half and half – Page 2 – The Pajama Chef

Main Dishes, Quinoa, Recipes, Sides, Turkey

Mystery Dish: Minty Turkey Meatballs with Quinoa + Cookbook Giveaway

August 29, 2014August 30, 2014 Sarah

These Minty Turkey Meatballs with Quinoa are tied together with a creamy mint-almond pesto. An easy, healthy dinner that comes together quickly!

I had a really tough time with this month’s Mystery Dish. I’m not sure why–pretty much ALL the ingredients on the list are things I love. I was just uninspired I guess. But I don’t think my recipe reflects that… this meal was pretty darn delicious. Andi from Weary Chef was our host and she asked us to use three ingredients from this list: pistachios, wine, mint, gluten-free flour, red pepper flakes, fish, agave nectar, applesauce, blueberries, parmesan cheese, milk, and corn.

A couple weekends ago, we were going to grill turkey burgers [Ben makes a to die for turkey burger with Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper] but we were rained out and I had some ground turkey thawed in the fridge. We could have grilled indoors, but instead I decided to make some Mystery Dish magic with these Minty Turkey Meatballs with Quinoa. And you guys… they are so good! I love a good turkey meatball anyway, but add some fresh mint to your typical garlic and onion mixture and they’re definitely amped up a notch. To fulfill the ingredient requirement, I used gluten free flour to help hold the meatballs together and red pepper flakes instead of normal black pepper. In hindsight, I wish I would have used more flour because the meatballs didn’t hold together super well. Though that was three ingredients, I decided to make the flavors even more apparent by making a mint pesto to serve over the meatballs and to toss with the quinoa I decided to serve on the side. If quinoa isn’t your thing, try rice, pasta, or some other grain/starch. Though my pesto wasn’t a true pesto it was still pretty addictive and a great sauce that was nutty, minty, and creamy all at once.

The mint in this dish balances perfectly with the crushed red pepper. I was somewhat generous with the red pepper flakes, but it was definitely an approachable level of spiciness so if you aren’t a spicy person you’ll be okay here. I was supposed to tell you that that description was Ben’s idea, and I was threatened with a lawsuit if I didn’t. 🙂 Ha ha, a lawsuit from my husband. Moving on… I loved how minty this dish is… enough flavor to make things interesting but not so much you think you’re eating toothpaste. I love having a great repertoire of healthy, easy dinners and I know this dish will go into my usual rotation. Hope you give it a try!

And, as a special treat since we’ve been Mystery Dishin’ it up for a YEAR now [whoa], we have a special giveaway for our lovely readers… copies of cookbooks from MasterChef Season 3 Winner Christine Ha and Season 4 Winner Luca Manfe! I wish I could win! Go HERE to enter.

Enjoy!

one year ago: Roasted Peach Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel
two years ago: Brown Rice, Feta, and Tomato Salad
three years ago: Healthy “Fried” Rice –> I make this ALL the time with different veggies, meat, and/or tofu. A must try!
four years ago: Cornmeal Pizza Dough in the Breadmaker

Minty Turkey Meatballs with Quinoa

Servings: 4
Time: 40 minutes
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Ingredients:

for meatballs

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green onion, diced
3 sprigs fresh mint, finely chopped
3 tablespoons tapioca flour [or other flour, gluten free or otherwise + more if you need it]
1 egg
1 pound ground turkey
crushed red pepper flakes, about 1/2 teaspoon or to taste

for quinoa

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water [or stock if preferred]
1 cup prepared pesto [above]

for pesto

1 cup loosely packed fresh mint
1/3-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2-4 tablespoons half and half
1/4 cup almonds
2 tablespoons parmesan
crushed red pepper flakes, about 1/4 teaspoon or to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat a large skillet with 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for the meatballs–garlic, green onion, mint, flour, egg, turkey, and crushed red pepper flakes, to taste. Mix well with your hands, then shape into 16 meatballs. Place half the meatballs in the preheated skillet and cook on each side for about 2 minutes per side until browned all over. Remove meatballs from skillet and place in a large oven safe dish, misted with cooking spray if not nonstick. Repeat with remaining meatballs then bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until cooked through.

While meatballs are cooking, prepare quinoa according to package directions. Bring rinsed quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 15 minutes until all water is absorbed.

Prepare pesto by combining mint, 1/3 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons half and half, and almonds in a food processor. Pulse until combined, adding more oil and/or half and half if desired. Stir in parmesan and red pepper flakes to taste. Pesto yields about 1 cup.

When quinoa is ready, pour about 3/4 cup pesto in the quinoa and stir to combine. Serve meatballs with quinoa and reserved mint pesto, along with sides like green beans or crusty bread.

Be sure to check out what my Mystery Dish pals whipped up this month:

Tuna Tacos with Avocado Corn Salsa by The Weary Chef
Blueberry Scones by Yummy Healthy Easy
Parmesan Crusted Tilapia by Culinary Couture
Minty Berry Fruit Roll Ups by I Want Crazy
Baked Blueberry Donuts by Chez CateyLou
Hearty Minestrone Soup by Joyful Healthy Eats
Blueberry Lemon Pannacotta with Pistachio Tuilles by Flavor the Moments
Minty Turkey Meatballs with Quinoa by The Pajama Chef
Blueberry Crumb Coffee Cake by I Dig Pinterest
Pistachio Drop Scones with Blueberry Compote by The Well Floured Kitchen
Grilled Corn & Blueberry Flatbread with Whipped Goat Cheese, Pistachios, and Basil Vinaigrette by Baking a Moment
Pistachio Crusted Tilapia and Peach Salad by Blahnik Baker

Linked up with: Weekend Potluck.

Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes

Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce

January 18, 2011February 1, 2016 Sarah

This Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce has been a family favorite for many years now. My mom first made this dish after watching an episode of Everyday Italian with Giada De Laurentiis. Now we’ve made it many a times and absolutely love the rich, creamy, cheesy pasta. Though the recipe seems a bit intimidating [bechamel sauce… what?], it’s really quite simple.

Though we don’t make it exactly like Giada all of the time, our substitutions are few and equally tasty, usually adding a bit of health and cost benefits. We use turkey smoked sausage for the prosciutto, fat free half and half for the whole milk, and less butter than suggested. One area that I would not recommend a substitution is with the cheese. Yes, fontina is a little expensive… but it is without a doubt worth it. I’ve tried using mozzarella and the rich taste of the dish is lost with a milder cheese.

However you try this pasta, like Giada, like me, or in a new way, you’re sure to enjoy the rich, smooth, luscious taste of this fabulous baked pasta. But as a warning… it is highly addictive. Especially cold out of the fridge at odd hours of the day or night. Not that I know or anything though…

Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce

Servings: 12
Time: 60 minutes
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from Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 quart half and half, at room temperature [really important to be at room temperature, it makes the sauce stellar!]
pinch of nutmeg
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated fontina, divided
1/2 pound smoked turkey sausage, julienned
1 pound dried rigatoni

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

First, make the bechamel sauce. Melt the butter in the saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth, approximately 2 minutes. Gradually add the half and half and stir constantly until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. This should take about 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat, then stir in nutmeg, 1/2 cup fontina, and smoked sausage. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the rigatoni and cook for about 5 minutes. The pasta will be cooking further in the oven so it’s important to make sure the inside is still slightly hard. Drain pasta and return to pot. Stir in bechamel sauce and mix well to coat. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Top with remaining fontina. Bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.

Can be made up to a day ahead, refrigerated, and then baked right before serving—just leave out at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes before baking or add a few minutes on to the baking time.

Question of the Day: What food do you sneak out of the fridge at odd hours?

Cupcakes, Desserts, Recipes

Maize and Blue Cupcakes

October 13, 2010December 11, 2015 Sarah

My dad’s birthday was last weekend, and to celebrate, my parents and sister came down to Bloomington for the weekend. We hung out at home and went to the Indiana/Michigan football game. My dad is a huge Michigan fan [born in Ann Arbor; it’s in his blood!] so when I asked him what kind of cake he wanted, he said, maize and blue, kind of as a joke, I think.

Maize & Blue Cupcakes... perfect for the diehard U of M fan! — Cupcake tower!

My initial thought with that request was something lemon and blueberry. However, I quickly nixed that idea because my dad isn’t the biggest fruit lover you’ll ever meet, so I thought I should find a recipe that he would love. It was for his birthday after all. After spending some time researching recipes and scouring cake supply stores, I finally found something that would work: food coloring.

I chose to make cupcakes out of a simple white cake and buttercream frosting, and use gel food coloring to dye the cupcakes and frosting. I dyed half the cupcakes and half the frosting maize, and the other half of each blue. Frost the maize cupcakes with blue frosting and frost the blue cupcakes with maize frosting… and you have a true Michigan cupcake dream! Next time I’ll have to be more adventurous with the decorating. I can’t say I am an expert cupcake decorator but these did turn out pretty cute if I do say so myself… and they were tasty too!

The cupcakes were moist and rich, even a week later as I was finishing up the leftovers. The frosting was sweet but not overly sweet, which is a welcome change from the frostings that leave you in a sugar coma. Paired with vanilla bean ice cream, this is the perfect birthday dessert.

Maize and Blue Cupcakes & Buttercream Frosting

cake from The Taste of Home Cookbook and frosting from Good (Cheap) Eats

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/3 cups half and half [this recipe called for buttermilk, but I used what I had…]

Frosting:

1 cup butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare muffin pans with paper liners or grease well with cooking spray. This recipe should make 24 cupcakes.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg whites, one by one, mixing in between each addition. Mix in vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add to butter/sugar/egg mixture gradually, alternating with half and half; beating well to combine after each addition.

If desired, divide batter in half and add food coloring to desired shade. I used gel food colorings, which provide more intense color. 🙂

Fill individual tins 2/3 of the way full, then bake for 15-20 minutes. Mine took about 17 minutes to bake. They are done when they spring back when lightly touched in the center. Remove from tins and let cool on cooling rack, frost, and enjoy!

For the frosting:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar, half and half, and vanilla. Mix on low until all ingredients are fully incorporated. Adjust with additional sugar or milk, depending on your desired consistency.

Frost when cupcakes are cool… otherwise you’ll have melty frosting! And no one likes melty frosting…

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Here are some more photos of game day! 🙂