Turkey Meatballs (And a winery adventure)

Another installment in the "Mo's Kitchen Escapades" lead me to crafting my own meatball recipe. After a day of wine tasting in the Temecula Valley, I needed something simple and easy to tackle for dinner. And as I mentioned before, I am also trying to systematically stock the freezer with easy to reheat meals.

Our adventures in wine tasting were incredibly successful. We visited three different wineries, definitely peaking at our second stop, which also included lunch. Lunch, though, if you could call it that, was exactly the reason why I needed something for dinner that would not wrek havoc on my very confused tummy.

The winery that we grabbed lunch at offered an amazing concoction--a sourdough breadbowl filled with melted brie. It may not sound that amazing, but let me tell you--this concoction was incredible. The amount of wine we had consumed may have also contributed to my awe, but I don't think my tastebuds were lying. They were rejoicing.

When we first walked into the winery, we walked by baskets that were brimming with fresh, hot and steaming loaves of sourdough. The three of us looked at each other, reached out and touched the warm bundles and instantly agreed that that bread needed to be a part of our visit. Generous pours of fruit-flavored sparkling wines (think: pineapple, raspberry, peach, etc.) and five tastes apiece that turned in to more like 10, we decided it was time to explore our sourdough future.

For $16, we received what I have concluded was bread and cheese nirvana. The sourdough was warm and the crust was crispy and perfect. Peeling back the top layer of bread revealed a buttered garlic bread layer, which thinly veiled the gooey cheese perfection below. The three of us had no problem putting away a bread bowl that was roughly the size of a soccer ball. And we were not ashamed.

We followed this winery stop with an impulse detour into a winery that boasted chocolate wines. We were intrigued when we had initially passed this winery on our way to our other stops. So, as we were headed home, we decided it was necessary to explore this chocolate option.

And necessary doesn't always mean good. We tried them. And they were chocolate. We weren't entirely sure they were "wines," but we did have a good time creating our own tasting notes. From spiked chocolate milk (or Bailey's), to stale Dollar Store chocolate, to Cherry Dimetapp and Boone's Farm and finally Chocolate Mouthwash, the samples were... eclectic? Needless to say, these flavors, on top of the bubbly, real wines and pounds of cheese and bread we had consumed, did not sit well. Turmoil was definitely taking hold in our tummies.

After some serious napping and several gallons of water, I emerged from my chocolate-cheese-carb coma and began fumbling around the kitchen to try and scrape together something for dinner that would not send my already unhappy stomach into further sickening spirals.

The fridge boasted onions, eggs, milk and ground turkey. The pantry had ample spices. It was an easy choice---meatballs were easy to make and the flavors were mild enough that my tummy ache would subside. Plus, I could easily make a large batch and put together some little pasta dishes for the freezer. Added bonus: I could take another power nap while the meatballs baked.

Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey (lean)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs (I used Italian style)
• 1 T garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon horseradish
• 1 T red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1 T minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. Spray a baking sheet with non stick spray.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix all of the ingredients together. If the mixture will not hold it's shape, add more breadcrumbs.
4. Shape the mixture into golf-ball sized mounds and place them on the baking sheet.
5. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
6. Toss your meatballs on top of your favorite pasta and sauce!

Kitchen Pantry Enchiladas

Every where I go, I inevitably make a home for myself. Growing up in a small town gave me a need to connect with my surroundings and find friendly faces in any crowd. While I found this smothering when I was in high school, my move to San Diego for college suddenly left me craving the familiarity of my tiny hick town.

So, naturally, I became a part of the Residential Education program (working in the "dorms," for those of you who don't speak ResEd). I started out as a Desk Assistant and eventually applied to be a Resident Adviser... Before I knew it, I had recreated my small community, more than 1,000 miles away from home. Again I had the friendly faces in the crowd, the constantly available resources and the support system that I didn't know I would miss so much.

When I finished college, I was at a loss. No longer was I living in the residence halls, surrounded by other students who relied on me and needed my assistance. I hadn't anticipated that graduation would leave me feeling lonely and abandoned (again) and I quickly resorted to my old ways to try and recreate my community. I became a property manager for graduate student housing, keeping my connection to SDSU alive and working adjacent to all my friends in the Residential Education office. I stayed active in the halls, working as an assistant to Hall Coordinators and I was never far from my old ResEd friends. Additionally, starting my credential program (along with another ResEd graduate and vet) exposed me to a whole new community to connect with. While I didn't form as many bonds in my teaching credential program as I had during my days as an RA, I became fast friends with a small group of fellow teacher candidates in my cohort. I also found a family of my own within the school communities I started working in.

I learned quickly during my time student teaching that the connections you create with your colleagues can have a huge impact on the quality of your teaching experience. Sure, the kids are a part of the equation, too, but having other teachers to vent to, laugh with, talk smack about the students with, etc. is an important outlet as well. I was very lucky to be in two different schools that had create cooperative working environments among the staff. The Matador Pride program at Mount Miguel demonstrated an entertaining, good cop/bad cop, tough love approach to team teaching. My cooperating teacher team taught at-risk students in English and Social Science. When I was at La Presa Middle School, the grade level teams that the school modeled showed me how great of a resource other teachers could be, outside of the classroom. I loved the banter between my cooperating teacher and her peers during "Lunch Bunch," and I had so much fun being a part of the ladies circle that was actually our official "prep" period--even thought it was often a group of four or five english teachers gabbing while grading.

When I completed my student teaching, finding a school with an outstanding faculty community wasn't exactly at the top of my list. At the time, I just wanted a job. Any job. And what would I know about camaraderie among the staff based on a job posting or interview?

But it didn't take me long after being hired at Orange Glen to begin to build my own family. First and foremost, I found myself an on-campus mommy. My department chair, and coincidentally one of the people on my hiring panel, took me under her wing early on and made sure that I felt supported and had resources whenever I needed them. From day one, she's been on of the people that I know has my back, believes in me and is proud of what I have been able to accomplish at OG. As such, we've become more than just work friends.

Sitting and typing this now, I am snuggled up between her two lab puppies, while she treks across the world on a European adventure. I'll be calling Rainbow home for the next several days, as I house sit and dog sit while my on-campus mommy gets to have a much-needed vacation. And while I'm here, I'm making sure my biggest supporter is taken care of. My plan for the next four days? Prep meals that are easy to freeze and reheat and leave a freezer full of delicious dinners when I go!

The first on the list are "Throw in whatever I find in the pantry" enchiladas---and they were a hit! They are exactly what they sound like. I opened the fridge, saw some tortillas, an avocado and cheese. I stuck my head in the pantry and spied some enchilada sauce and chiles and black beans and I instantly knew what was on the menu. I'd venture a guess that the items I included are found in MOST pantries... So, you don't think you know what to make for dinner? Think again.

Kitchen Pantry Enchiladas

Inspired by  Mo's Kitchen Pantry

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 6-8 corn tortillas
• 1 T taco seasoning
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can green chiles
• 1 can corn
• 1 can sliced black olives
• 1 can green enchilada sauce
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Cook the chicken, seasoning with the taco seasoning (or a mixture of cumin, chili powder and garlic salt). Once it cools, shred the chicken into small pieces.
2. Spray an 8x8 baking dish with non stick cooking spray.
3. Pour about 1/3 of the can of enchilada sauce into a shallow bowl.
4. Drain all of the canned ingredients (except the enchilada sauce).
5. Transfer the drained ingredients into a bowl. Add the avocado and onion.
6. Take one tortilla, coat both sides with enchilada sauce (by dipping in the bowl).
7. Spoon about two tablespoons of the mixture down the center of the tortilla. Add about a table spoon of chicken. Top with cheese.
8. Roll the tortilla tightly and place it seam side down in the baking dish.
9. Repeat steps 6-8 until all the tortillas are filled and the dish is tightly packed.
10. Pour the remainder of the enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas.
11. Sprinkle any left over ingredients over the top of the enchiladas.
12. Top with cheese.
13. Cover with foil.
14. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes, removing the foil with 15 minutes remaining.
15. Enjoy!

Spinach & Artichoke Chicken

It's been way too long since my last post. There are many reasons why my postings came to a halt, but there is no need to waste the time or energy explaining them now. The short version is that life happened and I had to prioritize my time commitments in order to survive. Bad news for a blogging hobby that, while fun, isn't necessary for survival or sanity.

The good news, though, is that I am back. And it's summer. And I've got daylight and energy to burn.

So let's get right to it, shall we?

There are certain things that I am literally obsessed with. One of those things is artichoke hearts. I remember, as a kid, sitting at the counter in our kitchen, while my dad made artichokes in the pressure cooker. He'd scoop the veggies out (are the vegetables? Flowers? I don't really know.) and place them in front of my sister and me, with a bowl of melted butter and a bowl of mayo. And we would go to town, scraping our teeth along the leathery leaves and pulling the meat off of the fronds into our mouths. I'm not sure we even came up for air before we made it to the hearts, which we would wait for our dad to cut out of the base for us, so we could eat them with our fingers, again, dunking them in butter and mayo. I am sure that you are --sooooo-- shocked to hear that I had a weight problem growing up, right? (Somehow, though, my sister has always been svelte and petite... Clearly, I got the short end of the stick when it came to the metabolism genes.)

These days, you won't find me dousing anything in butter and the thought of mayo makes my skin crawl and the back of my throat itch. My eating habits have definitely changed (for the better) over the last several years and I have learned how to incorporate things I have always loved in much, much healthier ways.

If you're a fan of spinach-artichoke dip, then you absolutely MUST try this recipe. The flavors are spot on, rich and delicious, but the recipe significantly reduces all of the calories by leaving out fatty ingredients like cream cheese and mayo. I made this for dinner the other night and had to seriously restrain myself from having a second helping--I wasn't hungry anymore, but it was THAT GOOD.

Skinny Spinach & Artichoke Chicken

recipe adapted from EmilyBites.com

A lightened up version of something everyone loves!

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup low fat cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt (plain)
• 2 T minced garlic
• 1/4 chopped onion
• 1/2 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
• 5 oz fresh spinach, chopped
• 1/4 cup feta cheese
• 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spray your baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts and place them in the baking dish (it's fine if they overlap some).
4. Place the breasts in the oven and bake them for 15 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
5. In a large bowl, mix together all the other ingredients, except for the mozzarella cheese.
6. After 15 minutes, remove the chicken breasts from the oven. Drain any liquid that may have accumulated while baking.
7. Top the breasts with the spinach and artichoke mixture. Spread the topping evenly over the dish.
8. Sprinkle the mozzarella across the top of the dish.
9. Bake for an additional 25 minutes.

Based on the original recipe (which I have eliminated cream cheese and mayo from), this was roughly 250 calories per breast serving.