Pinch of Yum Chicken Meatballs

Who knew one could snatch the photo from the blogger, but hey; when I served these I had a house full of family and no time for photos! These are very versatile and the sky is the limit on how you want to serve them. And guess what? They are in the freezer! Thank you Pinch of Yum! I served with a marinara sauce and lots of Parm sprinkle on top!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs, I used ground up rice crackers
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• black pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix and roll all ingredients. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 400-degrees for 20 minutes. 

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Curry Turkey Bites & Apricot Ginger Sauce

This recipe is from nom nom paleo. I made these for a Christmas Eve appetizer. They are easy, delicious and leftovers are in the freezer. Plus I love curry! I substituted parsley for the 1 cup Swiss chard called for in the original recipe. Also the serrano pepper I omited this time, but will next time add chopped, fresh jalapeno. Since I love jalapenos!

Ingredients for Meatballs:

• 1 pound ground turkey (I used turkey thighs; as not recommended using the super low-fat)
• 2 cups shredded sweet potato
• 1 cup finely chopped Swiss chard (loosely packed), I used 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 serrano pepper, chopped, optional
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon curry
• 2 teaspoons salt
• juice and zest from 1 lime

Ingredients for Apricot-Ginger Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons tamari
• 1/2 cup apricot jam
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions for Meatballs:

Preheat oven to 400-degrees convection bake or 425-degrees non-convection bake. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In large bowl, combine all the turkey bite ingredients: ground turkey, sweet potato, Swiss chard, beaten egg, garlic, ginger, serrano pepper, sliced scallions, curry powder, salt, and juice and zest from lime.

Using your hands mix all ingredients until well combined. Do not overmix.

Scoop out heaping tablespoon balls and arrange on the 2 lined baking sheets. Smoosh each ball with fingers into 1/2-inch patties.

Cook one tray in oven for 15 minutes; or until browned on edges and cooked through. Rotate pan 1/2 way through. Bake the second tray the same way.

Directions for Dipping Sauce:

In a small sauce pan, combine tamari, jam and fresh ginger. Stir over medium heat until simmering.

Remove from heat and add pepper and lemon juice.

Maureen's Hot Articoke Dip

This recipe is can be made with poblano chiles or green chilies. Great served with a baguette, crackers or sliced carrots. I used canned green chilies, but the fresh ones in the freezer would have been spicier. Make sure you bake ahead of time and allow to cool before serving.

Ingredients:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1-16 ounce can articoke hearts, chopped
• 1-4 ounce can green chilies, chopped
• 2 cups Parmesan cheese, shredded

Directions:

Mix the night before serving and chill.

Lightly grease a 8x8-inch baking pan. I used glass.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for 25 minutes.

Allow to cool before serving.

Thanksgiving salad with wild rice and lemon dressing

Ok this is absolutely delicious... So versatile. Pinch of Yum has many suggestions for substitutes for the fruit, greens or nuts. Below is my version. This side dish is unique and could easily be turned into a main dish with the addition of chicken. I will be making this dish again and again! I did double the recipe; for 8 lucky people.

Ingredients for the lemon dressing:

• 1/4 cup orange juice
• juice of one lemon
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• dijon mustard to taste (I used 1 tablespoon)
• honey to taste (I used 2 tablespoons)
• salt and pepper to taste (be generous with this)

Ingredients for salad:

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach
• 2 cups cooked wild rice blend (I used Lundberg)
• 1/2 cup roasted cashew pieces
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped (I roasted a bit; 400-degrees for about 5 minutes)
• 1 Granny Smith apple, grated

Directions:

Combine the dijon, honey, orange juice, lemon juice, salt and pepper (generous). Add the olive oil slowly and emulsify. I used my Wonder Whisk. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Toss the salad ingredients together when ready to serve and drizzle with dressing. 

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Eli turns 10!

Surprise!

                                                        

                                                            

               

Zachary James turns 9!

Favorite Potica Bread for breakfast!

Shopping trip to LEGO store!

The loot!

                                                             

The Party!

                                                   

                                                                               

                                                                 

                                                                       

Chicken Sausage and Mushroom Penne

This is from delish.com and the comment "this is what dreams are made of"; is not too far from the truth. This dish takes a bit to prep, but would be a "wow" dish to serve to guests. Since I am gluten-free and all; you all, I used Tinkyada brand penne. When I serve this again; I will slightly undercook the pasta; as thought mine was a tad overdone. I had made a bit ahead due to the Broncos/Chiefs game. I will not bore you with that outcome... I always keep heavy cream frozen to have on had for dishes like this and instead of parmesan; I used pecorino cheese to slather on top. It is a bit more tangy and did not have fresh grated parm on hand. This is the brand of chicken sausage I used. Whole Foods had samples and it is fabulous. No added sugar and pretty clean ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried gluten-free penne pasta (Tinkyada brand) or other of choice
• 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 12 ounce package chicken sausage, sliced (I only used 1/2 of the package for 2 servings)
• 8 cremini mushrooms, washed, stem removed and sliced
• 1/3 cup onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
• salt, pepper and red pepper flakes
• fresh grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
• fresh parsley

Directions:

In a large saute pan over medium heat add olive oil and spread out mushrooms and let brown on one side for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add onions and garlic and saute till softened; another 3-4 minutes. Add wine, broth and heavy cream. Simmer 5-7 minutes. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions (slightly undercook gluten-free). Drain and add the cream sauce and the chopped spinach. Set aside leaving the lid off.

Over medium high heat add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to saute pan and add the sliced chicken sausage. Cook till heated through and slightly browned on one side.

If making ahead; at this point I covered both the pasta and the meat until time to serve.

To serve: place pasta in a microwaveable bowl and add chicken sausage on top. Heat slightly in the microwave. Garnish with cheese, fresh parsley and red pepper flakes is desired.