Meatball Curry

I finally created a successful curry sauce that did not involve garam masala. Huzzah! Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love garam masala-based curries, but every time I try to make a different one, it ends up tasting too coriander-y or cumin-y. This one was great. I think it was the addition of eggplant that really did the trick; it totally tasted like an authentic Baingan Bharta...with meatballs of course. 

Meatball Curry Recipe:

• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp minced cilantro
• 1 minced Serrano or Thai chili
• pinch of salt

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• 1 carrot, diced
• 2 Serrano or Thai chiles, diced
• About 5 Crimini mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 Japanese purple eggplant, chopped
• 1/4 cup beef broth
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp mustard powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tbsp Greek yogurt thinned with about 2 tbsp water

In a bowl, combine the first set of ingredients. Pinch off about a tablespoon size and roll into balls. I got about 12 meatballs from 1/2 pound of beef. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook until evenly browned. Remove, place on a plate and cover with paper towel. Add the onions to the residual grease and cook until softened and beginning to brown. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant and tender. Add about 1 tbsp of beef broth to deglaze the pan and scrape up all the browned bits. Next add your carrots and chiles, cook for a couple minutes. Add your mushrooms, cook for a couple minutes until they begin to release their moisture. Add your eggplant and cook until everything begins to soften. It might seem tedious, but I found that the order in which you add the ingredients and how long you let them cook and marinate with the other flavors is really important in this dish. Now add your blend of spices (plus salt to taste) and stir to make sure all the veggies are evenly coated. Cook for a couple minutes. Add your milk, remaining beef broth and ketchup. Stir and then add the Greek yogurt. 

Bring everything to a slight boil and then reduce heat. If you like the consistency of the sauce at this point, cover and let simmer. If you want it thicker, continue to cook with lid off. After about 10 minutes, add the meatballs back to the pan and cover. Cook for 5-7 minutes and then serve with rice or naan. I used a blend of black and brown rice.

Funfetti Cake Dip

 a.k.a. Homemade Dunkaroos. Uh, YEAH.

This stuff is like crack. I served it with pretty much any snack-like thing I had in the house, but I think it would be ideal with some animal crackers. Or Teddy Grahams. Mmmm. I used Greek yogurt because I have an abundance of it, but if you don't enjoy that slight tang then I would suggest using plain or even vanilla yogurt.

Funfetti Cake Dip Recipe:

• 1/4 cup yogurt
• 3-4 tbsp funfetti cake mix
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp milk (Greek yogurt is super thick so I added to make it more akin to frosting; regular yogurt might not need)
• Extra sugar (again for the Greek yogurt because it's so tangy)

Mix it all up and consume with anything edible. Hey I bet cardboard would even taste good with it.

Pumpkin Pasta with Sausage

I got a fever, and the only prescription is more pumpkin.

Seriously, cannot get enough. I'm thinking of doing a 31-days-of-pumpkin cooking challenge; I think I could incorporate it into 1 meal every day and be ecstatic with the results. 

This recipe is super easy (start to finish in like 30 minutes), and the flavor is so unique.

Pumpkin Pasta with Sausage Recipe:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes
• 1/2 lb pre-cooked smoked turkey sausage link, sliced
• 1 tbsp fennel seed
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 3 tbsp greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• handful of fresh spinach
• 2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
• whole wheat pasta

Start bringing your pasta water to a boil. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium/medium-low heat. Add the shallot, garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and cook for a few minutes until golden. Throw in the sliced sausage, fennel and paprika and cook until it starts to release some moisture and brown. In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin, yogurt and broth and mix until smooth. Add more or less of any of those ingredients to get your desired taste/texture. Add in the saucepan, bring to a slight boil, reduce and simmer until the pasta is finished. Throw in a handful of spinach and freshly grated nutmeg and stir. Finally, add the cooked pasta, combine and serve! 

Turkish Chicken Shish Ka Bobs

There's nothing like eating chunks of delicious charred meat and veggies off of a stick, nah mean?

Pair it with some turmeric-basil-lemon rice and a spiced yogurt sauce, and you have one fine Turkish-inspired meal. This is super easy with minimal clean-up and it tastes incredible. Perfect for a summer bbq!

Turkish Chicken Shish Ka Bobs Recipe:

• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cayenne pepper, diced
• 1 cup yogurt
• 2 tsp ground cayenne pepper  
• 2 tsp cinnamon 
• 1 tsp cumin
• generous salt and black pepper
• 1/2 lemon, juice+zest
• 2 tsp Greek oregano
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• 1 tsp roasted garlic powder (optional)

• 2 chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 green bell pepper, cubed
• 1/2 red onion, cubed (see a pattern here?)
• 1 zucchini, sliced into thick circles (or cubed)
• 2 Roma tomatoes, quartered
• 2 cups Jasmine rice
• 3 cups water
• 2 tsp turmeric 
• salt and cayenne pepper  
• 3 tbsp fresh basil, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• 1 lemon, juice+zest

Combine the first set of ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Pour half of the sauce in a gallon ziplock bag, add the chicken and coat well. Set in fridge for a few hours, at least. Cover the remaining yogurt sauce and reserve for later.

When ready to grill, assemble skewers with marinated meat and assorted veggies. This recipe makes 3 large skewers. While the shish ka bobs cook, add the rice and remaining ingredients in a rice cooker (is that cheating? oh well!). Serve with leftover yogurt sauce and enjoy!

Pre-grill

Post-grill. Mmm, look at that char!