Perfect Preparation

This last week has been a chaotic mess at work, so I made a few things that I know would fill me up and be easy to reheat. Additionally, I had my first paid order of baked goods to create for a Christmas Party at my former job - Counseling Services. Everyone there has been like a family to me for the last 5 years that I have lived in Ruston, and I was more than thrilled when Mrs. Odom (who is like a grandmother to me) asked me to bake for the occasion! I would have made them something for free, but I am glad to have an initial order of treats.

On the menu for work: Turkey Meatballs and Whole Wheat Linguine

Now, Keep in mind that I haven't made meatballs before. I was inspired by a recipe in Giada's cookbook Everyday Italian that called for ground turkey, which I was willing to try. These bite sized meatballs were flavorful and slightly cheesy; I liked them. When I was looking for a meal idea, I was leaning towards some type of red sauce. Lately I have been very displeased with the jarred marinara varieties and I was interesting in making my own. This simple pasta sauce was delicate and tasty - just what I wanted.

Simple Marinara

2 cans crushed tomatoes (32 oz)

2 small onions

1/4 cup olive oil

Handful of baby carrots

3 stalks celery

2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp sugar

Fresh basil and parsley

Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat the oil and add the 2 onions, diced. Cook until translucent, about 10 minutes. Grate the carrots or chop them finely and dice the celery. Add the vegetables to the onion and cook through. Combine the crushed tomatoes, herbs, and spices, and simmer with the lid off for about an hour. Voila! Red sauce.

While the sauce is simmering away, make the meatballs and get a pot of water boiling for the pasta. 

Cheesy Turkey and Herb Meatballs

1 lb ground turkey

1/4 cup italian seasoned bread crumbs

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 Tblsp. milk

1/4 c. parmesan cheese

1/2 c. italian blend cheese (mozarella/provelone)

Fresh chopped parsley

Salt and Pepper

Combine everything except the ground turkey and mix well. Then, using a fork break up the turkey into the mixing bowl with the other ingredients. Use the fork to incorporate everything together until mixed - but don't mash the ground meat. Just combine it. Shape into bite sized meatballs and place on a plate. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet. Place the meatballs in a single layer on the pan and cook for about 4 minutes on each side or until cooked through and white when cut open. Ladel the simple marinara sauce into the pan with the meatballs and simmer for another 5 minutes to meld the flavors. Serve over your favorite pasta!

I also made a simple salad of spicy arugula with a lemon vinaigrette, but Vincent isn't a fan of bitter salad dressings so maybe I'll stick with caesar next time! It's definitely good to serve this with a clean crisp bowl of veggies like a salad, and it will balance out the meal nicely also. 

Pastries!!! 

Gingerbread Cupcake

Ok, I don't even know how I did this - but I made gingerbread cupcakes with piped cream cheese icing, triple chocolate almond cookies, festive holiday shortbread cookies, chicken and sausage gumbo, rice, and honey whole wheat yeast rolls all on Thursday! The gingerbread cupcakes were exciting to make because generally when I think of gingerbread, I imagine a cookie. These cupcakes were spicy and light - a nice change from the snap that I associate with gingerbread! If you are looking for a gingerbread recipe, these cupcakes were delicious naked, and I bet they would bake into a nice loaf if you're interested. However, the cream cheese icing was a lovely creamy addition.

Gingerbread Cupcakes

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar

1 cup unsulphered molasses

2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper baking cups, and set aside. In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Add baking soda and take off of the heat to cool. In a large bowl, sift together flour, ground spices, salt, and baking powder.

Cream the butter until light and beat in the brown sugar until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the molasses, baking-soda mixture, and flour mixture. Add the eggs and mix just until combined.

Fill the cupcake papers three-quarters full. Bake cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center of them comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Let cupcakes cool a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating. 

For the Icing, cream together 8 oz cream cheese and 1 stick of butter. Add 2-3 cups powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla. Yum!

------------------------------------- On a Side Note ----------------------------------------

I went ahead and made the chicken and sausage gumbo again and it may have even come out better than last time. It's just so good! This time I got a little heavy handed with the hot sauce, but I liked it even more :) What can I say, I'm a Procido! Also, I just want to comment that I made Jasmine rice to go with it and that rice reheats very well. It's easy to cook and get exactly right if you follow the package directions and it's perfect in gumbo. This meal is one that truly gets better each day! Yesterday we drove to Monroe 3 times (1 hour round trip), El Dorado AR (3 hour round trip) once, and Shreveport once (3 1/2 hour round trip). Needless to say, I was exhausted.... and I still am! Hopefully tonight I'll get to sleep through. I am looking forward to having 5 days off for Christmas :)