Posts Tagged ‘recipe’
Some recipes are not to be touched. Classic sugar cookies, grandma’s pasta’s sauce, great grandma’s sweet bread, the PERFECT, family-secreted chocolate chip cookie, you know the ones. They’re time-tested and perfected over the years and simply adding an additional chocolate chip may tilt the whole dish off-balance. Trust me, don’t mess with grandmas.
But some recipes welcome additions, substitutions and customization. In fact, by making tweaks to an existing recipe, you could be creating what will become a family, “do-not-touch-this-recipe-or-else” tradition.
This past week I took the plunge and created, what I think, is a pretty genius upgrade.
And it’s so, so simple.
First, take your favorite meatball recipe (I prefer turkey). In this case, I used Jenna’s turkey meatball recipe (but added some extra oregano).
The meatballs are quite delish on their own, but last I checked, a little cheese never hurt anyone 
What I’m about to tell you only requires one extra ingredient and is sure to add indulgent (but healthy) deliciousness!
The secret ingredient? STRING CHEESE.
Cut string cheese into 1 inch sections (you’ll need about 2-3 sticks, depending on the size of your meatballs). Now, before forming your meat mixture into meatballs, roll the meat around the section of the cheese stick and then form a ball. Bake according to the recipe and you’ll have Stuffed Turkey Meatballs.
It’s definitely one of those “why didn’t I think of that sooner” moments
Let’s just say that while this dish was incredibly delicious, it didn’t look the prettiest on my camera — but here’s an incredibly unhealthy version from Applebee’s to give you the idea
Unlike the Applebee’s calorie and fat bomb, my meatballs are very healthy and provide a great source of protien. Adding reduced fat string cheese to the mix simply adds some creamy indulgence, without sabatoging the health-factor of the dish.
ENJOY!
What was your last “genius moment” in the kitchen? How do you put your own stamp on classic recipes?
The prompt for Project Food Blog Challenge #2 reads: Ready to tackle a classic dish from another culture? Pick an ethnic classic that is outside your comfort zone or are not as familiar with. You should include how you arrived at this decision in your post. Do your research then try to pull off successfully creating this challenge. Try to keep the dish as authentic as the real deal, and document your experience through a compelling post.
Really? Do I have to?
If nothing else, I’m always up for trying something new, so I put on my thinking cap.
Where to begin?, I thought. Italian? Nah. it’s certainly delicious, but too easy to be called a true “challenge.” I wanted to actually step outside my comfort zone and create a dish I’d never tried before.
I began thinking of things I looks for in some of my favorite foods: fresh veggies, lean meat, interesting flavor combos and sexiness.
You read that correctly — sexiness.
Because anyone who’s enjoyed tiramisu, creme brulee, chocolate covered strawberries, fillet mignon, buttered lobster tails or five layer chocolate cake knows that food can be sexy.
It’s one thing to say you want to create a sexy dish and it’s another thing to actually follow-through. Never being one to give up, I was determined to wrangle my inner sex kitten and create something spectacular.
Let’s just say that cat was let out of the bag many moons ago. For those of you who know me, I am more dork than suave, more klutz than glam and never, ever sexy.
So I turned to the pros for help:
Ah yes, Brazilian models. Have you ever met a Brazilian that isn’t sexy? I didn’t think so.
After scouring the intertubes and reading up on their cuisine, I found what I thought would be a perfect match –Moqueca.
Imagining me purring that to you in a sexy Brazilian accent, are you? Too bad my face contorts in pain as I try to hide my girl-next-door midwestern tongue. But just because I’m not seductive and don’t have an alluring accent doesn’t mean I can’t make sexy food, right? Don’t answer that…
According to Wikipedia: Moqueca (or Muqueca, Portuguese pronunciation: [moˈkɛkɐ]) is a traditional Brazilian seafood stew. Brazilians have been making Moquecas for 300 years. It basically consists of fish, onions, garlic, tomatoes, cilantro, and additional ingredients. It is cooked slowly, with no water added.
I was originally drawn to Moqueca for the same reasons that I love any fish stew — seafood, veggies and more seafood.
I set to work compiling recipes and reading up on this dish and made a few minor variations of my own.
Brazilian Sex-Pot Stew (Moqueca)
You’ll need:
- 1 lb. of fish filets, cut in large portions (select any white fish that speaks to you that day) – on second thought, if a fish is speaking to you, return to your medication and stay away from the stove.
- 1 lb. shrimp (I took a shortcut and bought pre-cooked shrimp)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 large tomatoes, diced
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 3 cups coconut milk
- 2 Tbsp of peanut oil***
- juice of one lime
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 2 Tbsp of green onions, chopped
- 2 Tbps of parsley, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
***Most traditional dishes call for palm oil. After doing much research on this ingredient, I learned that peanut oil creates the same taste, but with less than half of the saturated fat! At The Daily Balance, we’re always looking for ways to make things healthier — without sacrificing taste or quality — this swap fit the bill.
First, marinade the fish filets and shrimp with salt, pepper and lime juice for at least 1/2 hour.
In the meantime, sauté garlic, onion, tomatoes, peppers, green onions, parsley and cilantro in peanut oil for about two minutes. Then add fish and coconut milk. Cook for about 15 minutes on low or until fish is cooked.
Take a moment to admire the rich, creamy (and dare I say, SEXY) goodness.
Serve alongside fried plantains.
Well I’m not sure if my bottom has started lifting, but I know eating this certainly made me feel sexy. The richness of the coconut milk added a luscious creaminess, while adding exotic flavor — really rounded out the dish!
So dim those lights, ignite the candles and have a sexy evening with Moqueca.
If I can do it, I promise you can too.
Remember when I mentioned I made a scrumptious taco creation this week? I wasn’t foolin’ ya!
This is so incredibly easy, sincerely delicious and would make a great dish to enjoy during the football games this weekend.
Here’s what you’ll need (serves 2, just multiply accordingly to serve more):
- 1 cup of your favorite tortilla chips – this is important, don’t be stingy!
- 1/2 lb ground turkey
- Taco seasoning
- 1/2 avocado
- 1/2 cup salsa
- Healthy serving of cheddar cheese
First, treat yourself to a few tortilla chips — you deserve them.
Alright, now spray a skillet with non-stick spray and cook your turkey on medium heat until the pink color takes on a nice, brown tan (about 7-8 minutes). Drain the meat (if needed) and add the appropriate amount of taco seasoning and water (look on the taco seasoning package to get the correct ratio). Return to heat and simmer on low the water is evaporated (stir occasionally).
Now you are ready to layer!
Take a small pie pan or casserole dish and line the bottom with 1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips – I always add a bit more than this, because hey, I like chips.
Next, layer the turkey mixture on top, covering all of the chips.
Now let’s make that turkey dance! Spread your salsa on top — feel free to add a little extra if it needs it.
Now it’s time to add my favorite part – AVOCADO! Chop the ‘cado and layer on top.
Let’s add our second layer of crunch – one more 1/2 cup of crushed chipies. Then top it all of with shredded chedda.
Place into the broiler (about 4 inches from the heat) for roughly 4-5 minutes. Keep on eye on it – you don’t want the cheese to burn. You’ll know it’s done once the cheese starts bubbling.
Allow to cool. I repeat: allow to cool. No one likes burned tongues — especially if you plan on having a make-out session later. And we should always be ready for that! Just be sure to have gum or a mint after eating this spicy dish
Now serve yourself up a plate of deliciousness. Don’t worry about keeping things pretty, this is all about flavor, people, and sometimes it’s 100% necessary to forgo presentation. This is one of those times. Dig in, swoon and remind yourself that you really could make this every day if you wanted to
Because sometimes the messy, ugly dishes are the most delicious