Spinach Meatballs with Homemade Marinara

Don't you love when you can sneak veggies into a delicious meal? This recipe uses an entire bag/carton of fresh spinach! My family loves this dish. It also makes enough for another night's dinner...or freeze the meatballs and use next week...or make meatball sliders...so many options!

Thanks again to my friend, Sabrina, for sending me this recipe. She has a big family as well, so she knows how to cook for them!

Spinach Meatballs (slightly adapted from Skinnytaste.com)

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
5 oz fresh spinach (one bag/carton)
2 slices bread (I use older sourdough, any can do)
1 large egg, beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
1 tbsp. olive oil

1. Give entire 5 oz of fresh spinach a rough chop. Steam spinach in microwave for about 1 1/2 minutes until it is warm and slightly wilted.
2. Add to mixing bowl: ground beef, wilted spinach, beaten egg, garlic, parsley, parmesan cheese, healthy dose of salt and pepper (about 1/2 tsp of each). Barely wet bread with water, squeeze out excess water over sink, and crumble bread into mixing bowl. Mix all with hands until thoroughly combined.
3. Using tablespoon, scoop out meat, and form small meatballs (each is about one tablespoon in size, possibly slightly bigger).
4. In large skillet or nonstick pan, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil. Add as many meatballs as you can without them touching each other. Allow meatballs to cook and get a nice sear, then turn to other side. Continue to turn meatballs every 3-5 minutes until all sides are browned and centers are pretty much cooked through.
5. Place meatballs on paper-towel lined plate. Freeze half if you want. Save the rest to cook for 15-20 minutes in the below homemade marinara sauce.

Homemade Marinara Sauce
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 yellow onion (or one small onion), chopped
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. oregano
3/4 tsp. dried basil
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 package of angel hair pasta (or full package if feeding a crowd)

1. Heat olive oil in skillet (skillet needs to have a lid or cover). Add chopped onion and allow to cook until translucent. Add garlic and sauté for a couple minutes (don't let garlic burn!). Season with a little salt and pepper (if you have a little red wine, deglaze pan with about 1/4 cup red wine, and allow alcohol to cook off).
2. Add tomatoes, bay leaf, oregano, dried basil, chicken broth, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. After 10 minutes, add meatballs, simmer for another 15-20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, bring pasta water to a boil, and cook angel hair noodles as directed.
5. Finish marinara by adding in remaining 1 tbsp fresh basil. Remove bay leaf.

Serve all together and enjoy!

Pumpkin (Butternut Squash) Lasagna

I am a huge fan of this cookbook, Feeding Our Families, by Katie Boyer Newell. She spoke at my mom's church MOPs group a couple years ago. She strives to feed her family healthy, whole foods. And, everything I have made from her cookbook has been a WINNER. This is the first recipe of many...

This lasagna adds another veggie - butternut squash - into your normal lasagna, which is absolutely delicious with Italian turkey sausage and sage. Yum! I can make THREE meals out of this recipe. One 9x13" pan (which equates to two nights in my house) and then a 8x8" pan to freeze.

A couple tips:

• Roast your butternut squash earlier in the day, cover and save in fridge
• Put together your turkey sausage and cheese mix earlier in the day, cover and save in fridge

Doing those two things earlier in the day will make your assembly go fast!

This is part of our regular rotation - my husband and kids love it!

Pumpkin (Butternut Squash) Lasagna
(Katie Boyer Newell, http://healthnutfoodie.com/ )

Turkey Sausage & Cheese Mix
2 lbs Italian sausage (I use mild Italian turkey sausage)
1 red onion
4 cloves galic
⅔ cup gorgonzola (I have used extra sharp cheddar cheese here)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper

Butternut Squash & Ricotta Mix
2 cups pureed pumpkin or butternut squash (or one can) I chop up butternut squash, roast with olive oil, salt and pepper, and puree earlier in the day
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
½ tsp nutmeg

Marinara Sauce
24 – 25 oz jar of your favorite tomato pasta sauce (Barilla basil and tomato)
15-ounce can tomato sauce (or homemade)

12 lasagna noodles
¼ cup fresh sage leaves OR same amount of fresh basil
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper

Instructions (90 minutes, 30 minutes active.):
Preparations: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel and cube butternut squash into small cubes. Coat lightly with extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Place butternut squash on baking tray, and roast for about 25-35 minutes, turning them over about halfway through. Butternut squash should be soft enough to puree when done roasting. Put squash in bowl and set aside. (You can do this earlier in the day)

Dice 1 red onion and 4 cloves garlic. Set aside. Stir together 1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce with 1 can of tomato sauce. Set this aside as well. In a small bowl, whisk 2 eggs. Add the eggs, 2 cups butternut squash and 1 cup ricotta cheese to a food processor or mixing bowl. Turn food processor on until ingredients are combined. When well combined, stir in 1 cup shredded mozzarella, ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, and ½ tsp nutmeg.

Brown your sausage: Heat a large deep skillet over medium high heat for about five minutes. When hot, add 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and heat an additional 30 seconds, until oil shimmers. Add sausage, onion, and garlic to skillet. Season with 1 tsp dried thyme, and ½ tsp each sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. Brown sausage for 5 – 7 minutes, breaking into crumbles as it cooks. When sausage is no longer pink, turn off heat. Stir in ⅔ cups gorgonzola cheese just until melted.

Cook lasagna noodles: Per package directions. Rinse with cold water to stop noodles from cooking.

Assemble your lasagnas: Pour ¼ – ½ cup tomato sauce on the bottom of baking dish(es). (I can make one 9x13" dish, and one 8x8"). Place lasagna noodles on the bottom of each dish. Layer ¼ of the sausage mixture (eyeball it), ¼ of the pumpkin and cheese mixture, and ¼ of the sauce in each dish. Repeat with another 2-3 layers of noodles, sausage, pumpkin and cheese mixture, and sauce. To final layer, top dish with an additional ½ cup mozzarella, 2 tbsp torn sage or basil leaves, 2 tbsp Parmigiano-Reggiano, and ¼ tsp black pepper. I have been known to add more cheese, even extra sharp cheddar to the top! Cover tonight’s dinner with foil and refrigerate. Transfer disposable 8 x 8 to a labeled and dated freezer bag, and freeze.

To bake your lasagna: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. When oven is hot, place foil covered lasagna in oven and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, until cheese is hot and bubbly. Let lasagna rest for 5 – 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy! (When baking your lasagna from frozen, please allow an extra 30 – 40 minutes covered baking time.)

Homemade Energy Bites

Well, a year has come and gone since my last recipe post. It was a big year. A year full of a new baby, a three month rotation in Florida, adjusting to three kids, and more preschool and activities. A year full of JOY. That's what it was.

Now that we are extra busy, I have been trying to cook every night of the week, and have snacks (like this one), ready for when my hungry girls get home from school. The weeknight recipes will be posted at some point...there have been some real winners (think pumpkin lasagna, maple-Dijon chicken, and pork carnitas, to name a few).

But let's keep it simple today -- a simple snack, that lasts a long time.

Thanks to my friend, Sabrina, for introducing these to our family!

Homemade Energy Bites (From moneysavingmom.com)
2 cups quick oats
1 cup peanut butter
2/3 cup honey
2 cups coconut flakes, wheat germ, sesame seeds or rice krispie cereal (or a combination of any of them, I usually do coconut flakes, wheat germ and rice krispies)
1 cup ground (milled) flaxseed
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients together. Roll into balls.
2. To freeze: Place balls on a cookie sheet and freeze for one to two hours. Remove from cookie sheet and place in an airtight ziplock freezer bag/container.
3. Can be eaten frozen or thawed at room temp for 30 minutes, or warmed in microwave for 5-10 seconds.

Makes around 3 dozen.

Snickers Icebox Pie

This delish recipe has been in the que for months...it's 'bout time it gets the attention it deserves.

 

Who wouldn't like an oreo crust, layered with melted chocolate, caramel and finely chopped peanuts, then a peanut butter-caramel marshmallow cream topping? And it tastes exactly like a Snickers bar...only better. It takes longer to eat. Translate: it allows for more time to savor. This is the best pie I've eaten, but it does have many steps for the layers, so allow a few hours. It is soooo worth it!

 

Because we are in a stage of life where we are on a strict budget, one of my favorites things to do is invite a small group of friends and their families over for dessert (rather than a full-on dinner). We let the kids play while we socialize, and enjoy a yummy dessert. It's a great time for the wives to try out new desserts, I served this one time and it seemed perfect for the occasion.

 

This recipe comes from one of my favorite trusted cooking kitchens - America's Test Kitchen (on PBS). When I saw their recent cooking magazine in my favorite local bakery titled, "The Absolute Best Chocolate Recipes Ever" I couldn't resist.

Snickers Icebox Pie (Cooks Country, "Chocolate Desserts" edition)

Crust:

16 Oreo cookies, broken into rough pieces (not the double stuffed Oreos, the original)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

 

Filling:

1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (I prefer Ghiradelli)

1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme (try Jet-Puffed or Marshmallow Fluff)

4 ounces cream cheese

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

7 ounces (about 26) soft caramels, unwrapped

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped

Bittersweet chocolate bar for shavings (again, Ghiradelli is my fav)

 

1. For the Crust: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse cookies in food processor until coarsly ground, about 15 pulses, then continue to process until fine, even crumbs, about 15 seconds longer. Sprinkle butter over crumbs and pulse to incorporate.

2. Transfer crumbs to 9" pie plate. Use bottom of a spoon to press crumbs into even layer on bottom and up the sides of pie plate. Bake until crust is fragrant and set, about 10-15 minutes.

3. For the Filling: Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over hot crust and let sit until softened but not fully melted, about 5 minutes. Smooth softened chocolate into even layer with rubber spatula. Refrigerate crust until chocolate is set, 20-25 minutes.

4. Using standing mixer fitted with whisk, beat marshmallow creme, cream cheese, heavy cream, peanut butter, and butter together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

5. Cook caramels and water in small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until caramels are melted and smooth, 8-10 minutes. Stir 1 tablespoon caramel into marshmallow creme mixture. Spread remaining hot caramel evenly over chocolate layer in chilled pie crust. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and refrigerate until caramel is just set, about 10 minutes.

6. Dollop marshmallow creme mixture on top of caramel and spread into even layer. Refrigerate pie, uncovered, until chilled and set, about 2 hours.

7. Create chocolate shavings by using a vegetable peeler on bittersweet chocolate bar, sprinkle over top of pie. Serve.

 

Terriyaki Flank Steak

Steak. That's all I've been craving lately. Juicy, tasty steak. And so, I've been over-the-moon every couple weeks when we make this flank steak with terriyaki marinade.

Flank steak is a tougher meat. It's recommended that you marinade it before cooking...24 hours is ideal, but 3-6 hours works for this recipe. Another tip with flank steak is do not overcook it. Like, don't cook it to well done. Medium is the preferred doneness, otherwise, it gets too tough and loses it's juiciness. I have made this mistake and served my husband leather for dinner - not pleasant! So keep an eye on your steak as you cook. You can always put it back on the grill or in the pan if it's not done enough.
 

This marinade is so easy. You can whip it together in 15 minutes a few hours before dinner and you'll have one of the tastiest steaks awaiting you that night.

Terriyaki Flank Steak (Allrecipes)

1 Flank Steak around 1.5 lbs

1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons Worchestchire sauce

1 tablespoon seedy Dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon pepper

 

1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl, and whisk together briskly. 

2. Put flank steak in a sealed, gallon plastic bag, pour in marinade, and let rest in refrigerator for 3-6 hours, or up to 24 hours before cooking. I always flip the bag over on the other side halfway through the marinading process to allow the entire steak the opportunity to soak up as much as possible.

3. Grill, or pan sear steak on a hot grill/pan; about 5-7 minutes on each side depending on thickness. Cook to medium or medium-well.

4. Allow steak to rest on a plate loosely covered in foil for at least 5 minutes (if you cut steak immediately, all the juices will end up on the plate, instead of inside the meat, so let it rest!). Slice meat into thin strips and serve.

Aussie Style Salad Sandwich

 

Well, it sure has been a while. Many, many months without posting a recipe. Believe me, I've been cooking. And mothering. And cleaning. And on-the-side marketing. And fitness instructing. And now incubating (baby #3). So let's start back with something really easy.

 

The Aussie Style Salad Sandwich. These are commonplace in Australia - they are found in every bakery or cafe that offers lunch. When we last visited, these were my favorite lunchtime meal. Piled high, you choose what to put on them. And, I make them for my husband all the time. So healthy and filling!

 

I'm going to give you our preference for how to build this sandwich, but it's completely up to you. You can substitute like crazy for this one.

 

Aussie Style Salad Sandwich

Sourdough bread

Condiments: spreadable butter, tarragon mustard (found at Hy-Vee) or Mayo

Meat: Ham, turkey or sliced chicken breast

Cheese: extra sharp cheddar (Cabots is our favorite)

Fillings: Carrots (shredded on cheese grater), cucumbers thinly sliced, tomotoes thinly sliced, lettuce or spinach leaves, sprouts of any kind (my hubby sometimes adds sliced red onion and beets if we have them)

Salt & Pepper

 

Directions:

1. Spread butter on one half of the sandwich, and mustard or mayo on the other half.

2. Pile sandwich high with all the ingredients. Add a good seasoning of salt and pepper over the carrots.

3. Eat and enjoy!

Homemade Granola

My husband asked me to make granola - or muesli as he calls it. So this is the first recipe I tried, and we like it so much we haven't strayed. In fact, I've made it every week this month. We prefer dried apricots in it, but you can use any dried fruit...cranberries, raisins, dried apples, etc. He eats is as a cereal with milk, while I prefer it with fresh berries and yogurt. The best part is, it takes about 10 minutes to prepare and a short time in the oven. Very easy!

The Neely's Homemade Granola (Patrick and Gina Neely)

3 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups unsweetened coconut chips (or lightly toast sweetened coconut in oven)
1 cup chopped dried apricots (6 ounces)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped raw pecans
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons real maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together oats, coconut, chopped apricots, and chopped pecans.
2. In a smaller bowl, whisk together brown sugar, canola oil, maple syrup, vanilla and salt. Pour over oat mixture and combine well, so everything is coated evenly.
3. Spread in an even layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden and brown, 15 minutes, rotating the baking sheet tray halfway through baking and stirring the granola with a spoon so it will cook evenly. Remove from the oven and add to a large bowl so it will stop cooking. Let cool before serving.