Classic Spaghetti & Meatballs

 

photo borrowed from here

This recipe is adapted from Pioneer Woman's spaghetti & meatballs. I found the sauce to be delicious and the meatballs were fantastic.  I have made other kinds of meatballs before, but this was the first time that I have made meatballs from scratch to go with spaghetti. Loved it!

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

• 3/4 pounds Ground Beef
• 3/4 pounds Ground Pork
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 3/4 cups Fine Bread Crumbs
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1/4 cup Flat-leaf Parsley, Minced
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 2 T Milk
• 1/2 cup Olive Oil

 Sauce: 

• 1 whole Yellow Onion, Diced
•  3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 small Can tomato paste
• 36 ounces Can Crushed Tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1/4 cup Flat-leaf Parsley, Minced
• 2 t. basil
• 2 pounds Spaghetti, Cooked To Al Dente

Preparation Instructions

To make the meatballs, combine meat, garlic, breadcrumbs, eggs, salt, pepper, parsley, and milk in a mixing bowl. Mix together well with hands. Roll into 1 1/2-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet. Place cookie sheet into the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up.
To brown the meatballs, heat olive oil in a heavy pot or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs 8 at a time, turning to brown. Remove and drain on a paper towel after each batch. Set meatballs aside.
In the same pot, add the onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes, or until translucent. Pour in  tomatoes. Add salt, pepper, sugar, parsley, basil. Stir to combine and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.
Add meatballs to pot and stir in gently. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring very gently a couple of times during the simmer.

Serve over cooked spaghetti. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Pulled Pork (Cafe Rio Style)

This is a family favorite. My kids ask for this all the time. The great thing is that unless you're feeding company, it is good for a couple of meals and a lunch here and there. Don't forget the green sauce--it makes it! Don't skimp on the cooking time. It doesn't take long to do the preliminary steps and it so so tender and delicious. You'll love it!

6lb Pork Roast: Put in Crock Pot and cover halfway up with water. Cook it overnight. Discard Water (or pour over your dog's food). Shred.

In separate bowl mix a 12oz can of salsa, 1 can caffiene-free Coke, and 2 cups brown sugar. Pour over meat. Cook an additional 3 or 4 hours.

Eat on a tortilla or in a taco. You can add rice, black beans, cheese, whatever you'd put on a regular taco or burrito.

Top with this delicious sauce (or pour a giant puddle on your plate and dip each bite like I do.)

In bowl combine
1 Buttermilk Ranch Mix packet.
2 cups mayo
1 cup milk
1 cup sour cream

In a blender combine
2 tomatillos (I use canned and then freeze the rest for the next time I make this)
1 jalapeno, seeded (I use canned and then freeze the rest for the next time I make this)
1/2 - 1 bunch cilantro, washed
1 Tbs lime juice (lemon juice will work in a pinch)
1 clove garlic, crushed

Mix everything together and enjoy on your pork. Delicious!

Vegetable Pork Soup

A perfect, hearty soup for a busy fall day.  

Ingredients:

1 lb. Cubed pork

¼ cup dried lentils

4 cups water, divided

¼ cup italian dressing

salt and pepper to taste

2 T. chicken bouillon

6 medium carrots

2 stalks celery, diced

6 med. Potatoes

1 medium onion, chopped

¼ cabbage sliced thin and chopped

Directions:

Brown the pork if desired. Place the pork, lentils, 2cups of water, Italian dressing, salt and pepper into a crock pot. Cook on low for 4-5 hours. When pork is done, turn crock pot on high, adding about 2 more cups of water and chicken bouillon. In a separate pan cook celery and carrots together until done. Boil potatoes until just tender. Don't overcook. While potatoes, celery, carrots are cooking, add onion and cabbage to the crock pot. Cook until translucent and soft. Drain the other vegetables and add them to the crock pot. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Recipe created by Marilyn Hendrickson (my mother)

Crock Pot San Fransico Chops

These have a fantastic salty/teriyaki flavor. I made the meat in the crock pot but then supplemented the meal with rice and a pineapple/veggie stir fry. Turns out that sweetness of the pineapple didn't go great with the meat. Next time I will do a regular stir fry and exclude the pineapple.
This recipe is just for the chops.

San Francisco Chops

Ingredients:

4 pork loin chops (1-inch thick)

1 to 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup soy sauce

¼ cup red wine or chicken broth

2 Tbsp brown sugar

¼ tsp. Crushed red pepper flakes

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 Tbsp. cold water

Hot cooked rice.

Directions:

In a skillet, brown pork chops on both sides in oil; transfer to a slow cooker. Add garlic to drippings; cook and stir for about 1 minute or until golden. Stir in soy sauce, wine or broth, brown sugar and red pepper flakes; Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour over chops. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until meat is tender. Remove chops. Combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; gradually stir into slow cooker. Cover and cook for at least 30 minutes or until slightly thickened. Serve over rice. Yield: 4 servings.

BARLEY & CRANBERRY PORK STEW

So I've read a lot lately about the health benefits of barley--lowers cholesterol, promotes intestinal health, etc, so I've decided to try some new recipes with barley. I'll post any that my family enjoys. You can read about them at http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=127#healthbenefits. This is a tasty stew, maybe better suited to fall and winter, but since it snowed here last night, you might be able to squeeze this in before it warms up too much for stew.

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds lean boneless pork, cut into bite-size pieces
1-1/2 cups chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seed
salt and pepper to taste
3 large potatoes cut in small pieces
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 bay leaves
3 cups water
1 cup white wine
2 cans chicken broth
1 can tomatoe sauce
1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley
2/3 cup dried cranberries

In 6-quart pan with cover, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add pork cubes in batches, stirring and cooking until browned on all sides (about 4 to 5 minutes per batch). Remove each batch from pan and set aside. Add onion and garlic to pan; cook, stirring, for 4 minutes. Season with cumin salt and pepper. Stir in sliced potatoes and carrots; cook for 4 minutes. Mix in bay leaves, water, wine, chicken broth, tomatoes, and barley. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Stir in cranberries. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes longer. Remove bay leaves. Serve in soup bowls. Makes 8 servings.

Delicious with crusty rolls or bread!

Sweet & Sour Chicken

So I have found a recipe that makes me a little less sad about not frequenting the Mandarin like I did in days gone by. Thanks to Cindy for letting me post it! I have made it a few times now (including with pork). It is absolutely scrumptious and has fast become one of our favorites.

Ingredients:

3 pounds chicken breast (or chicken tenders if you wish)
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 beaten egg
6 Tbsp flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup chicken stock
3 1/2 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp soy sauce

Directions:

I like to cut my chicken into pieces like you would get at a Chinese restaurant. Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt and pepper. Let stand for one hour or more (I, of course never have time to do this, but no worries).

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Dip chicken pieces in beaten egg, then get it good and covered with flour. Brown in hot oil. Place in greased baking dish. (Note: I have also done this recipe with bread crumbs (Panko). I actually prefer the basic egg/flour breading.) Cover with sauce. For sauce: Mix sugar, vinegar, chicken stock, ketchup, and soy sauce in saucepan and heat. Pour over chicken. Bake uncovered for 45minutes to 1 hour. Yum yum yum.

CAFE RIO PULLED PORK

This is a family favorite. My kids ask for this all the time. The great thing is that unless you're feeding company, it is good for a couple of meals and a lunch here and there. Don't forget the green sauce--it makes it! Don't skimp on the cooking time. It doesn't take long to do the preliminary steps and it so so tender and delicious. You'll love it!

6lb Pork Roast: Put in Crock Pot and cover halfway up with water. Cook it overnight. Discard Water (or pour over your dog's food). Shred.

In separate bowl mix a 12oz can of salsa, 1 can caffiene-free Coke, and 2 cups brown sugar. Pour over meat. Cook an additional 3 or 4 hours.

Eat on a tortilla or in a taco. You can add rice, black beans, cheese, whatever you'd put on a regular taco or burrito.

Top with this delicious sauce (or pour a giant puddle on your plate and dip each bite like I do.)

In bowl combine
1 Buttermilk Ranch Mix packet.
2 cups mayo
1 cup milk
1 cup sour cream

In a blender combine
2 tomatillos (I use canned and then freeze the rest for the next time I make this)
1 jalapeno, seeded (I use canned and then freeze the rest for the next time I make this)
1/2 - 1 bunch cilantro, washed
1 Tbs lime juice (lemon juice will work in a pinch)
1 clove garlic, crushed

Mix everything together and enjoy on your pork. Delicious!