Spook-ghetti and Meatballs

I may have a few new readers in my audience so allow me to welcome you! Thank you all for taking the time out of your day to read my blog! I hope you all enjoy it (that goes same for my loyal fans too)!

Well, yesterday I began my new job and man am I loving it! I have beautiful views of downtown Raleigh and everyone in my office is extremely friendly and welcoming!

As aforementioned, I am trying to make Halloween-themed meals during the month of October, however I must admit I'm not doing a very successful job of it so far...I've accomplished exactly two meals: second of which was tonight's Spook-ghetti and Meatballs.

This meal was a cinch to make and honestly a lot of fun! There's something so nostalgic in getting your hands dirty and playing with your food. Sometime's it's fun to be a kid-dult.

Spook-ghetti and Meatballs

1 lb ground turkey (or ground beef, but I don't eat beef)
1 slice multi-grain bread
3 Tbsp milk
2 Tbsp (plus a reserved 3/4 C) Italian breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
5 Tbsp olive oil

In a small bowl, combine bread and milk. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Put turkey in a larger bowl. Add in ketchup, 2 Tbsp Italian breadcrumbs, garlic powder, parsley and salt and pepper.

After 10 minutes have passed, tear apart bread (which has now fully soaked up the milk) and add into the turkey bowl.

Now comes the fun part! Using your clean hands (you're adults, I shouldn't have to tell you to wash your hands) mix all the ingredients in the turkey bowl until it is combined. It is very important to not over-mix the turkey though, it should still retain some of the ground meat look. Once meat mixture is combined, form into 1 inch balls, this recipe should yield about 20 meatballs.

Pour olive oil in a heavy skillet, try to use one that has high walls to avoid splashing. Heat oil to medium. Fry balls for about 5 minutes per side. They should be browned on all sides and cooked through after about 20 minutes.

The recipe for the meatballs came from Grandpa's Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs Cookbook written by Judi Barrett and illustrated by Ron Barrett. As I've mentioned to you guys before, this cookbook is filled with recipes that are awesome for children or for large adult-sized children. That being said, if you have children, enlist them into meatball making service; they'll have fun and you'll have fewer meatballs to make yourself.

I paired these meatballs with linguini and roasted red pepper pesto (both store bought) and I added a little red pepper flake on top for some added spice.

The meatballs were absolutely delicious! Perfectly seasoned, browned and looked nice and spooky. I even watched the 2013 remake of the Evil Dead while eating it to add in the spooky-ness.

Enjoy the spook-ghetti and meatballs and your Tuesday evening!

Tortilla Chips

Do you know what I hate? Leftover corn tortillas. Bear with me a second: so you have a recipe that calls for 6 tortillas, but the smallest amount you can buy is 35; what do you do with the rest? Make tacos? Sure, that takes care of another 6. Make chiliquiles? Why not, that's another 6. So we have 20  tortillas used and 15 to go. MY GOD WHAT DO WE USE THESE CORN TORTILLAS FOR?!

How about homemade tortilla chips? They're easy to make and taste delicious! I came up with this idea this evening when I realized I have 35 tortillas and absolutely nothing to do with them so hopefully if you ever find yourself in this situation you'll remember this post and be inspired to make some tortilla chips.

Baked Tortilla Chips

6 corn tortillas
3 Tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste

Heat oven to 350.

Stack tortillas and cut into quarters.

Brush cut pieces with olive oil and season with salt.

Bake chips for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown and crunchy.

These chips will pair perfectly with my recipe for green chile stew, my recipe for guacamole, cheesy queso dip, spinach and artichoke dip or your favorite salsa!

I hope you enjoyed my rant about my absolute hatred for leftover corn tortillas and will never again be plagued with the question of "WHY ARE THERE SO MANY AND WHAT ON EARTH WILL I USE THEM FOR?!"

Green Chile Stew

Well readers, yesterday was very bittersweet: it was my last day working at the restaurant. I start my new career at a law firm downtown on Monday. I am excited to be moving forward but will definitely miss all the friends I've made working at Spring Rolls dearly. I came to work yesterday to a bouquet of roses, balloons and a bottle of wine all wishing me well; do I have some great friends, or what? A large portion of my regular customers came in to see me off and I left feeling lucky to have had such a great opportunity to work with such amazing people.

Last night I made my favorite fall comfort food: Green Chile Stew. However, this time I even made my own green chile sauce, which I've never done before. This recipe for green chile sauce I got from The Best From New Mexico Kitchens cookbook published by New Mexico Magazine.

Green Chile Sauce

1/4 C olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 C onion, minced
1 Tbsp flour
1 C water
1 C diced green chile
Salt to taste

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes. Blend in flour with a wooden spoon. Add water and chile and bring to a boil, stirring frequently for 5 minutes.

Now that you have your sauce, you're ready to make stew! Green Chile Stew has many variations and is a fall staple in my Home State, this is the version I've been eating since I was a kid. Hopefully you enjoy it as much as I do. 

Green Chile Stew

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground turkey
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp garlic powder
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 onion, diced
5 Russet potatoes, diced
4 C green chile sauce (homemade is better, but Cervantes or Sadie's green chile sauce is good too)
4 C water
Flour tortillas or tortilla chips, for serving

In a large stockpot over medium heat, brown turkey in olive oil with onion and garlic. Season the meat with salt, pepper and garlic powder. The good thing about using ground turkey as opposed to beef is that you don't need to dump off the fat, however ground beef could certainly be used as well or even ground pork. Just omit the olive oil and pour off the excess fat.

Once the meat is browned, add in the diced potatoes, sauce and water. Stir to combine. 

Drop the heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer the delicious stew for 20 minutes. Check the seasonings and serve with flour tortillas or tortilla chips.

This stew always reminds me of New Mexican falls: the International Balloon Fiesta, the New Mexico State Fair, cooler weather, and watching Halloween movies and making pumpkin treats with Nate. I hope you guys enjoy this stew just as much as Nate and I do!

Taco Soup

Ah October; it's a month filled with cuddles, pumpkins, spooky stuff and hot chocolate! Oh and soup, which makes my tummy feel cuddly.

Tonight for dinner I decided to make a recipe that mixes two of my most well-liked things: tacos and soup. The best part about this recipe? You just throw everything into a large stock pot and call it a day.

Taco Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground turkey
2 cans black beans, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can yellow corn kernels, drained
1 can diced tomatoes and chiles
1 20 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tomatoes, diced
1 package taco seasoning
1 package ranch dressing seasoning
16 oz chicken broth
Salt and pepper, to taste
Tortilla chips, for serving
Shredded cheddar cheese, for serving

In a large stock pot over medium heat, saute onions in olive oil until translucent. Add garlic and cook until you can smell it.

Add in turkey and cook until no longer pink.

Pour in all the cans, tomatoes, seasoning and broth and stir. Bring to a boil.

Drop the heat down to medium-low and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve with tortilla chips and cheese.

I ate one bowl of this soup (granted it was a big bowl) and I'm absolutely stuffed! This soup has all the great flavors of tacos combined with the warming inside-tummy comfort of soup! This soup paired perfectly with my Sierra Nevada Vienna and some Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. Not a bad way to start off a week, huh readers? Enjoy and I hope this, the last week of September 2016 treats you well.

Chile Relleno Casserole

Do you know what I love? Convenience and comfort. This weekend Nate and I went camping so that means today I'm sleepy and not wanting to go too far from the couch so I'm not very interested in cooking this evening. This is where my Crock-Pot comes in! It's convenient and therefore I can remain comfortable. 

Last Thanksgiving I bought myself a cookbook that is filled with recipes for just this occasion! Fix-It And Forget-It Vegetarian Cookbook "565 Delicious Slow-Cooker, Stove-Top, Oven and Salad Recipes, plus 50 Suggested Menus" by Phyllis Pellman Good. This book is filled with recipes that were submitted from people from all around, some seem better than others but thankfully there are several different variations on each recipe. 

I used this recipe as a guide but I think it would be good if it were followed to the letter as well. 

Have you readers ever eaten chile relleno? In New Mexican cuisine (which, of course you all know is my favorite comfort food), a chile relleno is a Hatch green chile pepper stuffed with cheese, battered and then deep fried. It is rich, comforting, slightly spicy and oh-so cheesy! This casserole has all those qualities as well! 

Chile Relleno Casserole 

Cooking spray 

6 eggs, lightly beaten 

1 C Monterey Jack cheese 

1 block plain cream cheese, cut into cubes 

20 buttery crackers, crushed 

1/2 C chopped and roasted green chile

1 Tsp onion powder  

Salt and pepper, to taste 

1 Tbsp butter

In a separate bowl, combine 1/2 the cheese, eggs, 1/2 the crackers, chile and spices. 

Pour into a greased 3 Quart Crock-Pot set to high. 

Cook on high for an hour and 15 minutes. If not completely set, cook for another 15 minutes. 

In a separate bowl, melt butter and combine with remaining cracker crumbs. 

Sprinkle with remaining cheese and cracker crumb topping. Cook for another 5 minutes. 

Now, this recipe originally called for cottage cheese, but I personally think that cottage cheese is disgusting and much prefer cream cheese but it's all personal preference. It also calls for 4 oz canned green chile, but fresh roasted is definitely superior. However, if you cannot obtain fresh roasted, use canned. Wow, I feel like I sound like Ina Garten, "if you don't have Madagascar vanilla beans hand picked by the Lemurs from the hit family film, Madagascar, store-bought's fine".

I also added the crunchy cracker topping. The recipe calls for all the crackers to be baked into the casserole but who doesn't love a great crunchy cracker topping? 

One of the variations says you can also bake the casserole in the oven if you don't have a Crock Pot. Pour contents into a 9X13 baking dish and bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until set. 

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I get my recipes from a variety of sources: cookbooks, family recipes, friends, magazines and the occasional Pinterest. I am critical of all of them but none more so than Pinterest. Have you heard of "Pinterest fails"? Pinterest can be a great inspirational resource, but due to the fact it's a free and open forum, people post things without testing and verifying them. 

Thankfully, this recipe wasn't one of those, although I used it more as inspiration than as a rule. 

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

8 strips bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, cooked and drained

1/2 C butter 

1/2 C flour 

6 C milk

6 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 C chopped green onion 

1 C shredded cheddar cheese, plus extra for serving

1/2 Tsp salt 

1/2 Tsp garlic powder 

1 vegetable bouillon cube 

Freshly ground black pepper 

1 C sour cream 

Fry bacon, drain off fat and set aside. 

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter. Add in flour once butter is completely melted and whisk until foaming subsides. 

Add in milk and green onions. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Drop heat down to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. 

Add in cheese and seasonings, stir, re-cover and simmer another 20 minutes. 

Add in sour cream and bacon, stir and simmer 5 more minutes. 

I'm happy to say this soup was a success! Tasted exactly like a loaded baked potato, there were no mishaps (well aside from my soup boiling over once) and it was warm and cozy just as any good soup ought to be. 

Enjoy readers! I'm quite pleased to say this was not a "Pinterest fail"! 

Sherried Tomato Soup

Well, it's an interesting Monday so far: 

1) Tropical Storm Julia is creating a deluge of rain and colder temperatures, which are graciously welcomed; 

2) I am fighting off a sinus infection/cold that are leaving me feeling like I have been punched in the nose; and, 

3) There is a gasoline shortage affecting North Carolina. 

Yeah, I definitely have "a case of the Mondays". 

After getting off work I went searching for gasoline and, thankfully, found some at the gas station nearest our apartment (yay!), went on a run and then came home to make Sherried Tomato Soup. 

Thank you, Ree Drummond for concocting what is probably the best (and most simple to make) tomato soup I've ever eaten in my life and thank you Mama Hart for buying me The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes From An Accidental Country Girl so I knew this recipe existed. 

Sherried Tomato Soup

1 medium yellow onion, diced

6 Tbsp butter 

2 14.5 oz cans tomatoes 

1 46 oz can or bottle of tomato juice 

3-6 Tbsp sugar 

1-2 Tbsp chicken base, or 3 chicken bouillon cubes 

Freshly ground black pepper 

1 C sherry (optional) 

1 1/2 C heavy cream 

1/4 C chopped flat leaf parsley 

1/4 C chopped basil 

In a large stock pot over medium heat, melt butter and cook onion until translucent. 

Dump in the diced tomatoes, or in my case, crushed tomatoes (they were cheaper and in a bigger can). Since I realized the diced tomatoes were supposed to be a textual component, I took two fresh tomatoes from the fridge and diced them. 

Add the tomato juice. 

The sugar is added to balance out the acidity. I only used 3 Tbsp of sugar because I'm not a huge fan of sweet tomato soup; but the amount is definitely up to personal preference. 

Add the chicken base or bouillon cubes. I used 3 vegetable bouillon cubes because that's what I had in my pantry. 

Now add lots of freshly ground black pepper, stir and then heat until almost boiling. Then kill the heat. 

Add in the sherry, stir to combine and return the heat to medium. 

Now add in the heavy cream and watch the soup turn a luscious and velvety red. 

Chop the fresh herbs and stir. At this point, stand over the pot and inhale deeply: this soup smells like an absolute delight! Tomato-y, rich, the slight and delightful sherry scent and fresh! 

The second best part about this soup, the first being the flavor, is that it took about 30 minutes from start to finish to make! 

I paired this magnificent soup with grilled cheese with green chile (told you I'm trying to eat away my homesickness). 

Please try this soup! It's fantastic!