Holy Meatball!

by Anita


There are some days when you want a meatball. "Ahh tasty ahh meat-ah-balla" (said in in my best Italian accent). Well, as a part of the "Real Food Challenge" that I have tried out (with some success), the first day of my challenge I made a simple, yet delicious whole wheat pasta with a red sauce and homemade meatballs. The end result was a healthy and nutritious dinner that can stretch your dollar for a few days if you make the whole pound of pasta. Leftover pasta is always the best!


To check myself and to be honest with you, eliminating all processed foods is a process in itself but if you have a partner in crime to take on that challenge then it can be done as long as you have the right snacks in place. HA! My boyfriend took on the challenge with me and went to the grocery store on his own to gather the ingredients for our dinner. One minor road bump was the search for WHOLE WHEAT bread crumbs--prepared--and ready to purchase. That was not found at our grocery store. So we got creative and just eliminated bread crumbs all together from this recipe to eliminate the "un-real" foods for the night. We also steamed some fresh broccoli to have as a side dish.


Enjoy this for dinner by yourself or make it with some friends with a delicious glass of Malbec, Pinot Noir or Chianti. 

WHOLE WHEAT PASTA WITH TOMATO SAUCE & MEATBALLS 


Ingredients:

• 1 lb whole-wheat pasta
• Red pasta sauce (Organic Tomato Basil Sauce)
• 1 lb ground beef (Laura's lean beef)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese; and extra for garnish.
• ½ cup carrot bits (diced and chopped)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ½ teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce (Gluten Free used)
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (Substituted with dried Oregano, Thyme, Sage, Onion Salt, Pepper)
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Boil pasta according to package directions. Whole wheat noodles take longer.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. 
3. Mix together ground beef and next 8 ingredients. This is where you get your hands dirty to mix all the ingredients. :)
4. Drizzle a baking sheet with olive oil to cover the pan.
5. Roll the beef mixture into meatballs the size of golf balls. Place them in rows onto the greased baking sheet.
6. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes or until brown all the way through. 
7. Ready to eat? Serve meatballs on top of cooked pasta and warm pasta sauce. 

Serves: 5 

The base ingredients for the meatballs: beef, egg, Italian seasoning, garlic, cheese,  & carrots (omit bread crumbs)

Some of the tasty liquids: Tomato Basil pasta sauce, Red Wine Vinegar & Soy Sauce used in the meatballs

Don't watch the water boiling or else...

In a bowl, mix all of your base ingredients and liquids along with the diced carrots

Down and dirty with the meat balls!

The rolled up and baked meatballs ~ about 1 - 1.5 inches

A quick and easy side dish: steamed chopped broccoli. Add some extra grated Parmesan cheese on top! 

Mix your baked meatballs in with your warmed up pasta sauce and  cooked whole wheat pasta and top with grated Parmesan cheese for a garnish.

My taste tester LOVES his broccoli!

 This dinner was a quick and super easy meal to prepare and you can certainly make a big batch of meatballs and freeze them for that lazy dinner day. Bon Apetito!

Latin Version of Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup

by Anita


My dinners that I make when I cook for myself usually are simple and quick: steamed veggies, steamed rice, and a black bean burger (that all came from the handy dandy frozen food section). Well, as my stomach grumbled while I was at work, I started imagining something a little more tasty. Then at that moment I  received a message from my boyfriend who asked if I was interested in dinner and a movie (In Time)...which means that I got excited to make a meal FOR someone and watch a bonus movie at the end of it all. 


Chopping, prepping, simmering, and taking in the aromas of cooking has always been a stress reliever for me. I needed that yesterday. I will spare you details of the "pet messes" that I came home to on my bed which definitely did not put me in a tranquil frame of mine before cooking. 


Once I turned on my Pandora to Florence + the Machine radio, I started tapping my toes, swaying my hips, and chopping away to make a Tortilla Soup and Grilled Chicken Quesadillas. The recipes used are from a blog that I have been reading daily for cooking inspiration about eating REAL food = no processed junk, no sugars, organic when possible, and meat in moderation. Since it was a bit on the cooler yet comfortable side outside, I opted to grill some of the food which always makes the end result taste that much better. I highly recommend this tasty, healthy, and versatile recipe that is delicious for leftovers as well.


TORTILLA SOUP (modified for ingredients in my 'fridge)

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 bell peppers (any color), chopped
• 3 organic celery stalks, chopped
• 1 – 2 hot peppers (optional - I did not use)
• 1 teaspoon coriander or cumin
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon chili powder
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 8-oz can organic black beans (liquid drained and rinsed)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 28-oz can organic stewed tomatoes
• 1 8-oz can organic tomato sauce
• 2 – 3 cups organic, low sodium chicken stock depending on how “soupy” you like it
• Optional (but recommended) garnishes: avocado, scallions, lime juice, tortilla chips

1. Rinse and dice the bell peppers, celery, any other veggies you add. I used minced garlic in a jar. 
2. Heat a large stock pot with the olive oil on medium high heat. Add bell peppers, celery, garlic in pot.
3. Let the veggies eat through for about 5 minutes. Add spices.
4. Add rinsed black beans. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
5. Add stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and chicken stock.
6. Boil all ingredients, then turn heat down to low/simmer and cover for about 10 minutes or longer to let all the flavors mix and mingle. 
7. Ready to eat? Add to a bowl, and add the green trifecta of garnishes: diced avocado, chopped scallions, and a squeeze of lime juice. 

Serves 8 - 10 (smaller bowls HA!) 

My uber small kitchen...If I can do it, so can you!

Bell peppers - Red are my favorite & they have more vitamin C than an orange. Believe it. 

Drain and rinse black beans; reduces the sodium.

Muir Glen is found in most grocery stores for tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, and salsas.

I buy this in bulk and the store brand is less expensive than other organic brands.

Diced, simmering veggies in the stock pot

Mixing and mingling of flavors

Green Trifecta for garnishes with Latin dishes: Avocado, Scallions, and Lime Juice

Tortilla soup garnished and ready to be in my belly!

GRILLED CHICKEN QUESADILLA


Ingredients:

• 1 lb organic chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
• 2 Tbsp+ Jamaican Jerk seasoning
• 2 Tbsp+ Olive Oil & Vinegar salad dressing (Newman's Own is best) 
• 1 cup+ (1/2 a bag) shredded Mexican cheese
• 4 small tortillas (wheat preferred, but I only had white)
• 4 scallion bunches, chopped

1. Marinate chicken breasts first off! Place in a deep dish and season each side and then drizzle dressing on both sides. Coat and let it hang out for about 15 - 30 minutes, the longer the tastier.
2. Place all 4 tortillas on an oven proof/heat resistant plate/tray. Lay out the tortillas flat and sprinkle as much or as little cheese on all 4 tortillas.
3. Heat grill, grill pan, oven, or saute pan (medium high heat or 375 degrees) -- whichever you prefer to cook your chicken. I grilled!
4. Add chicken to grill and cook for about 4-6 minutes on each side. Do not over flip your chicken.
5. While chicken is cooking, microwave or place tortillas in oven to melt cheese.
6. Once chicken is cooked, remove from heat onto cutting surface, let it SIT for a few minutes to get the juices to settle. 
7. Thinly slice the chicken breasts and add to one side of cheesy tortillas. Add a little extra sprinkle of cheese if you want and other toppings. I only added scallions and folded other side of tortilla.
8. Enjoy with your soup and dip away!

Serves 4; recipe easily doubled.

Marinated chicken breasts with Jamaican jerk seasoning & Newman's Own Olive Oil & Vinegar dressing

Juicy and healthy grilled chicken (cooked 4-6 minutes each side)

Super easy assembly of melted cheese on tortillas and sliced chicken 

4 simple and delicious ingredients: Chicken, Cheese, Tortillas, Scallions

Our Latin dinner: Tortilla Soup & Grilled Chicken Quesadillas (and Malbec!)

This meal was so great and we had plenty of leftover soup for us to eat for the next couple days. Soups overall are the best thing to make when you don't end up eating a ton of veggies during your meals. I used any ingredient I had in my fridge which had a Latin flavor to it. 


And the movie was really great as well, two thumbs up!