Quick and Healthy – Greek Turkey Meatballs

My husband and I have been looking at new places to rent and I keep running into the same problem – Small Kitchens!  Some places have less counter space than we have now, which I thought was impossible! When will builders begin making what I want? A house that is half kitchen! I don’t need a bigger bedroom – all I do is sleep in there! Give me a big kitchen.

Sigh. In the meantime, I continue to bake away in the tiny kitchen we have now.

I have been making these meatballs a lot lately. Mainly because they are so versatile. You could easily double this recipe for a small family and use the leftovers to make, meatball sandwiches, toss with pasta, or eat with some roasted vegetables. They are packed with flavor too. Really, these should be called healthier-than-sausage meatballs because they taste a lot like pork sausage, but with much less fat. I like to eat them with tzatziki and pita.

And just wait to see how easy they are to make.

A Delectable Endeavors original

1 lb of ground turkey

1/2 cup of breadcrumbs (I like panko)

1 large egg

1/3 of an onion finely minced

red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp cracked oregano

1/4 cup of crumbled feta

Mix everything together with your hands. Form into 1 inch large balls.

You have 2 choices for baking. 1. Lightly spray a baking pan and bake them at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes. 2. Lightly spray a saute pan and cook them until nicely brown on all sides and cooked all the way through.

Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Remember how I said I was going to make more vegetarian food?  Here’s a doozy.

When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to made it. Stuffed shells sound and seem like a fancy meal, but they are actually quite easy. Shells are quite forgiving. Even if you tear one, you can just stuff it with some delicious filling and bake away – no one will even notice! And although this is a special-looking dish, it is easy enough to make any night of the week, rounded out with a nice salad.

Adapted from Spoon Fork Bacon

approximately 25 jumbo pasta shells

2 Tbls olive oil 

1 1/2 cup marinara sauce

1/3 cup Parmesan, grated

1 to 1 1/2 cups fresh spinach, washed and torn into pieces

2 cups part-skim ricotta

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 shallot, minced

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tablespoon basil, minced

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour marinara into the bottom of a 8 x 8 pan.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add salt, pasta and stir. Cook the pasta until al dente, according to box instructions. Drain pasta and toss with olive oil while still warm.

In a large bowl, mix ricotta, egg, shallot, basil, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Using a spoon, scoop a small about (about a Tablespoon) into each shell, then place shell into the baking dish, on top of sauce. Top with parmesan cheese.

Lightly spray a piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover baking pan. Cover pan with sprayed side down, facing the shells. Tightly cover the pan and bake for 20 minutes. Then, remove foil and continue to bake for approximately 5 more minutes or until parmesan bubbles. Remove from oven and let set for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Italian Baked Pork Chops

As promised, I bring you another one skillet dish!  This is probably one of my favorite one skillet dishes because its really classy and delicious, but simple and easy.  It would be great for a group of people because its cheap too!

I came up with this dish thinking about toppings for pork chops.  I used the generic name of Italian-baked chops because it uses some classic italian flavors like tomato and garlic.  It really is a great way to serve pork.

I’m trying out a new format with more pictures, so let me know if you like it.

These are the only ingredients you need to make a delicous baked pork chop meal.

2 pork chops

2 shallots, chopped

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 can (14.5 oz) of diced tomatoes (I prefer the ones with garlic and basil)

1 – 2 Tablespoons for olive oil

1 Tablespoon of red wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Pasta, as you like

Step 1:  Sear the pork chops

The pork chops look strangely different because they are.  My boyfriend prefers this dish with smoked, bone-in chops, and I prefer it with lean, bone-out chops.  So, this dish is versatile in that effect as well.  First liberally salt and pepper each side of the chops.  Then warm the olive oil over medium heat and add the chops, searing on each side for about 5-7 minutes.

Step 2: Add the shallots and garlic.

As you see, I added the chopped shallots and garlic directly to the pan.  Mix them around the pan.  This will lap up the delicious pan drippings, making the dish even tastier.  Cook them in the pan for a good 3 minutes, until fragrant.

Step 3:  Add tomatoes and vinegar.

Deglaze the pan by adding the red wine vinegar.  Then add canned tomatoes, juice and all.  Season with salt and pepper liberally again.  Turn the pork chops one last time, and turn the heat down to a light simmer.  Let this savory mixture cook on low for 20 – 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.

Step 4:  Add some pasta, if you’d like!

Lastly, I like to add a little pasta to sop up the yummy sauce.  It doesn’t need much, though!  A 1/2 a cup per person is plenty.