Slow cooker beef and broccoli

Ingredients
1½ lb. boneless, beef chuck roast, sliced into thin strips
1 cup beef consumme or beef broth
½ cup low sodium soy sauce
⅓ cup dark brown sugar
1 tbsp. sesame oil
3 garlic cloves minced
2 tbsp cornstarch
Frozen Broccoli Florets, about 3 cups (I used one 14 oz bag)
White or brown rice, cooked

Instructions

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the beef consume, soy sauce, dark brown sugar, sesame oil, and garlic.
Lay the beef strips in the crockpot and pour the sauce over, tossing the strips to coat.
Turn the crockpot on low and cook for about 6 hours. Mine was ready at 5. You don't want to cook the beef too long or it will start to shred.
When it is just about done, take 4 Tbsp of the sauce and whisk it in a small bowl with the cornstarch. Slowly stir this into the crockpot. I added the broccoli in at this point so that it could get heated through. You want to let it cook an additional 30 minutes so that the sauce can thicken and frozen broccoli can cook. You don't want to add the broccoli until the very end or it will be mushy.
Serve over white rice and enjoy!!

Swedish Meatballs

Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ cup onion, finely chopped
½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
⅛ teaspoon Pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 tbsp. olive oil
5 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
2 cups beef broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a medium sized bowl combine ground beef, panko, parsley, allspice, nutmeg, onion, garlic powder, pepper, salt and egg. Mix until combined.
Roll into 12 large meatballs or 20 small meatballs. In a large skillet heat olive oil and 1 Tablespoon butter. Add the meatballs and cook turning continuously until brown on each side and cooked throughout. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil.
Add 4 Tablespoons butter and flour to skillet and whisk until it turns brown. Slowly stir in beef broth and heavy cream. Add worchestershire sauce and dijon mustard and bring to a simmer until sauce starts to thicken. Salt and pepper to taste.
Add the meatballs back to the skillet and simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Serve over egg noodles or rice.

Spagetti-Os with Meatballs

• 2 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes
• ¼ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1 tablespoon coarsely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more
• Kosher salt
• 1 large egg, beaten to blend
• 5 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 pound ground beef chuck (20% fat)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ medium onion
• 1 large garlic clove, finely grated
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 4 large sprigs basil
• 12 ounces anelletti, ditalini, or other short tubular pasta
• Marscapone cheese

• Purée tomatoes in a food processor until mostly smooth; there should still be some dime-sized pieces remaining. Set aside.
• Whisk panko, cheese, oregano, garlic powder, ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes, and 1½ tsp. salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in egg and cream. Add beef and mix with your hands until just combined, being careful not to overwork (if packed too firmly, meatballs will be dense). Form into 1"-diameter balls (you should have about 24); transfer to a plate.
• Heat oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Cook meatballs, turning occasionally, until lightly browned on all sides but not fully cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to another plate. 
• Cook onion and garlic in same skillet, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent and begins to soften, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add tomato paste and cook until brick red, about 1 minute. Add paprika and a pinch of red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add sugar, basil, and reserved tomato purée. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce is slightly reduced and flavors have melded, about 20 minutes. Add meatballs and any accumulated juices; continue to cook until meatballs are cooked through, 5–10 minutes. Add scoop of marscapone at end to make it creamy.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain and return to pasta pot. Pour sauce and meatballs over pasta and stir to combine. Transfer to a platter and top with cheese.

ASIAN LETTUCE WRAP CHICKEN CHOPPED SALAD

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE SALAD DRESSING:
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp kosher 
salt and pepper 

FOR THE CHICKEN:
1/4 cup hoisin sauce*

1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce

2 tablespoons less sodium soy sauce*

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
cooking spray
1 pound ground chicken
8 ounce can water chestnuts, drained and diced
2 tbsp chopped unsalted cashews

2 scallions, thinly sliced 

FOR THE SALAD:
1 head Boston or Bibb lettuce, chopped
1 romaine lettuce heart, chopped
2 carrots, grated 

DIRECTIONS:
For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oils, honey, ginger, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Set the dressing aside. For the chicken: In a medium bowl, whisk together the hoisin, vinegar, Sriracha, soy sauce, and ginger. Set aside. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray then add the chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the water chestnuts and cashews to the pan. Pour the reserved hoisin mixture on top and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to heat through. Stir in the scallions. Remove from the heat and set aside. For the salad: In a large salad bowl, combine both of the lettuces and the carrots. Toss the salad with the dressing and divide in 4 bowls. Top each with 3/4 cup chicken mixture. Serve immediately.

Chicken and Asparagus Lemon Stir-Fry

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt, to taste
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium shoyu or soy sauce (or Tamari for GF)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1 tbsp canola or grapeseed oil, divided
1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp fresh ginger
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
fresh black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Lightly season the chicken with salt. In a small bowl, combine chicken broth and soy sauce. In a second small bowl combine the cornstarch and water and mix well to combine.

Heat a large non-stick wok over medium-high heat, when hot add 1 teaspoon of the oil, then add the asparagus and cook until tender-crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Set aside.

Increase the heat to high, then add 1 teaspoon of oil and half of the chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside and repeat with the remaining oil and chicken. Set aside.

Add the soy sauce mixture; bring to a boil and cook about 1-1/2 minutes. Add lemon juice and cornstarch mixture and stir well, when it simmers return the chicken and asparagus to the wok and mix well, remove from heat and serve.

Hard boiled eggs

Put eggs into a saucepan, then add enough cold water to cover them by 1 inch. Bring water to a boil over high heat, then turn heat off but keep pan on hot burner for 12 minutes.

Smashed potatoes

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds medium-size unpeeled Yukon Gold potatoes, each cut into wedges
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
5 large garlic cloves, peeled, halved
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme


PREPARATION

Steam potato wedges until very tender, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 5 tablespoons oil in large skillet over low heat. Add garlic; sauté until golden, about 6 minutes.
Add potatoes and thyme to skillet. Mash coarsely. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl, drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and serve.

Recipe originally from Epicurious. Tasted and approved by Andy, Lindsay, Kate and Jamie on Sunday 5/1/16. Try experimenting with different herbs/cheeses/mixins.

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast

Ingredients


1 whole bone-in turkey breast, 6 1/2 to 7 pounds

1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons good olive oil

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup dry white wine

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the turkey breast, skin side up, on a rack in a roasting pan.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, mustard, herbs, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice to make a paste. Loosen the skin from the meat gently with your fingers and smear half of the paste directly on the meat. Spread the remaining paste evenly on the skin. Pour the wine into the bottom of the roasting pan.

Roast the turkey for 1 3/4 to 2 hours, until the skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest and meatiest areas of the breast. (I test in several places.) If the skin is over-browning, cover the breast loosely with aluminum foil. When the turkey is done, cover with foil and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Slice and serve with the pan juices spooned over the turkey.

Recipe originally from Barefoot Contessa. Tasted and approved by Lindsay, Andy, Katie, and Jamie on Sunday 5/1/2016 after a fun day of kite flying and bike riding. Everyone was hungry and gobbled it up.