Albondigas (Mexican Meatball Soup)

It's hearty enough for fall and fresh enough for summer.  This Mexican flavor inspired soup is great any time of year!  I hope you all enjoy!

For the meatballs:
1 lb ground chuck (80/20)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 large egg
1/8 cup APF (sub almond flour for keto)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

For the broth:
1 Tbs EVOO
2 sweet mini peppers, chopped
1-14 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp dried cilantro
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 bay leaf
1 tsp adobo sauce
1 cup chopped baby spinach
Salt & pepper to taste

Saute the peppers in EVOO until soft and translucent.  Add crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, spices/herbs, adobo sauce and spinach.  Bring to a boil and drop in meatballs all at once. Reduce heat and simmer 15-20 mins until meatballs are cooked through (inside temp 160 degrees F). S&P to taste, pull out your bay leaves (I always forget!) and serve with your choice of cheese, sour cream, avocado and/or cilantro!

Buen Provecho!

Chicken Spinach Alfredo with Zucchini Noodles

It's all about the carbs for me these days --or lack thereof-- so I am trying new things.  One of my latest obsessions is zucchini noodles, or "Zoodles".  To start, you'll need to get you a Veggetti.  It's my new favorite kitchen tool!  I'm telling you, it's pretty awesome.

I made this super simple Chicken Spinach Alfredo last night.  My sauce broke because I was in a hurry and experimenting but it still tasted good.  There are low carb alfredo sauces out there from what I hear, also.  I've just never tried any of them.

So to start, I marinated some boneless skinless chicken breasts in olive oil and lemon juice for about 30 minutes.  My single portion of this dish only used about half a breast.  I have written the recipe for 4 servings so you'll need two good sized breasts.  I seasoned with salt and pepper and grilled the chicken on our outside wood pellet grill.  Then I chopped it into bite sized pieces.

For the chicken:

• 2 6-8 oz. boneless skinless chicken breast, marinated, grilled & chopped (Marinade: 2 Tbs lemon juice, 2 Tbs EVOO)

I heated my oil in a non stick pan over med-hi heat.  Then I spiralized my noodles right into the pan, seasoned and sauted until they were tender.

For the noodles:

• 3-4 medium zucchini
• 2 Tbs EVOO
• Salt & pepper

My sauce... Let's just say it still needs a little work.  The ingredients were spot on, but my technique was off.  Pretty sure I just had the heat too high and added the cream too fast and that's why it broke.  Oh well, it still tasted fabulous.  It's always an experiment around here!  Give it a try and let me know if yours comes out better.  You can find the recipe I followed loosely for the sauce here.  I also added about a 1/2 cup chopped baby spinach at the end.  Gotta get those leafy greens!

My ingredients for the sauce:

• 1 Tbs bacon fat (YUM)
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup Parmesan & Asiago cheese
• A pinch of nutmeg
• 1/2 cup chopped baby spinach

Then you just plate your noodles, add chicken and sauce on top of that and you're done!  Even easier if you use store bought sauce!

ENJOY!!!

Leftover Smoked Brisket Tex-Mex Chili

My husband loves his Traeger grill/smoker.  I have to be honest, I love it too.  I didn't love the price when he brought it home but I have loved everything that has come off of it since.  We're now on our second one and he also has a portable one for when we go camping.  We're not spoiled at all (insert sarcasm here).

So the other day, he smoked a brisket and it came out wonderful but just a bit tough for my liking. Temp and cooking time probably just need to be tweaked.  Slow and low is the key to tenderness. With only four of us, all accustomed to eating small portions, we had quite a bit of leftover brisket in the end.  Wasting food is one of my biggest pet peeves, so today I decided to play around with a new recipe to make use of it.

Plato said necessity is the mother of invention, so when I discovered I only had black beans in the pantry and no chili beans, I said Tex-Mex it is!  I was in kind of a rush so I didn't grab any photos of the process and the measurements are estimated of course, as always.  The slow, low simmer I did helped with the toughness of the brisket and also reduced the chili slowly so that the flavors were really intensified.  I hope you and your family enjoy this meal.  Mine sure did!  And it's low carb too!

Ingredients:

Approx 2 cups leftover brisket, sliced thin against the grain and cut into small pieces
1 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 white onion, diced
1 sweet mini pepper, diced
1 garlic clove, minced (I use a grater)
1/2 to 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, diced (they are pretty spicy, so I used 1/2 a pepper)
*TIP: Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and spoon the leftover peppers individually and flash freeze.  Put into a zip-top bag and keep in the freezer for 4-6 months.
1-14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1-8 oz can tomato sauce
1-15.25 oz can black beans, with liquid
1 Tbs chili powder
3 tsp cumin
1 tsp ancho chili powder (optional)
2 cups of low sodium chicken broth

Heat oil in a dutch oven over med-hi heat.  Add onions and peppers and saute until soft and translucent.  Add chipotle and garlic and stir until fragrant.  Add tomatoes and tomato sauce and simmer for 3-4 minutes and then use a potato masher to break up the tomatoes a bit more.  Add black beans, spices, broth and brisket meat.  Remember to season with salt and pepper at each level and taste, taste, taste!  Cover and simmer on low heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally.

Serve hot and top with your choice of chopped green onions, shredded cheese, and/or sour cream.  Or if you're like my husband, extra chipotle pepper!

Spinach Artichoke Wontons

Spinach artichoke wontons:

6 oz bag of baby spinach
2 garlic cloves
I T finely diced onion
1 T butter
3 T water
Salt & pepper to taste
(You can also use frozen spinach as a shortcut)

1/2 cup chopped artichoke hearts
6 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
Pinch of red pepper flakes

Wonton wrappers

Cook the first six ingredients down in a medium saucepan until wilted. Remove from heat and squeeze a much moisture out as you can in a paper towel.  Mix in the next 7 ingredients.

Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking oil and push the wontons down into each well.  Bake at 325 for 8 mins.  Scoop the spinach​ mixture into each wonton and bake for another 10 minutes.

They freeze well too!

Just Like Whities!!!

Sliders, Belly Bombers, Whities... Whatever you call them, everyone loves them.  Now you can have them anytime with this super easy recipe!  Tried, true and tested by the pickiest child in the universe, my ten year old, Camryn.  To quote her tonight at dinner, "Mmmm these smell sooo good.  They taste EXACTLY like them, mom!"  She rarely ever compliments my cooking!

Give them a try and tell me what YOU think!

What you'll need:
1 lb ground chuck (80/20)
1 egg
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
1 medium onion, diced
8-10 slices American cheese

15x10 cookie sheet (or smaller)

Preheat oven to 400°.

In a medium bowl, mix the first six ingredients.  Don't be afraid to get your hands in there!!

TIP: Don't over mix or the meat will become tough.

Spread the onion evenly on a cookie sheet. 

Then spread the meat over it, smashing it down until it covers the entire pan.

Use a straw to poke holes.

Bake for 20 minutes on the middle rack of the oven.

Remove from the oven, cover with the cheese slices and bake for another two minutes.

Serve on dinner rolls or hamburger buns with a few pickle slices.

That's it!!!  The simplest recipe ever and they are sooo good!  I hope you enjoy!

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Printer friendly version -

Ingredients:

1 lb ground chuck (80/20)
1 egg
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
1 medium onion, diced
8-10 slices American cheese

15x10 cookie sheet (or smaller)

Preheat oven to 400°. In a medium bowl, mix the first six ingredients.  Spread the onion evenly on a cookie sheet.  Then spread the meat over it, smashing it down until it covers the entire pan.  Use a straw to poke holes.  Bake for 20 minutes on the middle rack of the oven. Remove from the oven, cover with the cheese slices and bake for another two minutes. Serve on dinner rolls or hamburger buns with a few pickle slices.

Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:
1 lb breakfast sausage, browned
1 small onion, diced
1 small sweet pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 russet potatoes, medium dice
6 farm fresh eggs, scrambled
1/4 cup milk
1 can buttermilk biscuits
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Grease a 9x3 casserole dish and press the biscuits into the bottom. 

Brown the sausage in a cast iron pan and remove onto a plate lined with paper towels. 

Add the potatoes to the pan (do not drain the fat) and cook until they are almost fork tender. 

 

Add the onions and peppers and cook until they are nearly translucent.  Grate the garlic into the pan and cook for another 30 seconds. 

Add the sausage back to the pan and remove from heat. 

Layer cheddar, mozzarella, and the sausage mixture in the casserole dish and repeat until all ingredients have been added. 

Wisk eggs and milk together and pour over the top. 

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. 

Enjoy!!

Just Another Hobby of Mine

For a long time now I've been developing a passion for photography. I don't own a fancy camera nor do I plan on buying one. All of these photos were taken with a cell phone camera of some type. Some of them edited on Instagram and some with my phone. I don't claim to be the latest and greatest. I still have a lot to learn. Just thought it would be nice to have these all in one place for the time being. I hope you enjoy.