Sweet & Sour Meatballs

I found this recipe years ago in my favorite cookbook, The Best of Mennonite Fellowship Meals. Everyone but Cory liked it, but it's kind of grown on him so he likes it now. It helps that he likes pineapple, because he didn't used to, and that's the main reason he didn't like this.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs (called Waikiki Meatballs in the cookbook)
Ingredients: 1-1/2 lbs. ground beef, ground turkey (or a combination) 2/3 cup cracker crumbs (20 crackers) 1/3 cup minced onion 1 egg 1-1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. ginger 1/4 cup milk	2 T. cornstarch 1/2 cup brown sugar 20-oz. can pineapple tidbits or chunks 1/3 cup vinegar 1 T. soy sauce 1 green pepper, chopped

Directions:

1. Thoroughly mix ground meat, cracker crumbs, onion, egg, salt, ginger and milk. Shape into balls, place on baking sheet and bake at 350° until browned.
2. When meatballs are done, in large skillet combine cornstarch and sugar. Stir in pineapple juice, vinegar and soy sauce until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Add meatballs, pineapple tidbits and green pepper. Heat through.
3. Serve with steamed rice. We like brown rice and also some chow mein noodles on top.

I usually make the meatballs a day or two ahead of time and refrigerate them. Then, when I'm ready to use them, I just pull them out. Also, by changing the seasonings and adding some garlic and Italian seasoning, these meatballs are great for spaghetti. Oftentimes I'll use half of them for spaghetti and freeze the other half to use another time. Yes, I know you can buy frozen meatballs in the grocery store, but I'm sure these are better, and they cost less too.

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Sourdough Pancakes

I found the original recipe, and then changed it. Mostly I increased it, added whole wheat flour, and made the batter thicker. The original recipe made some very thin pancakes, and we like ours to have some substance to them. Here's my recipe for sourdough pancakes:

Sourdough Pancakes
Ingredients:

• 1 cup sourdough starter (see recipe)
• 3 cups lukewarm water
• 3 cups whole wheat, 1 cup white flour
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4-1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

1. Combine the starter, flour and water in a large non-reactive bowl. Beat until smooth, place the bowl in a warm place, cover and let it stand until morning. (Be sure to replenish your starter by adding 3/4 cup all-purpose flour and 3/4 cup water; let stand until next morning; then refrigerate.)
2. Next morning, add the sugar, salt, oil, and eggs.
3. If desired, add the additional flour for a thicker batter. To avoid lumps, sprinkle half the flour on top of your batter, let sit for a few minutes and then slowly stir it in. Repeat until you get the desired consistency.
4. Dissolve baking soda in 1 tablespoon or so of water and mix into batter.
5. Heat a lightly greased griddle or skillet over medium heat (375°F - 190°C). Griddle is ready when a few drops of water bubble and skitter rapidly around.
6. For each pancake, ladle batter onto hot griddle. Cook pancakes until surface is covered with bubbles and pancakes appear dry around the edges. Turn and cook other side until golden brown.

Yum! Serve with syrup and bananas or peaches or whatever fruit you like on your pancakes.

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Baked Oatmeal

I've been eating oatmeal practically every morning for breakfast. I usually add raisins and sometimes bananas. While my parents like to eat their oats uncooked, and I really like them that way too, there's just something about a warm bowl of oatmeal on a cold winter's morning.

My kids like a good bowl of oatmeal, too, but when I tried this recipe, everyone fell in love with it. It's hard to believe, but when I first started making this I noted in the cookbook to just make 1/2 the recipe. Nowadays they beg me to double it!

Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients: 1/2 cup oil 2 eggs, beaten 1 cup sugar, part brown 1 cup milk

3 cups oatmeal 2 t. baking powder 1 t. salt

Directions:

1. Combine oil, eggs and sugar. Add milk. Stir in oatmeal, baking powder, and salt.
2. Pour into greased 13x9 and bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes. Serve with milk.

Source: The Best of Mennonite Fellowship Meals (best cookbook ever!)

I think we'll be having this for breakfast tomorrow.

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Turkey Potato Soup

I cooked a turkey this week. The kids complain that when I cook a turkey we have to eat turkey for weeks! It's really not that bad. We do have turkey for a few meals - last night was turkey, some baked sweet potatoes and potatoes drizzled with a little olive oil and salt and pepper, and green beans. Simple but delicious. Today I'll be making this soup. It's a recipe I adapted from a couple other recipes.

Turkey Potato Soup

Ingredients: 4 cups peeled, diced potatoes 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1 cup grated carrot 1 stalk celery, finely chopped 1 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 1 T. dried parsley flakes

1 tsp. rosemary 4 chicken bouillon cubes 6 cups scalded milk 4 T. butter 1/4 cup flour 2 cups chopped cooked turkey

Directions:

1. In large Dutch oven or kettle combine potatoes, onion, carrot, celery, salt, pepper, rosemary and bouillon cubes. Add enough water to just cover vegetables.
2. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Do not drain.
3. Scald milk by heating until tiny bubbles form around edges of pan. Remove 1-1/2 cups milk from saucepan. Stir butter and flour into this milk with a wire whisk.
4. Add remaining milk to vegetables.
5. Gradually stir thickened milk into kettle until well blended.
6. Add turkey and simmer 15 minutes on low heat or until heated through.

This is so good! Don't forget the crackers.

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Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

I found this recipe quite a while ago and printed it out, but I never actually made it until last week. I'm really liking it.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili
Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 large sweet potato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• Zest and juice of 1 lime
• 1 28-can diced tomatoes
• 4 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained (or 6 cups freshly cooked)
• 1 jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 1 cup chopped cilantro leaves, washed and dried

Directions

1. Warm the oil in a large pan over medium heat and add the onion, red pepper, garlic, and salt. Saute until soft, about 4 minutes.
2. Add the sweet potato and lime zest, and cook 10 to 15 minutes more, continuing to stir occasionally.
3. Add the tomatoes, black beans, jalapeno, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and cocoa, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Serve over brown rice, if desired, with lime wedges and cilantro, or with corn bread, biscuits, or taco chips alongside.

Serves 6

Adapted from The Great American Detox Diet, by Alex Jamieson (Rodale Press, 2005) and posted at Care2.com

I didn't have a red pepper, so I used about 1/2 cup of frozen chopped green pepper, and I also substituted a hot pepper I had in the freezer for the jalapeno chile pepper. I don't remember exactly what kind of peppers they were.

I used 3 small to medium sweet potatoes and cooked my own black beans. In step 3 I simmered this stew for 45 minutes to an hour because I wanted my sweet potatoes nice and soft. I served it over brown rice with cornbread muffins, and it was yummy! Next I'm thinking about trying this recipe for Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas.

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