Category: MISC

STUFFED MEATBALLS & ROASTED VEGGIE SPAGHETTI SAUCE

STUFFED MEATBALLS & 
ROASTED VEGGIE SPAGHETTI SAUCE
  • I start with whatever vegetables I have in the vegetable bin. Today was Roma tomatoes, celery stalks, green onions and snap peas.
  • Then I drizzle olive oil and salt and pepper over it all and bake it for an hour at 400 degrees.
  • I started the sauce with a can of Contadina tomato paste, 1 teaspoon Better than Beef Bouillon paste, 2 cups orange juice and a V8. This truly was a clean out the fridge day.
  • When done roasting add the vegetables to the sauce and set to simmer all day. The vegetables will continue to cook down into a uniform consistency with the sauce. Salt & pepper taste.


For the meatballs:
1 pound hamburger
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
3 large slices sourdough bread, crumbled
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheeseAlign Center
2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
1 bunch green onions, finely minced
2 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
mozzarella cheese, about 4 ounces, cut into 1 inch cubes

  • Crumble bread into a large bowl.
  • Toss in Parmesan cheese, parsley, green onions and garlic.
  • Add meat and with your hands mix extremely well until you have a uniform mixture.
  • Roll meatballs around a Parmesan cheese cube.
  • Chill Meatballs until sauce is done.
  • Just before the sauce is finished, brown meatballs.**
  • Add the meatballs to the sauce and bring to a medium high simmer until meatballs are cooked though, about 20 minutes.
  • Prepare pasta and Parmesan Cheese Bread while meatballs are cooking.
  • Enjoy

**If you prefer you can add the meatballs directly to the sauce and SLOW simmer for a couple hours instead of browning.


WEEKLY MENUS

Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie

 DATE BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER
Monday 3/26 Cereal Sandwiches Spaghetti Bolegnese
Tuesday 3/27
 Toast C.O.R.N. Week Night Chicken Enchiladas
Wednesday 3/28 Yogurt Soup Beef Stew
Thursday 3/29
 Fruit Salad Chicken Noodle Bake
Friday 3/30
 Oatmeal Sandwiches Chicken Tettrazini
Saturday 3/31
 Heavenly Ham Hash Salad Chicken Fried Chicken
Sunday 4/1
 Farmer’s Breakfast C.OR.N. Sloppy Joe Casserole

SWEET CORN SOUP

Until recently Chilis restaurant had a sweet corn soup that was fantastic!  Then they took it off the menu and I was forced to try and recreate it!  I am very happy with the results. Today I made a grilled turkey and cheese with caramelized redonioons – YUM!

SWEET CORN SOUP
Safflower oil
7 ears sweet white corn, kernels removed
1 large leeks, whites only, chopped
1 small Vidalia onion, chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Juice of 1 lime

  • In a large stock pot saute’ the corn, onion and leeks until translucent. 5 minutes or so.
  • Add sugar and cook a few minutes more.
  • Add stock and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes or so.
  • Add heavy cream and simmer 15 minutes more.
  • Whisk together water and cornstarch until well blended.
  • Add lime juice, salt, pepper and cornstarch mixture until well blended.
  • Puree and strain.
  • Enjoy.

Pork Chops with Pepper Jelly Sauce

This is one of our family favorites and it is super easy!


Pork Chops with Pepper Jelly Sauce
adapted from Southern Living

4 boneless pork chops, 1″ thick
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons butter, divided
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 red bell  pepper, seeded and minced
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup red pepper jelly
1. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Melt 1 Tbsp. butter with oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops, and cook 8 minutes; turn and cook 10 minutes or until it reaches an internal temp of 140f. Remove from skillet, and keep warm.
2. Add flour and bell pepper to skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until flour is golden brown. Deglaze skillet with wine and cook another minute.
3. Add chicken broth, and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Whisk in pepper jelly until melted and smooth. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining 2 Tbsp. butter. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Return pork to skillet; turn to coat. Serve pork with sauce.
Yield: Makes 6 servings

The whole family liked this recipe. The sauce was to die for. As far as “heat”, it really didn’t have any since I used sweet red pepper.  If you want more heat, use a jalapeno or serrano chile.

YOU AND YOUR DOCTOR SHOULD DECIDE….

This is a phrase that you will see in almost all pharmaceutical descriptions of most drugs.  Today I found out just how scary that phrase is.
After my 10 inch zipper insertion, er cancer surgery I became very hypersensitive to pain and so my Fibromyalgia became the very bane of my existence.  My rhuematologist kept trying to put me on anti-depressants.  Now if you have ever met me you’d say, WHAT THE HELL?  I’m one of the happiest, most optimistic people you’ll ever meet.  I repeatedly declined the drugs.   A few months later my primary care doctor suggested a drug that worked well for Fibromyalgia and lo and behold it was the same drug the rhuematologist had suggested.  What the rhuematologist failed to explain was that these drugs failed as anti-depressants, but worked well for the pain of Fibromyalgia. After reading all the paperwork and discussing it we agreed the benefits outweighed the risks and it was worth a try.  It was amazing! for a while anyway.  Somewhere around 6 months side effects began creeping in.  First one, then a second and a third and when a fourth and fifth happened I scheduled an appointment with my now new primary care doctor (I sure miss my last one).
I made a list of the side affects that I was having, and this drug has some doozies – things like weight gain, blurry vision, headaches, depression, suicidal thoughts, dry mouth… I discussed these with the doctor and he immediately took me off the medication and ordered a new medication all the while promising me that the new prescription DID NOT have the same side affects and had been around ‘forever’.  So I agreed to try it and went to pick up the prescription.  After I had paid for it, the pharmacist did a consult on the new medication and he told me that the doctor was incorrect and that all of the same side affects were a factor because the “pathways” were all the same.  REALLY?  Isn’t this what I just spent an hour trying to fix?
I don’t know about you, but I’m totally fed up with hearing about all the new drugs out there and their possible side affects, especially while I’m eating dinner.  I REALLY hate those commercials, but more importantly I hate being lied to or “misled” either by the commercial or the medical professional.  
Obviously the phrase, “You and your doctor should decide” really means you have to do double duty and do ALL the research, deciding and follow up for yourself.
Personally I’m going all natural and just going to find other ways to deal with the pain.  I did it when I was first diagnosed with SLE and I can do it again!!

GREEN CHILE TUNA CASSEROLE

 
GREEN CHILE TUNA CASSEROLE
2-5 ounce cans tuna, REALLY well drained
2 cups cooked egg noodles
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 can chopped green chiles, well drained
1 can Campbell’s cheddar cheese soup
1 cup whole milk
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

  • Preheat oven to 375˚.
  • Blend together milk and soup until well blended.
  • Fold tuna, onions, green chiles, garlic, salt and pepper into soup mixture.
  • Fold in cheese.
  • Gently fold in egg noodles.
  • Pour into a generously greased baking dish.
  • Top with potato chips.
  • Bake for 30 minutes.