Recipe of the Day: Buffalo Leek Meatballs

It’s Sunday, or Sauceday for us Italians. Growing up, my mom used to prepare a pot of sauce around 10AM on Sunday and let it cook all day. The house was overtaken by the smell, particularly once the homemade meatballs were plopped into the pot. I love to carry on this family tradition! I made sauce with meatballs this morning and absolutely cannot wait until dinner tonight.

I branched out a bit with the meatballs and am extremely satisfied with the results, so I had to post the recipe, of course. Homemade meatballs aren’t as easy as buying the frozen kind at the store, but they are oh so much more tasty! Pair them with store-bought or homemade sauce and high-quality durum wheat or whole wheat pasta for a traditional, healthy meal that is sure to please. I also promise you that I will post my sauce recipe soon!

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground buffalo
• 1 large leek, greens removed, finely chopped
• ¼ cup grated Asiago cheese
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced, or 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 tbsp dried parsley or 1 handful fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 slices whole wheat bread (ends work just fine)
• ¼ cup milk or water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the first 8 ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Soak the bread slices in the milk or water until absorbed and squeeze out the liquid. Crumble the soft bread into the mixture. Using your hands, ‘knead’ the mixture until completely mixed. Form meatball mixture into balls about 2 inches in diameter and place in a glass baking dish.

If you are not placing the meatballs into a sauce, bake the meatballs at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until the centers are fully cooked. If your meatballs will be cooked further in sauce, bake for 10-12 minutes or until meatballs stay together. Transfer meatballs to sauce and cook in sauce for at least another 30 minutes.

Notes:

• Softened bread is used instead of breadcrumbs to prevent the meatballs from getting too hard
• If you aren’t making your own sauce, use any meat-less flavor of store-bought sauce and heat it up while the meatballs are cooking. Let the meatballs cook in the sauce for at least 30 minutes to produce the best flavor. I recommend sauces that contain garlic, basil, and/or parmesan.
• Don’t forget to wash your hands after preparing the meatballs!

Spice It Up: Eleven Basic Yet Essential Spices

Many people who are learning to cook get overwhelmed by the six hundred different spices out there and don’t really know where to start. Instead of heading to the supermarket and stocking your spice rack with every possible jar which will definitely break your bank, start out with the basics. Then slowly incorporate new spices into your cabinet as recipes call for them.

For example, you don’t want to go out and buy a jar of coriander if you don’t cook Indian food. Eventually though, make the investment if you get into making Indian food! At the bottom of this post, I have listed my recommended eleven essential spices everyone should invest in, whether new to the kitchen or a seasoned veteran (no pun intended, seriously).

Be sure to keep your spices in cool, dry places and change them out at least once a year. The spice shop will tell you to do a clean sweep of your spice rack every 6 months, but if you store your spices properly, you can stretch them to a year. Also remember to purchase according to how much you cook. Buy smaller jars if you are single or don’t cook often so your spices are as fresh as possible.

Here are three cardinal rules that I follow when it comes to spices:

• Get your spices from a spice shop or an organic/natural food store. Spices sold at these places are normally fresh-ground every week and are organic, which means they come from more flavorful plants. Also, they have many varieties of a single spice (i.e. they probably have 3 or 4 types of cinnamon) and you can smell and taste them to figure out what you like.
• Don’t let your spice rack drive what you cook. Get creative with spices and substitute if you can. If you run out of basil and your recipe calls for it, add parsley instead. Most of the time, substituting spices or combinations of spices creates new and exciting flavors.
• Taste as you go. After adding spices to your dish, taste it and see if it needs something else. If you don’t taste enough pepper, add a little more. If a dish is bland, try adding a little garlic or salt. Most of the time, spices in recipes are there as guidelines, not rules. Let your taste buds dictate how much of something you need.

Here are my recommended eleven essential spices:

• Fine Sea Salt: This is a no-brainer! I like sea salt because it’s a more natural taste than traditional table salt, and adds just enough saltiness to bland dishes without overpowering other spices. Get a large canister of it to have around. If you live in humid climates, throw a handful of uncooked rice in the canister to prevent clumping.
• Coarse Ground Black Pepper: Another no-brainer! I like coarse-ground pepper because it not only adds more flavor to dishes, but enhances the look of some dishes because you can see it. Also, if you ever want your pepper finer, throw it in your spice grinder or blender for a few seconds.
• Garlic Powder/Garlic Paste: A third no-brainer for most, even the amateur cooks. I keep garlic powder, cloves, and garlic paste around, but if you’re just starting out, pick one. Garlic powder is great for adding light garlic flavor and is quick and easy. Garlic cloves are great for roasting, slicing, or rubbing on meats and seafood. They also provide a more coarse texture and a little more flavor than garlic powder. If you like the clove but don’t like the strength, pick up some elephant garlic. My all-time favorite is garlic paste. You can purchase it in the produce section of the supermarket in a 5 ounce jar. Basically it’s pre-made garlic that you can scoop out and use in any dish. I get the smoothest texture, but they do have a chopped version.
• Cinnamon: This spice is commonly used in baking, but is also very versatile in dishes such as sweet potatoes, grilled meats, couscous, and Caribbean dishes. Purchase your cinnamon at a spice shop and look for Vietnamese Saigon Cinnamon. It’s by far the best flavor you will ever taste, but keep in mind that it’s about 2 times stronger than traditional cinnamon. You might even consider keeping sticks around for Crock Pot applesauce, spiced cider, or mulled wine!
• Nutmeg: Another essential baking spice that can also be paired with cinnamon in many dishes. Nutmeg also helps digestion and kidney health!
• Basil: This spice is fantastic in all Italian dishes and is one I like to use fresh. Every spring I plant new basil and use it throughout the summer, but have not had luck yet keeping a plant alive through the winter. It probably has to do with the fact that I leave it outside too long. Buy a basil plant at the store, freeze your fresh basil, or pick up some dried spice.
• Parsley: My favorite Italian spice, Italian parsley satisfies my taste buds much better than curly parsley. Try them both out and see what you like. This is another spice I like to grow or purchase fresh, but the dried stuff is good too. Italian parsley has bigger leaves and is less bitter than curly parsley; dried parsley is usually made with the curly stuff.
• Cilantro: Whether you’re cooking American or international cuisine, cilantro is a great addition to many dishes. It is a pungent and sometimes bitter flavor that is not enjoyed by all (actually, some people think it tastes like soap and there’s a long-running debate to prove or disprove whether this taste is genetic), but if you like cilantro, it’s a must for the kitchen! If keeping fresh herbs around is difficult for you, pick up a jar of freeze-dried cilantro near the fresh spices in the produce section.
• Cayenne Red Pepper: This spice is fantastic for adding a little kick to Mexican food, southern dishes such as Jambalaya, and omelets. Pair it with salt, pepper, garlic, and olive oil and you have a fantastic marinade for some spicy grilled chicken or fish.
• Rosemary: This is normally thought of as a ‘fancy’ spice, but I think it’s a must. You can purchase fresh rosemary for much cheaper than the pre-dried stuff and just hang it to dry at home. Rosemary is a great addition to Italian food, bread, soups, stews, and pasta dishes.
• Lemons & Limes: Although they are not normally thought of as spices, lemons and limes are fantastic to have around at all times. Use them in your cooking and baking, make a crisp summer salad dressing, cut them up for tea, water, or last-minute sangria, or squeeze them on top of chicken, fish, or salads.

Now that you have all this useful information, clean out your spice rack and hit the spice shop!

Dear Crockpot, Thank You For Being You

For all of those out there that are new to the kitchen, invest in a Crock Pot! It’s a wonderful invention that will bring joy to your life and to your kitchen. Go for the moderately priced, Crock Pot original brand (which will run you about $50 on Amazon). Also, be sure to get AT LEAST a 5 quart Crock Pot. If you’re cooking for just one or two, you may think the smallest one is good enough, but remember that food cooks down in a Crock Pot and the leftovers are amazing!

A Crock Pot is much more versatile that many people think. Traditional Crock Pot meals include chili, stew, and pulled pork, but once you venture out, you realize how many other dishes you can make by simply tossing a bunch of stuff together in the morning before work. I love making soups, stews, sauces, applesauce, baked desserts like traditional peach cobbler, buffalo chili, corned beef and cabbage, and even corn bread in the Crock Pot.

By far, my favorite thing to make in the Crock Pot is applesauce. It’s an easy recipe that is fantastic hot or cold, as a dessert or as a side dish, and at any time of the year. I first started making applesauce in the Crock Pot last fall when I used to receive a peck of apples each week from my CSA. It’s a simple recipe and the most time-consuming part is peeling the apples (if you want to, of course). Here’s the recipe for you to try at home!

Ingredients

• 12 large apples, cored, peeled, and chopped into cubes
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup sugar
• Juice of ½ lemon or lime
• 1 tbsp cinnamon or 3 cinnamon sticks
• 1½ tsp nutmeg or 2 nutmegs
• 1 tsp ground cloves

Directions

Throw all ingredients in the Crock Pot and cook on high for 3-4 hours or until apples break down into sauce. Add more or less spice, depending on your preference. I love my applesauce packed with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, but feel free to leave it out if it’s not your thing. My favorite types of apples to use are either gala, pink lady, or fuji, but try them all out or feel free to mix them together. Each type of apple provides its own unique flavor!

Check back for more Crock Pot recipes, including my (what I refer to as) ‘Ali’s Famous Buffalo Chili’.

Recipe of The Day: Portobello, Sweet Pea, & Seafood Risotto

Risotto is one of those dishes that many people don’t experiment with because it seems so complicated. I was one of these people but decided to branch out a few months ago and try making it! It’s best to start with basic risotto a few times before experimenting with different flavors, so this recipe is a great one to start with. It uses the traditional risotto recipe and simply adds flavorful and well-paired ingredients at the end! Serve this as a main course or a side dish.

Ingredients

• 1 quart low sodium vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp butter or margarine
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cups thinly sliced Portobello mushrooms
• 1 cup frozen sweet green peas
• ¼ cup fresh grated Asiago cheese
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp rosemary, finely crushed
• ½ pound raw shrimp, tails off and deveined
• 2 cups frozen scallops (80-120 scallops per pound)

Directions

Heat vegetable broth in a saucepan over medium heat until simmering and keep warm over low heat. Melt butter in a large skillet and add onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes until onions are just tender. Add rice and cook for another minute, stirring constantly. Add wine and cook until liquid is absorbed completely, stirring constantly. Add 1 ladle of broth and cook until broth is absorbed, stirring constantly. Continue adding broth 1 ladle at a time, stirring in between until each ladle is fully absorbed. This process should take 15 to 20 minutes.

While cooking rice, sauté mushrooms, scallops, and shrimp in olive oil in a separate saucepan until shrimp and scallops are cooked. When both pans are done cooking, stir mushroom and seafood mixture, peas, rosemary, pepper, and cheese into the risotto and cook for another 2 minutes. Serve immediately. Makes 4 main courses or 8 side dish servings.

Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge. If microwaving to re-heat, add a few tablespoons of vegetable broth or water to the risotto before re-heating and stir completely once heated. This will ensure that the risotto doesn’t dry out when re-heating.

Recipe of The Day: Butternut Squash Ginger Curry Soup

This creamy vegan soup has just the right amount of ginger, squash, and curry flavors without one overpowering the others. It’s light enough to have just a cup before your main course, but filling enough to have a bowl for your meal. There is a very light curry flavor in this soup but it is not overpowering, so don’t be scared! I got the idea to add ginger to my regular soup recipe from a fellow yogi at my yoga class this afternoon, and I’m glad I tried it!

Ingredients

• 3 cups butternut squash (about 1 medium butternut squash)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• ½ medium red onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 small piece fresh ginger root, shredded
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• ½ tsp coriander
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp tumeric
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg

Directions

To prepare the squash, cut it lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place the squash halves face down on a deep cookie sheet or baking dish with 1/2 inch of water in it. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes, or until the squash is tender. Let the squash cool before working with it. To save time when making the soup, I like to cook the squash as soon as I get it home from the store and keep it in the fridge until I’m ready to use it. Your squash will keep for 5-7 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Once the squash is cooled, scoop out the meat and put it in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot with ginger, onion, and garlic until the onions are just soft. Add the coconut milk and the vegetable broth and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the butternut squash puree and all of the spices (the last 7 ingredients) and simmer for another 10-15 minutes to allow ginger and spice flavors to infuse into the soup.

Serving suggestions: Pair with a fresh baguette, top with mint leaves, or top with coconut flakes

Recipe of The Day: Simply Healthy Banana Bread

We are all guilty of keeping brown bananas around too long in the freezer, so let’s do something about it! Banana bread is a quick way to clean out the freezer and to make a little treat for yourself, your family, or the office. Better yet, my recipe puts a healthy little twist on this classic dessert without losing the flavor!

Ingredients

• 4 to 5 over-ripe bananas, smashed
• ½ cup applesauce or 1/3 cup coconut butter
• ½ cup pure cane sugar
• ¼ cup agave nectar or honey
• ¼ cup coconut (optional)
• 10 dates, finely chopped (optional)
• 3 egg whites
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ cup bread flour
• 1 cup stone ground whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients except the flour in a large bowl until smooth. Add the flour and mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into a loaf pan lightly greased with oil and floured. Bake for 1 hour and cool on a rack. Remove loaf from the pan, slice and serve, and store wrapped in plastic. Makes 1 loaf. This recipe can also easily be doubled.

Recipe of The Day: Ahi Tuna & Sweet Potato Tacos

I made these up the other night when Caitlin and Jim were over and they were a hit! The cinnamon in the sweet potatoes is a key ingredient and adds just the right amount of kick to the potatoes. When buying ahi tuna, make sure it is fresh. If you are not going to use it within a day or two of purchasing it, freeze it immediately and thaw it in a bowl of room temperature water an hour before you use it. Non-sushi grade ahi can be seared rare, but only if it is fresh or immediately frozen and thawed right before cooking. We didn’t add cheese to our tacos, but I suggest using Monterey jack or queso blanco if you’re going to use cheese.

Ingredients

• 1 12-16 oz. ahi tuna steak, thawed if originally frozen
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 medium red onion, cut into strips
• 2 medium red peppers, cut into strips
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 10 roasted hatch green chilies, skins and seeds removed, and chopped
• 2 avocados, mashed
• 4 tbsp olive, sunflower, or sesame oil
• 1 tbsp coarse ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 12 small corn tortillas, warmed

Directions

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pan and sauté sweet potato cubes over medium-high heat until slightly tender, about 10 minutes. Add onion, pepper, 1 tsp of the garlic powder, and cinnamon and sauté 10 more minutes until onions become clear and sweet potato cubes are completely softened. Turn heat to low and cover the mixture until ready to serve.

Heat the remaining 2 tbsp oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Pat the tuna steak dry with a paper towel to get rid of excess water on the surface. Mix the black pepper, sesame seeds, salt, and the remaining tsp garlic powder in a shallow bowl or plate. Place the tuna steak in the spices and press down until the spices stick to the steak. Turn the steak over and repeat, fully coating the steak with the spice mixture.
Flash cook one side of the tuna steak in the hot oil until about ¼ inch of the steak is cooked, about 2 minutes. Flip the steak over, turn down the heat to medium, and cover the steak with a lid. Allow the tuna to cook another 3-4 minutes on this side until both sides of the steak are cooked but the center is slightly rare. Slice the tuna into thin strips.

Serve the corn tortillas, tuna, black beans, hatch green chilies, mashed avocado, and sweet potato mixture as a taco bar and let people make their own! Add shredded cheese and/or sour cream to the taco bar if you would like. Makes 12 tacos.

Substitution: If you don’t have fresh/frozen roasted hatch green chilies, you can buy them in a can, drain them, and chop them up.

Recipe of The Day: Coconut Almond Cookies

I told you to stay tuned! Earlier tonight I used the almond pulp from the almond milk I made last night and my cookies are dehydrating as I type! The reason I’m pretty confident that these will be A-mazing even though they haven’t finished drying yet is because I ate plenty of the dough! These cookies are completely vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, totally raw (i.e. no baking involved), free of artificial sweeteners, and incredibly delicious. Everything in them is directly from Mother Earth, which I think is absolutely stellar.

I do have to say that the ingredients aren’t really things the normal American has sitting in his/her cupboard so it might take a little effort to round up the ingredients, but once you make one batch, you’ll definitely need to make more almond milk just so you can whip up more of these cookies. I encourage everyone to try these out at home, and please let me know how it goes!

Ingredients

• 2 cups almond pulp (left over from making almond milk)
• 5 tbsp coconut butter or coconut oil
• ¼ cup dried coconut (unsweetened)
• 2 tbsp raw honey
• 6 pitted dates
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp of sea salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ¼ cup almond milk or coconut water

Directions

Put all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until dough is formed. If the mixture is too dry, add more almond milk, coconut water, or water. if the mixture is too wet and does not feel like moist sugar cookie dough when you roll it into a ball, add more almond pulp. Roll one-inch balls of dough and flatten between your palms to make cookies. Place cookies in a food dehydrator at 105 degrees for 10 hours until chewy. Makes about 24 cookies.

Words of Wisdom

If you do not have a food dehydrator, don’t sweat it! Place the cookies on wax or parchment paper on cookie sheets and dehydrate them in your oven. Set your oven to the lowest temperature it will go and leave the door cracked to ensure the cookies don’t dry out too much. Most ovens only go as low as 140 to 170 degrees, so keep checking the cookies every few hours. They should be good to go at about 6 to 8 hours. I also urge you to try this the old fashioned way and sit them out in the sun on a hot day! Obviously we’re nowhere near that time of year yet, but once July rolls around, dig out this recipe!

Consider using coconut oil or coconut butter to prepare everyday foods. It is a healthier alternative to butter and margarine, and the flavor is very mild. I love cooking fresh shrimp in a little coconut oil and eating it with mango and rice! More to come on ‘good fats’ in the next few weeks since I have been exploring them more lately!

Homemade Almond Milk!

After about a year of wondering how nut milks are made, I decided to do some Googling. Low and behold, I found a YouTube video showing exactly how it’s made and decided to try it for myself. It was fantastically simple and so delicious, and I still can’t believe it worked! It tastes far better than store-bought almond milk and doesn’t contain any of the additives and chemicals. I dare you to try it at home!

Start by soaking 2/3 cup raw almonds in water for no longer than 12 hours (they will begin to sprout if you soak them for longer than that). Put the almonds (you should have about 1 cup now) in a blender with 3 cups water and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Using a sprout bag or cheesecloth, pour the mixture through into a bowl and squeeze out all of the liquid from the almond pulp. Magic! Almond Milk!

If you want your almond milk sweet, pour the milk back into the blender and add 1 tbsp honey or 2 pitted, softened dates and blend until smooth. If you enjoy that vanilla flavor, blend in either 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or the seeds from 1 vanilla bean. The milk will store in the fridge for 4 days.

Note: DON’T THROW AWAY THE PULP!

I will be experimenting with making homemade almond milk ice cream and also cookies and breads to use the leftover almond pulp in, so check back over the next few days to see what I come up with!

Recipe of The Day: Cauliflower & Peas, A Twist to Traditional Aloo Mutter

Here’s a less starchy twist to the typical Indian dish Aloo Mutter (potatoes and peas). It’s another one-pan meal that’s a great way to introduce Indian food into you/your family’s routine because it doesn’t have an intense curry taste, which is sometimes overpowering to those that do not normally eat it. Serve the dish with jasmine rice or naan (check in your market’s bread section for some fantastic pre-made garlic and whole wheat naan – my favorite is the Garlic Tandoori Naan). Also, check back for more Indian recipes over the next few weeks, because I’m tapping back into my recipe reserve of Eastern cuisine!

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp ghee or olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 tsp finely chopped ginger
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 3 medium tomatoes, diced
• ½ head cauliflower, chopped
• 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen green peas
• 2-4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 cup plain yogurt or plain soy yogurt

Directions

Sauté the onion in the ghee or olive oil in a large pan over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for one more minute. Add the cumin, turmeric, and coriander and stir well. Add the tomatoes and yogurt and continue heating the mixture until it bubbles. Add the cauliflower, stir, and cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the peas and continue heating the mixture until the peas are hot. Stir in the garam masala and sprinkle fresh cilantro on top before serving. Makes 2 main courses or 3-4 side dishes. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Makes great leftovers!