Meatball Sliders

17 Mar

If you’ve been following my blog you can likely tell that I’m very big on asian fusion cooking. As much as I love it, I decided that I wanted to venture outside of my comfort zone and start cooking some different meals. It all started with italian themed food which led to me this fantastic meatball slider recipe.

It all started because I was home with not much in the fridge, but lots of cheese! So I decided to make homemade pizza, yahoo! Homemade pizza dough was actually one of the first dishes I posted on this blog over 1 year ago and I used the same recipe.

It was a hit! It was so good that the next night I decided to continue my Italian path into meatball sliders. I have to say – these were incredibly easy to make, SO good, and still good the next day!

I doubled the recipe that I had, and it made 15 meatballs – and you only need one per slider! I ate alot of meatball sliders…alot.

Meatball Sliders

Makes 7-8 sliders

Ingredients:

1 lb extra-lean ground turkey
1/4 cup panko
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 large egg
2 TSBP chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 cup marinara sauce, store-bought or homemade
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
8 slider buns (I used mini onion rolls), toasted, for serving
Basil leaves, for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, panko, parmesan, garlic powder, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt & peppers, egg and parsley. Using a wooden spoon, stir until well combined. Roll the mixture into 2-inch meatballs, forming about 8 meatballs.
Place meatballs onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until all sides are browned and meatballs are cooked through. Remove from oven.
Preheat oven to broil.
Assemble the slider: place 1 meatball and a spoonful of marinara on the bottom of each bun. Top with mozzarella and place into oven and bake until cheese has melted, about 1-2 minutes.
Top with 1-2 basil leaves and cover with the slider tops.
Serve immediately and enjoy!

Barely adapted from one of my favorite food blogs Damn Delicious

Such a fun and easy dish!!! Hope you like it!

- Jennie

Comments Comments Off
Categories Chicken, Meals
Author Jennie

Cashew Chicken

25 Nov

I have officially moved – ahh, I live with a boy!! Now that I’m settled, I’m making attempts at being domestic. If someone told me 4 years ago that I would be excited to plan meals, make grocery lists and then…wait for it…. make dinner, I would have genuinly laughed my way out the door.

I’m more of a susie-homemaker than I thought I would ever be, but I still don’t get manicures or do my hair pretty. Maybe one day I’ll be more of a lady – but for now I’ll stick with cooking in my neon blue plush housecoat and slipper socks…

Now that I like to cook, there are some days where I feel like a nice home cooked meal would be awesome, but I don’t care to put in much effort. So I’m about to give you the best go-to dinner I’ve been making this past little while. Of course, it’s asian inspired, so I have everything I need on any given weekday. Serve this dish with some steamed rice and a veggie (bok choy if you can find it), and this dish is a sure-fire way to have a great dinner ready in all of 15 minutes. BOOM! From these pics you can see I’ve made it twice recently….

Cashew Chicken

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts – cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tbsp cornstarch
salt and pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
8 green onions, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup raw cashews, toasted
red peppers , mushrooms – cut into 1 inch pieces (optional)

Directions:

In a bowl, toss the cubed chicken with the cornstarch until coated. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tbsp of oil in medium-high heat. Cook half the chicken until browned (about 3-4 minutes). Transfer to a plate.
Add remaining oil and chicken to the pan, along with the garlic. Cook until chicken is browned. Return the first batch of chicken to the pan (and other veggies like mushrooms..etc if you want). Stir.
Add the vinegar, and cook until evaporated.
Add hoisin sauce and 1/4 cup water; cook, tossing, until chicken is cooked through (about minute). Remove from hear and stir in green onions and cashews.
Serve (with rice and veggies) and enjoy!

Recipe slightly adapted from Everyday Food – Great Food Fast

I hope you find this as easy and quick as I do! You can add whatever veggies you want to this dish for a little added goodness.

- Jennie

Comments Comments Off
Categories Chicken, Meals, Recipes
Author Jennie

Smoked Paprika Chicken with Mango Salsa

28 Jun

A few weeks ago I posted a list of “Things I know For Certain”. It was kind of odd and pretty random!

But heck, here are a few more:

1) Flowers are awesome. No matter what the occasion (even better when there are none), flowers just make you smile. That is if you’re a female.

Men…well, they’ll smile when they see how happy they make their ladies!

2) Coffee makes the world go round, especially the hospital world!

3) Neighbors think I’m spying on them when all I’m really doing is taking picture of the rain. So beautiful – Like American Beauty and the windy plastic bag kind of beautiful.

The creepy kind.

4) Fruit Salsas aren’t “real” salsa – but make fish and chicken so tasty!

This chicken dish uses a recipe I often use to make chicken, plus a little avocado/mango fruit salsa to add some extra zing to it. It is an incredibly easy recipe – you basically have a bunch of spices (whatever you have on hand) that you rub on the chicken and broil it. You can eat it for dinner, and then cut the leftovers into a salad or a sandwich for lunch the next day.

The other day I cut up mango, avocado, red onion and squeezed the juice of 1 lime over all that and dumped it on top of this chicken. The sweet and zesty of the “salsa” was a treat when eaten with the spicy chicken. I suggest you give it a try – and it’s pretty!

Smoked Paprika Chicken with Mango Salsa

Ingredients:

For the chicken:

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
3 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp garlic salt
+/- a dash of cumin, ground ginger, pepper, cayenne, chili powder

For the Salsa:

1 mango, diced
1 avocado, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the boiler on high. Set the oven rack close to the broiler, but at least 4 inches away
Line a baking sheet with foil and lay the chicken thighs out flat. Sprinkle each side generously with the garlic salt and smoked paprika and other spices if using; if the amounts above don’t seem like enough, use more.
Broil the chicken about 7 minutes on each side, until the thighs are cooked through and have developed a nice crust. If your chicken is burning, move the rack down.
Meanwhile, dice the mango, avocado and red onion and toss with lime juice and season with salt and pepper.
Once chicken is ready, serve immediately with the salsa spooned on top. Enjoy!

Smoked paprika chicken slightly adapted from Shiksa in the Kitchen

Comments Comments Off
Categories Chicken, Meals, Recipes
Author Jennie

Greek Dinner For Two

8 Jan

When I think of Greek food, I picture gyros oozing with tzatziki sauce with french fries shoved inside. I’m not too classy.

Alas, that is was I like – so it’s what I choose to make.

Sometimes I make outrageously complicated meals that can turn out somewhat … iffy. Then there are nights where I want to make an impressive dinner with a few conditions:

1) doesn’t require too many ingredients that I don’t already have at home

2) must be delicious

3) … guess that’s it. Easy and delicious.

A quick weeknight meal should be easy to throw together – after finishing a long day, who wants to spend hours in the kitchen? (Well, guess I’m guilty but I’m just weird.) A legitimate gyro is impressive and no one needs to know how “legitimate” it really is. Exhibit A – I used naan bread to wrap up all the goodness. I can show you another 5 exhibits but we’re not in a museum – were “in” the internet.

All this meal requires is 3 steps: whip up the marinade, flavorize the chicken and then cook. To put it all together you need tomatoes, red onion, tzatziki and the chicken. You can add in some lettuce, cucumbers and black olives as well.

In addition to having a great dinner, you can also make extra chicken to cut up into a salad for tomorrows lunch.

Chicken Gyros

Ingredients:

1.25 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (or chicken breasts)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons greek yogurt
Juice of 1 lemon and lemon zest of 1/2 a lemon
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
salt and pepper

Directions:

Whisk together all of the ingredients of the marinade together. Put chicken in a large ziplock bag and pour marinade over, covering the chicken. Refrigerate for one hour.
Preheat the oven to broil (or get barbecue prepped). Set chicken pieces on aluminum foil lined baking sheet and place on an oven rack that is 6 inches below the broiler.
Broil for 7 minutes per side, flipping once. You may need to vary your cooking times based on type and size of chicken.
Remove from oven and let rest for a few minutes before cutting into pieces.
Meanwhile, warm up the pitas – give them a good zap in the microwave.
Once everything is ready, lay down the tzatziki on the pita, followed by chicken, tomatoes and onion (+/- feta, lettuce, cucumbers, or black olives)

Adapted from: Elly says opa

Kalí óreksi! (bon appetit in greek)

- Jennie

Comments Comments Off
Categories Chicken, Meals, Recipes
Author Jennie

Thai Chicken Thighs with Bok Choy

20 Nov

I think I might be asian.

Or maybe I just love asian cuisine – I guess it’s a toss up. I ADORE asian food. Thai, vietnamese, japanese… mmmm. They are my favorite things to eat and often the easiest to make. No matter what you do, it will taste good. If you don’t have an ingredient, use something else or nothing at all – just don’t go reaching for the ordering pamphlet just yet.

A couple years back, I travelled to Thailand. The country was beautiful and I enjoyed a month of bliss. Not only did I get a head massage every day at a parlor called Lucky Massage (wonder who’s name was Lucky – must have been the fifty year old guy who left with a big smile on his face), I also got to enjoy breathtaking views and amazing food.

Unfortunately, I don’t have the pleasure of fresh food stands lined up outside my downtown apartment. Without a car, food shopping can be quite the hassle. Add in 14 hour days and I sometimes can go 2 weeks without food shopping – there just isn’t enough time! Fortunately, I’ve had the wonderful pleasure of stocking my fridge regularly these past few weeks allowing me to try new recipes with fresh ingredients.

These Thai Chicken Thighs are my go-to dinner when I’m having someone over on short notice. I often have all the required ingredients at all times and its very quick to whip together. Not only are these the easiest thing to make, they are so good! They are packed with flavor and you can add in extra spice (if you are a spice nut like me!). If you don’t like chicken thighs, feel free to use chicken breast.

If you are pressed for time, make rice and brocolli and you have a great meal. If you have time to experiment, make some fun side dishes. Peanut butter noodles, pad thai …etc I decided to go “authentic” and bought Bok Choy.

Thai Chicken Thighs – Adapted from Maimonedes Cooking with Love

Ingredients

2 lbs (900 g) boneless skinless chicken thighs
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp fresh ginger
2 clove of garlic minced
1 tsp hot pepper sauce (sriracha sauce)
2 tbsp green onion (or cilantro, or flat leaf parsley)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375ºF
In a large mixing bowl combine hoisin sauce, peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, lemon juice, ginger, garlic and sriracha sauce.
Add chicken and mix to coat.
Arrange chicken in a baking dish and spoon sauce over chicken
Bake for 45-50 minutes
Sprinkel with cilantro, flat leaf parsley or green onion

Garlic and Ginger Bok Choy – Adapted from Steamy Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs of Bok Choy or baby bok choy
1 1/2 tbsp of vegetable oil
2 cloves of garlic minces
1 tsp ginger minced
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp sesame oil

Directions:

Cut the end of the bok choy stem off, rinse well and drain.
Mince the garlic and ginger and prepare lemon-water mixture.
Place wok or frying pan on stove and add oil. Add the ginger and garlic and turn stove on to medium high heat.
Let garlic and ginger infuse into the oil but do not let them burn. Once they begin to turn golden brown, add in the bok choy and cover the leaves well with the oil.
Pour the lemon & water into the pan and immediately cover for 1 minute. Remove from pan and season with salt and drizzle with sesame oil.
Serve and enjoy

Hope you enjoy this meal as much as I do! Try it out, let me know what you think!

-Jennie