Batch Cooking :: Meatballs

We made some turkey meatballs for the freezer today. Gracie also made her own meatballs with a large one for daddy and was discussing how much food he eats. "He thinks he's pregnant."

Turkey Meatballs:

Two packages ground turkey (~3 lbs?)

4 eggs

5 green onions chopped

1 cup ground wheat crackers or cereal (we used wheatabix this time) or oats

2 Tsps olive oil

1/2 cup parsley chopped

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

Cook 400 degrees for 30 minutes

Cool, freeze on a cookie sheet then transfer to a freezer bag)

yields 100 balls

Sauces can vary:

*Italian Marinara Sauce

*Korean Dipping Sauce (ketchup, soy sauce, maple syrup, toasted sesame oil, grated ginger, garlic, chinese 12 spice rub with love)

*Tzatziki (yogurt, cucs, garlic and maybe dill or parsley)

Korean Meatballs

When my dad came back from Vietnam, my mom and he went to a restaurant in Berkeley that had a similar recipe to this one we had tonight.

Preheat oven to 375

Mix one package ground turkey

1/4 toasted pine nuts

3 green onions, sliced

2 Tsps soy sauce

3 Tsps tokyo with love (rub with love)

1 egg

3/4 cup bread or cracker crumbs

dipping sauce:

1 cup organic ketchup

1/8 cup soy sauce

3 cloves garlic, pressed

1 Tsp balsamic vinegar

2 tsps grated ginger

1 Tsp brown sugar

Cook meatballs 30+ minutes  until brown

Serve with sauteed veggies and brown rice

Betsy's Burritos (or Terrific Tostadas)

40 weeks, two days and no baby yet!

So on to other things....

My ultimate comfort food. My mom's pinto beans. We had them in burritos growing up but now I use them for lots of our favorite dinners.

Place in a slow cooker:

4 cups pinto beans

10 cups water

cook on high 4 hours until tender

Saute:

olive oil

2 onions

1 bell pepper

3-4 chile peppers (seeded for a milder dish)

2 Tsps cumin

2 Tsps coriander

Add above to slow cooker along with

1 tsp salt

4 chopped tomatoes 

Cook on low until ready to eat/assemble

For burritos:

Roll beans, cheese and cilantro in whole wheat tortilla and top with sour cream and salsa

For tostadas:

cook corn tortillas in a 350 oven for 10-15 minutes on a cookie sheet with an inverted cooling rack on top of them to keep them from curling

Top with beans, cilantro, cabbage, lime, feta and salsa

Other Yummies:

Use as a filling for Tamale Pie (recipe soon), Tacos, etc.

Blackberry and Nectarine Crisp

This is such a simple and quick dessert. Perfect for when you have company or just want to savor the flavors of the season. I keep picking blackberries in our yard and toss them into the freezer. When I have a couple of cups, I make something like this. 

Some of our other seasonal favorites are (spring) strawberries and rhubarb, (summer) blueberry and peach, (autumn) apple and raisin, (winter) any fruit I have thought ahead to freeze. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Butter a pie dish

Cut 6 nectarines or any other stone fruit 

Add 1-2 cups blackberries or any other berry

(fruit should total approximately 6 cups)

Top with Crisp Topping:

1 cup oats

1/2 cup w/w flour

honey or agave or brown sugar to desired sweetness (We prefer very little)

1/2 stick butter (grated with a cheese grater)

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1 tsp cinnamon

dash of salt

Bake 30-40 minutes