Joey' Meatball Stew

 

   So here’s what happened..
 I had just gotten home from work at the end of a long week, and tbh I really didn’t feel like cooking. My first thought was to order Chinese food, but then I thought, no, I have TONS of food in my house, lemme just see what I can throw together and use what I have. I started with a bag of meatballs. 

  Side note.. I was once told that it was SACRILEGE to use store bought meatballs. Yes, That was the word they used. Frankly it doesn’t mean that much to me, but if you want to make your own home made meatballs, who am I to stop you?
 Anyway, I knew I didn’t want to just do meatballs in tomato sauce. Then I thought maybe I’d do a variation on beef stew. So I threw some stew-ish ingredients into the pot, let it simmer, and here we are!
 Guess what?! It turned out great! I thought “why have I never done this before?” It was just basic items from the pantry, but it all came together so easily, ANYONE can make it. And then you can choose your own starch for serving. I did mashed potatoes, but it would be equally delicious over rice or wide egg noodles. So keep this one in your back pocket if you ever need an easy meal after a long week. 

You’ll be glad you did!

 

 

1 lb bag frozen soup-size meatballs, or your own
1 lb bag baby carrots
1 18oz jar beef gravy
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1 15 oz can whole corn, drained
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
Salt and pepper



Simply toss all ingredients into a sauce pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a low simmer. Let it cook for about 30-45 minutes or until carrots are tender. Give it a good stir from the bottom every now and then so it doesn't burn. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or wide egg noodles. 

Another idea:

For a Shepherd's Pie sort of vibe, pour this stew into a large casserole dish. Spread mashed potatoes over the top. Sprinkle shredded Cheddar cheese over all, then bake in a 350º oven until the gravy is bubbly and the cheese is all melted and ooey gooey.


Tips:
Using baby carrots means no peeling. Easy! If you want to speed up the cooking process, just par boil them for a few minutes before you drain and toss them into the stew.

Want to use sausage meatballs? Go for it!

Want to add a splash of red wine, Why not?
You could also cook this in a crock pot. I like to set it up at lunch time and then it’s ready by dinner time. Just toss everything in, and cook it on low for about 5 hours. Simple!

Chicken and Waffle Casserole

  Usually, around this time of year, I like to post brunch recipes. Maybe it's because my family always has a giant Easter Brunch, or maybe it's because Brunch always feels like a nice thing to do for Mother's Day. Seems like the perfect thing, right? I mean, who doesn't love a nice Brunch?

 Usually, I would go for a nice quiche, or something French toast or bacon and eggs. And yes, definitely scrapple! But this year, I decided to try something a little different. 

Have you ever had Fried Chicken with Waffles?

 If you've never tried it, it's literally just as it sounds.. Spicy fried chicken, and crispy toasted waffles. And both are drizzled with sweet maple syrup. It's one of those food pairings that sounds odd, but go with me on this one. You get the sweet and toasty vibe from the waffles and syrup, and then you get the salty crispy vibe from the fried chicken, and it just works!

 This recipe combines both items in one delicious casserole that comes together in a snap. It's from All Recipes, and I'm already thinking I need to make it for my family's Brunch next year. It's sweet and salty and perfectly delicious. To make it even easier, you just use store bought frozen waffles and a bag of frozen chicken nuggets. Can it get any easier? Even the novice cook can make this one. 

 I might need to add this one to our usual Brunch menu. It's definitely a keeper!

6 frozen Belgian waffles
1 1/2 pounds frozen chicken nuggets
8 large eggs
1 1/3 cups half-and-half
2 tablespoons maple syrup, plus more
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 tablespoons butter, melted


Preheat the oven to 350ºF..
Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Arrange waffles on a baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven until lightly toasted on each side, about 4 minutes per side. Remove; cut each waffle into 8 pieces and arrange waffles in the prepared baking dish.

Cut larger chicken nuggets in half, leaving smaller pieces whole, and arrange chicken pieces among the waffles. 

Whisk together eggs, half-and-half, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, salt, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl until well combined and slightly frothy. Pour egg mixture over waffles and chicken; cover and let stand 15 minutes to soak before baking. 

Bake until eggs are set and top is golden brown, about 1 hour, uncovering halfway through baking time. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Drizzle with melted butter and more maple syrup.

Tips:

Don't forget to toast the waffles before adding them to the casserole. That's a key step for hitting that crispy toasty note. 

Full Disclosure, I added more maple syrup than the recipe directs. Why? Because I love maple syrup! 

Also, I left some of the pieces of waffle sticking out on top, meaning not submerged in the egg mixture... so then hey make their own crispy topping! YUM.

Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce

 

 Ok this one's super SUPER simple to make, and it's absolutely delicious. I saw the recipe on a FB reel from Khin's Kitchen, and my first thought was "how can this not be good?" 

The recipe states that it's "Perfect for spring rolls, crispy won tons, or nuggets" but I would also use it as a stir fry sauce as well. It's SO flavorful. I bet you could even add a little heat to it if you like things hot and sweet. Lots of bang for your buck with this one! Boom. 

 

 

 

1/2 cup pineapple juice or water

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup ketchup

1 tsp salt

1 tbs corn starch mixed with 2 tbs cold water

 

 

In a saucepan, combine pineapple juice, vinegar, sugar, ketchup, and salt. Stir and bring to a gentle boil. Once the sugar has dissolved and the sauce begins to bubble, stir in the cornstarch slurry. Continue cooking for 1-2 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency. Let it cool and store it in a clean jar. 

Chef's note: Add 1-2 drops of natural red food coloring if you prefer a red sauce.

 

 

Tips:

It sounds silly to say this about a sweet and sour sauce, but it's VERY sweet, and VERY sour. When I made it, I used pineapple juice, but I think I may use just water next time. That might cut it a little. I also added a tsp of soy sauce. That gave it a little savory note to it. 

This sauce is perfect for water bath or steam canning. If you choose to do so, use clear gel instead of regular corn starch. The clear gel is modified specifically for canning. I'd do half pints for 15 minutes.

Slow Cooker Mongolian Chicken

 

So, lets talk about slow cookers, want to?
You KNOW how much I love my collection of slow cookers, and you know I use every single one of them. It's kind of one of those things where the more you use it, the more uses you find for it. I've used them for different kinds of beef stew, mac 'n' cheese, lasagna, and an entire 9 lb turkey. I've done soups, baked beans, breakfast casseroles, applesauce, fruit butters, hot dogs and sauerkraut, and even desserts, like bread or rice pudding. But there has always been one elusive thing that never comes out the way I want it.
 And that's CHICKEN. Wait, what??  Yes. Chicken. Specifically boneless chicken. 
 I know. I know. It's crazy, right? You'd think that chicken would be one of the go-to basics, right? Nope. I would see tons and tons of recipes, all saying the same thing:"Place chicken in your crock pot, cook for 8 hours on low." and I'd think to myself, NOOOO! That's too long! It doesn't need that long to cook! But I would try it anyway, because surely this was a tested recipe....and sure enough, it would turn out dry and rubbery and WAY overcooked. 

 Then I started following All Recipes. There's a woman by the name of Nicole McLaughlin who does many of their videos, and (I've said this before) I want to try every single thing she makes. (Seriously, look her up. You won't be disappointed!) So this one night, I'm going down the usual tiktok rabbit hole, and I'm watching her make 5 different slow cooker recipes, and she's talking about this ingredient and that.. 

 And then... lo and behold... as if she were reading my mind.... she states that her one big peeve is that people cook boneless chicken for way too long in the slow cooker. 

WHAT????? Did she just say that?? I was like YES! EXACTLY! THANK YOU! And in that exact moment, I felt so seen and so validated. FINALLY someone stated what I was thinking all along. She went on to say that all you need is 2 hours on high, or 4 hours on low. That's all. No more. Boom. That's it. THIS was the answer I had been wanting for so long. She had cracked the code!
 And then the clouds parted, and glorious rays of golden sunshine came down from The Heavens, with choirs of Angels singing for all joyous souls to hear, and all seemed right with the world.
 And guess what? She was absolutely right!! Since then, I've tried several recipes using this formula, and every single one of them has turned out perfectly. Dontcha just love it when you find something that just ...WORKS?????
 So... finally... that brings us to THIS recipe.
Since I've been on an Asian flavor kick for a while, my original thought was just to make my favorite Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef (it's my go-to entree at P.F. Chang's). But then I thought, why not chicken? So here's a slightly tweaked recipe from a website called Chef Savvy. It's super simple to make, only uses a few readily available ingredients, and it was just the thing I wanted for dinner that night. Side note, it made enough to feed a crowd as well. That ticks all the boxes for me!
 So there we have it. Give this one a try. I know you'll love it. Thanx again to Chef Savvy for the inspo, and BIG thanx to Nicole at All Recipes for cracking the code. GAME CHANGER!
 Now... what's my next slow cooker chicken recipe going to be??? Hmm... 

 
 
 
Sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbs toasted sesame oil, plus more
3 tbs Hoisin sauce
Splash of rice wine (can also use white wine, or just omit)
1-2 tsp minced ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
 
2-3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup cold water
1 tbs corn starch
3 cups broccoli florets
Sesame seeds and sliced scallions for garnish
 
Place all sauce ingredients in a slow cooker. Whisk well to combine.
Taste the sauce and make adjustments, if needed.
Add chicken pieces, then toss until well coated with sauce.
Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 4 hours.
 
Remove the chicken pieces to a plate. Set aside.
Turn slow cooker to high. 
In a small bowl, stir together cold water and corn starch to make a slurry. Add to sauce and stir well. Add broccoli florets. Toss to coat with sauce. Cover. Let it cook for another half hour or until the broccoli is tender and the sauce has thickened. Meanwhile, using a very sharp knife, slice the pieces of chicken. When the broccoli is tender, add the chicken back to the slow cooker, toss all to combine. Serve over rice. Garnish with sesame seeds, sliced scallions, and an extra drizzle of toasted sesame oil.
 
 
To make the best rice:
Start by adding half of an onion, minced, to a sauce pot with a few pats of butter. Stir and saute until the onions begin to soften. Now add your dry rice. Stir well until each grain is coated with the butter, then add your liquid.
Now here's the big secret... don't just use water to cook your rice... if you add just water, your rice is gonna taste like just water. Use broth or stock or any other liquid instead. Onion soup, mushroom broth, beef stock, anything you like. For Tex-Mex dishes, I've used tomato juice. I've even made pineapple rice with pineapple juice. It'll make your rice SO much better. In this case, I used my own home made chicken stock. The rule of thumb is one part dry rice to two parts liquid. So I did one cup of rice, and two cups of stock. Bring it to a boil, give it a good stir, then cover and turn the heat to low. Leave it alone and let it cook for 18-20 minutes. Resist the urge to keep removing the lid and stirring it! It'll be fine. Just trust the process. It's finished when the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. 

 

Tips:

 I have to say it again, because it's worth repeating: 4 hours on low or 2 hours on high.  That's literally as much time as you should be slow cooking your chicken. You can use boneless breasts if you like, but I think the thighs have more flavor. 

Be sure to taste the sauce before adding the chicken. That's a biggie. You won't be able to taste it after you add raw chicken, so now is the time. Then you can tweak it to your liking. Does it hit all the right notes for you? Do you want it to be sweeter? Add more brown sugar. Do you want it to be saltier? Add more soy sauce. Do you want more heat? Add more crushed red pepper flakes, some hot sauce, or some minced chili peppers.

 

Baked Pulled Ham

  Lately I've been finding a lot of my cooking inspiration from tiktok videos and FB reels. I'll be the first to admit that it's REALLY easy to go down that rabbit hole and watch video after video. But every so often, I'll see a recipe and IMMEDIATELY know that I want to try it. 

 Such was the case when I saw one of my favorites, Nicole from All Recipes, making a baked pulled ham. What is a pulled ham, you ask? Well, it's just like a BBQ pork that is slowly cooked for several hours until it literally falls apart. But instead of starting with an uncooked pork shoulder, it starts with a fully cooked ham. It's salty to start out, but when you add a sweet spicy smokey rub and some tangy BBQ sauce, it's absolutely delish! It's the perfect thing to make if you're feeding a crowd and it would be FABULOUS for your next special event. Are you making a ham for Easter Dinner? Are you having a summer party? This would be just the thing! And you can do the whole thing a day or two in advance, which gives you the freedom of having an available oven for side dishes and such. Perfect!

 Come to think of it, you don't even need a special occasion to make this. Did you get a free ham from the supermarket like I did? Now you know what to do with it! Pretty sure this is my new favorite way of cooking a ham. Not even kidding. You MUST try it! 

 

 

1 (6 to 8 pound) bone-in ham (not spiral sliced)
2 tbs whole grain mustard
2 tsp liquid smoke
1 tbs brown sugar barbecue rub
6 oz cola (not diet)
1 cup sweet and spicy barbecue sauce
1/2 cup apricot preserves

Preheat the oven to 275º F.

Stir mustard and liquid smoke together in a small bowl. Rub mustard mixture evenly over ham and sprinkle barbecue rub all over. Place ham in a large disposable pan or large deep roasting pan. Pour cola around ham. Cover tightly with foil.
Bake for 2 hours. Remove pan from oven.
Increase oven temperature to 300ºF.
Stir barbecue sauce and apricot preserves together in a bowl; pour mixture over ham and spread evenly. Cover tightly with foil.
Bake for another 5 to 6 hours or until a meat thermometer or instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of ham reads 205ºF.  
Let stand until ham is cool enough to handle, 10 to 15 minutes. Shred ham with 2 forks and toss with pan drippings.

 

 

 

 One other thing.. they didn't specify what spice rub to use, so I just threw this one together, a slight tweak from another recipe I saw. Actually. I didn't even measure anything... just threw everything in.

 I included cinnamon in it, because it kind of reminded me of that ham-studded-with-cloves thing. Also the recipe says to use just one little measly tablespoon of spice rub. I went much heavier. You do you! 

 

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tbs smoked paprika

2 tsp salt

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp ground cinnamon

 

 

 

Tips: 

The original recipe on Allrecipes.com does not include the cola, but the video does, so I went with it. 

 Full disclosure, when I made it, I was a little heavy handed with chili powder, so it was definitely a BARBECUE pulled ham, but you can make it however you like it. Do you want it to be sweet? Add more brown sugar and apricot preserves. Do you want it to be more tangy? Choose a tangy BBQ sauce. Do you like it smokey and spicy? Add cayenne pepper or more chili powder. You can really go in any direction with it! Actually, I'm thinking I want to go a little sweeter next time. 

Don't have any liquid smoke? Use more smoked paprika! 

Don't want it to be spicy or smokey? Leave out the spice rub altogether! Just brush it with mustard  and sprinkle a little brown sugar over the top for the first 2 hours, then glaze with BBQ sauce for the rest of the baking time. Easy!

Orzo with Asparagus and Peas

 

  Very often, when I'm reading recipes and watching cooking videos, I'll hear the phrase "simplest is best", and that is definitely the case with this recipe. It starts with just a few basic ingredients, but when you put them together, they really sing. 

 I wanted to do a light spring side dish for a recent lunch I was hosting for a few of my dearest friends, and I thought maybe orzo would be a good start. Then I remembered seeing asparagus and peas being paired together in other recipes. Perfect. Awesome.  ok, what else does it need? I thought of adding sliced leeks to the party, just to add a light savory onion note, but decided to go with scallions instead. So far so good.. From there I just added some chopped parsley to keep it fresh and then dressed it with a light not-so-sweet balsamic vinaigrette. It turned out great! Full disclosure, if I'm being honest, the vinaigrette needed a little trial and error until I found just the right balance of sweet and sour. I didn't want it to overpower everything and I must say I was very pleased with where it landed! Definitely keep this one in your recipe rotation. It's as perfect for a roast dinner side dish as it is for a light lunch or summer cook out. 

So, I guess it's true! Sometimes simple really is best!

 

 

1 bunch fresh asparagus

1 cup frozen peas 

1 lb orzo

1/4 cup sliced scallion greens

chopped parsley

salt and pepper

Balsamic vinaigrette (recipe to follow)

 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a big handful of salt. Slice off the woody ends from the asparagus spears. Cut into bite size lengths. Add to the boiling water along with the peas. (no need to defrost). Bring back to a boil, and time it for about 4 minutes. In the meantime, fill a large bowl with water. Add a few scoops of ice and another handful salt. Using a spider strainer or slotted spoon, remove the asparagus and peas from the boiling pot, and place directly into the salted ice water. This will stop the cooking and set the beautiful green color. 

 In the same pot of boiling water, add the orzo. Cook according to package directions until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain well. Add the orzo to a mixing bowl along with your drained veggies. Add sliced scallions, (just the green ends), and some parsley. Pour about half the vinaigrette over all, not too much, just to see how much it needs. Then go back and add more if needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.

For the vinaigrette: 

1 heaping tbs mustard
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sugar or honey
1 tsp kosher salt
lots of freshly cracked black pepper
3/4 cup oil

In medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients except the oil. SLOWLY add the oil in a steady thin stream while vigorously whisking constantly. (you can also use a mixer with a wire whisk attachment). 

 

 

Tips:

-When I say to add a handful of salt to your boiling water, I mean a literal HANDFUL of salt. Adding just a little sprinkle from your salt shaker is not gonna cut it. The same with your ice water. Also don't add the salt to the pot until the water is boiling. If you do it sooner, the salt might damage the bottom of your pot!

 -If you don't want to make your own vinaigrette, just use your favorite dressing. I usually don't mention brand names, but one of my favorite things is a packet of regular Good Seasons Italian dressing, mixed according to package directions, only using balsamic vinegar instead of regular. Don't like balsamic vinegar? Use any kind you like!

-The amounts are just guidelines. Do you want more peas or more asparagus? Go for it! 

-You can also swap out the pasta for a different cut. Elbow macaroni or ditalini would be perfect. Wanna add some other herbs? Sure! How 'bout some fresh basil?

-And as much as I love the green on green color aesthetic, it would also be great to add some freshly sliced vine ripened tomatoes. YUM.

 

Peach Pork Picante

 

  Here’s a fun new recipe I saw bouncing around the tick tocks. As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to try it. It’s sweet, tangy, spicy, and only uses a few ingredients. Perfect, right? Give me something sweet and savory, and I’m in heaven!
 It started out as a recipe using cubed pork loin in a skillet. 

The video that I saw used boneless pork chops in a slow cooker. 

And I decided to use boneless pork chops and bake ‘em in the oven. 

Clearly, this is one of those recipes that just works, no matter how you slice it. And It’s REALLY tasty! I just made it last night, and I literally already want to make it again. Not even kidding. 

I’ve listed the recipe as it was originally written on Allrecipes.com, but feel free to use whatever cooking method you like.
 If you’re all about sweet and spicy and quick and easy, this one’s for you!


1 packet taco seasoning mix
1 pound boneless pork loin, cubed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup salsa
1/4 cup peach preserves


Sprinkle taco seasoning over pork.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add pork and saute until browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add salsa and peach preserves and mix well.
Cover the skillet and reduce the heat.
Let simmer gently for about 10 minutes.
Serve over rice.

 

 

 Tips:
As I said, you can choose whatever cooking method is most convenient for you. Small group? Use a skillet. Larger group? Use a sheet tray and bake at 350. And you KNOW how much I love a slow cooker. Actually, I was thinking this would make a great summer pulled pork using a pork shoulder and slow cooking it on low for 8 or 9 hours.
I bet this recipe would also be pretty fabulous on chicken or even a fillet of cod.
Want to make it REALLY spicy? Choose your favorite spicy salsa. Add some chopped jalapeños. Add some Sriracha. Or crushed red pepper flakes. How hot do you like it? You do you!
Also, for the best tasting rice, sauté a little bit of chopped onion before adding dry rice. Then use chicken broth instead of water. 2 cups broth for one cup of dry rice. Boom.