Category: Whole30

2-Ingredient Lazy Meatballs

We all have those days. You know, when you’re up all night with a sick child (or spouse) and you walk around in a daze barely able to cope. Or when you’re just too tired or sick to even think of making supper. Cereal and milk or grilled cheese will do every now and then, but it’s great to have a quick and easy meal that’s also healthy and hearty – to fall back on.

Would you believe it if I told you that you could make meatballs with just 2 ingredients? That’s right – just TWO ingredients! It’s why I call ’em lazy meatballs. But you know what? You’d never know it. I serve these up in front of my kiddies and they are as thankful as ever. You’d think I slaved over them for hours. They’re tasty, moist and perfect over some rice or spaghetti.

Actually, speaking of spaghetti, I’ll tell you something else. I usually prepare a big batch of these babies. The first night, I serve em up over rice. Then, the next night, I take whatever’s left and mash ’em up with a potato masher. The meatballs fall apart into the marinara for a split-second “bolognese”. I spoon the meat sauce right over some spaghetti and I’m the best momma ever.

The secret to these meatballs is NOT to use lean ground beef. The extra fat keeps the meatballs moist, so you don’t need to add anything else to them. The minimal handling of the meat as well as the small size of the meatballs also contribute to their tenderness.

 

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Confetti Latkes with Harissa Sour Cream


True story. I’m somewhere late into my 9th month of pregnancy and a little something called Braxton Hicks comes to pay me a visit. If you’re not familiar, Braxton Hicks are false labor pains that feel almost like the real thing. They play with your head, make your think you’re going into labor, and sometimes even have you rushing to the hospital. Which is exactly what happened.


It’s amazing how no matter how many kids you have, you completely forget how it all goes down at the end. I suppose that memory lapse is natures way of protecting procreation. I mean, what woman in their right mind would want to go through labor ever again?


So there I was, pulling up to Mount Sinai Hospital when I caught site of a farmer’s market at the corner. Now let me explain what it’s like for a farm-fresh-veggie-loving-foodie like me to stumble upon a farmer’s market. It’s enough to stop me dead in my tracks and have me all but forget about my contractions. “I think they’re going away,” I muster to my husband as I eye the rainbow carrots in the corner crate. “Oh no you’re not!” he counters. “I promise I’ll take you to every farmer’s market in town once you have this baby!”


A couple of hours and plenty of false labor pains later, I’m back at the same corner picking farm-fresh produce.I score the most amazing purple kohlrabi, beets, carrots, baby turnips, breakfast radishes and little sugar pumpkins. The Braxton Hicks are behind me and I’m dreaming up all types of recipes as I head home on the FDR.


With farm fresh bounty in hand, this recipe practically wrote itself. I combined the kohlrabi (which is white inside, by the way), carrots and beets with some fresh beet greens to create beautiful jewel-toned latkes, that are even tastier than they are colorful. In fact, my husband brought a pan of the crispy-fried latkes to a business meeting and they were gone in seconds. He came home with rave reviews and a generous offer to take me back to the farmers market!


Other latke recipes:

pumpkin ricotta cheese latkes with cranberry maple syrup
gluten free butternut squash latkes
cheese latkes with raspberry sauce
gefilte fish latkes
snacker-crusted salmon cakes

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Butternut Squash Fries

I think you’ll agree that the very best recipes are the ones that you just came up with on the spot. They’re usually not recipes at all. Just a little of this and a little of that. Am I right?

These addictive healthy baked butternut squash fries are a great example. I whipped them up in no time, and they were gone in minutes! They’re the perfect side for a healthy burger or light dinner of grilled chicken.

What are some of your favorite last minute “no-recipe” dishes? Share them with me in the comments below!

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Melon Carpaccio

The term carpaccio is usually used to refer to thinly sliced cuts of meat or fish that are served as an appetizer. In recent years, however, chef’s have reinvented the idea of carpaccio, preparing  dishes of thinly sliced veggies or fruit, like zucchini and melon, carpaccio-style. The trick to making a carpaccio is to keep the ingredients thin and uniform by shaving them down with a mandolin or vegetable peeler. Ever since slicing my palm on a mandolin last year, I have a hard time using it without cringing, so peelers are a welcome substitute in this case!

When working with melon, you don’t want your fruit to be too ripe, otherwise the thin shavings won’t hold up after plating. They’ll let out too much juice and turn to mush. Use just-ripened fruit that’s cold (warm melon will be harder to peel) and shave it over a bowl to catch the juices. If using a mandolin or peeler doesn’t work for you, you can also slice it thinly with a knife.

What I love most about this melon appetizer, is the combination of sweet melon with spicy jalapeno and tart lime.  It celebrates the best of summer produce –  melon, tomatoes & basil – at their prime. This unconventional melon salad is not only a party on your palate, it looks beautiful on your plate too.

 

1 year ago: cherries in red wine syrup
2 years ago: fried fish sandwich

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Grilled Marinated Chicken

With Memorial Day finally here, it’s safe to say that BBQ season has officially started. While BBQ’s are a great way to enjoy the warm weather, they’re also an excuse to serve up a spread of tasty, yet not-so-healthy hot dogs, burgers and fries (and don’t forget the coleslaw and potato salad!). It’s really a shame because grilled chicken is cheaper, healthier, and quicker than all that other BBQ fare. With the right preparation, your chicken can turn out perfectly moist and full of flavor, you won’t even miss the other stuff. Leftover grilled chicken is also great on salads, in tacos, or repurposed in a chicken tortilla soup!

The best way to get your chicken to be moist and flavorful, is to marinate it for several hours. Adding oil and acid to the marinade really helps to tenderize the chicken and keep it moist. I love the bright and fresh flavor that lime juice adds, but feel free to experiment with lemon juice or vinegars of your choice.

1 year ago: salmon pasta salad
2 years ago: black bean & chorizo chocolate chili

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