Posts tagged ‘appetizer’

May 22, 2013

Barbecue Turkey Meatballs

by Shannon

I’m sickened by the recent tornadoes lately.  A tornado hit the town in Texas my sweet sister lives in over the weekend and I don’t think I’ve gripped my phone any tighter than I did in those moments when she was texting me.  And now I’m tortured by the coverage of the Moore, Oklahoma tornado.  I grew up in Central Illinois where tornado drills in school were as common as fire drills and a tornado warning still instills paralyizing fear within me.  I even remember a storm hitting our town when I was around 7 or 8 and the tornado alarm went off, resulting in us lining up in the elementary school hallway, crouching down on the floor with arms wrapped around our heads as the older kids crouched over us.  I remember looking down the long hallway out the door and seeing the outside sky such a disturbing color of black that I was certain the school would collapse on top of us.  Even now as an adult and no longer living in a tornado zone, I’m still scared to death of tornadoes and my heart breaks for the people of Oklahoma.

On a much, much lighter note, I made these Barbecue Turkey Meatballs this past weekend.  Luckily, they made enough that I have been heating them up and eating them for a quick dinner each night while I watch TV.  I eat them plain, but obviously they would be perfect with some pasta.  Slightly sweet, slightly smoky and totally tasty, these are perfect for when you need a quick bite.

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The ingredients:

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Place brown sugar, vinegar, spices and tomatoes in a blender; blend until smooth.

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Combine turkey, breadcrumbs, and chili powder in a large bowl; using wet hands, shape into 16 meatballs.

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Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly coat pan with cooking spray. Add meatballs; cook 2 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Add tomato mixture to pan; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 6 minutes or until the meatballs are done.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Cooking Light magazine

May 1, 2013

Lemon-Horseradish Dip

by Shannon

I keep forgetting how much I like horseradish.  It’s one of those things that I eat and think Why haven’t I been eating this on my turkey sandwiches my whole life?  But then I’ll go and have another turkey sandwich and still forget to pull out the horseradish.  So when I had a friend coming over and nothing in the way of appetizers to prepare quickly, I was reminded of this good old standby.  And since I usually have Greek yogurt and lemons in my refrigerator, this Lemon-Horseradish Dip pretty much could have made itself.

Plain non-fat Greek yogurt is mixed with horseradish and lemon zest.  Can’t get much easier than that.  This is a light unassuming dip that will perfect for those moments when you need something really quick.  It’s great for dipping whatever you have on hand also – vegetables, crackers, or chips.  This recipe was on a page from Real Simple magazine about uses for Greek yogurt and I’ve now made each one.  Check out the other recipes for quick and easy dips here:

Sweet Raspberry Dip

Spinach-Pesto Dip

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The ingredients:

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In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, horseradish, lemon zest, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

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Serve with chips and vegetables if desired.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Real Simple magazine

March 19, 2013

Black Bean Salsa-Stuffed Peppers

by Shannon

As I write this I’m staring at my big orange suitcase, affectionately known as The Pumpkin, which is 99% packed for my annual girls trip to Vegas.  It can’t come fast enough.  By this time tomorrow morning, the first day of Spring (applause!), I’ll be on a plane trying to keep myself busy enough for the 5 plus hours to go by quickly so I can start gambling, sunning, drinking, betting, and overall partying.  In preparation for the trip and any decadence coming my way, my friend and I endured a week-long cleanse last week, which I won’t bore you with, and I have been super-strict since.  These Black Bean Salsa Stuffed Peppers were made before the cleanse but they are healthy enough to have anytime you are watching your waistline.  I kind of wish I had them now.

Black beans are mixed with fresh tomato, serrano chile, cilantro, oregano and extra-virgin olive oil and spooned into bright, crisp peppers.  The recipe ends there, suggesting to enjoy these stuffed peppers as a cold plate or appetizer with some chips.  But I took it a step further and threw those bad boys in the oven with a little water, covered in foil, and baked them at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.  How you choose to eat this is up to you but the cooked version made these feel more like a meal to me.  If you want to get even crazier, add a little ground meat with the beans or top them with a little cheese when baking.  This is a great dish for a vegetarian in your circle of peeps or just as-is for a healthy meal, cooked or not.

I won’t have another post this week due to my little vacay but I’m hoping to have some photos to share via Instagram here.  In the meantime, Happy Spring!

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The ingredients:

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In a medium bowl, combine the black beans, tomato, onion, chile, cilantro and oregano. Stir in the EVOO; season with salt.

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Slice off the top third of each bell pepper. Discard the stems and finely chop the remaining flesh from the tops; add to the bean mixture. Keeping the bell pepper bowls intact, discard the ribs and seeds.  Place the bell pepper bowls on a platter (trim a bit off the bottom if they’re wobbly) and fill with the bean mixture. Serve with tortilla chips, if desired, or bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:

  • Red onion

Substitutions:

  •  Jalapeño pepper

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine

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