BBQ Meatballs and Black Bean Couscous

I tried to get adventurous tonight, so I came up with a new twist on both meatballs and couscous.  I made my regular meatballs (hamburger, steak seasoning, egg, BBQ sauce, bread crumbs) and baked them at 350 for 30 minutes.  Then I put a jar of BBQ sauce (we got it in a christmas gift exchange last weekend!) and just put them in oven to warm.

For the black bean couscous, I added a can of rinsed and drained black beans, 1/2 c corn, 1 cup water, 1 bullion cube, and unmeasured chili powder and cumin.  I brought it to a boil and added 1c couscous.  I turned off the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes, then fluffed and ate!  My weren't huge fans of the couscous, but I thought it was pretty good.

Vegetarian Lentil Soup

Another cold day, another bowl of soup.  Today, I went with Lentil soup.  I based this recipe off Giada's Beef and Lentil Soup, but made it vegetarian. 

Ingredients:
1 diced onion
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp oregano
1c lentils
1 can diced tomatoes
1qt vegetable stock
spinach

Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until soft.  Add rosemary, oregano, lentils, tomatoes (and their juice), and stock.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 40 minutes.  The directions on the lentils advise to simmer for 20 minutes, but I don't think they are very tender.  The longer you simmer them the more tender they will be.  Once the lentils are tender, add spinach.  I think fresh is the best (2 handfuls or so), but I didn't have any today and added about 3/4c frozen chopped spinach.  Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!  The little 1 year old that I babysit for ate this like it was her last meal.  I was going to try to take video of her shoveling it in, but she was eating it too fast!!!!!

Spaghetti and Meatballs

We are having spaghetti and meatballs for dinner tonight.  I am making the meatballs right now.  Preheat the oven to 400 and mix the following together (all measurements are approximate):

1 lb ground beef
1/4c whole wheat bread crumbs
1 egg
2T olive oil
3T parmesan cheese
1tsp steak seasoning (I think this gives a richer flavor than just salt and pepper)
1tsp italian seasoning
2T milk (enough to make the right consistency)

I use the Pampered Chef med scoop to scoop them out, then I roll them into balls.  I bake on my Pampered Chef large bar pan for 20 minutes at 400.  The rest is pretty easy - I boil 1/2 lb whole wheat pasta and mix with 1 jar spaghetti sauce.  My favorite sauce is Classico because it doesn't have any high fructose corn syrup in it.  We are moving early next year and I am going to plant tomato plants, so hopefully I will be able to make my own sauce!

Creamy White Bean Soup

It's cold outside, so it's definitely a soup kind of day. For lunch today, I made a creamy white bean soup. I sauteed a diced onion and 1 clove garlic. Then I added about 1/2 tsp thyme and 1 tsp rosemary. I rinsed and drained 1 can cannellini beans and added them to my pot along with 2 cups vegetable broth. I wanted to keep it vegetarian, so I used veggie broth, thinking that chicken broth would probably be better, but I actually don't think it would have made a difference. I brought it to a boil and simmered it for 20 minutes. I used my immersion blender to cream all of the soup. Then we dined! I think the next time, I might only puree half of the soup, so that there are still some whole beans, just for a change. My 8 month old likes to eat beans with her hands, so she wasn't as big a fan of me just feeding her soup. You could also add some diced chicken to make it more of a full meal.

Beef and Lentil Soup

Another busy night in our household, so I thawed out some Beef and Lentil soup that I made a few weeks ago. I use Giada's recipe. Sometimes I add my own additions, but this time, it was just from the recipe. When I make it with my own creativity, I'll post that! This is a great soup for a cold night. Here's Giada's recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/lentil-soup-with-beef-recipe/index.html

Chili

We bought a new house and had the home inspection last night. I wanted to make something that could sit out for a while so that my sister could feed the little kids and it would still be good when we got home. Chili was the answer. In my opinion (not biased at all), I make the best chili. It's so easy, yet so good. I brown a pound of hamburger, then add 1 chopped onion and 2 cloves minced garlic. After they have softened, drain any grease. I have pretty lean hamburger, so I usually don't have to drain. Then I add oregano, cumin, and chili powder. I'm not sure how much of each, but probably about 1tsp of oregano and cumin, and about 1 tbsp of chili powder. I can't ever seem to get enough chili powder, though. Then I add a can of rinsed and drained black beans and a can of chili beans (with the juice). It probably doesn't matter the order that you add everything, but I'm a big fan of stirring and watching my food come together, so it's more fun this way! After that's all mixed, I add 1 big can of tomato juice. I think this is the secret. Then you just let it simmer until you're ready to eat it. It's even better the second day. Sometimes I boil 1 cup elbow macaroni and add that in at the end. It is delicious both ways. I like to eat a peanut butter sandwich and drink a tall glass of milk with my chili. This is possibly my favorite meal ever!!!

Chili Mac

Last night for dinner, I made homemade Chili Mac. My husband thought it was Hamburger Helper until he looked closely. I browned a pound of hamburger, drained it, and added 1 packet of taco seasoning. I also added a can of diced tomatoes. I added the juices and my "mac" was a little runny, so maybe drain the juices. I then made homemade mac and cheese. I cooked 1/2 pound of whole wheat elbows according to the directions and made my cheese sauce. I melted 2T butter and added 2T flour. When the flour was cooked, I added 2C milk. When the milk was hot (not boiling, just little bubbles on the sides) I added 1/2lb Velveeta. I mixed everything together, topped it with cheddar, and baked for 45 minutes at 350. I wasn't the prettiest dish I've ever made, but it was tasty!

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas

I am spending the weekend in Nashville visiting my college roommate. For dinner tonight, she made Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas. They were super delicious - she would like me to add that she also made brownies from a box. Why would you ever made homeade brownies - they are sooo good from a box!!! Here is the recipe for the Buffalo Chix Enchiladas:

Ingredients:
1-2 lbs shredded chicken
1/4c wing sauce
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 can cream chicken soup
8oz ranch dip
2c Mexican cheese
tortilla shells

Brown chicken seasoned with salt and pepper, chili powder, and garlic powder. Shred chicken and add wing sauce. Combine soups and dip. In tortilla shell, spread a little soup mix, shredded cheese, and chicken. Roll and place in pan. Repeat using 6-8 shells total. Top with remaining soup mix. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Top with shredded cheddar for last 5 minutes.