Tag: rice

Main Dishes, Recipes, Turkey

Teriyaki Meatball Bowls

Sarah

I’ve said before that I don’t really repeat recipes… but it seems like I have so so many one and done meals or desserts or whatever. The exception, of course, is tried and true family recipes that I grew up on or that Ben adores. Repeating recipes is boring. Usually I’m just game to try a new variety of soup, chili, pasta, chicken, brownie, cake, or pie. You get the idea. It’s not like I intend to have so many one and done recipes, because everything I blog about is something I’ve made and loved–otherwise, why would I share it? But these Teriyaki Meatballs Bowls? They are most certainly not a one and done recipe.

Teriyaki Meatballs | The Pajama Chef

Beth posted the recipe at the end of January, and I can think of no less than three, maybe four, occasions over the past months that I’ve made this awesome dish for dinner. Sometimes it’s been just for us to enjoy; other times, I’ve made them for new baby meals for friends. This meal is great for entertaining or for new baby/sympathy/etc. meals [so I’ve heard] because it’s hearty and filling, but still sort of light… a good alternative to the typically heavy, cheesy meals people love to serve and give away. Those are good too, of course, and I love them, but sometimes you just need something different. Something more complex.

And complex this teriyaki sauce is! It’s sweet and salty, with rich overtones of ginger and garlic. You can practically eat it with a spoon! Don’t be scared of making what’s normally a bottled sauce–it comes together in a flash, while the meatballs are cooking, so no panicking about making a sauce and cooking meatballs and making rice. We’re all about using multiple appliances for less stress here. 🙂

Teriyaki Meatballs | The Pajama Chef

Though I love how the homemade teriyaki sauce coats the meatball [that is the emphasis of this dish, after all], my absolute favorite bites of this meal are the last ones at the bottom of the bowl. Here, if you’ve added enough sauce, the rice is absolutely saturated with rich teriyaki goodness! Nothing could be better. Homemade teriyaki is where it’s at! If you don’t agree, well… haters gonna hate. That’s all there is to it. Though I do always want for you to try the recipes I post, this is one you really should try because it’s absolutely incredible. One tip though: use low sodium soy sauce. That will be salty enough–I promise. 🙂 Enjoy!

Teriyaki Meatball Bowls [from Budget Bytes]

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Ingredients:

for meatballs

  • 1 pound ground meat [I’ve used ground turkey most often, but also ground beef, and the original recipe calls for ground pork.]
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled & grated [I’ve also subbed 2 teaspoons ground ginger.]
  • 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 2 green onions, minced [green and white parts]
  • freshly ground black pepper

for teriyaki glaze

  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled & grated [I’ve also subbed 2 teaspoons ground ginger.]
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

for serving

  • hot cooked rice
  • minced green onions

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet or glass baking dish with foil.

In a large bowl, add ground turkey, egg, bread crumbs, ginger, soy sauce, onions, and some freshly ground black pepper. Use your hands to massage ingredients together, then roll into tablespoon-sized balls, placing on prepared pan.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, begin making teriyaki glaze. In a saucepan set over low heat, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, water, oil, and ginger. Stir until brown sugar dissolves. At this point, you can also start preparing the rice, if you haven’t already.

Next, dissolve the cornstarch in a small amount of water–just enough to be pourable. Add to the saucepan, then turn heat to medium-high. Cook unti thick, stirring occasionally. When glaze has thickened, add sesame seeds.

By this point, meatballs should be about done. Remove from baking sheet and degrease if needed, then add to the glaze, tossing gently to coat. Serve meatballs over rice with extra sauce and green onions. Enjoy!

Time: 45 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings.

Main Dishes, Pork, Recipes

Pork, Apple, and Ginger Stir-Fry

Sarah

So, on Monday, I shared the fabulous recipe I use for Carnitas. It makes more than any couple or family could reasonably eat for one meal, or even for one meal plus leftovers. Seriously, this makes a ton. Thank goodness it’s so tasty!! But you know what I think possibly could be tastier?

Pork, Apple, and Ginger Stir Fry | The Pajama Chef

If you guessed Pork, Apple, and Ginger Stir-Fry, then you would just so happen to be RIGHT! [Bet you didn’t see that one coming from a mile away, huh?]

I usually shy away from combining various ethnic-type foods in a single dish. Habit, I suppose. But this meal takes a bit of Mexican food [carnitas] and adds in a bit of Asian food/preparation methods to come up with something really special. To add to the culture confusion, the combo of pork and apples is classic Americana [yes?]. Hold that thought. Just googled it… and apparently pork and apples is a classic dish for many of European descent, including the British and the Danes. Who knew?

Pork, Apple, and Ginger Stir Fry | The Pajama Chef

Regardless of heritage, blending traditional flavors of many cultures in a stir-fry may seem a bit weird, but give it a chance. The sauce alone–sweet, salty, deep–is worth giving this recipe a shot. The way it coats the tender, tender pork and the substantial veggies… oh man! You will want to drink it with a spoon, I tell ya! And just wait til you get a bite with some fresh ginger. Absolutely amazing! Since the ginger is grated, it’s not too intense of an experience, but it does make an ordinary leftover-remake dinner a pretty awesome meal of its own. Enjoy!

Pork, Apple, and Ginger Stir-Fry

  • Servings: 4
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adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 6 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 pound cooked shredded pork [leftover Carnitas]
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup onion, diced
  • 4 cups vegetables [I used half carrots and half lima beans]
  • hot cooked rice, to serve

Directions:

Preheat wok or large skillet set over medium heat.

In a small bowl, whisk together hoisin sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce, and applesauce. Set sauce aside.

In another bowl, toss together pork and cornstarch. Set aside.

Add oil to wok, then add ginger, garlic, and onion and saute until soft. Then add vegetables and cook until tender. Add pork and sauce and stir to combine. Cook until hot, then serve over rice.

Recipes, Rice, Sides

Brown Rice, Feta, and Tomato Salad

Sarah

I can’t believe it’s almost September! Yikes! Not just because the clock is continually ticking down to when I absolutely have to, have to, HAVE TO have my thesis done (December 15th, no exceptions) but because the end of my favorite produce season is almost near. Oh summer and your juicy peaches, sweet corn reminiscent of candy, fantastic watermelon, sweet tomatoes, crunchy peppers, how I love thee! Not that I don’t like the apples and pumpkins of fall [I mean, hello, I’m a pumpkin-obsessed girl here] or anything like that… but summer means relaxing strolls through the farmer’s market while dripping in sweat because we went running beforehand getting the absolute best fruits and veggies imaginable. And I’ll be sad to see that end. However, there’s still plenty of time to gather yummy summer foods so I’m going to do my best to share all my new favorite summer dishes now, before it’s too late.

This simple rice salad is one of those fabulous summer dishes that I wanted to be sure to share.

Brown Rice, Feta, and Tomato Salad is filled with pantry staples like brown rice and chickpeas, but is spiced up with three of my favorite things on the planet: cherry tomatoes, feta, and mint. Oh goodness, that combination gets me every time!

It is so so so good. You should have seen me trying to maneuver my bites as I ate this salad for lunch on campus last week. I was sitting in the shade of a huge maple tree, balancing my Kindle on my lap while trying to carefully construct each bite to contain a piece of tomato, a chickpea, some feta, and some mint, all while avoiding the rice clusters that I ate last because they weren’t as exciting. I’m sure I looked perfectly ridiculous… and for the record, this is all 100% true, even if that might sound a bit fabricated for the sake of a blog post. Eating outside while reading is pretty much what I do everyday it’s nice outside. I’m trying to break myself of the habit of eating at the computer/while I’m working, to give myself a break in the day. So far, it’s working pretty well. I’ll be terribly sad when late fall comes and it’s too cold to do that… but maybe soon after that I’ll land a great job in a warm climate and I can eat outside year round! That would be nice!

But until then… there’s this fabulous salad, with a wonderful mix of sweet and fresh flavors, paired with hearty grains and legumes [I just looked it up, chickepeas are legumes, fyi] and a little feta for some salty flavor. I think it’s best that I make it it again before tomatoes return to their dreary out-of-seasonness… and it would be remiss of me to not encourage you to do the same!

Brown Rice, Feta, and Tomato Salad [adapted from PBS Food]
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Ingredients:

  • 1 cup brown rice, uncooked
  • 1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons chopped mint
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Prepare brown rice according to package directions. After brown rice is ready, set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, combine chickpeas, feta, tomatoes, and mint in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and brown sugar.

Add about 2/3-3/4 of prepared rice to chickpea mixture and stir to combine. Don’t worry about being precise, just eyeball the amount. I was probably closer to the 2/3 mark. Pour dressing over and toss to coat. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Serve warm or refrigerate for a cold lunch or side salad.

Time: 45 minutes [10 minutes active]

Yield: 4-5 servings.

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes, Rice, Sides

Jamaican Jerk Chicken & Pineapple Black Bean Rice

Sarah

Let me start off with a huge disclaimer: this jerk chicken is not authentic. Just wanted to get that out in the open. I mean, it’s cooked in a crock pot and not smoked in a pit… so that’s a pretty big difference. And furthermore, traditional jerk seasoning has a lot of heat to compliment the sweet, smoky flavor of the myraid of spices [primarily allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg] that make up the jerk seasoning blend. Or at least, that’s what my cookbook said. 🙂 My jerk seasoning blend has more sweetness than heat, but that departure from the norm isn’t bad… it just means you can enjoy what’s there instead of burning your mouth to bits.

jamaican jerk chicken and pineapple black bean rice on a plateNow that we have established that my version has been adapted, shall we say… let’s get on with it. Instead of focusing on what we don’t have, let’s focus on what we do: this Jamaican Jerk Chicken and Rice is amazing. It’s sweet and smoky with a little bit of jalapeno-induced kick. Plus, this crock pot cooking method does not require traditional overnight marinating that most jerk chicken recipes do… meaning you can whip this up on a whim, no planning required! Though if you are thinking ahead, I bet marinating the meat would take an already fantastic dish absolutely over-the-top!

If I do say so myself though, the marinating to take things over-the-top-bit might not even be necessary. I got you covered on that over-the-topness. Instead of serving this pulled meat [almost type “slow cooked” meat… you remember how I feel about that!] on boring rice or a sandwich bun, I decided to fancify my regular white rice with some Caribbean-inspired ingredients like more allspice, crushed pineapple, black beans, and cilantro. The rice was undoubtedly my favorite part of this dinner [and the chicken Ben’s, but he’s a meatloving man so that’s not surprising].

I mean, how fantastic does this look? Sweet, smoky, fresh, substantial rice paired with sweet-hot pulled chicken. What else would you want? If you figure it out, please do let me know because I don’t have a clue. 🙂 Enjoy!

Jamaican Jerk Chicken & Pineapple Black Bean Rice [chicken adapted from Slow Cooker Classics from Around the World by Victoria Shearer, rice is a TPC original!]
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Ingredients:

for chicken

  • 1 cup chopped sweet onion
  • 4 green onions, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • sprinkle salt
  • 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 jalapenos, sliced [deseed if you wish–I did]
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 4 pounds cut up chicken pieces, bones and skins removed

for rice

  • 1 1/2 cups white rice
  • 3 cups liquid [drained pineapple juice + water or chicken broth]
  • 1 1/2 cups black beans, rinsed and drained [1 15 ounce can]
  • 1 20 ounce can crushed pineapple [fruit + juice]
  • ~3/4 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice
  • pinch cayenne pepper

Directions:

Place all ingredients for chicken in large crockpot. Cook on low for 4-5 hours, or until chicken is cooked through and shreds easily.

About thirty minutes before eating, prepare rice. Drain pineapple, catching liquid in a large measuring cup or bowl. Add extra water or chicken broth to make 3 cups liquid, then add liquid and rice to a large pot set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes or until rice has absorbed liquid. Stir in black beans, reserved pineapple, allspice, and cayenne pepper. Just before serving stir in cilantro.

Serve shredded chicken over rice, or on sandwich buns.

Time: 5 hours.

Yield: alot of food!

Notes: This recipe can be halved and cooked for 3 1/2-4 hours in the crock pot. I did make the full amount of rice so if you’re cooking for a crowd, the rice may need to be doubled or tripled.

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Orange-Glazed Chicken Stir-Fry

Sarah

So I enjoy Chinese takeout about as much as anyone else… but not as much as Ben. If he had it his way, he’d be chowing down on pseudo-Asian food every other night, with a healthy dose of meat and potatoes on the other night. Why doesn’t this happen in our house? Well, let’s see… salt, salt, MSG, salt, salt, lack of veggies, salt, salt… I think you get the picture. Oh, and I like to cook, not just get takeout. So what’s my compromise? Making takeout at home! [I bet you never saw that one coming. Ha!]

My latest attempt is a play off the ‘ole [un]authentic orange chicken. Instead of a gloopy, fake-colored sauce coating a few sad vegetables and the classic “little chicken/lots of breading,” sauted chicken, broccoli, mushrooms, and water chestnuts are tossed with a sweet-spicy orange glaze. The orange glaze is made with orange juice and [gasp!] a whole real orange. It’s amped up with fresh ginger and garlic, honey, sesame oil, soy sauce, and two kinds of pepper. Can it get any better than this?

I’m sorry, but this sweet-spicy citrus glaze has flavors that the corner Chinese place just cannot achieve! I know those places aren’t authentic, and in no way do I think my version is either. But I do know it’s good. So good in fact, that we both wanted the leftovers… a rareity in this house! Now, if only I could make brown rice as soft and pillowy as that Chinese place can…

Orange-Glazed Chicken Stir-Fry [adapted from Pretty Delicious by Candice Kumai]
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Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger root
  • 1 3/4 cup orange juice, divided
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon red chile pepper flakes
  • zest of 1 orange + 1 orange, peel removed and fruit chopped into bite size pieces
  • 3/4 pound chicken breasts, thinly sliced into bite size pieces
  • 3 cups broccoli florets
  • 1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
  • 8 ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained
  • hot cooked brown rice, for serving

Directions:

In a small saucepan, heat 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger and saute, stirring continually, for 60 seconds. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in 1 1/2 cups orange juice, honey, soy sauce, cayenne, red chile pepper flakes, and orange zest. Zest Simmer gently until sauce is thick and syrupy, approximately 20 minutes.

Next, heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in an electric wok at 350 degrees. Add chicken and toss to stir-fry, cooking until all sides are golden, approximately 3-4 minutes total. Then add broccoli, mushrooms, water chestnuts, and orange chunks. Pour remaining 1/2 cup orange juice over everything, then cover and cook for 2-3 minutes until hot. [Alternatively, you could cook everything in a large skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat.

Pour in orange sauce and toss to coat. Serve over hot cooked brown rice.

Time: 30 minutes.

Yield: 4-5 servings.