Meatballs meet Jalapeno Cream Sauce

This is another blog post sponsored by the kitchen of Rebecca & Joel, our friends who have taken us in as our kitchen is in remodel phase. You don't realize how much you use your kitchen until its gone. Fridge, oven/stove, dishwasher all in our dining room, dust everywhere, crawling under a table to get to the milk, no fun. BUT the end result will be awesome!

                     

 

Tonight's dish was a real winner and is immediately being filed my arsenal for 'go to' comforting recipes. This one isn't on the healthy side, but its worth it. You will see Rebecca doing more of cooking this evening as we tag-teamed this dish, and its her kitchen. :)  This recipe was brand new to both of us so I did the shooting, taking notes, and I drank wine. Someone has to drink wine right?

The usual subjects who always appear in sweatpants are our husbands. You can see another 'outfit' in the cuban sandwich post. Fancy fellas we have here.

The meal tonight turned out SO good. I didn't know what to think about the ingredients, as jalapeño cream sauce just didn't seem right - but its delicious and really not too spicy. I promise. Its was a pretty mellow heat and just enough spice. The cream really balances it out. We agreed initially that we should only use half the ingredients at first to ensure it wasn't too spicy, but when we stopped to taste-test, the sauce wasn't spicy at ALL. So we ended up using the full list of ingredients you see here, and it was perfect. I was impressed with our performance. We served it with garlic bread and a spinach/walnut/raspberry vinaigrette. Bon Apetit!

INGREDIENTS: 

Meatballs:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup breadcrumbs (or 2 slices of bread if you make your own)
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup all purpose white flour
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Sauce:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 jalapenos finely chopped (seeds removed)
• 1 carrot finely chopped 
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 medium onion chopped 
• 2 cups half/half
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• salt to taste
• fresh or dry pasta 

DIRECTIONS:

Meatballs:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees
2. If making your own breadcrumbs, place two slices of bread in the oven for about 10-12 minutes, until toasted. Place bread in food processor and ground to fine bread crumbs. 
3. Combine all meatball ingredients except olive oil and flour in a large mixing bowl. 
4. Roll into small 1 inch balls. 
5. Dredge balls in flower and set aside.
6. Heat 1 tbsp OO in saute pan. 
7. Cook meatballs in pan until browned on all sides. 
8. Remove from saute pan and place meatballs on baking sheet lined w/ foil. 
9. Place meatballs in 350 degree oven for approx 15-20 minutes until cooked through. 
10. Pull from oven and set aside.

Sauce: 

1. Heat OO in a different pan from what you used for the meatballs. 
2. Once onions become soft, add garlic. Cook for 2 minutes. 
3. Add white wine and cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Add chopped jalapeño and carrot and saute for about 5 minutes.
5. Add in cream, half/half & milk. 
6. Bring to very low simmer and stir often - you do not want the milk or cream to burn to the pan. Low heat and stir often. 
7. When they are finished cooking, add meatballs to the sauce.
8. Add pepper and salt to taste. 
9. Pour sauce and meatballs over pasta and serve!

Meatballs Step 2: Making own bread crumbs

Meatballs Step 4: After mixing, rolling mixture into small meatballs

Meatballs Step 5: Dredging in flour

Meatballs Step 7: Cooking meatballs until browned

Meatballs Step 8: Placing on baking sheet to place in oven

Sauce Step 2: Cooking onions and garlic in saute pan

Meatballs Step 10: Removing from oven and set aside 

Sauce Step 5: Adding cream to vegetable mixture

Sauce Step 7: Adding meatballs to sauce

Final meal! Sauce, Pasta, salad & bread!

Sheldon (our friends youngest dog) wanted a seat at the table. 

Creamy Pineapple/Avocado Slaw

I love fish tacos. I don't understand how anyone couldn't love fish tacos, well unless they just don't like seafood or unless they happen to be my mother. MOM, try them. Seriously. They are so good. I digress. I created this slaw as I usually order fish tacos out at restaurants and they always have some delicious mango or pineapple slaw to go with it. I figured I can make something just as yummy at home. This is also great as a side for sandwiches or even on its own. I recently served this with cuban sandwiches which all paired really well together. The kahlua pork on the sandwiches and pineapple were meant to be eaten together. 

Its creamy, savory, and sweet but also a bit crunchy due to the broccoli slaw. Its a great dish any time of year, and everyone will be impressed when you show up with this deliciousness.

• 1 bag broccoli slaw mix
• 2 avocados cut into chunks
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup light mayo
• 3/4 cup cilantro salad dressing (trader joes) - or make your own
• 1/2 fresh pineapple cut into small chunks
• 3 tbsp minced red onion
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS:

1. Empty bag of slaw into large mixing bowl
2. Add pineapple, raisins, & onions
3. Mix in mayo and cilantro salad dressing - adding more of either ingredient if you wish.
4. Add in lime juice, red pepper flakes and mix again.
5. Add avocado last and serve

Step 2: Adding pineapple, onion & raisins to bagged slaw

Step 5: Mixing all ingredients - avocado last

Dinner is served!

Sándwiches Cubanos (Cuban Sammies!!)

 So my kitchen looks like this as we get new tile on the floor & backsplash:

And due to this, blog posts have been on hold for a while. In the meantime, we had some kalua pork to use and I was NOT letting this delicious meat candy goodness go to waste. This is where our good pals Rebecca & Joel come in. You'll remember their smiling faces from the gnocci class post I did in January. We took our pork and other sandwich fixins and headed over to their house for use of their kitchen and our first group blog event!  We realized upon our arrival, that our husbands had on the same outfit, and both wearing sweat pants which they deem 'nice sweat pants' for when company is over. Yikes.

-

I had my first cuban in Miami, and it was so yummy. The savory salty pork with the tangy mustard and tart pickles with ham and creamy cheese, hands down it gets my vote for best sandwich. 'Sandwiches' may not seem like much of a culinary challenge...but layering flavors correctly isn't always easy. With the cuban, luckily someone's done the work for us.

I served the sandwiches with my creamy pineapple/avocado slaw. And here we go:

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups kalua pork (or any shredded pork will do) 
• 4 individual french baguettes or long subway rolls
• 8 tbsp mustard
• 12 sliced dill pickles (not spears)
• 8 slices berkshire ham
• 8 slices baby swiss cheese
• Special equipment: panini press, sandwich press, a heavy object that can go into the oven

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Slice rolls lengthwise and on both sides of the roll, remove a little bit of bread to make little troughs.
3. Toast in oven for 2- minutes, just to get the inside warm and slightly crunchy. Ensure the bread is still soft, do not over toast. 
4. Remove bread from oven and allow to cool just enough so you can start working with it - don't burn those fingers! 
5. Spread 1 tbsp on bottom half of roll & 1 tbsp of mustard on top half of rolls (it seems like a lot, but its just right). The bread soaks up a lot, you may even need to add more. 
6. Ensure the pork is hot. If it needs to be heated up, place in microwave and ensure it is very hot for assembling sandwiches.
7. In the bottom trough of each roll, place 1/4 of the pork. 
8. Top with two slices of berkshire ham so the pork is covered. 
9. Top with two slices of swiss cheese so the ham is covered.
10. Top with 3 pickles to cover the swiss cheese.
11. Place the top half of the bread onto the bottom half (that is holding all the goodies).
12. Place all sandwiches onto a baking sheet.
13. Place another baking sheet on top of the sandwiches and press down. Place a weight or sandwich press on top - or use your panini maker to press and toast sandwiches.
14. Place in oven for approximately 5 -8 minutes, until cheese melts and bread is hot again.
15. Remove from oven, slice diagonally and serve immediately. 

Sandwich assembly line

Step 5: Placing mustard on top & bottom halves of bread

3 dogs watching me, 1 dog posing for camera (she's special)

Step 9: Topping pork & ham with swiss cheese

Step 13: Placing cookie sheet and weight on top of sandwiches

Toasty sammiches out of oven!

Step 15: slicing

Step 15: Slicing

Look at the yummy goodness!

Roasted corn, asparagus & shitake mushroom salad

I try to add vegetables to every meal we eat. I like to eat fried food (noted in the egg rolls above), and I like creamy food and buttery food. I try to manage the balance with healthy and light eating during the day, ensuring I eat vegetables with most meals, and doing all the crazy not-so-healthy stuff in moderation. 

Now, with all that being said, I used to fall into a routine of the same veggie side dishes which is boring. Vegetables can be soooo delicious and I'm starting to find all sorts of fun new ways to prepare them. We are roasting and toasting all sorts of vegetable goodness up in here. This one recipe came out of my head, and I was very pleased the first time I made it.  Tonight I made a roasted corn, asparagus, and shitake mushroom salad using sashimi togarishi which is a spicy and smokey Japanese seasoning. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 10 asparagus stalks, thin, cut into 1.5 inch sections
• 1 package shitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced (discard stems)
• 1 ear of grilled corn OR 1 can of corn (I used canned tonight, its winter and fresh corn is scarce)
• 1 tsp shichimi togarishi (can find in specialty Asian food stores/markets)
• 1 tsp teriyaki sauce
• 2 tbsp EVOO

DIRECTIONS:

1. If using canned corn, remove from can, strain and lay on paper towel to dry. If using grilled, cut kernels from cob and set aside. 
2. Heat oven to 400 degrees. 
3. Line two baking sheets with foil as each ingredient has different cooking times. This allows you to easily remove the vegetables that are finishing first. 
4. Place asparagus into small mixing bowl, pour half of a tbsp of oil into the bowl, season w/ salt & pepper. Pour onto left half of one of the baking sheets.
5. In same bowl, place mushrooms, pour other half of tbsp of oil into the bowl, season w/ salt & pepper. Pour onto right half of the baking sheet - opposite asparagus.
6. In same bowl, place the corn (again if using canned only). Pour 1/2 tablespoon of oil into the bowl, season with salt & pepper, then mix well.  
7. Place onto the other baking sheet and put in oven on top rack. 
8. Place the asparagus & mushroom baking sheet on rack below corn. 
9. Roast for approximately 5 minutes, then check on mushrooms, they will be done first. 
10. If the mushrooms are starting to brown and turn up at the edges, and you can smell them, they are ready. If not give them another couple minutes. Using a spatula remove the mushrooms from the baking sheet and place back in original mixing bowl with a bit of olive oil left residually. 
11. Put asparagus back in oven for another 3 minutes or so. Check for doneness. A fork should enter the asparagus fairly easily but should not be soft or mushy. 
12. If done pour into the bowl w/ the mushrooms.
13. Check on the corn, the cook time should be about 10 minutes by now. Turn the corn a bit and then turn oven to low broil until corn becomes slightly browned in spots. Should take about 3-5 minutes. Keep a close eye - things can go bad quickly when broil is on. :)
14. Remove corn and add to bowl.
15. Toss in the shichimi togarishi, teriyaki, and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Stir well and serve. 

Step 4: Asparagus mixed with EVOO & salt/pepper - placed on baking sheet

Step 5: Mushrooms mixed with EVOO & salt/pepper - placed on baking sheet

Baking sheet w/ both asparagus and mushrooms

Step 6 & 7: Mixed corn with EVOO, salt & pepper, then placed on baking sheet

Final product served with Monte Cristo egg rolls and wasabi mojo 

Monte Cristo Egg Rolls w/ Wasabi Mojo

This recipe is slightly adapted from an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives from the Food Network. I saw these on the 'Funky Finds in Flavortown' episode and they were inspired from the North End Caffe located in Manhattan Beach, CA. I saw these and immediately knew I had to have them. I've had the traditional Monte Cristo sandwich which is a ham & swiss cheese sandwich, battered like french toast and deep fried. Yummy, but riddled with guilt.

Dish from the show - Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives

These egg rolls have the ham, cheese and fried components of a traditional Monte Cristo - but get a little twist when you add in kalua pork, cabbage, seasme seeds and now fried in an egg roll! It also has a bit of Asian flare with the ginger, teriyaki, etc. These are served with a spicy, sweet and creamy wasabi mojo sauce.

I served this dish tonight with a roasted corn, asparagus & shitake mushroom salad. Click here to get the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

Egg Rolls:

• 2-3 cups of kalua pork - recipe here
• 10 slices of Berkshire ham
• 5 slices of Swiss cheese cut in half
• 10 egg roll wrappers
• 1 cup roughly chopped napa cabbage
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 egg + 1 tsp water (whisked)
• Deep fryer or dutch oven
• Oil for frying - I used a special blend from Crisco

Wasabi Mojo:

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp shredded or finely minced ginger
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tsp wasabi powder
• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp teriyaki sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Egg Rolls:

1. If your Berkshire ham has any excess liquid, be sure to dry it out on paper towels first so there is no excess liquid in the egg rolls
2. Pull one egg roll wrapper from the package and position it where one of the corners is facing you, so you see a diamond shape. 
3. First lay 1 piece of Berkshire ham, then one of the half slices of Swiss cheese, then about 2-3  tablespoons of pork, top with cabbage and sesame seeds. 
4. On the top corner of the egg roll, the one farthest from you - using your finger, dip into the egg wash and spread egg wash about 2 inches down the left side and 2 inches down the right of the corner...along the 'V' to allow the egg roll to seal nicely and keep the ingredients in the wrapper. 
5. Pull bottom corner (closest to you) of wrapper up over ingredients, and tuck all ingredients into a tight tube like shape. 
6. Fold side corners into the middle. 
7. Continue to roll the egg roll away from you, slowly, keeping it tight until you reach the corner furthest form you with the egg wash tip. Roll until you have no wrapper left and the egg wash portion is now sticking to the rolled/filled portion. 
8. Set in shallow pan and keep covered with a towel until complete.
9. Continue steps 8 & 9 until all filling and egg roll wrappers are used. 
10. Place pan, covered with towel in fridge for 20 minutes.
11. In deep fryer or dutch oven, heat the oil to 350 degrees. Be sure to have a oil thermometer so you can test the oil. Set up a 'dry station' with paper towels on a cutting board to let the egg rolls rest once fried.
12. Once oil is ready, put 4-5 at a time into the oil. Cook for 4-5 minutes turning a few times if needed to ensure even frying and color on all sides. 
13. Once the egg rolls are turning a golden brown, pull from oil and set on paper towels to dry. 

Wasabi Mojo:

1. This is easy! Mix all wasabi mojo ingredients into a bowl until thoroughly incorporated. 
2. Place in fridge for 30 minutes. 
3. Splash with a bit more terikayi sauce if you wish - it looks nice when you do that. :) Serve with egg rolls!

Ingredients for Wasabi Mojo

Step 1: Mixing all Wasabi ingredients

Egg Roll Station

Steps 2 & 3: Assembling ingredients on wrapper

Steps 4, 5 & 6: Rolling and folding in side corners

Fry station

Step 8: Egg Rolls in pan - just before fridge

Step 13: Egg Rolls just out of fryer 

Egg Roll cut diagonally to show the yumminess!