Easy Italian Meatballs

Ingredients 1 lb ground beef (80/20), optional to do half and half beef and pork but beef alone is fine in a pinch 1 large egg 1/3 cup breadcrumbs 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese 1/3 cup very finely chopped onion 3 minced garlic cloves 1 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley Instructions Preheat oven to 400 F and coat baking pan with oil. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix really well with hands. Use spoon or hands to make ~1.5 in diameter meatballs and space them on the oiled baking pan Bake for 18-20 minutes or until fully cooked through. Serve with whatever dish or by themselves. If serving by themselves, serve with marinara on the side.

July 27, 2026

African Chicken Peanut Stew

Ingredients 2 lbs chicken breasts (or thighs), cut into 1 inch cubes 1 lemon for juice Tsp salt 1Tbl vegetable oil 1 tbl oil 3 bunches green onion, white part only, sliced 1 medium onion, diced 2 large bell peppers, diced 3 large cloves garlic, minced 1.5 in. piece ginger, minced 1 tbl chili powder 2 cups chopped garden tomato 1 tsp thyme (fresh or dried) 1/2-1 tsp red pepper flakes 1/4- 1/2 jar peanut butter (see notes) 1.25 cups water or broth 1.5 cups of jasmine rice Instructions In bowl, toss chicken bits with lemon juice and salt. Let sit for 10 minutes or so. Over medium heat, in large pot on medium heat, cook chicken until white on outside, no more. Remove chicken from pot and set aside. In same pot, with more oil now, cook on medium heat green onions, onion, and bell peppers until tender. Then add garlic, ginger and chili powder. Cook, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes. Add tomatoes, thyme, red pepper flakes, peanut butter, partly cooked chicken, and water. Stir well until the peanut butter is evenly mixed. Bring to a simmer and reduce to low heat. Let simmer for 30-40 minutes. Be very careful to not use too high of a heat setting or the peanut butter will burn to the bottom of the pan. Meanwhile, cook the rice according to package directions. Serve stew over rice. Add salt to taste. Notes For peanut allergies, sunflower or almond spread works just as well. Just add a touch of raw sugar and salt to adjust the flavors. I use 1/2 jar of peanut butter and it makes the recipe a bit thicker. For more liquid texture, use no more than 1/4 jar (maybe less).

July 15, 2026

Al Pastor (Pork with Hot and Sweet Flavor)

Ingredients 1 tbsp olive oil 4 lb pork shoulder (boneless) chopped into a 2 inch chunks 1 pineapple (ripe!, can sub cans drained well as well), chopped into small chunks. Use only HALF for instant pot. Save other half for toppings on tacos or whatever. 3 tsp dried oregano 1.5 tsp cumin 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp garlic salt 1 tsp chipotle powder 1.5 cups chicken stock 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1 7-oz can chipotles in adobo sauce 1 small white onion 3 garlic cloves Instructions In food processor mince the can of chipotles/sauce, onion, half the pineapple and garlic. Add minced ingredients and rest in first section to instant pot. Cook high pressure and heat for minimum of 1 hour (preferably 1.5 hours). Release pressure. Remove meat shred, then return to pot. Ready to serve with whatever (tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, etc.) If making tacos, also grab for toppings: ...

July 15, 2026

Amazing Pesto, Tomato, Broccoli Pizza

Ingredients 4 roma tomatoes 4-5 cloves garlic sliced 1 tsp dried oregano 4 cups broccoli florets ? red onion diced Olive oil 1/4 cup prepared pesto (buying it is easier, but can make it with pesto recipe above) 2 cup shredded mozzarella or similar cheese Pizza dough recipe (this takes awhile to rise fair warning, start earlier in day) Instructions In toaster oven at 450 F, spread oil on pan or use tinfoil, place tomato halves (deseeded) cut side up and place garlic evenly in them. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with oregano. Bake for 30 minutes. This will yield them shrinking and becoming good topping size. Roast broccoli, onion and more oil in baking dish for 10 min. You can also pan fry if more convenient. Just get em tender. On your home made dough (or bought dough roll) fold the edges to make crust, and then pour/spread pesto over whole area. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese - > add toppings - > rest of cheese - more seasonings to taste (red pepper flakes, garlic salt, pepper, etc.) BAke at 375 F for 20-30 minutes until the cheese on top just starts to brown (watch it) after 20 minutes.

July 15, 2026

Apple Dutch Baby

Ingredients Main: 4 tbsp butter 2-3 apples, gala preferably 3-4 cup flour 3-4 cup whole milk, can be almond and doesn’t make difference 1/2 tsp salt 1 tbsp sugar 4 eggs Cinnamon Topping: ? cup sugar 2 tsp cinnamon Instructions Preheat oven to 400 F oven. Slice apples into 1/4 inch thick slices. Place butter into a 12" cast iron frying pan or dutch oven or whatever you go that can go in oven, and place in the oven to melt butter. In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, milk and eggs and whisk to combine. or place in a blender and pulse a few times to combine. Place the sliced apples into the bottom of the hot pan on top of the melted butter. Pour egg over apples. Work quickly so that the pan remains hot. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top of the egg mixture evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

July 15, 2026

Asian Noodle Bowl (Not Soup)

Ingredients Sauce: 1/4 cup soy sauce 2 tsp grated lime zest 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 tsp minced jalapeño (or more), or chinese chili paste 2 tsp crushed or minced garlic Toppings: 1/4 cup chopped basil 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1 cup roasted peanuts or almonds Main: 1/4 cup vegetable oil 2 cups sliced scallions (cut into 1" pieces) 6 cups thinly sliced broccoli 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes 2 tbsp grated ginger 8 oz rice stick noodles 1 tbsp dark sesame oil 4 large eggs, beaten Instructions Make the sauce, in a bowl whisk together sauce ingredients. Set sauce on the table Bring water to boil and cook noodles according to package directions Heat oil in wok or large skillet and saute scallions until soft. Stir in broccoli and cook for a few minutes until color deepens. Stir in the tomatoes and ginger and cover for about 7 minutes, or at least until broccoli is tender At same time, heat dark sesame oil in a skillet, pour in the beaten eggs and cook until the edges are set and then flip to cook the opposite side. Remove the eggs from the heat and slice into thin strips Serve each person a large bowl filled with a mix of noodles, topping and strips of fried egg. They, at the table, top with sauce, fresh herbs, and peanuts/almonds

July 15, 2026

Autumn Pot Pie (Christmas Veggie Pot Pie)

Ingredients Cheddar pastry: 2 cups all purpose white flour 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup cold butter, diced 1 cup chilled, grated sharp cheddar cheese (buy a bag of shredded cheese) 4-5 tbsp ice water Vegetable filling: 1 tbsp vegetable oil 4 cups chopped leeks (use only white and light green parts of 2 medium leeks) 2 bay leaves 1 tsp dried thyme 1 tsp dried sage (or 1 tbsp fresh) 1/2 tsp salt 2 cups green beans (cut into 1 in. lengths) 3/4 cup vegetable stock 3 cups chopped green cabbage 3 cups cubed butternut squash 3 cups sliced mushrooms Cheese Sauce: ...

July 15, 2026

Award Winning Beef or Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients 1 pound ground beef (leave out if making vegetarian) 1 russet potato diced small 2 cloves garlic 1 bell pepper diced small 1 poblano diced small 1-3 jalapeno diced small (vary # on heat desired), use seeds if desired but recommended 1 yellow onion diced small 1 tbsp vegetable oil 2 tbsp chili powder 2 tbsp cumin 2 tbsp black pepper 1 tbsp garlic salt One 20 oz can of sliced pineapple, only using the juice 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed well 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed well 1 can dark red beans, drained and rinsed well 1 can corn One 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes Saltines, shredded cheese, and sour cream for serving Instructions In large pot, use oil and cook the ground beef over medium high heat. When about halfway (few minutes), add the potatoes, garlic, and jalapenos. When beef is nearly done (another 5 minutes or so), add the veggies and all the seasoning. Cook another couple minutes constantly stirring. Note: veggies do not need to be fully cooked at this point. Add juice from pineapple jar, but not the pineapple itself. (slices of pineapple are cook’s appetizer) Simmer 1 minute or so. Add rest of the cans, make sure to rinse the beans well. Bring to simmer, stir once and cook for 30 minutes. Serve with shredded cheese, saltines, and sour cream if you have them.

July 15, 2026

Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf with Spicy Ketchup

Ingredients ? cup spicy ketchup with a little sriracha added in 2 tbsp brown sugar 2 tsp white vinegar 2 tsp Vegetable oil 1 med onion diced 3 garlic cloves minced 2 large eggs 1 tsp dried thyme 3 tsp salt 2 tsp black pepper 2 tsp garlic salt 2 tsp dijon mustard 2 tsp worcester sauce 1/2 tsp hot red pepper sauce (like sriracha or hotter) 1/2 cup milk 2 pounds ground meat (half beef and half pork (can be italian sausage too)) ? cup crushed saltine crackers ? cup minced parsley Package of thick cut bacon Instructions Mix glaze (first three ingredients) and set aside Cook onion and garlic until transparent. Mix rest of ingredients (except the bacon) in bowl well using your hands. Form that onto a greased baking sheet to a meatloaf shape. Cover with and wrap with bacon. Cover that with glaze mixture. Add more spicy ketchup as needed, Preheat and bake at 350 for 75 minutes or until cooked through completely. Serve. Serving side suggestions: mashed potatoes, greens (brussels, carrots, etc.), rice, gravy, etc.

July 15, 2026

Baked Pasta Al Cavolfiore

Ingredients Cheese sauce: 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup all purpose flour 1 quart milk, warm 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 1 tbsp dijon or other fancy mustard 1 tsp salt or more to taste 1 tsp black pepper or more to taste 2 cups shredded parmesan cheese (the good stuff NOT the powder) Vegetables and Pasta: 2 tbsp olive oil 2 cups chopped onions 5 garlic cloves, minced 2 tbsp white wine 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets 1 tsp salt or more to taste 3 cups chopped tomatoes 1/2 cup fresh basil (or more if you have it) 3 tbsp lemon juice 1 pound chunky pasta (penne is the easy choice) 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese Instructions Cheese sauce: melt butter in a heavy saucepan on medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for a couple minutes. Stir in warmed milk, whisking constantly for some time until sauce thickens. Stir in rest of the sauce ingredients and remove from heat. Set aside. Cook pasta according to package ingredients. Set aside, after draining in pot. Keep it in the pot; that will be used to mix things at the end. In a large pot on medium heat, add onions, garlic and cook covered, stirring often, until the onions are translucent. Add wine, cauliflower, and salt, cover and cook, stirring often, until cauliflower is tender. Stir in tomatoes, basil, and lemon juice and remove from heat. Preheat oven to 375 F. Oil a 13x9x2 in. pan (or deeper pan). In large pasta pot, combine everything except only half of mozzarella. Add salt and pepper to taste. Put this in pan and then top with rest of mozzarella. Bake, covered, for 20 minutes. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until bubbling and golden on top.

July 15, 2026