Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Basic Chicken Meatballs with Orecchiette in a Pumpkin Sage Cream Sauce

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OCTOBER = Husband's Birthday, Daughter's Birthday, Son's Birthday, Wedding Anniversary and Halloween ~ OR ~ poorest, fattest, busiest month E.V.E.R. :)

Basic Chicken Meatballs with Orecchiette in a Pumpkin Sage Cream Sauce

*these quick and easy Chicken Meatballs require no chopping or dicing and are perfect for kids and adults! Serve as mentioned here or with your favorite sauce!

Basic Chicken Meatballs

1 lb ground chicken
1 egg
2 pieces soft wheat bread (white would be fine)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (plus more for garnish)
1/4 tsp kosher salt
about 4 grinds fresh black pepper
2-4 T olive oil

1/2 lb Orecchiette Pasta (cooked aldente)

Click on the following link for the Pumpkin Sage Cream Sauce  (if you would like to lighten it up a bit - use half and half and omit the butter) *I also added a touch of freshly grated Nutmeg to the sauce for a little extra something :)


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl add all ingredients except for olive oil and mix together well with two spoons or super clean hands.  Once mixed together form the mixture into meatballs and place on a plate.

In large pan, (I used cast iron) heat up your olive oil until hot (about 3 minutes) add your meatballs and allow them to sit undisturbed so they can brown and crisp ~ about 2-3 minutes. Flip over to brown the other side, again 2-3 minutes.

Place all browned chicken meatballs in an oven-proof pan and finish cooking in the oven about 6-8 minutes or until the center is HOT and no longer pink.

PLATE IT:
Coat your cooked pasta with the Pumpkin Sage Cream Sauce then place on a plate. Top with Chicken Meatballs and garnish with shaved Parmesan and sage leaves if desired. (Obviously you can coat the Chicken Meatballs with the sauce too, but I like to see the meatballs atop of the pasta thus adding contrast to the dish.)  Enjoy!

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Collard Greens with Red Onion and Bacon with Black-Eyed Peas with Bacon and Pork ~ Comfort Food and Good Advice

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When my husband returned home from work the other night, he was greeted by the aroma of Smoked Pork Shoulder and Bacon being rendered down and then slowly simmered atop the stove...

You see, earlier in the day I asked him what he wanted for dinner.  I expected the usual response, "Something delicious, seems like a grilling night, right?"  But instead to my surprise the man blurts out, "collard greens cooked in bacon with some sort of beans on the side." 

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Fried Clams & a Weekend in October Down at the Beach...

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We played with binoculars on the beach...saw tons of porpoises!

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We watched Momma Seagulls plan their next move...

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We walked through ripples in the sand...

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We played in the water...in October.

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We got messy in the sand...

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We walked through dunes to get to the beach...

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and saw hundreds of Monarch Butterflies (on their migration)...

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We went to Cape May to buy seafood...

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Returned home with 36 cherrystone clams (by mistake)... they were the size of my hand!

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I scrubbed the clams down, steamed them for 3 minutes until they opened.

Removed them from their shells then dredged them in a mixture of flour and beer.

I deep fried them until golden brown. 
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I love getting to share with my children ~ the exact place I spent my summers as a little girl. It is the cycle of life.  It's tradition.  It's building memories...

but to them..."it's just sooo much fun!"
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Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Simple Scalloped Potatoes

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No time to write today...but the simplicity of these Scalloped Potatoes is well worth sharing!