Donair Meatballs

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Meatballs are becoming a favorite as they are incredibly easy to prepare for immediate use or have bagged and frozen for future use.  I accidentally modified this recipe from Dash's Donair recipe and have been doing it that way ever since but feel free to try both recipes. 

The sweet garlic sauce really makes these meatballs an absolute treat to your taste buds.  All the flavors just burst in your mouth.  at first I was a bit skeptical with the sweet sauce but combined with the tomatoes, lettuce, onions and of course the meatballs I was pleasantly surprised.  Just be warned these meatballs are DELISH! The first time I made these meatballs I went to get seconds and they were gone.  The hubby loves these so much he offers to make them himself when I'm running late.  This recipe is definitely a keeper. 

Serves 6-8

Meatballs:

2 lbs lean ground turkey

2 cloves garlic, minced (or 2 tsp garlic powder)

1 tsp onion powder

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper powder

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

Donair Sweet Sauce:

1 12 oz. can of evaporated milk 

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp garlic powder

4 tsp white vinegar, as needed

Sub rolls

Lettuce

Tomatoes, sliced

Onions, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

The Meatballs:

Mix together all the ingredients for the meatballs.  Form into 1 1/2 inch size balls.  Place on a baking sheet (I usually line mine with parchment paper for easy clean up) and bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown.  

The Sauce:

Whisk together the evaporated milk, sugar and garlic powder in a medium mixing bowl.  Gradually whisk in the vinegar one teaspoon at a time until the sauce thickens.  NOTE: Mixing full quantity of vinegar at once will cause the sauce to run thin.

To serve, place donair meatballs inside a pita pocket and fill with lettuce, tomatoes and onions (or your desired toppings) and spoon over some sweet sauce.  

Ranch Potato Wedges and Chicken Nuggets

Okay so confession; I really never had any luck with when it came to making potato wedges but after speaking with co-workers I discovered the secret is in the temperature.  They also gave me some cool seasoning ideas and so I came up with this one and to my surprise it worked out well.

Ranch Potato Wedges

INGREDIENTS

4 medium red potatoes cut into wedges
olive oil to coat
2 packets of Ranch dressing

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven at 400 degrees F
Place rinsed and cut wedges in sufficient size bowl (I use a topperware bowl with lid) thinly coat with olive oil.  Add ranch dressing and toss until evenly coated.  Place single layer on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.  Turn wedges over and bake an additional 15-20 minutes. 

Baked Chicken Nuggets (click for original recipe from CDkitchen)

INGREDIENTS:

2 chicken breasts, skinned and boned
1 1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, optional
1/2 cup melted butter

PREPARATION:

Cut chicken breasts into about 1 1/2-inch squares. Combine dry ingredients in small bowl. Dip chicken pieces in melted butter, then in crumb mixture. Pat crumbs on to coat. Place on greased baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Spaghetti with Asparagus, Smoked Mozzarella and Prosciutto

Ingredients

• 2 pounds asparagus, trimmed
• 3/4 pound spaghetti
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut crosswise into strips
• 6 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese, diced (about 1 cup)
• 6 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Directions

Cook the asparagus in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. With a spider or slotted spoon, remove asparagus from boiling water to a bowl of ice water to cool and stop the cooking. When cool, strain, cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces, and set aside.

Return the water in the pot to a boil, adding additional water, if necessary. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add asparagus to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the pasta, and if needed, some of the reserved cooking liquid. Toss to coat. Add the prosciutto,  mozzarella, and basil, and toss to combine. Turn off the heat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.

Original recipe can be found here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/spaghetti-with-asparagus-smoked-mozzarella-and-prosciutto-recipe/index.html

Our Review:

(Since I'm running late it'll be posted tonight, pinky swear)   

Chili Coke Roast with Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans and Corn Salad

Last night I made a frozen bag of pasta with garlic chicken and vegetables.  It was alright but I don't think Olivia cared for it all that much.  She reached for a crown of broccoli which is her favorite veggie and spit it out.  Hmmm--I guess that will be a first and last time meal. 

I figured I'd keep it simple tonight:

Chili Coke Roast Ingredients:

1 beef roast, 3-4 lbs.
1 can Coca-Cola
1 package onion soup mix
1 bottle chili sauce

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in crock-pot and cook for 7-10 hours depending on size of roast.
2. The meat will flake apart when done. Serve over mashed potatoes.

Green Beans and Corn Salad Ingredients:
1 can regular french cut green beans, drained
1 can of sweet corn
salt to taste
pepper to taste
Italian dressing (enough to toss)
Directions:

1.  Mix green beans, corn, salt, pepper in bowl and toss with Italian salad dressing.

Left Over Pulled Pork with Rice

Sometimes for dinner we will enjoy leftovers served differently.  For example we really enjoyed the pulled pork yesterday that we ate on hamburger buns so today I used the same pulled pork and combined it with  rice and sweet corn on the cob. 

I guess leftovers is a sweet break as it allows me more time to play with Olivia.  And we had fun.  We danced, sang to Barney, built neighborhoods with legos and read alphabets.  Now, it's time to put this little one to bed.

Good Night!
~Catt