Homemade turkey breast meatballs

One of my favorite websites for recipes is Smitten Kitchen. Deb lives in New York and her recipes never cease to amaze me. From her chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting (the cake Cannelle made for my birthday in October) to her warm butternut squash and chickpea salad (a staple in my winter recipes), the dishes are always amazing. Her photos make my mouth water, and I knew when I saw these meatballs I needed to make them. They, too, have become a staple in my recipe box. I've made a few changes to suit my tastes, but trust me, they are delicious!

Recipe after the jump!

Dinner, Jersey Shore Style.

Now, it's no secret that MTV's "The Jersey Shore" was very successful, particularly because of viewers like my roommates and I.  It may not be common knowledge that the show also reminded some of us of the foods we love...and inspired us to mix up the weekly cooking routine at home!

Part Deux

A bit later than I promised, here is the recipe for the zucchini "pasta" I love to make as a gluten-free, low-glycemic alternative to the real thing (which, trust me, once you have this, you won't miss.)  While the zucchini is cooking in the oil, I also like to toss in garlic or garlic powder, and some Italian spices, especially basil, for added oomph.  This is great with tomato sauce, pesto sauce, or,  if you are on orders to keep it simple like I am, with some butter and parmesan.  Again, the photo doesn't do it justice...but it's the taste that matters!

Basic, But NOT Boring!

Doctor's orders have had me on a "bland" diet as of late, which, everyone knows, tastes about as fun as it sounds.  Luckily, with some poking around the internet, I found some not-so-bland (delicious, in fact!), easy-to-digest options and have been able to cook myself some pretty tasty dishes.  Here is one such recipe, found on one of my new favorite blogs, Delectably Free.  I modify the recipe by using an egg.  I also went a bit crazy with the onion on this one (and was too lazy to chop it small), as you can see...in the end, though, it tasted fabulous.  And though this may not look pretty, as everyone also knows, taste is what matters!

Recipes for Health: Risotto with Broccoli

Can you think of a more comforting winter food than risotto? I couldn't, and I was so taken by Martha Rose Shulman's (of the New York Times' Recipes for Health section) recipes that I had to try one. I had purchased some chicken broth a couple of weeks earlier, I'd had a bottle of white wine chilling in the fridge for well over a month that was begging to be used, and I have this one Recipe for Health per week challenge over on my other blog, Have A Good Run...so when I was cold last weekend I decided it was time to try Martha's risotto with broccoli.

labor of love

Ohhh how I love Valentine's Day! Always have, always will...as a little kid I loved the chocolate-filled hearts and arts and crafts projects that came with making your own Valentines, and as a single twentysomething I love having an excuse to eat sweets, drink wine, and cook our annual Valentine's Day Dinner with Miel and Cherry Cupcake.

Recipes and more after the jump!

oh, the weather outside is frightful...

...but my eggplant-tomato-chickpea casserole is soooo delightful! When it's cold outside, all you want is comfort food, whether it's homemade mac and cheese, a gooey chocolate chip cookie, or your mom's chicken noodle soup; something warm and tasty to make you feel happy!

The problem with some of these comfort foods (OK, so there's never a problem with chocolate chip cookies, but...) is that they're usually pretty heavy and fatty, but super delicious so you just keep eating more. If you're looking for an easy comfort food that's also healthy, give this eggplant tomato chickpea casserole a try.

 

So it's not the most photogenic dish, but trust me, it's super tasty and warms you right up! We got 6" of snow here in NYC - needless to say, I could not leave the office today to get lunch but I had luckily left (or...forgotten) my leftovers from the day before in the office fridge. It was just what I needed to forget about the snow outside.

Eggplant, Tomato and Chickpea Casserole

by Martha Rose Shulman

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant or 2 medium (1 pound), peeled if desired, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced about 1/2 inch thick
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, sliced thin across the grain - I used a yellow onion
2 to 4 garlic cloves (to taste), minced
1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes - I used a 15 oz can of no-salt-added diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Pinch of sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 sprig basil - I did not use this
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and brush the foil with olive oil. Place the eggplant slices on the foil, sprinkle with salt and brush each slice lightly with oil. Place in the oven for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the heat, and carefully fold the foil in half over the eggplant. Crimp the edges together, so that the eggplant is sealed inside the foil and will continue to steam and soften. Leave for at least 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about five minutes, and add the garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about a minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, cinnamon, basil and salt to taste. Bring to a simmer, and simmer uncovered, stirring often, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the sauce is thick and fragrant. Add freshly ground pepper, then taste and adjust salt. Remove the basil sprig, and stir in the drained chickpeas.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 2-quart baking dish or gratin. Cover the bottom with thin layer of tomato sauce, and make a layer of half the eggplant. Spoon half the remaining sauce over the eggplant, and repeat the layers.
4. Bake 30 minutes, until bubbling. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool for at least 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle on the parsley before serving.

Enjoy!

xx
Miel

resolutions and hangover remedies

Happy New Year!  Went to brunch at the smith yesterday in hopes of seeing hot waiter...alas he was not working. didn't take a photo of my food as i was too busy enjoying my mimosa/catching up on girltalk with Potato Pie, but my chicken apple sausage dish wasn't as good as the steak and eggs i had there last time. the steak was juicy and thick (small, but still great for a breakfast steak)...unfortunately, with this dish, the poached eggs and sausage were set on spicy cornbread, and while the cornbread was great by itself, slathered in butter, the flavors didn't mesh that well.. the home fries, however, were to-die-for.

Thanksgiving goodies!

Tres belated...but, better late than never! Since I am home sick, I had time to post about Thanksgiving and the pumpkin crisp I made at home.