Meatless Meatballs

I am not solely a plant-eater, but these meatless meatballs are the best I've ever had!  Not only are they packed with delicious flavor, but the texture rivals the real deal.  Perhaps the best part?  The recipe requires 5 ingredients: cheese, breadcrumbs, onion soup mix, eggs and nuts.  Voila!

However, as always, feel free to play around with this.  I like to do half cheddar, half Parmesan... and I'm sure mozzarella would also be yummy.  The original recipe calls for walnuts, but I like pine nuts, SO THERE.  Nut allergy?  I bet finely chopped mushrooms would offer a delicious "meaty" quality.  And while we're talking vegetables, chopped spinach, carrots or zucchini would be ideal to sneak in for some added nutrition.  The possibilities are endless!  

My friend sent me the recipe, and she swears the longer you let them simmer in the marinara, the "meatier" they become.  But you could also let them simmer in a broth for a soup, or a cream sauce or, or... I don't know.  You tell me.  Food is exciting!!  I hope you enjoy.     

Meatless Meatballs

Yields: 15 meatballs

Printable Recipe

4 eggs, slightly beaten

1 envelope Onion Soup Mix

1 cup grated Parmesan

1/2 cup grated Cheddar

3/4 cups pine nuts, toasted

1 cup Italian breadcrumbs

After toasting the pine nuts, place in a food processor and grind until nuts become fine and powdery.  Remove to a large bowl, and mix in all the other ingredients.  Combine and place in the freezer for about 20 minutes, allowing mixture to set.  Preheat oven to 375, lightly grease a baking sheet, and roll into balls (roughly golf ball-sized).  Bake for 20 minutes.  If desired, you may then simmer meatballs into a sauce (the longer they simmer, the "meatier" the texture).  Enjoy!

  

Baked Polenta with Roasted Veggies

Is January over yet?  No, it's only halfway through, you say?  WHAT IS HAPPENING.  Christmas was 79 years ago.  How is it only January 17th.  I suppose it's a good thing that January lasts an eternity, because it takes me 79 years to get back into a decent routine.   I finally feel like I've recovered from the madness of the holidays and am capable of cooking, working out and returning emails.  Just in time for a 3-day weekend and blizzard... yeesh.  But, will it be a blizzard?  The weather people are like, we'll get somewhere between 0 and 9 feet of snow.  Enjoy.  I guess I should rush off to the market to buy 29 gallons of milk as people tend to do before "possible" snow storms.  

Or, I could stick to buying vegetables and polenta so I can make this delicious side dish again.! Carson and I loved the combination of sweet, roasted vegetables and buttery polenta, all topped with a bright, salty vinaigrette.  We served it alongside salmon, but you could also add beans for protein (this recipe does that, which I loosely based the dish on) and make it a Meatless Monday dinner.  I hope you enjoy it, and stay safe and warm this weekend with your gallons of milk.        

Baked Polenta with Roasted Veggies

Printable Recipe

Serves: 4-6

4 tbsp olive oil, divided

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp capers

1 small shallot, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 pre-packaged tube cooked polenta, sliced into 2-inch pieces

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 red bell pepper, cut into 2-inch chunks

1 yellow red bell pepper, cut into 2-inch chunks

1 zucchini, cut into 2-inch chunks

4 roma tomatoes, quartered

Mix 2 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, capers, shallots, garlic and salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Set aside.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  On a buttered baking dish, lay out polenta.  Slice the 2 tablespoons of butter and place a sliver on top of each piece of polenta.  On a baking sheet, arrange the vegetables.  Add the remaining two tablespoons of oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.  Place both vegetables and polenta into the oven, and cook for 20 minutes, flipping the polenta and tossing the vegetables halfway through baking process.  Once cooked, arrange polenta and veggies on a platter and drizzle with lemon caper vinaigrette.  

Fusilli alla Vodka

Anyone else in the middle of a snow day with no snow?  Anyone else hiding from their daughters because they won't stop fighting?  Anyone else have a son slithering around on the floor out of boredom - who is laughing at the suggestion of doing some homework?  Do these things make anyone else crave comfort food, like a big pot of creamy pasta?  I am here for you.  Keep reading.  

There is a restaurant in Los Angeles called Jon & Vinny's, and it's magical.  Described as a modern diner (with old school hip hop usually pumping through the speakers), they serve Italian inspired meals like hand-tossed pizza, classic pasta dishes and the best meatballs you'll ever eat.  One of my favorites is the fusilli with vodka sauce, and by the grace of god Bon Appetit recently published the recipe.  Of course I made it last weekend, and of course it was insanely delicious.  

It's the perfect meal for a snow-less snow storm.      

Recipe HERE.

p.s. I know a lot of people ARE getting heavy snow today, just not us, and I'm bitter about it because I'm supposed to be in Nashville right now, so I'm whining.  The End.    

Chicken & Rice Soup with Chiles & Ginger

It's that time of year when, despite our best efforts, we are prone to get sick.  Maybe it has to do with stress (WHY IS MY TO-DO LIST ONLY GROWING), maybe it has to do with weather (WHY IS IT 60 DEGREES ONE DAY AND 25 THE NEXT), or maybe it has to do with your pint-sized roommates who drag germs into the house constantly (WHY ARE THEY GROSS).  Whatever the reasons might be, I have a few solutions: rest, tea + whiskey and this chicken soup!  It's loaded with fresh ginger, spices and delicious broth that warms the soul.  I modified the recipe slightly by adding mushrooms and using canned chiles (because where does one find Thai green chiles??) but I highly recommend this soup for flavor and simplicity.  Here's to our health!   

Recipe HERE.

Aaaaaaaand, come back next week... I plan on posting a sweet treat every day!

Spaghetti with Fried Eggs

As I'm in the thick of writing my cookbook, and all day long dealing with descriptive words like "delectable, irresistible, delicious, YUMMY," I can barely think of a single thing to say about this dish.  The thesaurus has been sucked out of me.  So I'm simply going to say this...jaksdjfksdfj.  Oh, you don't understand lazy, keyboard gibberish?  Fine, I'll say this...omg please make this pasta.  It is so good, that I would eat it every night of my life if that were a normal thing to do.  What's not to love about pasta, crispy, runny eggs and crunchy seasoned breadcrumbs??  Nothing, there is nothing not to love.  This dish is simple, requires minimal ingredients, and can be made in very little time.  It's the perfect thing to make when you don't know what to make.    

Spaghetti with Fried Eggs

Yields: 6 servings

Printable Recipe

6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

4 cloves garlic, divided

1/3 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

8 oz. spaghetti

4 eggs

2 Tbsp chopped parsley

Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat.  Mince two cloves of garlic, and add to the skillet.  Saute for a minute or so, until garlic starts to brown.  Add breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and stir.  Continue to cook for 6-8 minutes, until breadcrumbs turn golden and crispy.  Remove from heat and set aside.  In the meantime, boil water in a large pot.   Once boiling, add a generous pinch of salt and the pasta.  Cook until al dente and drain.  While pasta is cooking, in the same skillet you used before, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat.  Add the remaining two cloves of garlic and cook for a few minutes, stirring around, allowing garlic to season oil.  Remove.  Crack the eggs into the skillet, season with salt and pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the whites start to crisp at the edges and the yolks barely set.  As soon as you drain your pasta, turn the heat off on the skillet and add the pasta and the breadcrumbs to your eggs.  Stir, using tongs, and break up your eggs into the pasta.  The runny yolks will cook some more with your hot pasta.  Serve immediately and sprinkle with parsley and Parmesan.   

Lemon Fusilli with Arugula

I have never met a pasta that I didn't like.  Honestly, I can't think of a single one.  But this pasta, this one is up there with a really good Carbonara, or a Cacio E Peppe, or a Spaghetti al Pomodoro (like this OMG).  It's made with Fusilli (but you could sub in any pasta you have on hand), a ton of fresh lemon juice and zest, cherry tomatoes, peppery arugula and a delicious cream sauce (that has 2 cups of heavy cream... just pretend you didn't read that part... FORGET IT NOW).  The recipe calls for broccoli, but I omitted that because, I don't know, I wasn't feeling it that particular night.  That's the beauty of cooking, my friends.  Do what you want!  You the boss.  

(Sorry, I've been watching too much Boss Baby.)

Recipe HERE. 

Spicy Chicken Rice Bowls

HELLO BLOGGING WORLD!  

Ok, how did I do this again?  This blogging thing?  I would type nonsensical thoughts, you would read them, chuckling loudly while slapping your knees, there were food photos, recipes... ok, it's all coming back, it's all coming back to me now.  There were moments of gold and there were FLASHES OF LIGHT.  

I haven't forgotten about you, it's just we were out west for eleventy days (my favorite not-a-number), and as my kids get older it seems to be taking them longer and longer to adjust back to their accustomed time zone.  My son becomes a teenager, staying up too late and playing dead in the morning (like seriously, I know you can feel that I've just ripped the blankets off your body and I know you can see the sunlight burning through your closed eyelids as I've just violently opened the shades).  My middle child decides to pick 8pm to run laps around the house, wearing three winter coats (??), until I finally decide to give her a leeeeeeeeetle Benadryl (hahahahahahahaha, kidding).  My toddler keeps waking up with night terrors... first, there was a "bird" in her bed and the next night a "crab" (I won't go there).  Needless to say, I am a walking asleep person...

...but I haven't forgotten about you.

In fact, I've made the same dinner the last 3 nights in a row in an attempt to get more photos so I can post the recipe, but somehow I just have one?  Remember how I said I was a walking asleep person? 

Alas!  It's time for me to just POST it already.  Because it's so delicious, and because you deserve it.  It's basically a chicken and rice bowl on top of arugula and topped with various yummy things, and it's based on a dish called 'Le Bowl' from a restaurant called Zinque in Los Angeles.  I toss the chicken in a little mayo and sriracha, which is why I'm calling it spicy, and if you watch "Sing" as much as I do, then you just heard Gunther the pig in your head.  Enjoy!

Spicy Chicken Rice Bowls

Servings: 2 bowls

Printable Recipe

2 cups arugula

2 cups cooked brown rice

2 cups roasted chicken, shredded

Sriracha sauce

Mayonaise 

Shaved Manchego cheese (or Parmesan)

1/2 avocado, diced

Cherry tomatoes, diced

Corn shredded off the cob

Divide the arugula and brown rice among two bowls.  In another small bowl, add chicken and desired amounts of mayo and sriracha (I do about 1 Tbsp mayo and 1 heaping tsp sriracha), stir together.  Top each bowl with chicken, cheese, avocado, tomatoes and corn.  Drizzle some more olive oil and more hot sauce (if desired) on top.  Season to taste with salt and pepper!   

TODAY tonight: Smoky Bacon Mac & Cheese

Goooooood morning, Internet!  I'm back with another TODAY tonight, which is a series where I make something at home that Carson ate at work and absolutely loved, mostly just to get him to shut up about it.  Just kidding!  I love hearing him talk!  Anyway, after he tried this Smoky Bacon Mac & Cheese (along with the gruyere and caramelized onion one) he said it was probably the best thing he's ever eaten on the show, and that Matt Lauer shared similar sentiments.  That's a pretty good review, if you ask me.  We had some friends over this weekend so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to make it and it, was, delicious.  Delicious enough to use commas inappropriately.  It's made with smoked gouda and pepperjack cheese, applewood smoked bacon and seasoned with cayenne and paprika... which all contribute to the most wonderful smoky flavor.  And it doesn't hurt that you use bacon fat to make the roux.  Definitely try it at your next gathering, especially if you're a bacon fan, and if you try the other one please send me your thoughts!   

Recipe HERE.

Buddha Bowls

I'm still not exactly sure what a Buddha Bowl is.  I saw this article on Buzzfeed and became intrigued.  I think they are supposed to be hearty bowls full of raw or roasted veggies and healthy grains that make our bellies so full we end up looking like little buddhas.  Does that sound right?  While I'm not sure I want to look pregnant when I'm not, I am on board with hearty and delicious bowls of goodness, aren't you?  So I made my own with brown wild rice, roasted kale, broccolini and sweet potato, crunchy seasoned garbanzo beans and avocado.  While a lot of these bowls have a tahini-based sauce, for this I simply drizzled some good olive oil and sriracha on top of the finished dish and it, was, sublime.      

To get a nice crunch on the garbanzo beans, it helps to remove there outer skin.  This is tedious, I won't lie.  I'm weird, however, and enjoyed it... but I also enjoy pulling every single last hair out of a hairbrush.  I'd even enjoy it if it was your hairbrush.  Yeah, I'm weird AND disgusting.  Anyway, it helps to rinse the chickpeas (garbanzos, is their a difference?) under water while removing the outer layer with your fingers and discarding in the sink.  Trust me, make a double batch of these for snacking... they are delicious and much healthier than playing with stranger's hairbrushes. 

Buddha Bowls 

Makes 2 bowls

Printable Recipe

1 bunch kale (I used black kale), stems removed and chopped

2 cups diced sweet potato

1 bunch broccolini, stems removed

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 can garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed and outer skins removed

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 cups cooked wild rice or brown rice

1 avocado, halved and sliced

Olive oil and hot sauce for drizzling (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  On a large rimmed baking sheet, place sweet potatoes, kale and broccolini.  Drizzle everything with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast in oven for 20 minutes, flipping veggies halfway through.  Remove, cover with foil and set aside.  In the meantime, place garbanzo beans in a bowl and add cumin, chili powder, salt and minced garlic.  Toss to coat.  In a skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium heat.  Add beans and sauté for 10-15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes, until beans have a nice crunch.  To assemble bowls, add rice first, then roasted veggies, beans and avocado.  Sprinkle with olive oil, hot sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper.  

Lasagna Bolognese

 I've been gone for a long time.  What have I been up to?  We went to California, my husband won a golf tournament...

Also I made lasagna!   

You can find the recipe HERE.  Now listen up, people, I DID NOT MAKE MY OWN LASAGNA NOODLES like the recipe calls for.  I bought the kind in a box, and boiled them for 4 minutes and then rinsed them under cold water.  I baked the lasagna for about 40 minutes (the first 20 lightly covered with foil).  Maybe I'll make my own noodles the next time I make this, OR, in...oh...16 years when I'm an empty nester and actually have time.  Probably the latter, because did you know kids totally and utterly consume your life?  At least they're cute and worth it.  Do you know what else is worth consuming?  (That makes it sound like I eat my kids.)  THIS LASAGNA.  Yum.  

Check back next week for some Oscar-worthy appetizers!  Also, tune into Kathie Lee and Hoda on Tuesday for some yummy casserole recipes :)

Spaghetti Aglio E Olio with Kale

Anyone else feel like comfort eating today?  Make this for dinner and don't look back.  It's simple, hearty and delicious.  Plus, it's full of kale, so it's practically like eating a green smoothie.  One bummer when I made it last night: I forgot to reserve some pasta water that would have aided in making the sauce all thick and creamy.  In fact, I almost threw myself down the garbage disposal to retrieve the starchy water.  But then I didn't do that, and I moved on with my life.  It was still superb, and I highly recommend it.  Happy, healthy, SAFE weekends, my friends.

Recipe HERE

Crispy Tortellini Bites

How are your holiday breaks going?  Are you eating a tremendous amount of food and frying things for a midday snack like us?  My sister dragged me to my first ever Soul Cycle experience today and I thought I was going to die.  My body was like, "LOL you crazy fool, you've had 17 pounds of beef, chocolate and vodka over the past week, HOPE YOU'RE HAVING FUN!"  Oh well, the new year is right around the corner and then we'll all hit the gym and eat nothing but kale and drink gallons of water, right?  Riiiiight.  In the meantime, let's keep frying things!

These crispy tortellini bites are AMAZE BALLS.  They are also very easy to make, although slightly time consuming because you have to work in batches.  However, SO worth it.  It's as simple as making tortellini according to the package, coating it in an egg, flour, panko mixture and lightly frying it them in oil.  Serve alongside marinara for dipping and sprinkle parsley on top for color!    

Recipe HERE.

Have the Happiest, Healthiest New Year's Eve - see ya in 2017 :)

TODAY tonight: Pumpkin & Sausage Lasanga

Mid-mornings in our house go something like this.  Carson comes home from the Today Show, telling me all about what he's just eaten.  "Oh my god, Ina was on today and she made filet mignon with a creamy mustard sauce and it was the most incredible thing I've ever eaten."  And my reply?  "I found a half-eaten piece of frozen waffle by the fireplace and I ate that.  It was dusty."  But, pathetic breakfast aside, I do appreciate his opinion because sometimes I see food on TV and I'm not sure if it will translate at home.  Well, a few weeks ago he came home raving about this lasagna made with a creamy, cheesy pumpkin sauce.  He knows I'm not a huge fan of pumpkin, especially if the flavor is strong, but he insisted I'd love this.  He was right!  Don't tell him.

I LOVED this lasagna.  The pumpkin isn't overwhelming, but it turns this dish into fall comfort food at it's best, with help from flavors like a dash of nutmeg and fresh sage.  It will feed an army, so make it for a World Series game or Halloween or the Circus (election night).     

Recipe here.

*Side note, I made this for a dinner party that I ended up canceling because my son caught the stomach bug.  I thought it was probably irresponsible to serve food with a side of lysol.  Oh, and if you're wondering if my daughters ended up getting sick, yes they did.  At the same time, and I can't decide if I like that better or worse than staggering the illness.  

Stomach Bug for President!  I'm delirious.     

Cheesy Green Rice Casserole

There was a time in my life when my younger sister and I lived together, and we ate chicken and rice every night.  We usually threw in some onions and green bell peppers, and there was always cheddar cheese on top.  We would start with a small helping and then we would go back for more, and more and more, because we are sisters, and we are the same.  We usually drank Bacardi and Diet Coke as well, and we watched stupid television.  I can actually taste all of this as I type.  Especially the rum.  

This cheesy rice casserole reminded me a little of our chicken and rice nights.  Maybe because it was very simple to make?  Comfort food at it's best?  Or maybe because it's a casserole, and my sister and I come from the Land of Casseroles (aka Midwest).  All I know is I LOVED this.  It's the perfect thing to make if you have a lot of leftover rice (or if you have the "boil in a bag" kind like me).  And while I added finely diced broccoli and peas, you could really throw anything in here.  Cubed ham, bell peppers, onions, chicken, etc.  The result will be the same delicious, cheesy dish.  I used a can of coconut milk, but I'm sure you could substitute that with 2 cups of regular milk, however I loved the subtle flavor the coconut milk offered.  Make this tonight!  And drink some rum with your sister.

Cheesy Green Rice Casserole
(Serves 8-10)
Printable recipe

2 cups cooked rice
2 cups broccoli, finely diced
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 13.5 oz. can coconut milk
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup grated cheddar
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl, mix together rice, broccoli, peas, coconut milk and cream cheese.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Place mixture in a 9x13 baking dish, and sprinkle with grated cheddar.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and golden.