Category: PROTEINS

SWEDISH MEATBALLS REVISITED – made healthier, quicker for weeknights and yummier too! ALSO made into a SWEDISH MEATLOAF.

Traditionally this recipe is served with lingonberries – YUMMMMMMY!!
MEATBALLS*
1 Jumbo egg
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 large slice white bread, crusts removed, and bread torn into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces ground pork, double ground
8 ounces ground beef, double ground
1 medium onion, grated or minced
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
Olive Oil, heavy coat

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Whisk egg and cream together in small bowl. Stir in bread and set aside to soak.
  • Blend hamburger & pork, onion, nutmeg, allspice, pepper, brown sugar, and salt smooth and uniform.
  • Using fork, mash bread mixture until no large dry bread chunks remain.
  • Add mixture to beef mixture and blend until well mixed.
  • Form 1-inch round meatballs. You’ll have about 25-30. 
  • Bake 20-25 minutes until cooked through.
  • At this point you can either complete the recipe or freeze the meatballs for a later weeknight.

SAUCE
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon
Table salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • Melt butter over medium high heat.
  • Once melted, add flour and cook, stirring constantly with whisk, until flour is light brown.
  • Slowly whisk in broth.
  • Add brown sugar and bring to simmer.
  • Reduce heat to medium and cook until sauce is reduced to about 1 cup, about 5 minutes.
  • Stir in cream and return to simmer.
  • Add meatballs back to sauce and simmer, turning occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes.  If making the meatloaf, at this point pour sauce over the meatloaf and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
  • Stir in lemon juice; season with salt and pepper to taste and serve over noodles.
    *I doubled this recipe and also made a “Swedish Loaf” for the freezer that I can then just add the sauce over and bake one evening.

    aprons 3

    PEACH BBQ RIBS

    3 pounds cut spareribs
    1 can Peach Comstock*
    1 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s hickory smoke BBQ sauce**
    Juice of 1 lemon
    salt and pepper 
    1 tablespoon Frank’s hot sauce

    • Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper; rub well. 
    • Place in baking dish and top tightly with foil, shiny side in.
    • Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour, reduce heat to 375 degrees for an additional 30 minutes. 
    • Pour off any excess liquid. 
    • In the meantime pour peach Comstock into a food processor and puree.
    • Add BBQ sauce, hot sauce and lemon juice. Pulse until well blended.
    • Remove from oven, brush meat with sauce, turn, brush sauce on other side. 
    • Bake at 375 degrees with foil loose and open 30 minutes.

    *Cherry works great too!

    **or any other favorite brown sugar based sauce – I’m allergic to mustard so Sweet Baby Ray’s is about the only prepared sauce on the market I can use.  I really prepare to make sauce fresh.

    Crab Salad Nigiri Sushi

    I first saw this crab salad nigiri sushi that my blogger friend Pikko had made on her blog Adventures in bento making . I thought I’d give it a try for a gathering at my husband’s work one evening. Pikko’s are much prettier, I’ll have to keep practicing. Her creation was a hit though. I put them in a deviled egg carrier to bring them in. Since we were all hanging outside behind the shop it didn’t have to be fancy.
    First off my rice cooker died on me. How frustrating. It would turn on and keep warm, but the cook button wouldn’t work. I went to check it and there it sat, all that water still hanging out on top. I transferred it to a pan and cooked it on my stove top, forgot to time it, but it turned out fine! Once in the bowl I added the already prepared sushi vinegar while it’s still warm. I don’t add much sugar at all to my sushi rice (personal preference).

    Using the stick version of the imitation crab. Chop up the crab and add mayo, I added a little wasabi powder to it, but not enough for it to be too much for those who don’t like it. I am a wasabi fan!
    It took a little while to get used to handling the sticky sushi rice, having a bowl of water on hand to help. I hand made the rice balls (I am using a rice ball maker next time, sounds like a good investment). A little adjusting on what size to make them. With scissors cut the nori sheets into strips, being careful to cut them straight because it will show if you cut it crooked.
    Wrap the strips around the rice, sealing it with water. With a tiny baby spoon I filled the cups with the crab salad. Those little spoons come in handy, good thing I saved them!
    I topped some with srircha, some with wasabi and left some without, because I know Maranda would like it plain. I have to tell you this it was funny. A couple showed up later, they came riding in on their motorcycles all noisy, just to make an entrance. (The owner’s brother and his girlfriend). She is acting all tough in her leathers. Someone is telling them what we have to eat. Now for a few of them this was the first time they’ve tried sushi. He pointed out the sushi, she says “No I only like real sushi”. Okay, alright then, now I was good, and I only said “this is real sushi”. Then I let her do her thing. After eating some 7 layer taco dip, she did try a piece and loved it. No wasabi for her, she doesn’t “do ” wasabi. Then she ate another one, then said “I wish we were here earlier and didn’t miss most of the sushi” She ended up eating the last one too. I just smiled to myself. Maranda and Wade did bring it up later, and we laughed about it.
    Thanks Pikko it was a hit.

    You can check out more of my food trials and ethnic ventures at The Tiny Skillet . Or check out The Tiny Bento for my bento lunches that are so popular in Japan!
    Have a great weekend!!

    Fire Day Friday – Chorizo Joes

    Football season has started up. That means a lot of tailgating parties with typical hot dogs and hamburgers. But you can shake things up, because you know that the grill is capable of much more than burgers and dogs.
    Once the leaves start to turn, the winds begin to actually feel chilly, and weekends are about game day entertainment, try sloppy joes on the grill for something different. And these are much better than opening a can of that….that….Stuffwich stuff.

    Sloppy Chorizo Joes
    Ingredients
    1 lb ground beef
    1 lb Mexican Chorizo sausage
    2 Anaheim peppers
    1 sweet red bell pepper
    1 small onion, diced
    4 cloves garlic, minced
    6 oz can tomato paste
    2 cups water
    1/2 Tbsp cayenne pepper, ground (I used my home made chili pepper blend)
    1/2 Tbsp cumin
    1 Tbsp turbinado sugar
    salt and pepper to taste
    8 hamburger buns
    Instructions
    Char the peppers over a hot grill, burner, or broiler a few minutes a side. Remove when charred and blistered, resting in a zip lock bag for 5 minutes.
    Peel the charred skin, slice open and de-seed the peppers (see video). Dice.
    Preheat a dutch oven over medium heat on the grill. Brown the ground beef and chorizo, then remove and drain.
    Add the onions to the dutch oven with 1 Tbsp of the reserved meat drippings and saute for 5-7 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook 1-2 minutes longer.
    Return the meat mixture to the dutch oven. Add the roasted chili peppers. Mix the water, tomato paste, pepper, cumin, and sugar together and then add to the dutch oven. Once this comes to a simmer, cover and kill the grill heat (shut the vents or gas).
    After 5 minutes, stir, season with salt and pepper to taste and remove to rest (covered) for another 5 minutes.
    Serve with plain white hamburger buns.

    CHICKEN SCAMPI

    A while back I made Shrimp Scampi and it was so good I decided to make Chicken Scampi.

    1 1/2 pounds chicken pieces
    1/3 cup clarified butter
    4 cloves garlic, minced
    6 green onions, thinly sliced
    1/4 cup dry white wine
    Juice of 1 lemon
    Fresh parsley for garnish
    salt and pepper, to taste
    • Clean and rinse chicken pieces, dry well and set aside.
    • Heat butter in large skillet over medium heat.
    • Cook garlic 1 or 2 minutes or until softened but not browned.
    • Add chicken pieces, green onions, wine and lemon juice; cook until chicken is cooked through.
    • Do not overcook.
    • Add chopped parsley and salt and pepper before serving.
    • Garnish with lemon slices and parsley sprigs if desired.
    • Serve with buttered noodles and a green veggie. I tossed them all together for a one pot meal.

    BOHEMIAN PORK CHOPS aka PORK CHOPS IN BEER GRAVY and a drum roll please…

    Let’s start the day off with our big CSN giveaway winner.  Drum roll please…

    The winner is Julie from Mommie Cooks!
    Congratulations!

    This was from another scrap of recipe I found in gram’s things.  I don’t know if she ever made it, but pork chops and beer in the same sentence got hubby’s interest and so we had some fun experimenting with this recipe.

    BOHEMIAN PORK CHOPS aka PORK CHOPS IN BEER GRAVY
    4-6 thick boneless pork chops
    1 small onion, cut into thin rings
    1 stalk celery, chopped
    3 tablespoons flour
    salt and pepper to taste
    2 tablespoons butter
    2/3 cup water
    1 beer ~ your favorite flavor
    • In a large skillet, melt butter.
    • Brown pork chops, generously salting and peppering.
    • Remove pork chops, keep warm.
    • Saute’ onion and celery until soft and translucent.
    • Add flour, stirring until golden.
    • Add water, stirring until well blended.
    • Add beer and simmer until begins to thicken.
    • Add pork chops back in and heat through.
    aprons 3

    BBQ BACON ROASTED CHICKEN

    I found an awesome sale recently on roasting chicken and more importantly found this awesome 8 pound bird.  Yep, I said 8 pounds.  I’m going to get several meals out of this one!  As for the leftovers, I think we’ll have a Chicken Caesar salad and some Chicken a la King – haven’t had that in eons!
    I will write the recipe though based on a standard size bird. I also swear I had bacon in the meat keeper, but it’s not there now so today we made it with hard salami and guess what?  It was awesome!  Honestly the main purpose of the meat is to keep the moisture in.
    BBQ BACON SALAMI ROASTED CHICKEN
    3-4 pound roasting chicken
    6 slices bacon, cut as necessary
    1 cup favorite BBQ sauce
    1/2 cup chicken broth
    salt and pepper to taste
    3 stalks celery, washed and halved lengthwise
    3 large carrots, washed and halved lengthwise
    • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
    • Clean and wash the chicken well.
    • Layer celery and carrots on bottom of roasting pan.
    • Pour broth over vegetables.
    • Generously salt and pepper chicken.
    • With a silicone basting brush, brush chicken with a layer of BBQ sauce.
    • Basket weave the bacon together over the entire chicken.
    • Brush another coat of BBQ sauce over the bacon.
    • Roast chicken uncovered.
    • Baste with BBQ sauce every 1/2 hour.
    RULE OF THUMB FOR ROASTING CHICKEN:  
    30 minutes per pound up to 3 1/2 pounds.

    22-25 minutes per pound over 3 1/2 pounds
    aprons 3

    Grilling Tip: Coarse Language

    When it comes to grilling and fire roasting, sometimes being “less refined” is better. I like to use much more coarse ingredients in my rubs. I just think that the more intense heat of live fire cooking brings out the rich flavors of chunky ingredients that ground spices just can’t deliver.
    Take for example this recipe for Cajun Pork Roast from the National Pork Board.

    2-pound pork loin roast
    3 tablespoons paprika
    1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    1 tablespoon garlic powder
    2 teaspoons thyme
    2 teaspoons oregano
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon white pepper
    1/2 teaspoon cumin
    1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

    Combine all seasonings and rub well over all surfaces of roast. Place roast in shallow pan and roast in 350 degree F. oven for about 45 minutes, until internal temperature on a thermometer reads 150 degrees F. Remove roast from oven; let rest until temperature reaches 160 degrees F, about 10 minutes before slicing.

    The first time I ever made this, I just used powdered spices and it was very good. But since then, I began to adjust it using coarser ingredients. The slight adjustments make a much heartier and more flavorful dish.
    3 tablespoons paprika
    1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (use 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes instead)
    1 tablespoon garlic powder (use 1/2 Tbsp of garlic powder and 1/2 Tbsp of dried minced garlic)
    2 teaspoons thyme (use fresh that was dried for a few days and then crumbled)
    2 teaspoons oregano (use fresh that was dried for a few days and then crumbled)
    1/2 teaspoon salt (use the most coarse grain you can find)
    1/2 teaspoon white pepper
    1/2 teaspoon cumin
    1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (fresh ground)
    These little adjustments give you a rub that instead of being a dusty powder, looks like this…

    It adds more texture…

    And amplifies the flavors of the final dish.

    So the next time you are grilling out, give this tip a try. Look at your dry rub ingredients and consider how you can make them “chunkier”. I think you’ll be glad you did.
    [Please excuse this rehash of a dish I’ve made several times before. My outdoor kitchen is being demolished and rebuilt this week.]

    PEACH BBQ RIBS

    3 pounds cut spareribs

    1 can Peach Comstock*

    1 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s hickory smoke BBQ sauce**

    Juice of 1 lemon

    salt and pepper 

    1 tablespoon Frank’s hot sauce

    • Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper; rub well. 
    • Place in baking dish and top tightly with foil, shiny side in.
    • Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour, reduce heat to 375 degrees for an additional 30 minutes. 
    • Pour off any excess liquid. 

    • In the meantime pour peach Comstock into a food processor and puree.
    • Add BBQ sauce, hot sauce and lemon juice. Pulse until well blended.
    • Remove from oven, brush meat with sauce, turn, brush sauce on other side. 
    • Bake at 375 degrees with foil loose and open 30 minutes.

    *Cherry works great too!

    **or any other favorite brown sugar based sauce – I’m allergic to mustard so Sweet Baby Ray’s is about the only prepared sauce on the market I can use.  I really prepare to make sauce fresh.

    BOHEMIAN PORK CHOPS aka PORK CHOPS IN BEER GRAVY

    This was from another scrap of recipe I found in gram’s things.  I don’t know if she ever made it, but pork chops and beer in the same sentence got hubby’s interest and so we had some fun experimenting with this recipe.
    BOHEMIAN PORK CHOPS aka PORK CHOPS IN BEER GRAVY
    4-6 thick boneless pork chops
    1 small onion, cut into thin rings
    1 stalk celery, chopped
    3 tablespoons flour
    salt and pepper to taste
    2 tablespoons butter
    2/3 cup water
    1 beer ~ your favorite flavor
    • In a large skillet, melt butter.
    • Brown pork chops, generously salting and peppering.
    • Remove pork chops, keep warm.
    • Saute’ onion and celery until soft and translucent.
    • Add flour, stirring until golden.
    • Add water, stirring until well blended.
    • Add beer and simmer until begins to thicken.
    • Add pork chops back in and heat through.

    aprons 3

    CHICKEN ENCHILADAS SUIZA

    CHICKEN ENCHILADAS SUIZA

    2 pounds boneless chicken breasts (or bone in if your prefer)** SEE NOTES
    1 teaspoon garlic salt
    1 teaspoon white pepper
    1/2 cup sour cream
    4 ounce can chopped green chiles, drained well
    1 bunch green onions, chopped
    1 can Rotel mild original tomatoes with green chiles, drained
    10 ounce can mild enchilada sauce, green
    2 cups finely shredded jack and cheddar cheese
    tortillas

    • Place chicken in stock pot with enough water to cover, salt and pepper.
    • Bring to a low rolling boil until chicken is cooked through.
    • Cool, de-bone if necessary and cut into bite sized pieces, preferably shredded.

     

    • In a large bowl mix together the chicken pieces, Rotel tomatoes, green chiles, 1 cup of the cheese and 1/4 cup of the sour cream. Mix well.

    ASSEMBLY

    • I like to slice off the major portion of the arc of the tortilla so I have a large rectangle to work with.
    • Lightly spread a thin layer of sour cream on each tortilla.
    • Divide the chicken mixture amongst all the tortillas and roll them securely.
    • Place each one seam side down, side by side in a lightly sprayed rectangular baking dish.
    • Pour the sauce evenly over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
    • Bake foil covered for 30 minutes at 325 degrees.
    • Uncover and bake another 15 minutes until cheese is melted and crisp.
    • Serve with re-fried beans.

    NOTES: Rotisserie chicken pieces make an awesome substitution and decrease your prep time 😀

    Originally posted 2-5-2010
    Updated 7-25-2022

    SALMON FILLETS with TANGY MUSTARD SAUCE

    Sorry no pictures – just posting the recipe for a new friend!
    4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
    4 tablespoons FRESH minced tarragon
    Four 6-ounce salmon fillets with skin
    Salt and freshly ground pepper
    2/3 cup whipping cream
    1/4 cup Dijon mustard
    2 tablespoons creamy prepared horseradish
    • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
    • In a bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the olive oil with 2 tablespoons of the tarragon and rub it over the salmon. Let stand for 5 minutes, then season with salt and pepper.
    • Spray baking dish lightly with PURE.
    • Bake salmon fillets for 15-20 minutes or until just barely done (varies with thickness).
    • Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the whipping cream, mustard, horseradish, the remaining olive oil and tarragon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
    • Spoon over the salmon and return to oven for 5 minutes.

    aprons 3