One Pot Swedish Meatballs and Noodles

I remember when my dad  was in the hospital, he used to say how much he liked their food. And I would think to myself, “Must be the drugs they gave him.” I recently spent four days in the same hospital my dad stayed. So I got to eat quite a few of the same meals there myself. None of my meals were outstanding or deserved rave reviews like my dad gave them. But the one thing they had in common was they were comforting. Comfort foods, like meatloaf and mashed potatoes or roasted chicken.  Foods that made you feel better being alone in a strange place and stuck in a strange bed for whatever scary health reason you are there.  So maybe that’s why my dad raved so much.  I have no idea what this has to do with my Swedish meatballs and noodles recipe, but I do consider it a comfort meal. And being in the hospital made me think of my dad.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound lean ground beef (Use 1/2 a pound, if you like smaller meatballs)
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 cup seasoned panko or breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pepper for meatballs
• 1 teaspoon salt for meatballs
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 cups heavy cream or milk
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 4 cups uncooked egg noodles
• 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
• salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.  In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, onion, breadcrumbs, eggs, salt and pepper. Shape your meatballs into 1-2 tablespoons sized balls.
2. Heat your oil in a pot over medium high heat. Place your meatballs into the pot. Cook meatballs for 1 -2 minutes and flip.
3. Add the beef broth and heavy cream (or milk) and worcestershire sauce and stir well.
4. Bring the liquid to a boil, then add the egg noodles. Stir every minute, until the pasta is cooked and the liquid has reduced to a sauce that coats the noodles. 6-8 minutes.
5. Add the parmesan cheese and stir until cheese is melted.
6. Garnish with chopped parsley and add salt and pepper to taste.

Pork Carnitas

Growing up, my parents made Chinese food at least 90% of the time. So you would think my blog would be mostly Chinese food recipes. Nope. Once I moved out and was left to cook on my own I enjoyed trying all sorts of new food types and trying new recipes. If you ask my kids, they will tell you I can eat Mexican food everyday of the week. It’s true. Pork carnitas is one recipe I love as it is not particularly hard to make. And if you get a large pork shoulder, it makes enough for a crowd or you have leftovers for days. This recipe makes at least 12 servings!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3-4 pounds pork shoulder
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 1 bulb garlic, crushed
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 8 cups low sodium chicken broth

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Season the pork shoulder with salt, then arrange the pork in the Dutch oven. Cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the onion, garlic, lime juice, chili powder, oregano, and cumin. Pour in the chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and continue to simmer until pork is very tender, about 2 1/2 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4. Transfer the pork shoulder to a large baking sheet, reserving the cooking liquid. Drizzle with a small amount of the reserved cooking liquid.
5. Bake the pork in the preheated oven until browned, about 30 minutes. Drizzle more of the cooking liquid on the meat every 10 minutes, and use two forks to shred the meat as it browns. (Keep in mind, the objective of the final step is to get slightly crispy outside with a moist, tender inside.)
6. 
7. Serve the carnitas with warm, fresh tortillas and pico de gallo or whatever you like! I like to make mine into tacos. 

Skillet Pizza Rolls

When I went by the deli area of my local grocery store, I saw they had fresh pizza dough balls. I thought maybe I should make a semi-homemade pizza of some sort.  My kid at heart had fun making these skillet pizza rolls. You can choose what items you want. So my vegetarian friends can make vegetarian pizza rolls. But I do suggest sautéing your vegetables before adding to the pizza rolls.  I made two different batches in the picture above because I have a huge cast iron skillet. Stick to the recipe if you have a regular size 9 inch cast iron skillet.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound pizza dough
• 1/3 cup pizza or pasta sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• pepperoni slices
• sliced black olives
• sautéed mushrooms
• or your choice of toppings

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 16×10-in. rectangle. Brush with pasta sauce to within 1/2 in. of edges.
3. Sprinkle pizza dough evenly with with mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. And then add your pizza toppings of choice.
4. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal. Cut into eight slices. Place in a greased 9-in. cast-iron skillet or greased 9-in. round baking pan, cut side down.
5. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Asparagus Beef in Black Bean Garlic Sauce

It’s asparagus season here in California. I find myself buying asparagus every shopping trip now. But instead of  making my usual grilled asparagus as a side dish, I wanted to add it into the main dish. If you love making quick dinners like I do then you are going to love this.  Also, this recipe only requires a few ingredients which makes this even simpler.  I have another variation of this dish ( Asparagus Beef ) where you make your own sauce, however this one is using a premade black bean garlic sauce which cuts the time in half and does the work for you.  This serves 2-4 depending on your portions.

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 ounce sirloin or flank steak, sliced into thin strips
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil for cooking, separated into 2 tablespoons and 1 tablespoon
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon grated garlic
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 pound of asparagus, sliced into thirds
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 2-3 tablespoons black bean and garlic sauce (found at local grocery stores in your international aisle or Asian markets)  
• 1 teaspoon sugar (this offsets the sharpness of the black bean sauce)
• 1/2 cup beef or chicken stock

 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add beef strips to a bowl. Then add cornstarch, grated garlic and ginger. Mix well and set aside. 
2. Heat up wok or skillet on high heat.  Swirl in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to coat wok or skillet.
3. Quickly spread the beef slices around the pan in an even layer. Let it sear for 15-30 seconds without stirring. Then give it a quick stir to sear the other side. The meat should be browned and no sticking should happen if you got the pan hot enough. Take the meat out of the pan and set aside.
4. Keep the wok/skillet on high heat and add one tablespoon oil.
5. Add in asparagus and onions.
6. Stir for about 10 seconds and cover, leaving the heat on high. Let it cook for 20 to 30 seconds. Remove the cover. Add the beef back to the pan.
7. Add the black bean and garlic sauce paste, sugar and beef stock. Stir to mix well.
8. Let beef and vegetables continue to cook with the sauce for 2-3 minutes or until asparagus is cooked tender. 
9. Plate with jasmine rice and serve immediately.

 

 

Mexican Cornbread Casserole

Happy Cinco de Mayo! This recipe is like a mash up of my Mexican Casserole and a tamale pie recipe I’ve tried in the past. And for my fellow home cooks who like quick recipes, the 35 minutes baking time is the longest you have to wait.  I love shortcuts, so if you do not have all the required spices in your cupboards you can also use a packet of taco seasoning. Since there is only two of us at home to eat this, I used half the meat and only one box of the Jiffy cornbread mix and an 8×8 baking pan. Otherwise I used the same amount of all the other ingredients. For my vegetarian friends, omit the ground beef and add pinto beans.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 (8.5 ounce) boxes Jiffy cornbread mix
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups grated Mexican cheese blend; separated into 1/2 cup and 1 cup
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies (optional)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can black beans (15 ounce)
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 1 can (2.25 ounces) sliced black olives
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 can (10 ounce) Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles
• 1 1/2 cup chunky salsa

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Meanwhile in a large bowl, prepare Jiffy cornbread mix by combining mix, eggs and milk. Stir well then add 1/2 cup grated Mexican cheese blend. Set aside. (If you like some extra spice, add a small can of diced green chilies to the cornbread mixture.)
2. In a skillet add olive oil and cook ground beef over medium high heat until cooked through. Drain any grease. Add onions and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes until onions are tender.
3. Add remaining ingredients to the meat mixture in skillet. Mix well and remove from heat.
4. In a 9X13 baking pan, add meat and vegetable mixture. Top with 1 cup grated Mexican blend cheese.
5. Add prepared cornbread mixture on top of cheese layer. Be sure to spread out evenly.
6. Bake in oven for 33-35 minutes or until cornbread turns golden.  Enjoy with your favorite beverage.

Asparagus Beef

Who needs take-out when you can make it yourself? I’m always finding myself looking at various dishes at restaurants thinking I could probably make it. And if you have been following my blog, you know I’m all about quick and easy recipes.  For my vegetarian friends, just omit the beef and you should have a tasty vegetable stir fry dish.

MARINADE INGREDIENTS:

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 ounce sirloin or flank steak, sliced into thin strips
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil for cooking, separated into 2 tablespoons and 1 tablespoon
• 1 pound of asparagus, sliced in an angle into thirds
• 1 small bell pepper, sliced into small strips
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine)
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon oyster flavored sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• cornstarch slurry (2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a bowl mix together marinade ingredients and add beef strips. Set aside.
2. In another small bowl prepare the sauce by combining sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and the chicken stock. Mix well. Set aside.
3. Heat up wok or skillet on high heat.  Swirl in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to coat wok or skillet.
4. Quickly spread the beef slices around the pan in an even layer. Let it sear for 15-30 seconds without stirring. Then give it a quick stir to sear the other side. The meat should be browned and no sticking should happen if you got the pan hot enough. Take the meat out of the pan and set aside.
5. Keep the wok/skillet on high heat and add one tablespoon oil.
6. Add in asparagus, bell peppers, onions and minced garlic.
7. Stir for about 10 seconds and add the shaoxing wine. Cover, leaving the heat on high. Let it cook for 20 to 30 seconds. Remove the cover. Add the beef back to the pan.
8. Add the sauce mixture. Stir vigorously and let the liquid bubble up.
9. Stir up your cornstarch slurry to make sure the starch is dissolved and pour in about half of it. Stir for a few seconds. If the sauce is still thin, add more slurry. If it’s too thick, add a little water or stock.
10. Plate with rice and serve immediately!

Oven Roasted Tri Tip

Okay meat lovers, don’t hate me. I know a lot of the beef eaters out there are literally having a cow (teehee, get it?) seeing my roast not at red rare or medium rare state. But for some reason, any beef cooked under medium does not agree with my tummy. So here you get my pinkish medium to medium well tri tip roast. No worries I will tell you how to cook it to your desired doneness. Best of all, this is a simple recipe that you can make year round especially if you do not have a grill.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3-4 pound tri tip roast
• kosher salt
• fresh cracked pepper
• garlic powder
• dried crushed rosemary
• 1 package Lipton Onion Soup Mix
• Worcestershire sauce
• olive oil
• 2 small onions

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a glass baking dish big enough to hold your roast, season both sides of your tri tip with with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, rosemary, onion soup mix, worcestershire sauce and olive oil. I did not give measurements for any because I just generally season by sight and it depends on the size of your roast as well. Just make sure your tri tip is well covered in seasonings and sauce and oil.
2. Peel and cut onions into quarters and add to baking dish.
3. Let meat marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Take tri tip out of refrigerator 30 minutes before putting into oven. Make sure fatty side is on top.
4. Preheat oven to 450 F degrees.
5. Place in oven and cook for 15 minutes to brown.
6. Lower oven temperature to 350 F degrees. Cook 15 minutes for every pound for medium rare doneness. Cook 17 minutes per pound for medium doneness.
7. Take cooked tri tip out of oven and let rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

Bacon Cheeseburger Pie

Ever get in a dinner rut? I know I do. The same 5-10 dinner recipes on rotation week after week? Sometimes because they are quick and easy and other times just out of necessity.  So there I was. Staring at a pound of ground beef. What do I make? Stick to the routine or change it up? I say change is good.  Now I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this recipe on the back of a pancake batter box years ago.  But I don’t have any pancake batter mix, so I decided to make my own. But if you have some on hand, by all means feel free to substitute and save yourself a few steps.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons cold butter
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cooked bacon slices, chopped into small pieces (optional, if you leave out then you are making cheeseburger pie)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven at 400 degrees. Spray a 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray.
2. In a skillet, cook ground beef and onions until beef is browned and onions are translucent. 8-10 minutes. Drain fat from skillet. Add Worcestershire sauce to meat and mix.
3. Spread ground beef and onions onto prepared pie plate.
4. Using either a food processor or hand mixer, mix flour, sugar, salt and butter together until it forms into small pebbles of dough. (If you have pancake mix, use 1/4 cup and go to step 5.)
5. Add milk and eggs. Mixing until combined.
6. Pour into pie plate with meat mixture.
7. Top with cheese and bacon pieces.
8. Bake for 23-25 minutes. Or until inserted toothpick in center comes out clean.
9. Serve with all your favorite cheeseburger sides.

 

 

 

Baked Garlic and Parmesan Pork Chops

I was originally going to make this recipe with chicken breasts. Then I discovered I actually only had chicken wings on hand. Oops. Good thing I did have a pack of thin cut pork chops. While I was hesitant at first, I am glad I made the substitution.  Crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside and quite tasty from the garlic and cheese combination. If you are in a rush you will love that these can be prepared and cooked in less than 30 minutes as well.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 thin cut boneless pork chops (you can use thick cut or bone-in but remember to adjust cooking time)
• 3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese, reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley, reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish
• 1/4 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a large shallow bowl combine Panko bread crumbs, garlic powder, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and Italian parsley. Mix well and set aside.
3. Prepare pork chops by covering each piece in olive oil. Be sure the pork chops are well coated on both sides.
4. Individually dip pork chops into Panko mixture. Pat down on both sides to ensure even coverage. Place covered pork chops on non stick baking pan.
5. Bake pork chops for 15-18 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.
6. Let rest for 3-5 minutes before serving. Garnish with reserved Parmesan cheese and Italian Parsley.