.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

One of my friends makes this dip all the time -- and it's always a big hit. So when I saw there was a sale on buffalo hot sauce, I took the chance to try it myself. The classic sauce is Frank's. That's really all you need to make great buffalo chicken. 

The recipe didn't call for this, but I was slicing up some celery stalks for this dip and decided to use the leaves. Celery and buffalo wings are a great combination. So I figured it would work well inside the dip. Why not, right?

Then you add softened cream cheese, blue cheese dressing, hot sauce, and shredded chicken. I added some sharp cheddar cheese also on a whim, but you don't need it. I mixed it all together and baked everything until it was warm and creamy.

This spicy and rich dip goes great with tortilla chips, celery, carrots, ... you name it.  I set some out to watch NCAA March Madness with a friend, and neither of us could stop eating it.

(It's best if you serve it warm.)

Lemon-Blueberry Corn Muffins

My wife can be pretty creative & resourceful sometimes.

We had some fresh blueberries and a 1/2 zested lemon in the house. I don't think I would have thought of this in a hundred years. But she grabbed a box of cornbread mix and decided to make these bight & fresh muffins.

She substituted yogurt in place of the 1/2 cup of milk the recipe calls for.  That changes the consistency and keeps the muffins a little more dense & moist.

The hot little blueberry pockets provide a nice burst of fresh flavor -- like a natural version of Gushers candy. And adding the lemon zest really made these pop. I wouldn't have thought to combine lemon & blueberry, but it's great.

Lemon Butter Pasta with Fresh Parsley

This is a great, quick pasta dish that's full of bright flavors. I keep saying this, but some day I will make my own pasta. In the meantime, using a fresh pasta is the next best thing. They barely need any time to cook, and the texture is really great.

The pasta basics still hold true: salt the water, cook until almost done, drain -- but do not rinse, and then finish cooking in your sauce.

These are literally only in the boiling water for about 2 minutes. Then I made a really simple sauce of melted butter, lemon zest, and fresh parsley. Be sure to reduce the heat if you are using the same pot, or you will scorch your butter and it could have burnt taste.

Lemon zest is a really great way to add some brightness and freshness to a dish. The acidity is also a nice counter-point to a rich flavor like butter. And adding fresh parsley will add another fresh flavor and some life to your pasta.  You can drizzle a little bit of olive oil at the end and it will give everything a nice shine and keep the pasta from sticking.

Top it with Parmesan cheese ... Of course, I like to top mine with a little crushed red pepper flakes for some heat too.

Tasty Toasts 4.0 -- Thai Chile & Peanut Butter

The latest installment of Tasty Toasts takes a twist. This one probably sounds a little crazy -- like someone probably had a little late night substances influencing this crazy combination.  Just think of Pad Thai flavors. It really does work.

Spread some crunchy peanut butter while the toast is still warm (it tastes better if it melts a little bit .. I'm pretty sure that's a scientific fact).  Then hit it with a few splashes of a Thai Chile paste or Sriracha sauce. Add fresh cilantro, torn to release the flavor. And then top it with thinly sliced green onions.  If you're feeling really inspired, you could add a little course salt and some lime juice to really round it all out.

There is sweetness & heat, with a floral component, and the bite of onion.  If you think this is crazy, just try it once. You might be pleasantly surprised.

It isn't as weird as peanut butter and pickles that I had with some college buddies after the bars!

Finishing Salts

I had a New Year's resolution to find uses for my new fancy finishing salts, a Christmas gift from my in-laws. What you can't see  in the picture above is the side where I have placed all the "white" salts. To me, these are just various sizes & textures of your classic sea salt. I still use them all the time. Several of those vials are already empty. But this side that is pictured here is a little more exciting.

My wife wanted to have sweet potato chips for dinner so after slicing them up with our mandolin (and not slicing a piece of my thumb off), I decided to get creative with the seasoning.

I tossed the sliced potatoes in olive oil and then turned to "applewood smoked" finishing salt for some real depth of flavor. It looks like pepper, but it's seasoned salt.

It was a great bacon-esque smoky and salty taste, and it paired really well with the naturally sweeter potato flavor. I could see myself using this great little seasoning on a lot of meats & veggies in the near future. This night, it literally spiced up our usual fish & chips dinner.

PS - I make my own tartar sauce. The key is adding acidity and some crunch.

Mustard Greens

If you like briny greens, then this side is for you!  These mustard green pack a real punch. And the complimenting & contrasting flavors of sweet, salty, smoky, and tangy will set your taste buds alive.

It starts out simply enough, with everybody's favorite ingredient: bacon. Render down some cut up bacon until they are just crispy and then remove them from the pan. Set aside on a paper towel to blot up some of the grease and keep them crispy.

Cook some sliced onions in the same pan using the bacon fat as your (oil). If you have really greasy bacon, you may want to pour some out. This shouldn't be too heavy. It is a green, after all.

Remove the rib/spine from the mustard greens like you would collards. Then slice them into strips and toss them in with the onions. Add some apple cider vinegar, a little honey, and even a touch of dijon mustard. That's right -- I added mustard to mustard greens. Add just enough chicken stock to steam these greens with the lid on.  They will reduce in size quite a bit. Salt & pepper to taste.

Strain any excess liquid and serve the greens with the crispy bacon served on top.  Honey & mustard go really well together. And then you get the smoky, salty, sweetness of the bacon to compliment everything. Bacon & onions both have sweet qualities about them to go with the honey. But you are going to get some great acidity and punch from the vinegar & mustard for balance. This side is full of flavor. And I probably enjoyed it more than the "main course" it was served with.

Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I got the idea for this from an interview with Bobby Flay. He described this quick condiment using chopped unsalted peanuts, brown sugar, cilantro, and green onions. True to any Bobby Flay instructions, he also added salt & pepper.  He says not to make this ahead of time, though, because the cilantro will make your peanuts soggy.

Then I made this great Asian Dipping Sauce that I posted about last month.  I also made another batch that was very similar for a marinade for some finely sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

I let that chill out in the refrigerator for 2 hours to soak it all up. Slicing the chicken ahead of time gave it more surface area to absorb the marinade and tenderize it. The acidity in the lime juice, vinegar, and chili paste will help to soften everything. It will also cook super fast. I got a pan really hot and just dumped it all in.  I pulled the chicken out after only a few short minutes and then let the rest of the marinade reduce to make a thicker sauce to pour over top.

I bought a romaine heart wedge and used the largest leaves to make these delicious wraps. The lettuce wrapper keeps it crisp & clean, while giving you a nice crunch. The chicken was super flavorful from that bold marinade. But the peanut topping from Bobby Flay was probably the star. It was sweet & salty and had a great texture to it.

Thankfully I made a big batch of the chicken so I have leftovers. This is a keeper. For sure.

Frosted Flakes-Crusted Grilled PB&J

I don't know if I could fit the actual description of this dish in the blog title. It's really "Frosted Flakes-Crusted, French Toast-Battered, Grilled PB & J"

Are you following all that?

Now that you have had some time to get a napkin to wipe up the drool on your keyboard, I'll tell you where I got the idea.  A lot of my recipes come from our monthly Bon Apetit magazine. But this one came from something much more pedestrian: an episode of Diner's, Drive-In's, and Dives.  I love that show because it showcases really tasty food without all the fuss (and cost) of the more upscale restaurants.

Guy was doing a special on his favorite sandwiches when I saw this beauty. It's really quite simple. But oh my is it good!

I have had grilled PB & J before, but I have never had it dredged in French toast batter before.  Whip up a few eggs, some cream and/or milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  This really is a genius idea. It combines two of the all-time favorite kids foods: French Toast and Peanut Butter & Jelly.

Set up a dredging station like you're breading a piece of meat. Make yourself a peanut butter & jelly sandwich, close it up, soak both sides in your French toast batter, and then press each side firmly down into some lightly crushed Frosted Flakes. You might need to press kind of hard to get it to stick all over.

Pan-fry them in a little butter until the outside gets a nice golden crunch to it and all the insides are gooey and warm.  Let it cool for a minute and then slice diagonally -- because that makes every sandwich taste better!

The corn flakes add some more sweetness to the party. So if you're not into something overly sweet, this might not be for you. But they also add a nice textural crunch to the outside. Then you get buttery richness, the French toast batter, and warm & gooey center.

Need I say more?

Roasted Garlic & Asparagus Risotto

I did a blog post a year ago for one of my favorite dishes that I make: mushroom risotto. It is a delicious & rich dish, with a great depth of flavor from the sauteed mushrooms, beef broth, and sharp cheese. But it's pretty rich & heavy. And sometimes The Mrs doesn't like a dish where mushrooms are the main star. So this time I made a lighter version of risotto using asparagus.

I started by slicing asparagus and sauteing it in a pan with olive oil and a little salt & pepper. After they have been cooking down for a few minutes and have softened, I added some really great roasted garlic chips my wife bought me a while back.  You don't want to add the garlic too early because it will burn.

Remove that from the pan and set aside on a cutting board. Toast some rice in a pan with a little butter and heat up your liquid. This time I went with chicken broth instead of beef broth because I think it's a little lighter. For more detailed instructions on risotto, click on the link above.  The main key is patience. You want to slowly add the liquid and stir, then wait for it to be absorbed by the rice before adding more liquid.

If patience isn't a virtue you possess (like me), find something to keep yourself busy.

I decided to slice each asparagus stem lengthwise to make them even thinner -- but mainly to pass the time. Then I isolated the garlic chips and discarded about half of them. I diced the remaining roasted garlic chips so I could add them back to the party once the risotto was ready.  This time I opted to stir in a little Parmesano-Romano into the risotto for that cheese component, but without it being as rich as before when I added the shredded sharp cheese.

Transfer everything to a wide bowl and top it with the veggies & garlic. Asparagus is a funky vegetable with a really unique flavor profile. The cheese & chicken broth will give a nice salty flavor to everything, and then the vegetables kind of lighten it up and provide a crunchy texture and counter-point in flavor.