Confetti Meatballs

I was in the store the other day looking for shredded carrots and came across some broccoli slaw. it seemed interesting, and there was a recipe on the back for CONFETTI MEATBALLS. It sounded really good, so I threw a bag into my cart.  I totally forgot about it for a few days, and yesterday was reorganizing my fridge after delivering 2 cakes I just made, and I found that bag of broccoli slaw!!

So here's the recipe, with my changes.

1 bag of broccoli slaw
3/4 lb of ground turkey or beef (i used 1lb of ground chicken)
1/2 cup chopped parsley ( i didn't have any)
5tsp grated Parmesan cheese
2tsp garlic powder ( I used more of course!)
1 1/2 tsp dry Italian seasoning
2 tsp garlic salt (i ran out so I increased the garlic powder and added some salt and pepper)
2 eggs
(i also added some basil and red pepper flakes to add some spice)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Microwaved the broccoli slaw for 4 mins (it came in a steam bag)
open the bag up and let it cool. Do not add the HOT broccoli to the meat!! Be sure its cooled down!!

In a large bowl add all the ingredients and mix until well combined.

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Use a standard ice cream scoop and make 12 meatballs. ( I used a smaller scoop and made 25)

Use your hands to form them if needed.

Place them on the baking sheet.

Bake for 30 mins or until completely cooked.

This is SUCH a good recipe!! It was flavorful and colorful!!! I think its a good way to incorporate veggies for those picky kids!! You can make your standard spaghetti and meatball dinner or you could make some mashed potatoes and gravy for something a bit different. These can be added to soup or just eaten on their own!! I'm definitely going to make these again and again!

PS I sprinkled the tops with more parm cheese when they were just about done and threw them under the broiler, there's always room for more cheese!!

Potato Leek Soup with Smoked Turkey Sausages!

I've never made potato leek soup before!!! Can you believe it? I was shocked myself!

I did a bit of research on different recipes for this one. I was looking at an America's Test Kitchen recipe, which was more rustic and had few ingredients. Then i was looking at an recipe which had creme fresh, and bouquets of spices and all these crazy steps. To me, Soup should be simple. Throw a few ingredients in a pot, add some stock, let simmer and SERVE! SO i kinda decided to make my own version using a little bit from both recipes. One recipe called for 2 strips of bacon, all I had on hand was smoked turkey sausages with cheddar! I think it worked well!! Bare with me, I didn't write down exact measurements!!!

What you need:

2-3 tbsp butter

3 leeks, roots and dark green cut off, white and light green parts you keep, cleaned and sliced on the thin side

1 smallish red onion, chopped small

3 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped

1/2 cup white wine

1 lb of potatoes, Peeled and medium diced (i don't really know how many potatoes make a pound so I used like 3 fairly large ones, 2 medium and 3 small potatoes.)

5 cups chicken stock

4-5 sprigs of thyme

2 bay leaves

10 whole peppercorns

5-6 Johnsonville turkey smoked sausages w cheddar, cubed

1 heaping tablespoon of creme fresh

I think that's everything!!!

So get a nice stock pot going with a medium heat and throw a few tbsp of butter and oil in the bottom, wait til it gets foamy, then add the red onion and leeks. let them get softened, about 10-15 minutes. Don't let them brown!

Next, add your garlic, and cook for 30 seconds. Deglaze with white wine. Let the wine cook out for about 1-2 minutes.

Add in your potatoes, and stock, and herbs. Bring up to a boil, then reduce to low for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender. I had the lid on, but not quite all the way. Take off the heat.

In a large sauté pan, cook up the turkey sausages until they are browned up and juicy! The reason I used the smoked turkey sausages with cheddar is because its what I had in my fridge!!!

Using an immersion blender, or a standard blender blend your soup until smooth.

once the soup is the consistency you like, add the turkey sausages right in. Cook about 5 mins, but if you have more time then give it a little more to allow all the flavors to meld together.

Right before serving I added the creme fresh.

I got a nice loaf of crusty french bread, and enjoyed this soup for dinner!

If you notice I didn't add any salt!!!! between the chicken stock and the sausages I didn't feel it was necessary, but to each their own!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2012!!

New years tradition for good luck and prosperity all year 

In the Southern United States the peas are typically cooked with a pork product for flavoring (such as bacon, ham bones, fatback, or hog jowl), diced onion, and served with a hot chili sauce or a pepper-flavored vinegar.

The traditional meal also features collard, turnip, or mustard greens, and ham. The peas, since they swell when cooked, symbolize prosperity; the greens symbolize money; the pork, because pigs root forward when foraging, represents positive motion. Cornbread also often accompanies this meal.

Ingredients

• 1 pound dry black-eyed peas
• 2 cups chopped cooked ham
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pinch garlic powder
• 2 onions, diced
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can whole tomatoes

Directions

1. Place black-eyed peas in 8 quart pot. Add enough water to fill pot 3/4 full. Stir in ham and diced onions, and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place tomatoes in a blender or food processor, and blend until the tomatoes are liquefied. Add tomatoes to pot. Bring all ingredients to boil. Cover the pot, and simmer on low heat for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the peas are tender.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!! I WISH YOU NOTHING BUT HEALTH AND HAPPINESS IN 2012!!

see ya 2011!

To all my wonderful followers,

Thank you for all your support in 2011. I appreciate all your questions and comments you have sent me through out the year! I am planing to try quite a bunch of new things and I hope to have more tempting dishes to post for you in the coming year. Please post any questions, suggestions and comments any time! I am always open to try something new!

Have a great 2012!!!

Love,

AmandaCakes

Moroccan Chicken Soup

Serves 4

This recipe is SOO GOOD! I was pleasantly surprised at how flavorful this was. I mean, I knew it would taste good because the America's Test kitchen hasn't let me down yet, but I didn't expect to be so happy with it as I am.  This recipe is simple to make, easy to double, and can totally be made after work and on the table in 30 minutes! This recipe is from America's Test Kitchen; The Best Simple Recipes, a cookbook I am blogging my way through.

What you need:

1 TBSP vegetable oil (i used canola)

1 onion, chopped fine

1 TSP garam masala

5 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes

2 (16 oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (i used one can)

2 zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 cup plain couscous

1 rotisserie chicken, skin discarded, meat shredded (about 3 cups)

salt and pepper

What to do:

1. Heat oil in a dutch oven, or large pot, over medium heat. Cook onions until light browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in garam masala and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Add tomatoes and broth and bring to a simmer. Stir in chickpeas, zucchini, and couscous and cook covered until couscous is tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

(I let the flavors blend together about 10 minutes more on low heat.)

Bug CAKE!!!

This cake was fun to make!

Dylan is into creepy crawlies....things with lots of legs and eyes!!

This is a dark chocolate cake, with vanilla butter frosting. The filling is vanilla butter frosting with GUMMY WORMS!!! (chocolate cake = dirt + gummy worms!! get it??) The bugs and blades of grass are made with fondant and icing.

Happy Birthday Dylan!!!

Golden-Crusted Brussels Sprouts

these are so simple to make, require little ingredients and very little time. If you're a brussels sprout hater, you won't be after trying these!

24 small brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated cheese of your choice

Wash the brussels sprouts well. Trim the stem ends and remove any raggy outer leaves. Cut in half from stem to top and gently rub each half with olive oil.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Don't overheat the skillet, or the outsides of the brussels sprouts will cook too quickly. Place the brussels sprouts in the pan flat side down (single-layer), sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt, cover, and cook for roughly 5 minutes; the bottoms of the sprouts should only show a hint of browning. 

Cut into or taste one of the sprouts to gauge whether they're tender throughout. If not, cover and cook for a few more minutes.

Once just tender, uncover, turn up the heat, and cook until the flat sides are deep brown and caramelized. 

Then, toss them once or twice to get some browning on the rounded side. Season with more salt, a few grinds of pepper, and a dusting of grated cheese. 

found this recipe @101cookbooks.com