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Recipe: Ginger Soy Chicken Meatballs with Chinese Broccoli

29 May

Ginger Soy Chicken Meatballs with Chinese Broccoli

Ginger Soy Chicken Meatballs with Chinese Broccoli

With temperatures finally beginning to cool down, dinner table dishes are about to start getting a lot heartier. This dish of Ginger Soy Chicken Meatballs with Chinese Broccoli is the perfect mix of hearty and healthy.

The broth is full of flavor, just like the meatballs and the Chinese broccoli. I like it spicy so feel free to edit the spices out of your preparation.

Sauteeing Chinese Broccoli

Chinese broccoli, aka Chinese kale, is a bitter green with thick stems.


Ingredients:

  • 1/2 piece of ginger, minced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 4 scallions, sliced and divided into light and dark
  • 12 oz. Chinese broccoli, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 12 oz. ground chicken
  • 1 TBSP chili oil
  • 2 TBSP soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, combine ginger, garlic, light scallion slices, chicken and soy sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Mix ingredients by hand until well combined, then form into roughly 10 one-inch balls. (Side note: Make sure you wash your hands after this step — we all know how nasty raw chicken is.)
  3. Heat the chili oil in a large pan over medium heat. When oil is shimmering, add the meatballs and cook until they’re browned on all sides (roughly 8-10 minutes).
  4. Transfer meatballs to a plate.
  5. Add Chinese broccoli to pan along with crushed red pepper. Saute broccoli four minutes over medium heat until it’s bright green.
  6. Add chicken stock and coconut milk to pan and stir to combine, scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan.
  7. Add meatballs, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil.
  8. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer everything for 5-8 minutes.
  9. Taste broth and add salt and pepper, if needed.
  10. Divide broth, meatballs and Chinese broccoli between two bowls. Garnish with dark scallions and serve.

Chicken Meatballs and Chinese Broccoli simmering.

Simmering all the ingredients.

The meatballs will hit you with a nice bit of ginger and soy and the broth should hit you with a nice heat from the chili oil.

Plus, the Chinese broccoli adds a nice crunch to the dish so you’ve just about got it all in one dish.

This recipe was adapted from Plated.com.

 
1 Comment

Posted by on May 29, 2017 in Cookin', Entrees, One-Pot Wonders, Recipes, Soups/Stews

 

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Recipe: Fusilli Pasta with Sweet Pea Pesto and Goat Cheese

30 Oct

Fusilli Pasta with Sweet Pea Pesto and Goat Cheese

Fusilli Pasta with Sweet Pea Pesto and Goat Cheese


Full disclosure: this Fusilli Pasta with Sweet Pea Pesto and Goat Cheese is a Spring dish, but I had a craving so I made it. And I’m not waiting until the earth thaws out to share it.

This recipe combines the pasta, pesto with sweet peas and goat cheese for a dish that’s sweet, pungent and has a light acidity. It’s a great side dish for chicken or fish. Or, you can do like I did, and just eat a big bowl of it.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound fusilli pasta
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup grated romano (or parmesan) cheese
  • 3 oz. goat cheese
  • 1 pound thawed green peas
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Fusilli Pasta with Sweet Pea Pesto and Goat Cheese

Need a quick side dish? Try Fusilli Pasta with Sweet Pea Pesto and Goat Cheese.


Directions:

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the fusilli in the boiling water until al dente.
  2. Drain pasta, but reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water.
  3. In a food processor, process the garlic, basil and pine nuts until very fine.
  4. Add the olive oil and cheese and process to combine.
  5. Add the peas and season with salt and pepper. Process until all ingredients are smooth.
  6. Spoon the pea pesto into a large bowl then add pasta and toss to coat.
  7. If needed, add pasta water, gradually, to loosen the sauce.
  8. When pasta is thoroughly coated in sauce, crumble in the goat cheese and toss again.
  9. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve as a side or as a main course.

The pea pesto will make the pasta look like it’s been hit with green radiation since it’s so bright. That said, this is a delicious pasta dish if you’re looking to trade out alfredo or marinara sauce.

To make this recipe even healthier, I used whole wheat fusilli. Bring some Fusilli Pasta with Sweet Pea Pesto and Goat Cheese to you’re next dinner and you won’t be disappointed.

 
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Posted by on October 30, 2012 in Cookin', Recipes, Sides

 

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Recipe: Pappardelle with Eggplant and Mushroom Ragu

18 Jun
Pappardelle with Eggplant and Mushroom Ragu

Pappardelle with Eggplant and Mushroom Ragu

I always enjoy the “challenge” of cooking vegetarian. I use challenge in quotation marks, because it’s pretty damn easy, but I find it scares most people.

Using the fresh eggplants and mushrooms I had on hand, I decided to make a Pappardell with Eggplant and Mushroom Ragu. There are a lot of simple flavors in the dish, but what really sends it over the top for me are the fresh garnishes of orange zest, parsley and ricotta cheese.

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium eggplants, cut into 1-inch cubes (peeled or skin-on)
  • 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
  • 6 cloves garlic, diced
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 TBSP chili flakes
    • Pappardelle with Eggplant and Mushroom Ragu

    Eggplant is the Key Ingredient

  • 2 TBSP kosher salt
  • 1 TBSP ground black pepper
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 1 lb. pappardelle
  • 1 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
  • Fresh grated Parmesan cheese
  • Grated orange zest
  • Fresh parsley, minced

Directions:

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  2. Put the olive oil in a large skillet (I used a Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. When oil is heated, saute the onion and garlic for 1 minute, careful not to let the garlic to burn.
  3. Add the eggplant, chili flakes and Kosher salt. Lower the heat to medium. Saute, stirring occasionally until the eggplant is nearly tender.
  4. Add the red pepper and mushrooms then cook for 3 or 4 more minutes. Pour in the red wine, and continue to cook until the eggplant is fully tender. Reduce heat to very low so ragu comes to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning.
    5. Pappardelle with Eggplant and Mushroom Ragu

    Simmering the Veggies in a Dutch Oven

  5. Boil the pasta according to package directions (usually about 5 minutes). Drain the pasta, but reserve 1 cup of the water. Toss the noodles with the ragu, gradually mixi in some or all of the pasta water to achieve a light glaze on the noodles.
  6. Plate the pasta then divide the ricotta, placing a few dabs on each plate. Garnish with Parmesan cheese, orange zest, parsley and black pepper then serve.

This is a delicious vegetarian dish full of some classic flavors. The veggies, garnishes, cheeses and pasta work together in perfect harmony.

If you can’t find or make pappardelle, I would suggest boiling lasagna then cutting it into strips. Make sure you use all of the garnishes, they really elevate this Pappardelle with Eggplant and Mushroom Ragu.

 
6 Comments

Posted by on June 18, 2012 in Cookin', Entrees, Recipes

 

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Recipe: Crawfish and Andouille Sausage Grits

25 Sep

Fresh Louisiana crawfish (don’t even think about using Chinese tails), smoky Andouille sausage, roasted garlic and the best grits in the world combine to make a great dish that’s a perfect addition to any brunch.
The challenging part will be exercising the patience necessary to wait for the grits to finish cooking. And don’t even think about using anything but high-quality, stone-ground grits.

Crawfish and Andouille Sausage Grits Ingredients

Crawfish and Andouille Sausage Grits Ingredients


Ingredients

  • 1 pound Louisiana crawfish tails
  • 1 cup Andouille sausage (I use Jacob’s World Famous Andouille from LaPlace, La.)
  • 1 cup stone-ground grits (I use white grits from Sciple’s Water Mill in Dekalb, Miss. which has been in continuous operation since 1790. And yes, they’re that good…)
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup Abita Amber (you can drink the rest)
  • 1 head of garlic (peeled)
  • 4 oz. cream cheese
  • 4 TBSP butter
  • Salt, pepper and Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning to taste

Directions:

Louisiana Crawfish Tails in the Grits

My favorite part? Adding in the Louisiana crawfish tails.

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Break up peeled head of garlic and roast on an oven-safe plate (about 12 minutes).
  2. While garlic is roasting, melt 2 TBSP of butter on low heat in large saucepan or Dutch Oven. When butter is melted, pour in grits and stir to coat.
  3. Add in all liquids (heavy cream, Abita Amber and chicken broth) and stir and simmer on low.
  4. When garlic is finished roasting, combine garlic, crawfish, Andouille, cream cheese, seasoning and remaining butter into grits. Leave to simmer, stirring every 5 minutes over low heat for about an hour until grits are creamy.
  5. Season to taste and serve immediately.

Simmering All the Ingredients

Simmer all the ingredients over low heat




This dish is a guaranteed brunch hit, but it’s appropriate for any meal time. You can also reheat any leftovers to make this one-pot wonder last. To reheat, stir in 1/4 cup of liquid of your choice and simmer over low heat until grits are heated through.

 
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Posted by on September 25, 2011 in Brunch, Cookin', Recipes

 

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