Spaghetti with Ragu

After skimming through December 2010′s Food Network Magazine for the one millionth time, I decided to make ragu. What a quick and easy recipe. I especially like that ragu uses vegetables to add bulk without relying entirely on meat. The celery and carrots in this sauce added some flavor of their own, but for the most part they supplemented the meat.

Served with garlic bread, this made a great dinner.

Spaghetti with Ragu
(from Food Network Magazine December 2010 edition)

Ingredients
1/4 onion
1 stalk celery, cut into pieces
1 carrot, cut into pieces
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp rosemary
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb ground turkey
15-oz crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup skim milk
6 oz spaghetti noodles

Directions

1. Place the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and rosemary into a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped.

2. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped vegetables and cook, stirring until softened and golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the turkey and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until the turkey is no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, milk, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and bring to a simmer for about 20 minutes, until slightly thickened.

3. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti noodles to package directions. Drain.

4. Once the sauce and noodles are cooked, toss the noodles and sauce together until well combined.

* serves 2
* Shared with Tasteful Tuesday Party & Tempt My Tummy

Turkey and Sun-Dried Tomato Meatballs

This might not be the best picture to show what my completed meatballs and sauce looked like, but I wasn’t pleased with the pictures I took of the complete dish. Instead you get to see cooking meatballs. I really liked the meatballs. The addition of the sun-dried tomatoes was so good. Matt didn’t like them as much as some of the meatballs I’ve made in the past because he said they were too moist. It was probably because of the sun-dried tomatoes, but whatever. I liked them. He isn’t really always one to judge, because he likes it when I overcook things.

I served these meatballs over pasta with garlic bread. It was a carbalicious, delicious meal.

Turkey and Sun-Dried Tomato Meatballs
(source)

Ingredients
4 pieces of sun-dried tomato, patted dry
2 garlic cloves
1/2 anaheim pepper, cut into two pieces
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 lb ground turkey
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp skim milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, for dusting
1 (14 1/2 oz) can whole tomatoes
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

1. In a food processor, pulse together the sun-dried tomato, 1 garlic clove, one piece of the pepper, and salt and pepper to taste.  Pulse until everything is finely chopped. Add in the breadcrumbs  and pulse more to combine. Remove the mixture to a large bowl.

2. Stir in the chicken, egg, and milk into the breadcrumb mixture with your hands.  Roll balls out of the mixture into balls 1 1/2 tbsp big. Roll the meatballs into flour and tap off any excess.

3. Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet. Add the meatballs and cook for 6 minutes, turning halfway through. Remove and place on a plate.

4. Wipe the food processor clean. Add the other garlic clove, can of tomatoes, the other half of the pepper, and oregano. Pulse together until well combined. Pour the sauce into the skillet and simmer for 2 minutes.

5. Return the meatballs to the skillet with the sauce and simmer, turning halfway through, for 2 minutes or until cooked all the way through.

* serves 4 (makes about 20 meatballs)
* shared with Mix It Up Monday & Mealtime Monday

Spaghetti Squash and Turkey Meatballs

I’ve been having a huge spaghetti squash obsession lately. Last week while I was staying with my parents’ I made the Spaghetti Squash Casserole I posted about recently. Since I didn’t have all the same ingredients I had the first time, the dish instead had portobello mushroom instead of kale and turkey breast instead of ground beef. This spaghetti squash obsession basically means every spaghetti squash recipe I run into.. I have to have it.

I saw this Martha Stewart recipe on 33 Shades of Green and immediately started drooling. And really, the drooling was worth it. This dish was great.

Spaghetti Squash and Turkey Meatballs
(source)

Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp grated Parmesan
1 tbsp dried breadcrumbs
8 oz ground turkey
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 cup chicken broth
3 cups frozen spinach, thawed

Directions

1. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Using a spoon take out the seeds and other innards (like inside a pumpkin.) Place the squash cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes at 375. Once the squash is cooked remove. Using a fork scrape the flesh into threads. Set aside.

2. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic, stirring until soft about 8 to 10 minutes. Divide the mixture between two bowls.

3. Stir 1 1/2 tbsp of cheese into one of the bowls of the garlic-onion mixture. Mix in the breadcrumbs, turkey, and salt and pepper to taste using your hands. Form this mixture into about 12 meatballs.

4. Heat the remaining olive oil in the pot over medium heat. Brown the meatballs, turning them to brown each side and cook all the way through (about 6 minutes.) Remove the meatballs and transfer to a palte.

5. Add the mushrooms to the pot and cook the mushrooms with salt and pepper over medium heat. Cook the mushrooms 6 to 8 minutes. Add the remaining garlic-onion mixture, meatballs, and chicken broth. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Add the spinach and stir through until heated.

6. Serve the meatballs and mushroom mixture over the spaghetti squash.

* serves 4
* shared with Wednesday Whatsits & Wednesday Extravaganza

Meatballs from “A Homemade Life” and Mashed Jalapeno Sweet Potatoes

And now back to regular programming.

Despite not posting very often, I have in fact been cooking. Most of my blog time is taken up by school. I just keep having this school stuff to do instead of the fun blogging. This weekend I had the MPRE on Saturday. I’ve also been doing research on public defender’s personal morality versus professional ethics for one of my classes and I’m preparing for a suppression hearing I have on Tuesday (my first one yet! I have to cross-examine a police officer!)

So, needless to say, I’ve been busy as shit.

Back at the end of October I made these meatballs from Molly Wizenberg’s A Homemade Life. They are made with the strangest mix of ingredients ever – raisins in meatballs? Who would ever think to do this?

Well, whoever it was is a genius.

I served these on top of mashed sweet potatoes with a jalapeno kick! The combination of the meatballs and the potatoes was great. I was intending to make meatball sandwiches with the leftovers the next day.. But there were not leftovers. :X

Doron’s Meatballs with Pine Nuts, Cilantro, and Golden Raisins
(all credit in the world to Molly Wizenberg and her book A Homemade Life. And the blog post of Molly’s.)

Ingredients
1/2 cup yellow onion, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup pine nuts, crushed
1/2 cup golden raisins, chopped
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 lb ground turkey
4 tbsp olive oil

Directions

1. Combine the onion, cilantro, pine nuts, raisins, bread crumbs, egg, salt, cumin, and black pepper in a large bowl. Add the ground turkey, mixing with your hands. Knead the meat to include all the ingredients, mixing until just combined.

2. Roll the meat into 1-1/2 inch balls.

3. Warm 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add about half of the meatballs into the skillet. As they begin to brown, turn them gently and cook on all sides. Remove from skillet and add the rest of the meatballs and cook.

* serves 4

Mashed Jalapeno Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 jalapeno, minced
1/4 cup butter substitute
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tbsp cilantro, fresh

Directions

1. In a large pot boil water. Once boiling add the sweet potato and boil for about 20 minutes, or until soft.

2. Once the potatoes are done, drain. Add the butter, orange juice and cilantro. Mash  until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a baking dish and bake in an oven at 350 for 20 minutes.

* serves 4

* Shared with Sunday Funday

Hawaiian Turkey Meatballs

 

I had some leftover ground turkey and some leftover pineapple chunks and decided to make this delicious meatball meal for lunch recently.

That’s all. I don’t really have anything to say. It was yummy which is why I’m sharing!

Hawaiian Turkey Meatballs
(source)

Ingredients

MEATBALLS
1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
2 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp ground ginger
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp brown sugar

SAUCE
2 cups pineapple chunks
1 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp cornstarch

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.

2. Mix together the ground turkey, onion, garlic, ginger, egg, panko, salt, pepper, and brown sugar. Knead with your hands to combine well.

3. Roll the meat into 1-inch meatballs. Place on baking sheet.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

5. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the water, brown sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce until the sugar is dissolved. Whisk in the cornstarch and raise the heat to medium-high. Bring the liquid to a boil, stirring.

6. Stir in the pineapple chinks. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 15 minutes. Add the meatballs and recover, cooking for 5 more minutes.

7. Serve with rice.

* serves 4
* 374 calories per serving (not including the rice)

Around The World in 52 Weeks: Sarma

Though sarma is traditionally a Serbian dish, Montenegro, my county for the week borders Serbia. Food in Montenegro has both Italian and Serbian influences. These wraps can be made using grape leaves, chard leaves, or cabbage leaves. I opted for the cabbage as I had one in my refrigerator and it didn’t require a trip to a specialty store (as the grape leaves would have.)

The only thing I regret about this dish was not having started it earlier. It takes three hours to cook, so starting dinner at 6PM was just a dumb idea on my part. When dinner was finally read around 9PM I indulged in these delicious wraps. The sauerkraut made them the perfect amount of bitter. I would definitely make these again.

Sarma
(source)

Ingredients
1 head cabbage
1 lb ground turkey
1/4 lb ground pork
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 egg
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 can sauerkraut
1 cup tomato sauce
water, as needed

Directions

1. In a large bowl combine the meat, rice, onion, egg, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Form meat mixture into oblong balls, about 1/2 cup of meat each. Wrap each ball with a cabbage leaf.

2. Spread the sauerkraut on the bottom of a pan. Place the cabbage rolls, seam side down, on top of the sauerkraut. Pour tomato sauce on top and then add enough water so that the cabbage rolls are completely covered.

3. Bring the liquid to a boil. Cover and reduce heat, allowing to simmer. Simmer for 3 hours.

* serves 3
* Shared with KB and Whitesnakes’s Simply Delish Saturdays.

I’d like to see people travel the globe with me.
Every Saturday I will be posting my recipe, as well as pictures to ethnic cuisines you have made and want to share.

- You must mention The Law Student’s Cookbook‘s Around The World In 52 Weeks in the entry you link. You can either use a link or use the banner.
- In your post you must  at least mention what cuisine the dish is.
- Email me your recipe at elizabeth@crabtech.net. Make sure to include:

* Your name or blog name
* The direct link to your post
* A picture of the dish or permission to pull a picture from the post

- Make sure to email me by Saturday at 12noon Pacific Standard Time
- If you enter a recipe you will be automatically entered into my current giveaway.

Rosemary Turkey Meatloaf

When I was growing up I hated meatloaf. There was something that I couldn’t stand about the texture of meat all pushed together. I don’t really know why this texture bothered me so much, but it was to the point where I didn’t like meatballs or hamburgers either. What a strange childhood, disliking some really common foods that kids love.

In my adult life I’ve grown to appreciate hamburgers, though they’re still not my favorite food. But of meatballs, hamburgers, and meatloaf, meatloaf still stays on the bottom of the list. My boyfriend on the other hand is a meatloaf FIEND. He could eat meatloaf forever. I think he’s just made of meatloaf or something.

To make some compromises, I have experimented with different flavors in the meatloaf – to make something palatable to me and something that he devours. This meatloaf was a pretty good loaf. The turkey, rosemary, and balsamic vinegar flavors aren’t those that are typically prevalent in meatloaves. They definitely make the standard meatloaf something a little classier!

Rosemary Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb ground turkey
2 cups bread crumbs
1 onion, finely chopped
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
1 cup crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×5 baking dish.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine the turkey, bread crumbs, onion, egg, milk, vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Mix together with your hands. Press the meat mixture into your prepared baking dish. Mix together the crushed tomatoes, brown sugar, and mustard. Pour evenly over the top of your meatloaf.

3. Bake for 1 hour.

* serves 8
* 357 calories per slice
* This post is being shared with Bakes with Bizzy. 

Asian Turkey Meatballs

This winter break has made me incredibly lazy. I feel off my game lately. Not going to school or work has allowed me time to actually feel tired. When I’m super busy, I just keep going and I don’t realize how tired I am almost all of the time. When I finally have the time to take a break from my day-to-day and get a day or two (or two weeks) off, I feel so tired the entire time and don’t end up being productive or getting anything done. I need to take like.. a month off or something to get caught up, because as soon as I finally get past this tired spell, school’s just going to start again.

I need time to rest and then I need time to get stuff done that doesn’t involve work and school.

Needless to say, I’ve been eating out a lot. But here’s one dish I actually made!

Asian Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients
2 tbsp bread crumbs
10 oz lean ground turkey
1/2 tbsp ginger, peeled and minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 green onions, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp water

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 500.

2. Mix all the ingredients together in a big bowl using your hands. Form the turkey mixture into ping pong size balls. Spray a baking sheet with Pam and place the meatballs on the sheet.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.

* serves 2
* about 4 meatballs per serving
* 246 calories per serving
* I served it over rice, but the calories for the rice are not included.

 

 

Chickpea and Turkey Curry over Curried Mashed Sweet Potatoes

I feel like I need to sing and dance for sweet potatoes. They just never can do me no wrong.

For some reason I was always terrified of sweet potatoes growing up. I think it was because I could only think of that sickeningly sweet casserole with marshmallows and stuff on it. I know a lot of people love that stuff, but the thought of it to me is repulsive. That of course made sweet potatoes in any form repulsive, because that’s how my mind used to work.

But then I tried them in a different form and my life was changed.

This recipe is a chickpeas and ground turkey. I served it over curried sweet potatoes, a recipe I have made before and will make over and over again.

The first night it tasted delicious, but I think it tasted even better as leftovers the next day.

Chickpea and Turkey Curry

Ingredients
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 can chickpeas, drained
1/2 can petite diced tomatoes
1 tbsp curry powder
2 tbsp garlic chili sauce
1/4 cup coconut milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp dry red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Heat the sesame oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the turkey with the garlic and onion in the oil until the turkey is no longer pink.

2. Stir in the garbanzo beans, tomato, curry powder, chili sauce, and coconut milk. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

* serves 3
* 367 calories per serving

 

Bierocks

I love German food. But I know that every time I make some sort of food that is “ethnic” in the least, my food does not compare to whatever cuisine it is that I’m cooking. But that doesn’t stop me, because even though I’m sure these dishes are inherently “wrong,” they still force me to use flavor combinations I otherwise never would have known about or thought to try.

With that being said, there isn’t anything that intriguing about ground turkey and cabbage together, except that it tastes good. But I mean, there isn’t any exciting new flavor combination that I have never heard of before or anything.

BUT in this meal you stuff the yummies inside of bread and bake it!

Baking bread is actually one of my favorite things ever. I find the process to be so stress relieving. The kneading, the punching, seeing the dough slowly rise.. The whole process is so good to me and can make a bad day feel better. On top of that, the smell of freshly cooked bread is to die for and can make my stressed out self feel content with life.

Law school should definitely be leading to a ton of baked bread. I need to get on it.
I will be making this dish again, that’s for sure. I could stuff it with just about anything.

-edit- It turns out Cooking Light misled me! These aren’t exactly German, but rather, are German-inspired.

Bierocks

Ingredients

FILLING:
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 lb ground turkey
2 cups finely shredded cabbage
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp kosher salt

DOUGH:
1/4 cup sugar
1 package dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 tsp kosher salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups flour, divided

1. To prepare the filling cook the onion and turkey over medium-high heat until the turkey is browned. Add the cabbage and cook until it wilts. Stir in pepper and 1/4 tsp salt. Cover and set aside.

2. To prepare the dough let the sugar and yeast dissolve in the warm water in a large bowl for 5 minutes. Stir in milk, oil, the rest of the salt, and eggs. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups. Add 3 1/2 cups flour to yeast mixture and stir to form a soft dough. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 8 minutes, until smooth and elastic. If necessary, add the remaining flour to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.

3. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, for an hour. The dough should have doubled in size. Punch the dough down. Cover and let rise for 5 more minutes.

4. Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a 10 1/2 x 7 inch square. Cut each rectangle into 6 smaller rectangles. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the filling into the center of each smaller rectangle. Bring 2 opposite corners to the center, pinching the points to seal.  Pinch all four edges together to seal. Place the bierocks seam-side down on a large baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 20 minutes.

5. Preheat the oven to 375.

6. Uncover bierocks. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes, until browned on the bottom.

* serves 12
* 3 bierocks per serving
* 276 calories per serving