Turkey Meatballs

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Turkey MeatballsThese meatballs are unofficially titled, “mama’s meatballs” in my house because my mama makes these meatballs…That probably didn’t need an explanation but you got one anyways. Not only are these easy and delicious, but they also remind me of home! How perfect is that??

Turkey MeatballsConsidering pasta was a staple in my house growing up, we had meatballs often. I’m pretty sure my dad could eat about a pound of pasta by himself given the chance. That tidbit is not a proven fact. Just a hypothesis. Dad, if you have eaten a pound of pasta solo let me know….

Anyways, these meatballs are definitely the finishing touch to an awesome spaghetti dinner. Great thing is, I make a LOT at once and freeze them. Then they’re ready to eat should a spaghetti night come around!

Turkey MeatballsWhen I started making these at home they were made with ground beef (which is actually very delicious in this recipe as well). At some point, I “accidentally” used ground turkey instead and “accidentally” didn’t tell my husband and he didn’t notice. So then I “accidentally” used ground turkey more often. When he found out he grumbled a bit about it but not to much effect because I already knew that he couldn’t really taste the difference.

Whether you use ground turkey or ground beef, just know that these will be simple, delicious, and worth the little time and effort they take!
Turkey Meatballs

Turkey Meatballs
Yields 35
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
20 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
20 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 pound ground turkey
  2. 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese
  3. 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
  4. 2 eggs
  5. 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  6. pinch of salt and pepper
  7. 2 tablespoons water, as needed
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Mix all ingredients together except the water until everything is just incorporated. You do not want to over mix. If the mixture is not easily able to be formed into balls, add a splash of water to loosen it.
  3. Form into 1-inch balls and place on an ungreased baking sheet.
  4. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until the cheese starts to melt and they are cooked through.
Notes
  1. These meatballs can be served immediately or frozen once cooked. To defrost, I place them in my pasta sauce to reheat for about 10 minutes. Works great! You can use ground beef with these as well and they turn out delicious (I originally made them with ground beef)!
Flavor From Scratch https://www.flavorfromscratch.com/

Beet & Corn Risotto

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I have the tendency to say I don’t like something then never try it because I told myself I don’t like it. It’s really a silly thing. I’m working on cracking that bad habit. I’ve already figured out I like eggs and cherries after many many years of thinking I didn’t like them. Two major wins and bonus that they are healthy too!

I definitely had to push myself to make this recipe because let’s face it…beets are a little mystifying if you’ve never cooked with them or ate them before. I mean, they’re BRIGHT red. Almost unnaturally so. But obviously they’re natural. And supposedly very good for you. If the pictures aren’t obvious enough, the rice turns out a crazy red/magenta color which is just *awesome* but also a little strange.

Beets have a very unique taste that a lot of people describe as “earthy.” I tried to balance that earthiness with the sweet corn and the tangy lemon juice. I think it worked! The thyme is also a key player that adds a strong but familiar flavor to the dish.

I have to admit I started out very cautious when eating this but after trying it, I would very much say that my unjustified aversion to beets is no longer! Woo hoo! Another food crossed off my, “don’t eat that” list. If you have a, “don’t eat that” list that includes beets, try this recipe! If you love beets, still try this recipe! If you’re somewhere in between, also try this recipe! Everyone…TRY THIS RECIPE! I think I made that point clear. Just try it! It’s proven itself to be delicious!

Beet & Corn Risotto
Serves 6
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Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
1 hr 15 min
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
1 hr 15 min
Ingredients
  1. 3 fresh beets
  2. 3 tablespoons olive oil
  3. 3 ears of corn, kernels removed (or about 2 cups)
  4. 5 - 5 1/2 cups chicken stock
  5. 2 tablespoons butter
  6. 1/2 onion, chopped
  7. 2 cloves garlic, minced
  8. 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
  9. 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  10. 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus lemon slices for garnish
  11. 2 teaspoons salt
  12. 1 teaspoon ground pepper
  13. 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Peel the beets with a vegetable peeler, cut into chunks, and place on the parchment lined baking sheet. Toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil (remaining 2 tablespoons will be used later).
  2. Roast the beets for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and add the corn (and lemon slices if desired for garnish) to the baking sheet. Roast for an additional 25 minutes, or until the beets are tender. Once cooked, set aside to cool slightly.
  3. While the beets and corn are roasting heat the chicken stock in a small sauce pan until warm.
  4. In a separate large saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the rice and toast for about 2 minutes, stirring often.
  5. Reduce the heat to low. Add 1 cup of the warm stock to the rice, stirring often until the liquid is absorbed. Keep adding 1 cup of stock at a time and stirring until the liquid absorbs between each addition. Stop adding stock when it appears to no longer absorb into the rice.
  6. Add the beets to a food processor and blend until pureed. Add the beet puree to the cooked rice along with the corn, thyme, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese.
  7. Saute over low for 3-4 minutes until heated through. Garnish with lemon slices and grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
  1. You can use any kind of stock instead of chicken stock, though I think it paired nicely with the thyme. I made this recipe with fresh beets but I suppose it would work with canned beets as well. If you use canned beets, drain and puree the beets and add directly to the rice (you can skip the roasting step). We ate this with grilled chicken and it was delicious!
Flavor From Scratch https://www.flavorfromscratch.com/

 

 

Whipped Buttercream Frosting

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Whipped Buttercream FrostingIt’s almost my Dad’s birthday! Happy almost birthday Dad! It only makes sense that my family celebrated back in early September…Turns out it’s hard for all of us to get together the more of us there are and the further we move away. Nonetheless, we did get together and have an awesome pre-birthday birthday celebration!

process1No birthday would be complete without cake or cupcakes! This frosting was perfect with the chocolate cake I made. Yummm. The frosting on the chocolate cake was originally supposed to be cream cheese whipped cream frosting. I had made it before and it was OUT OF THIS WORLD! Apparently I forgot how to make it because I ended up with cream cheese whipped cream soup instead. Major fail. Maybe someday I will be brave enough to try and make that frosting again.

fin2Until that day comes, you can’t really go wrong with the classic buttercream recipe! It’s creamy and rich. Perfect for any cake or cupcake. This one is vanilla flavored but you can also add other extracts as well (lemon, almond, mint…just to name a few!) to make it your own! Just think of the endless combinations of frosting and cakes…Oh that makes me excited to try new combinations! Comment if you come up with a good cake/frosting combinations!

Whipped Buttercream Frosting
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Prep Time
10 min
Prep Time
10 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 cup room temperature butter
  2. 3- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  3. 1 teaspoon vanilla
  4. pinch of salt
  5. 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Instructions
  1. Mix butter with whisk attachment in mixer until smooth and creamy.
  2. Add 3 cups powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Start the mixer on low then mix on high for 2-3 minutes. If the frosting is not thick enough, or not to your preference, add another 1/2 cup of sugar.
  3. Add 2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream and mix on high for 1-2 more minutes.
Notes
  1. Do NOT skip the heavy whipping cream (you can use milk if you do not have cream but the cream makes it richer). You will be shocked how this last step really lightens the frosting and makes it fluffier and whiter.
Flavor From Scratch https://www.flavorfromscratch.com/

Blueberry Crumble Muffins & DIY Muffin Liners

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Blueberry Crumble MuffinsThis recipe is a must at least once a summer with fresh blueberries. At LEAST. Most likely more than once. You’ll totally understand when you try it. I know. I know. It’s technically Fall now but this is my end of the season, last hurrah for blueberries before they cost a million dollars a pint. Maybe that’s a slight exaggeration. We’ll go with half a million dollars.

Blueberry Crumble MuffinsThe recipe originated from a blueberry buckle (kind of like a cake) from my grandma. I’ve already made the buckle form this summer so it was time to switch it up into muffin form! These muffins are the perfect way to make this recipe seem like breakfast material. Oh, don’t get me wrong…I would definitely eat it for breakfast in buckle form too but muffins just seem more socially acceptable.

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Muffins are great because they are easy to share and serve. They can also be a grab and go food but that would just be wrong with these muffins. Spend some time enjoying them. Seriously.

Notice my fancy muffin liners?? You know that part of the recipe where you’re supposed to use a muffin or cupcake liner and you realize you completely forgot to buy them? That only happens to me about every time I make a muffin or cupcake. Literally. Every time. It’s like my brain doesn’t register the fact that I need them. Weird. So I make my own!

liner-comboIt’s a seriously simple solution to your muffin liner woes. All you need is some parchment paper and a pair of scissors. Just cut your parchment into squares that are about 5 inches by 5 inches. This is not a science. Measure if you must but really just make sure they are a couple inches bigger than the diameter of the muffin tin cup. Press the parchment paper in each muffin tin cup, folding to press in. This for sure takes some finagling. You can use a can or cup that fits in the muffin tin cup to push the paper down into the bottom. I, however, usually take the more rustic approach of pressing and then frantically filling the liner with batter to hold it down. You can either choose the more refined method or my method. Either way, you end up with a DIY muffin liner! It adds a bit of charm to your cupcakes or muffins and it’s super cheap too. Yay!

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Blueberry Crumble Muffins
Yields 12
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
30 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
30 min
Ingredients for the muffins
  1. 3/4 cup sugar
  2. 1/4 cup butter
  3. 1 egg
  4. 1/2 cup milk
  5. 2 cups flour
  6. 2 teaspoons baking powder
  7. 1/2 teaspoon salt
  8. 2 cups blueberries
Ingredients for the crumble topping
  1. 1/2 cup sugar
  2. 1/3 cup flour
  3. 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  4. 1/4 cup soft butter
Directions for the muffins
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Cream 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup butter, and egg with mixer. Stir in milk.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk or sift together 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir into wet ingredients until just combined.
  4. Gently stir in blueberries.
  5. Divide batter into lined muffin tin (12 muffins). The muffins will come almost to the top of the liners.
Directions for the crumble topping
  1. Mix together all the crumble ingredients until the butter is distributed into pea size pieces throughout.
  2. Top each muffin with crumble topping.
  3. Bake muffins for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Notes
  1. This originated as a blueberry buckle. Also AMAZING! To make this follow the same recipe, spreading the batter into a greased and floured 9 inch square pan. Top with the crumble topping and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  2. Delicious with fresh blueberries but you can use frozen blueberries that are completely drained of any liquid as well.
Flavor From Scratch https://www.flavorfromscratch.com/

Goat Cheese & Pesto Grilled Cheese

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I first had goat cheese on a grilled cheese when I went out to a local restaurant and WOW was it good. Grilled cheese is gooey and crunchy and delicious by itself. Goat cheese is tangy and creamy and salty. Combined, this is like a grilled cheese that got promoted to grilled cheese boss. The boss of grilled cheeses.

Oh wait…how could I forget about the pesto???? In addition to the gooey, crunchy, delicious, tangy, salty, creamy grilled cheese I already had, I added pesto. Yep. You heard me. This grilled cheese is out of this world!! Specifically, I added my carrot top & basil pesto but you can also make this with regular pesto or good quality pesto from the store.

I’m going to be honest. This is barely a recipe. It’s more of a suggestion of how I did it. Once you have the ingredients you can totally play with the proportions to your taste. Since it was so delicious I just felt the need to share! If you come up with your own awesome combination of grilled cheese, let me know!

Goat Cheese & Pesto Grilled Cheese
Yields 1
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Prep Time
8 min
Cook Time
5 min
Prep Time
8 min
Cook Time
5 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 slices of multi-grain or whole wheat bread (I like mine with a good, crunchy crust)
  2. 1-2 tablespoons butter
  3. 1-2 tablespoons pesto
  4. 2 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese
  5. 2-3 slices of Gouda cheese
  6. tomato slices
  7. spinach leaves
Instructions
  1. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. While the pan is heating, spread butter on one side of each piece of bread.
  3. On the non-buttered side of one piece of bread, spread the pesto.
  4. Add cheeses, tomato, and spinach on top of the pesto. I like to sandwich the tomato and spinach between cheese so that the cheese melts all around it and keeps it in.
  5. Top with the other piece of bread, buttered side up.
  6. Place the sandwich in the pan and cook until the bread becomes toasted and the cheese starts to melt. Flip and repeat.
Notes
  1. Add your own combination of veggies, cheeses, and sauces to make it your own. This is just how I made mine!
Flavor From Scratch https://www.flavorfromscratch.com/

 

 
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