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Food For Parents: Mini Turkey Meatballs Over Spinach and Garlic

These are pretty amazing. We eat meatballs at least once a week in my house. We change them up with different ingredients and serve them with veggies to keep them interesting and on the healthy side. Turkey is my favorite ground meat to use. It's taste is lighter and it's healthier than beef or sausage mixes. We usually eat these on a bed of sauteed spinach and garlic, but you could also have them over pasta, polenta, or a with a side of veggies. You could make these in advance. Just put them in a oven safe dish and reheat them in the oven until heated though.

Mini Turkey Meatballs

1 small onion, grated
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 large egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs
3 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound ground turkey meat
3 tablespoons olive oil
26 ounces store-bought marinara sauce

Add the onion, garlic, egg, bread crumbs, ketchup, basil, Parmesan, salt and pepper to a large bowl and blend. Using 2 forks, mix in the turkey until combined. Shape the turkey mixture into 1 1/4-inch-diameter meatballs. Lay meatballs on a large plate or baking sheet.

Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and saute until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Transfer the meatballs to a plate. Pour off any excess oil. Add the marinara sauce, about 3 cups. Return all the meatballs to the pan. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors blend, 15 to 20 minutes. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Spinach with Garlic

3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons water
16 oz bag of frozen chopped spinach
2 teaspoona salt and pepper

In a medium-large pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute for a 2-3 minutes. Add spinach, water, salt and pepper, cover and steam until heated through.

Food For Parents: Roasted Vegetables

This basic recipe is amazingly good and a staple in my house. It works especially well with carrots, squash, peppers, sweet potatoes or cauliflower. You can prechop and throw them together last minute or make them ahead and reheat from your fridge. They're also use them in salads, on sandwiches, or pureed with some chicken broth in your blender to make a light veggie soup that's great for dipping sandwiches.

Roasted Veggies

Vegetables
olive oil
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to about 425 degrees. Cut up your favorite veggies into similar sized pieces so they cook evenly. lay them on a baking sheet and coat them all lightly with olive oil and a healthy dose of salt and pepper. Pop into oven and roast for 15-20 minutes. Test for doneness with a fork. They should be fork-tender and have some tasty caramelization on the edges.

99 Cent Chef Jambalaya: Bloghungry Version

Bloghungry is looking to cut back on his day job hours a lot when the baby comes. That also means cutting back on the grocery bill a bit. I have been inspired by the food The 99 Cent Chef has been cranking out. For those of you in other areas of the country, California has 99 cent only stores that offer a surprising variety of foods. The 99 Cent Chef tries to use only ingredients that can be found at the 99 cent store.

If you don't have a 99 cent only store in your area, his recipes can still be cost effective and tasty. Watch the chef and his mom make an authentic jumbalya. Food network could learn something from the authenticity of these two. For my jambalaya, I added tomatoes and some wine and served it over sauteed spinach with my favorite skillet cornbread.

Bloghungry's Jambalaya (altered from 99 Cent Chef)

1 lb. boneless chicken breasts
1 lb. boneless pork
1 lb. spicy breakfast sausage links
1 onion choppped
6-8 cloves of garlic, minced or freshly chopped
1 green pepper, diced
2 cups rice (long cooking)
28oz can of diced tomatoes
3/4 cup white wine
3 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons of oil for browning meat
1 tablespoon of cajun seasoning (readily found at 99c only Stores)
Pepper to taste (add salt if you do not have cajun seasoning)

Cut or section meats into bite-sized chunks. Add oil and saute meat over medium heat in a large cast iron pot (any pot really - should hold at least 12 cups) until very brown for about 45 minutes; add sausage toward the end because it browns quickly (take out pork and chicken if too crowded for sausage.) Add chopped onion, garlic, cajun seasonings, pepper and sautee until tender. Add tomatoes with juice, wine, and water. Cover and cook all meat at low boil for about 45 minutes. Add rice and cook for 20 minutes more. Afterward, stir meat and rice, cover again, turn off heat and let stand for 15 minutes more while you have a glass of wine and set the table. Jambalaya freezes then reheats with a microwave nicely. It's a dish that tastes better the next day.

Bloghungry's Skillet Cornbread

I have made corn bread a lot of different ways and this is my favorite standby recipe. It's cheap and easy and full of moist sweet corn flavor and crisp buttery edges. I love corn in my cornbread. Sometimes I like to toss in a hand full of fresh or frozen corn if I have it on hand. You can also make this in a pan or as muffins.

Bloghungry's Skillet Cornbread

2 boxes Jiffy cornbread mix
2 eggs
8 oz can creamed corn
8 oz sour cream
3 Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put butter in a cast iron skillet and place in oven until melted. In a medium bowl mix remaining ingredients. Swirl melted butter around bottom and edges of skillet and pour in batter. Bake accoring to the directions on the box and make sure to check with a tooth pick. This cornbread is very moist and a little sweeter with crisp buttery edges.

Chess Pie

Chess pie is a traditional southern pie that is like a zesty custard with a slight texture. In the past few months, it has risen through the ranks to become my favorite all time pie (beating out key lime, apple, and pecan). My friend Kelly did the legwork to create the perfect chess pie recipe and it is my duty to share it with the world.

Chess Pie

1 frozen or homemade crust
2 cups white Sugar
3 tbs vinegar
1 stick Butter, melted
4 Eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk
3 TBS Cornmeal
2 TBS Flour
1/2 tsp lemon juice
Pinch salt

Combine sugar, flour and meal. Add melted butter. Add eggs, milk, vinegar, salt and lemon juice. Beat until well mixed. Bake in a pie shell at 400 degrees, for 10 minutes. Then lower heat to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes.

Best Turkey Brine Ever

If you have never brined your turkey before, this is the year to start. For a holiday where your turkey is the star you need to make sure it is moist and full of flavor. The only way to do that is to brine. Think of it as a marinade for your bird. This is my favorite brine because it is so easy and flavorful. Get a large pot or good sized bucket for the turkey and brine. I've even heard of people lining containers with thick plastic trash bags full of brine. Just make sure you have plenty of room in your fridge for your turkey to soak.

Bay and Lemon Brined Turkey

1 (12 to 15-pound) turkey

For the brine:
2 gallons water
1 cup sugar
1 cup kosher salt
2 lemons, sliced in 1/2
4 bay leaves
3 cinnamon sticks
Small handful cloves

Combine all brine ingredients in a container or pot large enough to hold the turkey. Make sure all the sugar and salt have been fully dissolved. Add the turkey and refrigerate about 6 hours or overnight. Martha Stewart brines turkeys for up to 24 hours so don't sweat it if you like to sleep in.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove turkey from brine and transfer to a roasting pan with a rack. Stuff turkey with the lemon halves, bay leaves, and cinnamon sticks used in the brine. Cook turkey for about 3 1/2 hours, basting every 40 minutes or so. If any part of the turkey gets too brown towards the end of cooking, shield with pieces of tin foil or butter-soaked cheesecloth. When the turkey is done, juices should run clear from the breast and the legs should pull away from the bird easily. Remove from the heat and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving.

Smores Brownies

This marriage of brownies and smores is so right that even California voters can't deny its union. You must try these brownies. They put all others to shame.

Smores Brownies

Crust:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch fine salt

Brownie:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
4 large cold eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour

Topping:
4 cups large marshmallows

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8 by-8-inch square baking pan with foil so it hangs over the edges by about 1 inch.

For the crust: Lightly butter the foil with some of the melted butter. Stir the rest of the butter together with the crumbs, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the brownie. Put the butter and chocolate in a medium microwave safe bowl. Melt in the microwave on 75 percent power for 2 minutes. Stir, and microwave again until completely melted, about 2 minutes more. Alternatively, put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1 inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl on the pan without touching the water. Stir occasionally until melted. Stir the light brown and white sugars, vanilla and salt into the melted chocolate. Add the eggs and beat vigorously to make a thick and glossy batter. Add the flour and stir until just incorporated.

Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is crispy and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean, with a few crumbs, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven and carefully position a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and preheat on low. Layer marshmallows across the top and toast under the broiler until golden, (keep an eye on it, it can go quick), about 2 minutes. Cool on a rack, gently removing the brownies from the pan using the aluminum flaps. Carefully separate any marshmallow from the foil and fold away. Cut into 12 (2-inch) squares.

Cheddar Jalapeno Biscuits

I made these biscuits as part of the best fried chicken biscuit the world has ever seen and recommend you do the same. The cheddar gives it a good flavor without being crazy cheesy and the jalapeno gives the perfect amount of kick without being spicy.

Cheddar Jalapeno Biscuits

3 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
dash of ground cayenne pepper
1/3 cup solid vegetable shortening
2 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
3/4 cup milk

Combine the four, baking powder, salt, garlic powder and cayenne pepper in a bowl. Cut in shortening with a fork until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cheese and diced jalapeno. Add the milk and stir to form a dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 20 times. Roll doughto a 1/2 inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter or rim of a glass, cut into rounds. Gather the scraps and roll out again to make more biscuits. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 450F about 11 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cider Brined Fried Chicken

A friend of mine wanted fried chicken on cheddar jalapeno biscuits for her birthday this year. I don't usually fry chicken at home because it tends to get messy and not end up that tasty. However, this recipe changes everything. Brining the chicken makes it moist and flavorful, seasoning the egg instead of the flour is genius, and the paper bag saves a lot of time and messy hands. My biggest tip to the home chicken fryer is too have a deep electric hotplate that can self regulate the temp of the oil so you don't have to worry about it.

Cider Brined Fried Chicken

2 cups apple cider
1/2 cup salt
3-pound bag boneless skinless chicken breast (thawed)
Water
2 eggs
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 quart vegetable shortening or oil, for frying

Cut chicken breasts in half to make fist-sized pieces. In a large bowl, whisk together cider and salt until salt dissolves. Add chicken pieces and enough water to coat and soak for 1 hour or longer in the refrigerator. Chicken should be completely submerged in brine. In a large pot, heat vegetable shortening until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 325 degrees F. Line a sheet tray with a wire rack. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cayenne and black pepper. In a paper bag, shake together flour and cornstarch. Drain chicken from brine and dip in batches first in egg mixture then in flour mixture to coat. In batches, fry chicken until golden brown, about 7 minutes per side (14 minutes per piece), depending on the size. Remove from oil to drain on paper towel-lined plate.

Mashed Carrots

I love a cooked carrot and a mashed root vegetable. These mashed carrots are savory, sweet, buttery, and delicious. I am a big fan of serving them along side some chicken or pork. This recipe makes a lot, but they go fast and with some added stock they could make a decent soup. If you are looking for a healthier option sub plain yogurt for the butter.

Mashed Carrots

4 lbs carrots, cut into 2 inch chunks
1 medium onion, quartered
1/4 cup chicken Stock
2 Tablespoons butter
salt and pepper

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add carrots and onions and continue to boil until carrots are cooked through and soft. In batches if necessary, put carrots and onions in food processor with butter, stock and blend until smooth. Return to pot and season with salt and pepper to taste.