Sweet & Sour Meatballs

Here's another great recipe from Melanie at Mels' Kitchen Cafe.  So quick & easy, and really tasty!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

from www.melskitchencafe.com

*Serves 4-6

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

3/4 cup quick oats

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Form into about 12 balls, each about 2 inches in diameter. Place in a casserole dish. Cover with sauce (below). Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Serve over rice.

Sauce:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon mustard

1/4 cup barbeque sauce

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Combine ingredients and blend thoroughly. Heat in a small saucepan until combined and sugar is dissolved and pour over meatballs. (This dish is not overly abundant on sauce so if you enjoy things a bit saucier, double the sauce ingredients- I did and we loved the extra sauce over our rice.)

Foil Packet Fish over Greek Orzo

You know how sometimes you find a recipe and try it, and it's just so-so?  And then other times you try one and it is WAY more amazing than you expected?  Well, this recipe definetely fits the latter description!  It was really flavorful and delicious, not to mention quick and easy, and healthy!  We loved it!

Foil Packet Fish over Greek Orzo (from Annie’s Eats)

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
8 oz. orzo (this is found in the pasta section)
10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
¼ large red onion, chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
4 oz. sliced kalamata olives (I used black olives)
1 tbsp. butter
Salt and pepper, to taste
2-3 oz. crumbled feta cheese
6 white fish fillets, about 6-8 oz. each (we used tilapia)

For the compound butter:
6 tbsp. butter, softened
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. minced fresh dill (or 1 tsp. dried)
½ tsp. lemon zest
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Heat a grill to medium-high. Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Add the orzo to the pot and cook until a few minutes shy of al dente. Meanwhile, combine the spinach, onion, tomatoes, olives, and butter in a large bowl. Drain the orzo in a fine strainer. Pour the hot pasta into the bowl with the butter and vegetables and toss gently until well mixed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cut out 6 large squares of foil, about 12-inches on each side. Divide the orzo mixture evenly between the pieces of foil, placing it over the lower half of each square of foil. Sprinkle some of the crumbled feta over each pile of orzo. To make the compound butter, combine the butter, garlic, dill, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Mix until well combined.

Spread a layer of the compound butter over each of the fish fillets. Lay the portions of fish over the orzo. Fold the foil over and crimp the edges together to seal the packets. Place the packets on the heated grill, cover, and let cook for about 12 minutes or until the internal temperature of the fish registers 160˚ F on an instant read thermometer. Remove the packets from the grill. Open the packets, being careful to avoid the steam. Sprinkle each serving with a bit of fresh dill. Serve immediately.

Tomato-Basil Parmesan Soup

I adapted this recipe from one I found on the Sister's Cafe.  They used a crock-pot, but somehow I often forget to start dinner that early, so I made it on the stove.  It was the best soup we've had in a long time!

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

2 (14oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup finely diced onions
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 Tbsp fresh oregano
1 Tbsp dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups half and half, warmed
1/2 tsp black pepper
salt, to taste (I didn't need to add any)

In a large pot or Dutch oven, combine tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, bay leaf, oregano, and basil . Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer for about 30 minutes, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.

Blend soup with an immersion blender or in batches in your regular blender. Next prepare a roux: Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour; stir constantly with a whisk for 5 to 7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup until smooth. Add another 3 cups soup and stir until smooth.

Add all back into the pot. Stir and add Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for about 10-15 minutes until ready to serve. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Shrimpo de Gallo

We first made this dip last year for one of our Superbowl snacks, and really liked it.  We had it again for New Year's Eve this year and I remembered how good it was, and that I needed to post it! I got the recipe from The Pioneer Woman's blog.

Shrimpo de Gallo

Ingredients:

1 pound Cooked Shrimp (tails Removed), Chopped
½ whole Red Onion, Diced Finely
½ cups Green Or Black Olives, Chopped
2 whole Tomatoes, Diced
2 whole Fresh Jalapeno Peppers, Minced
2 whole Avocados, Chopped
2 whole Limes, Juiced
Kosher Salt To Taste
2 cups Cilantro, Chopped

Preparation Instructions:

Combine shrimp, red onion, olives, tomatoes, and jalapenos in a large bowl. Add lime juice to taste, then a dash of kosher salt. Add cilantro. Stir gently with a spoon, then taste on a tortilla chip so you’ll have an accurate gauge of the salt content. Add more salt and/or lime juice if needed.

Chill until serving. Note that the avocado will brown if too much time passes, so if you want to make this ahead of time, leave out the avocado until just before serving.

Serve with tortilla chips!