secret spaghetti and parmesan crusted meatballs

a few weeks ago my 3-year-old surprised me by requesting spaghetti and meatballs for dinner.  my 1st reaction... "that's boring... not to mention a lot of plain carbs and not enough vegetables..."  and my 2nd thought... "unless i fix that problem..."

so here is the skinny bovine's version of spaghetti and meatballs.  there are 4 very tightly packed cups of spinach and 1 whole zucchini in this meal.  that's a whole lot of good for you in a traditionally non veggie-packed meal.   they were the yummiest spaghetti and meatballs our family of 4 has ever had and my kids were none the wiser. 

secret spaghetti and parmesan crusted meatballs

6 servings

1 pound whole wheat spaghetti/linguine

1/2 pound lean ground beef

1/2 pound ground turkey (or all one or the other - it's up to you)

1 egg

1 slice of wheat bread - toasted and turned into crumbs in your blender

1 tablespoon parsley

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon basil

dash pepper

1 medium zucchini, grated

2 tightly packed cups spinach, chopped

1/2 cup chopped onion

3 cloves garlic

1/3 cup kraft-style parmesan cheese

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce

2 tightly packed cups spinach, chopped

fresh grated parmesan cheese (optional)

 1.  cook spaghetti according to package directions.  preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
2.  in a sauce pan, heat a dash of olive oil over medium heat.  add onion and garlic.  cook until onion is translucent.  add zucchini and 2 cups spinach and sprinkle with salt.  cook til veggies are soft.  remove from stove and let cool a bit. 
3.  in a large bowl, combine raw meat, egg, bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, basil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a dash of pepper.  stir til combined.  add onion, zucchini, spinach mixture.  stir til combined. 
4.  grease a mini muffin tin.  in a shallow dish, combine parmesan cheese, panko bread crumbs and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  use a small cookie scoop to form meatballs and then roll each meatball in the cheese/crumb mixture, pressing the crumbs into the meatball until well coated.  place each meatball into a slot in the mini muffin tin.  (i made 30 meatballs so i used a whole mini muffin tin + a few slots in a regular muffin tin.)
5.  bake meatballs at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. 
6.  while meatballs are baking, combine a jar of pasta sauce and 2 tightly cups packed spinach, chopped, in a pot.  heat over medium until sauce is hot and spinach is cooked. 
7.  combine spaghetti and sauce, stirring to coat.  dish up servings and top each serving with meatballs.  sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired. 
8.  smile because you just ate all those veggies in your spaghetti and meatballs.

bbq pulled pork and magic coleslaw sandwiches

okay.... here it is! the magic cole slaw. this stuff has changed my life.

let me start from the beginning. back in may when we moved a friend from my church offered to bring us dinner one night while we were getting settled in. she showed up with bbq pulled pork (yum), trader joe's ciabatta buns (yum), sun chips (yum), fruit salad (yum) and cole slaw (yikes!)... to put on the sandwiches (double yikes!).

since it would be rude not to try it, i decided i'd better.and wow! am i glad i did!

so i asked her what she put on the magical cole slaw (that's a direct quote). "girard's apple poppyseed dressing," she said.
problem: my budget doesn't do salad dressings that cost $4.99 (on my budget i have $7 total per day to feed my family. $5 for salad dressing doesn't work.)

solution: replicate the dressing. done! it's close enough to give the same effect on the sandwiches and hubby likes it better than girard's. so ha!

this really is a great, tasty, well-balanced meal when you add the coleslaw. cabbage is amazing for you.

bbq pulled pork and magic coleslaw sandwiches
enough coleslaw for 6 sandwiches

pulled pork:
a lean pork roast (size of your choosing)
your favorite bbq sauce (we love sweet baby rays - you can find it at walmart)

trim pork roast of excess fat and place in crock pot. smother with tons of bbq sauce (if you're not sure about how much to add, just make sure to check it a couple of times throughout the day and add more if it's looking dry). cook 8-10 hours on low. shred at the end and add more bbq sauce if it needs more.

magic coleslaw:
1 bag of prepared coleslaw
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cup apple poppyseed dressing (recipe below)

mix coleslaw and dressing together in a bowl.

the bovine's apple poppyseed dressing:
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons frozen apple juice concentrate
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons light tasting olive oil
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon molasses (optional)
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons dried onion flakes
4 to 6 dashes salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon poppyseeds

combine all ingredients but poppyseeds in a blender. mix well until blended. add poppyseeds. mix well. refrigerate 4+ hours to let onions rehydrate and flavors meld.

put the sandwich together:

toast ciabatta buns (we like walmart's). top with pulled pork and more coleslaw than you think you'll want. serve with lots of napkins. :)

freeze leftover bbq pulled pork for [the following week] when you crave the sandwiches again. thaw in fridge over night. heat and serve.

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you'll have extra dressing. what should you do with it? an apple poppy seed spinach salad up next to use it up! stay tuned!

sour cream chicken enchiladas

last night i tried a different white enchilada recipe - just for fun. i got it from another food blog i really like. sometimes it's fun to make a different version of a classic meal, right?

well, we were disappointed. they just weren't as good as my normal recipe. i guess i'm happy to say, then, that mine are lots better than the alternative we tried! :) i posted this deliciousness over 2 years ago. it's so good it's time for a repost. attribution to my bff who basically taught me to cook, with a few modifications by me, of course.

sour cream chicken enchiladas
6-8 servings

3 chicken breasts, cooked and sliced/cubed (i pan fry it in a tiny bit of oil, lime juice and sprinkled with garlic, pepper and cumin)
1 cup fat-free or reduced fat sour cream
1/4 cup green enchilada sauce
1 can green chilis
1 cup grated cheese
8-10 flour tortillas (depends on how packed you like your enchiladas, whole wheat are good with these)

1/2 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1/4-1/2 cup enchilada sauce
milk (for thinning the sauce for the top)
more cheese!!

1. combine cooked chicken, sour cream, 1/4 cup enchilada sauce, green chilis and 1 cup cheese in a large bowl. spoon mixture into tortillas and pack into 13"x9" pan.
2. make sauce for top by combining 1/2 can of cream of chicken soup, 1/4-1/2 cup enchilada sauce (add until it tastes right to you!) and milk if you'd like your sauce thinner.
3. spread sauce over the enchiladas and top with desired amount of cheese.
4. bake in oven at 350 F for 30-35 min.

five ingredient fridays: make-ahead lunch wraps

happy friday! and happy blogging. summer is too much fun to find time to blog much. i'm sorry for abandoning you so much!

i've recently ventured into the land of crisped wraps. they are great for summer since they require minimal cooking. the thing i like best about these, though, is that i can freeze them and they make a perfect lunch to-go for my hubby for work.

here is a 5-ingredient variation first and then another that we liked. the possibilities are endless with these. combine some of your favorite ingredients and i'm sure they'll be a winner at your house too!

make-ahead lunch wraps
from allrecipes.com

4 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilis
cooked brown rice (amount suggested - 2 cups rice cooked in 5 cups water for 45 minutes)

cheese and tortillas

1. combine beans, corn tomatoes, rice and desired amount of cheese. may season with chili powder, cumin or garlic if desired. roll up in tortillas and crisp on both sides in pan on stove to seal ingredients inside.
2. let cool. wrap in plastic wrap and then tin foil. store in freezer. reheat in microwave. serve with salsa, sour cream.... or ketchup if you're ridiculous like my husband.
here's another recipe we love at our house. these freeze pretty well, too, but they are extra yummy fresh!! i made them for while i was gone this last week and my husband was in heaven every day for lunch!

crispy southwest chicken wraps
see recipe at mel's kitchen cafe

what's in my post-partum freezer?

yes, i realize this is a strange name for a post, but i've been sooooo in over my head with freezer meals this week i had to post something about it. for those of you who maybe didn't know, i'm having a baby boy soon! i'm due in less than 2 weeks, but we're saying that he'll be here "some time in october" so when he doesn't make it until the 25th we aren't disappointed. here's my belly about two weeks ago:


i'd say i look about the same today - though maybe my belly is a bit bigger. i can say this with some assurance because apparently i haven't gained any weight in the last 2 weeks - despite the fact that i'm eating dessert every night. oops. definitely different than with my daughter - i steadily gained over a pound a week right up to delivery with her. then again, this pregnancy has been completely different in every way, so why not with weight gain too??

on to the freezer meals! so nice to have on those days after having a baby when you look at the clock and think - "it's 6:30? oh crud." i'm making my favorites (links to recipes provided), regardless of healthiness and even slightly disregarded budget on one. but it's my favorite. and YES, i'll give you the recipe. just don't make it once a week, okay??

what's in my post-partum freezer:

• sour cream chicken enchiladas
• three cheese chicken and spinach stuffed shells
• parmesan corn chowder
• a creamy sausage and wild rice soup (italian sausage, wild rice, milk, chicken broth, garlic, veggies... not sure what all i put in it but it tasted delicious before i put it in the freezer.)
• a bag of shredded beef intended for enchiladas
• a bag of shredded beef intended for bbq beef sandwiches
• beef stroganoff (recipe below - i repeat: do not cook every week!)

beef stroganoff
my family's recipe - the best!
4 servings

1-2 lbs round steak, cut into cubes or strips (bite size) (1 lb is plenty for 1 batch - 2 lbs or a little more for 2 batches works great!)
flour, salt and pepper (about 1 cup flour is enough)
1 medium onion, chopped
olive oil
1 can tomato soup
2 cups sour cream (the real stuff - no fat free)
1 overflowing tablespoon worchestershire sauce
6 drops tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
garlic salt to taste (1-2 teaspoons)

put flour, salt and pepper in a baggie; add the meat a little at a time to cover with flour mixture. brown the meat in hot oil in batches small enough to fit in a skillet and be able to turn to brown on both sides. as the meat gets done, you can put it on paper towels while you do the next batch. when all the meat is browned, saute the onion in the same skillet. in a separate bowl, mix soup, sour cream, worchestershire, tabasco, salt, pepper and garlic salt. put meat, sauce and onions in a skillet or dutch oven large enough to hold it all. bring to a boil. turn down heat and simmer slowly for 3-4 hours, stirring frequently so it will not stick or burn.

note: if you like mushrooms, you can add canned or sauteed! (i prefer it without)

serve over egg noodles or rice.