Meatball Madness

Rhymes with Rasheed is not a man that takes very kindly to sandwiches at dinner time.  His definition of dinner is a protein, starch and vegetable that are separate and identifiable on a plate.  So to get him to try something a little different I thought I would take some meat and cover it with cheese!

Meatballs are a comforting, versatile way to stretch your monthly menu.  This recipe is a basic meatball that I use for meatball subs, spaghetti, Caribbean meatballs, meatballs with gravy and a number of other things.  It is flavorful but subtle, so if you wanted to you could make a bunch to freeze instead of buying the frozen ones which tend to include more "mystery" than meat. 

Meatballs 
Prep Time 3 minutes     Cook time: 20-25 minutes
Cost: $2.86                 Servings: 4

1 pound ground meat (beef, turkey, or chicken)  
1 1/2 ts. kosher salt, to taste  
1/2 ts. black pepper  
1/2 ts garlic powder  
1/4 ts. onion powder  
1 egg
2 slices bread
approx. 1/4 cup milk


Add salt,  pepper, garlic powder and onion powder per pound.  Soak one or two slices of torn up bread in enough milk to cover and let it soak until the bread starts to break up, and add to meat along with egg.  MIX THOROUGHLY.   Portion by the heaping tablespoon and brown in olive oil, or bake at 425 until golden brown and cooked through, around 20-25 minutes depending on size.

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For meatball subs, butter split sub rolls and toast at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden.  Add 4 meatballs to each roll and top with shredded melting cheese of your choice.   Bake for another 8-10 minutes or until cheese melts.   

Hearty Lamb Stew

Let me start out by saying this: I do not like curry, or rather I have not like it.  This is because the flavors are often too overpowering and aggressive for me.  That might suit someone who is used to these bold flavors, but for me it has always been slightly off putting.  And frankly, it's intimidating.  I am, after all, a Southern bred girl who was never really exposed to international flavors and cuisines until my adult life.  Americanized versions of Chinese, Japanese, Italian and Mexican was pretty much the extent of my adventures in food (Note: let's be clear, these foods are often DAMN tasty!).

Rhymes with Rasheed is another story altogether.  He has eaten many foods from people of many different cuisines and backgrounds, and likes all kids of things that I previously would not even look at, let alone eat.  So this lamb stew is a meeting point for us.  It utilizes lamb, some Eastern spices, and the widely loved flavors of carrots, onions and sweet peas.  Elias loved it -- he ate his first plate before I could dish out everyone else's and then ate two more servings.  The stew went so fast, I ended up eating a PB sandwich afterwards because there was almost none left for me!  The flavor is there, but it's not knocking you over and is a good dish for those of us just starting to experiment with new flavors.

I used cubed lamb shank with the bones in for this, then removed the bones after cooking. But you could easily use any other part of the lamb, or replace with beef or chicken for an equally tasty alternative.  If you wanted to make it vegetarian you can leave out the meat altogether and add potatoes.  Lamb is more expensive than beef or chicken, but since the other ingredients are household staples that most of us typically keep around, the dish is still pretty affordable.  If you don't usually keep tumeric around, check the International foods aisle of your grocery store, you are likely to find smaller packages of spices that are more affordable than the ones on the spice aisle in the fancy glass bottles!

Hearty Lamb Stew

Prep time: 15 minutes     Cook time: 2:30

Price: $12.42         Servings: 4-6

2 lbs. lamb meat
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup peas
1/4 cup chopped carrots
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1 1/2 ts. tumeric
pinch of allspice
pinch of cumin
kosher salt and black pepper to taste

1. Preheat a stock pot over medium-high heat and drizzle with oil.
2. Season the meat with salt and pepper, and dust with the flour to coat.  
3. Brown the meat in batches, and remove them from the pan.  Add the onions and garlic and soften.
4. Return the meat to the pan, and add enough water to cover. Then add the carrots, peas, tumeric, allspice, cumin and salt and pepper to taste.  
5. Cover and cook over high heat for 20 minutes, then reduce to a simmer for at least two hours. Serve hot over rice.

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Sweet Smoky BBQ Brisket & Sauteed Corn Salad

Summer is fading fast...according to the calendar.  If you ask the North Carolina weatherman, however, they would conclusively agree that this is way past an "Indian" summer.  Today it was well over 80 degrees in Charlotte, so I when I came across a brisket at Harris Teeter I thought it might not be too late to have a little bit of the flavors of summer again.  The whole meal ended up having a sort of Southwestern feel, with the BBQ and the corn.  I suspect that this rub would be highly successful on chicken, easy oven fries, or stirred into sour cream for a great vegetable dip. You can also replace the brisket with any other cut of beef since this brisket was a whopping $4.98/lb.  Even still, it came in at under $15!

Now, I have to be the first to admit that "Rhymes with Rasheed" usually makes the brisket around here.  But he was not home and I wanted to create a great rub, so I decided to dive head first into making a brisket in the oven.  With the help of a baking rack, some foil, and a dash of Colgin liquid smoke I was able to recreate a little bit of summer lovin' in the oven (<----you so just got rhymed on!)  I made this with what I will call a sauteed corn salad and Perfect Skillet Cornbread.  Try it out, and let me know how it goes with a comment!

Sweet & Spicy BBQ Brisket     BBQ Pan Sauce
2 tb. paprika                                                                   meat drippings
2 tb. brown sugar                                                            2 ts. honey
1 ts. salt                                                                          2 ts. dijon mustard
1/2 ts. garlic                                                                    2 tb. water
1/4 ts. onion powder                                                      

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Mix all ingredients together in a small dish until well combined and massage into meat, covering thoroughly.
2. Place meat on a rack over a pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until the rub forms a crust around the meat.
3. Remove meat from rack and wrap tightly in foil and add 3 dashes of liquid smoke and a splash of water, lower temperature to 250 and bake for 3 hours.
4. Pour the drippings into the pan, add the honey, dijon and water whisk smooth.  Simmer on low heat until the sauce thickens slightly, and drizzle over brisket.

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Sauteed Corn Salad

1/2 c. chopped red onion
1/2 c. chopped green pepper
1 1/2 c. corn kernels
1/2 cup chopped eggplant
1/4 cup chopped tomato
olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Heat a pan to medium heat and drizzle with olive oil.  Add the onion and peppers, allow them to soften.
2. Add the corn and heat the mixture through.
3. Add the eggplant and tomato cook for an additional 3 minutes, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Beef Vegetable Stew with Black Pepper and Cheese Croutons

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When the weather is getting cool, there's nothing quite like a big bowl of something warm and good, and this beef vegetable stew really hit the spot.  But then when you add in the black pepper and cheese croutons, things really start to get good.  Really, super comforting.

My husband isn't a very big fan of light fare like soups and salads when dinner time rolls around.  I'm trying to slowly change his mind and offer lighter alternatives, but he loved this traditional stew with the twist of the black pepper and cheese croutons.  When you think about it, Americans are one of the few cultures that I know of that eat their biggest meal of the day in the evening.  The Spanish are infamous for their leisurely lunches known as la comida,the largest meal of their day, in the late afternoon and then enjoy a siesta, their afternoon nap which can last up to two hours (wouldn't that be nice!).  With all of that said, I am trying to keep as many meals as light as possible.  You can make this with any combination of your favorite vegetables, or leave out the meat altogether. This stew and cheesy crouton was just the right combination: light, but filling and oh so good!

Beef Vegetable Stew

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes

Cost $6.57    Servings: 6+

1/2 of a zucchini, chopped and cubed

3/4 c. corn kernels

1/2 an onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup carrots, cubed, shredded or grated

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/2 pound stew meat or beef, in 1/2 inch cubes

2 tablespoons olive oil

kosher salt and black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder, or 2 cloves of garlic

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1- 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1- 28 oz. can petite diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot until it glistens and ripples.
caramelized onions

2. Brown the meat, adding it to the pan so that there is space between each piece.  If necessary, cook the meat in batches but be sure not to overcrowd the pan. Remove from pan.

3. Add the onion and fresh garlic if you're using it, and soften the onions then add the meat back to the pot.

4.Add the crushed and diced tomatoes, the tomato paste, garlic and onion powder and season with salt and pepper. Let the mixture heat through, then add the potatoes.

5. Wait 5 minutes, and add the zucchini, corn and carrots.

6.Leave the soup as is, or mix two tablespoons of flour with 1 tablespoon of butter or butter substitute in a small dish until combined and add it to the soup to thicken the texture.  Cover and on medium-low heat for 25 minutes. 

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Black Pepper and Cheese Croutons

1/2 loaf of thin sliced Italian bread

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

croutons with olive oil1/4 cup Mozzarella or Italian blend cheese

cracked black pepper

olive oil for drizzling

1.Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 

2.Spread the bread out on a sheet pan, and drizzle with olive oil.

3.Bake the bread for 8-10 minutes, or until the bread is browned and crisp on top.

4.Add the mozzarella or Italian cheese, then the Parmesan cheese, and top with a sprinkle of black pepper. 

5.Return to the oven for another 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is melted, bubbly and brown.  Eat. Enjoy.

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"Hidden Veggie" Chili and Perfect Skillet Cornbread

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Fall is absolutely my favorite season.  Sometimes it's still warm during the day, you can wear a jacket or not, and you can have a great day outdoors and have something warm and tasty in a bowl for dinner.  So because it was fall, and for no other particular reason, I made an old-fashioned chili and cornbread dinner.
When I told Shaheid (a.k.a. "Rhymes with Rasheed") that I was making chili I got one of those "Oh no..." looks.  He then proceeds to tell me that he thought that HE was the chili maker in our house, because it's not one of my strong suits. After I finished rolling my eyes and quickly reminded him about the time he microwaved two ribeyes in an effort to defrost them, I started my chili.  I decided to add some "hidden veggies" to the recipe because there is no such thing as too many vegetables especially when your two year old and your husband (or whatever picky eater is in your life) don't even know they're there!  I used 96/4 ground beef and didn't miss the great flavor of it's fattier friends with all of the great spices in this dish.

I made a few changes to a skillet cornbread recipe from The Pioneer Woman, adding some sugar to the recipe and subbing in fat-free and low fat dairy.  The edges were crispy and the inside was soft and a tiiiny bit sweet, just what I'm looking for in a great skillet cornbread.  If you don't have cast iron pan, try using a cake pan or other baking pan and heating it in the oven as it preheats.  That should get you as close as you can get to the same crispy crust achieved in cast iron.  P.S. I wish I had a piece right NOW!

Hidden Veggie Chili

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1/4 cup shredded zucchini
• 1/4 cup shredded carrot
• 1/2 an onion, diced
• 3 tb. ground chilies (or chili powder)
• 1/4 ts. cayenne pepper
• 1/4 ts. cumin
• 1/4 ts. onion powder
  
• 1 ts. salt
• 1 1/2 ts. garlic powder
• 1 - 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 - 28 oz. can petite diced tomatoes

Instructions

In a large pot over medium heat, brown the ground beef and drain any excess liquid.
Add the onion and allow them to soften for 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the zucchini and carrot and cook for an additional two minutes.
Next add the crushed and diced tomatoes with all their juices.
Heat the mixture through, add the spices and cook over medium-low heat for 20 to 30 minutes.

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Perfect Skillet Cornbread

adapted from The Pioneer Woman

• 1 cup Yellow Cornmeal
• ½ cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• 2 tablespoons sugar
  
• 1 cup fat-free Buttermilk
• ½ cups 1% Milk
• 1 whole Egg
• ½ teaspoons Baking Soda
• ¼ cups Shortening
• 2 Tablespoons Shortening

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Combine cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Stir together.
Measure the buttermilk and milk in a measuring cup and add the egg. Stir together with a fork. Add the baking soda and stir.
Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir with a fork until combined.
In a small bowl, melt 1/4 shortening. Slowly add melted shortening to the batter, stirring until just combined. In an iron skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons shortening over medium heat. Pour the batter into the hot skillet. Spread to even out the surface. (Batter should sizzle.)
Cook on stovetop for 1 minute, then bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Edges should be crispy!

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Summer = no cooking

It's official.....summer's humid days, thunderstorms and short nights have struck. What does this mean for me? I am losing my once insatiable desire to cook everyday. Why, you ask? Well, for a few reasons. 1. I, unfortunately, am apparently the last person on earth without central air, and these window units are no match for a hot oven and/or stove. 2. I, unfortunately, am the last person on earth who doesn't have a dishwasher, therefore creating a masterpiece of a meal loses it's luster when it is immediately followed by A LOT of time spent cleaning up the mess made when making aforementioned masterpiece. So today I present to you, the cheesesteak pita. It's quick, tasty, faintly culinary in nature and requires limited use of appliances (score!). It's available at many Greek-inspired restuarants and pizza joints, and this is my take on making it at home. It's full of tasty summer veggies, and relatively low in calories so it's pretty much a win-win around the Hasan house. It also has healthy Greek yogurt in it, which is becoming widely available due its increasing popularity. Try it out, and if you're not a fan of the Greek tzatzki sauce, just try it anyway. For me? Please? I swear you'll love it! Although I LOATHE yogurt, I LOVE this sauce.

Tzatzki Sauce
1 container (individual serving size) Greek style yogurt
1/2 of one large cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 clove minced garlic
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
squeeze of fresh lemon juice

For the Pitas:
1/2 pound shaved, lean beef or Steak-Umms
sliced cheese (the amount is up to you, but watch those calories!)
1 package whole wheat pitas
veggies to taste, see below

Add the cucumber and yogurt to a small bowl, add a squirt of lemon juice and add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for about thirty minutes before use. If you don't have fresh garlic (which you should) substitute a pinch or garlic powder. If you don't have a fresh lemon, use another citrus or just skip it.

Wrap a stack of whole wheat pitas in foil and put them in the oven on low (250 degrees) to warn while you get started. Then prepare your veggies for the pita. Chop lettuce, red onion, chopped cucumber, tomatoes and black olives then set them aside.To make the pitas, season your steak with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add to a hot pan and saute. Strain the meat and add it back to the pan. Allow the meat to crust in the pan, and add sliced cheese ( I prefer white American for this ) while everything is still hot. Stack the meat with the veggies and add the sauce, and voila!, you are in for something good (and fast too!)