Hungarian Meatball Kabobs

The school year is over and summer is finally here!  I've spent the last few days just getting organized around my cluttered house. Tossing out my kid's old schoolwork, worn school clothes and trying to wrap up PTA stuff so I can finally focus on cooking, blogging and relaxing and just all around doing whatever comes up with my kiddos. Ahhh...summertime!
I'm also super anxious to get started on all my Halloween recipes for my annual Summer of Halloween. As you know, I spend all summer blogging new Halloween food and projects so you'll see a lot of those scattered about this summer. You'll also see non-halloween recipes as well. Like these mouthwatering Hungarian Meatballs.  These savory meatballs are tender and loaded with flavor from cumin and coriander and then threaded on skewers and served with a sweet and creamy red pepper paprikosh sauce. They are simply heavenly.
Truth be told, I made these months ago and I'm just now getting to blogging them. I've had a bit of writers block that has been very frustrating at times, but bare with me as I get back into the groove of cooking, taking pics and writing again. I have some really awesome Halloween ideas coming your way and a ton of appetizing new summer and fall dishes to share with you. Enjoy!

Hungarian Meatball Kabobs

(slightly adapted recipe from Cuisine at Home)

1 1/2 lb. ground beef
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup parsley
2 t. garlic powder
1 t. salt
1 t. coriander
1 t. cumin
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
1/4 t. pepper
1/3 cup cream (or milk)
2 eggs

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and use a medium cookie scoop to make about 2 1/2 dozen meatballs. Pan fry in batches if desired, or place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes. Thread three meatballs on skewers and serve with Paprikosh Sauce over couscous and peas.

Paprikosh Sauce
1 T olive oil
2 cups red bell peppers
1 cup onion, diced
2 T. Hungarian Sweet paprika
1 T. fresh garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine
2 cup chicken broth
1 cup tomatoes, diced
salt and pepper
1/2 cup sour cream

Saute onions and peppers in olive oil until onions are translucent, ~5-8 minutes. Add paprika and garlic, heat until garlic is fragrant  ~2 minute.  Add white wine and deglaze pan. Heat until wine is reduced by half. Add chicken broth and tomatoes and simmer until peppers are soft and sauce thickens. ~ 20 minutes. Turn off heat and add sour cream. Salt and pepper to taste and serve with meatballs. 

Serve with Couscous and Peas

More meatball recipes to try:

Lamb Kabobs with Yogurt Garlic Sauce

Albondigas with Chimichurri Pesto

Salisbury Meatballs

Greek Meatballs

Franken-Peppers (Stuffed Peppers with Potatoes and Chorizo)

Only 23 days left until Halloween and I have a confession to make. I was done with my Halloween recipes for this year. In fact, I'd already moved the recipes that I didn't get to this year, to my list of ideas for next year. I even went so far as to take down my dining room decorations (eek!) so I could begin planning my Thanksgiving table and decorations. So when I found myself home last week and made these little monsters, I was surprised that they came together so easily and that they turned out so creepy-cute and yummy! 
So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I may still have a few more Halloween recipes in me to share before the big day, Oct 31st!

The beauty of this idea is that these peppers can be stuffed with basically anything. Go traditional with ground beef and rice, or make breakfast with scrambled eggs and ham, or even add taco meat, beans, cheese, and salsa for a delicious taco salad over a bed cabbage. How about Indian spiced lentils and tandoori chicken...Yum! Change up the green pepper to orange peppers and carve out some jack-o-lanterns like these. The possibilities are endlessly delicious and fun!

Bell peppers are one of my favorite ingredients and I use them in many of my recipes. But, I know not everyone likes bell peppers, including my kiddos. Not to worry. The best part about this dish and all it's variations, is that it'll save you from having to pick these little buggers out of your kid's food. Just eat the filling and leave the pepper behind! At least that's how I'll sell this dish to my kids.
All kiddo-ing aside, these will make a great addition to a festive Halloween dinner as the perfect side dish or as a stunning main dish. Personally, I like the idea of these delicious potatoes getting so much attention with such a fun presentation because, side dishes are often better than the main course. Happy Halloween!

Franken-peppers (Stuffed Peppers with Potatoes, Chorizo and Onions)

Serves 4

2 T canola oil
6 medium potatoes, peeled, medium dice
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T smoked paprika
1 t. cumin
salt and pepper (to taste)
8 oz. Chorizo (I used Soy Chorizo)
green onions, chopped
cilantro leaves  
Spicy Tomato Sauce, or substitute with prepared Enchilada Sauce
4 Green Bell Peppers, carved
Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded

Spicy Tomato Sauce
1/2 cup vegetable broth
3 T tomato paste 
1/2 T apple cider vinegar
1 T honey
1 t. cumin
1 t. smoked paprika
salt and pepper (to taste)
red chili flakes (to taste)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large skillet, add canola oil, potatoes, onions and garlic, cumin and smoked paprika and cook over medium heat until potatoes are mostly done, about 10 minutes. It's okay if they are not completely cooked as they will finish cooking in the oven. Add chorizo and heat until hot. Remove from heat. Salt and pepper to taste. Add green onions and cilantro. Set aside.
  An a small saucepan, add all ingredients for the Spicy Tomato Sauce and heat over medium heat until hot, about 5 minutes. Taste and add additional spices as needed to taste. 

Cut Bell Peppers tops off with a paring knife in a zig-zag pattern to make Frankenstein's hairline. Carefully remove top and remove remaining ribs from inside the bell pepper with your fingers or scrape with a spoon. Cut off seeds from the top and set aside.

Using a large diameter straw, push straw through the fleshy inside of the pepper to create Frankenstein's eyes, using your finger on the shiny outside as resistance, to help cut through the exterior. 

Cut out eyebrows, nose and mouth with the paring knife and add scars with the tip of the blade.

Assembly: 
Baste the inside of bell peppers generously with the spicy tomato sauce. Fill each bell pepper with potato chorizo mixture and replace the tops. Place stuffed peppers in a shallow casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray. Cook peppers for 30-35 minutes. 

Remove peppers from oven and add shredded Pepper Jack Cheese to tops of peppers and return to the oven. Bake an additional 10 minutes or place under the broiler to melt cheese. Remove from oven and serve. 

For other Halloween recipes to try, click here. 

Spider Caviar

Nightcrawlers con Funghi

Sweet Pepper Jam

This is one of those recipes that, at first look, seems really yucky. Who would make jam out of vegetables? And why would you want to?

I'll admit, it doesn't look all that appetizing in the jar but, put aside your judgement of questionable looking canned vegetables and make a batch of this jam! Why make it? 
"It is delicious!"

I made this Jam last summer when peppers were cheap and abundant. Canning is a good way to preserve summer fruit and a great way to transform all those peppers into an delicious and versatile condiment.

I know you are probably asking, "What the hell will I do with an entire jar of Sweet Pepper Jam?"

Here are few ideas...


Sweet Pepper Jam makes a quick and easy appetizer for all those holiday get-togethers. Open a bottle of wine. Spoon a generous amount (1/2-1 cup) of this sweet relish over a block of cream cheese. Put out some crackers and watch the faces of your guests turn from skeptical hesitation to smiling, taste bud euphoria!

Your friends WILL eat the entire plate so make sure you have enough crackers on hand. It is just that delicious! The taste is similar to Jalapeno Poppers with the creamy cream cheese filling, only without the heat.

This jam is also great in the summertime when you grill hot dogs and Chicken.

Hot dogs: Substitute the typical hot dog relish with this Sweet Pepper Jam. It is makes each bite the perfect combination of sweet, sour and savory. 

Chicken: Coat chicken with some Sweet Pepper Jam after grilling for a uniquely sweet BBQ sauce.
 

Sandwiches: Add it to your favorite sandwich, such as Turkey, Ham or grilled cheese. 
More ideas: Add it to quesadillas, bagels, scones, simple toast with butter, and to top warm Baked Brie. The possibilities are endless. Enjoy!

Sweet Pepper Jam

(Jam recipe and instructions from Sure Jell® Fruit Pectin)

Makes 6 cups

2 medium green peppers
3 medium red bell peppers
10 large jalapeno peppers
1 cup apple cider vinegar
5 cups sugar
1 package of Sure Jell® Fruit Pectin


Sterilize canning jars according to directions on canning jars. And keep jars in hot water bath until ready to use. 

Seed and chop peppers. Make 4 cups of prepared peppers. Wear gloves when handling jalapenos. 
Add peppers into large saucepan. 
Measure out the 5 cups of sugar and place in a separate bowl and set aside.
Add 1 cup of apple cider vinegar and pectin to the peppers and bring mixture to a full rolling boil (a boil that does not stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat. Stirring constantly.
Stir in sugar quickly. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, skim off any foam.
Ladle quickly into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with lid and bands. Hand tighten. 
Place jars on elevated rack of canner. Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Cover and bring to a gentle boil and process jam for 10 minutes. Remove from the canner and cool jars on a towel. Once jars are cooled, check seals by pressing down on center of lid. If not sealed properly, refrigerate jam. If properly sealed, jam can be stored on a shelf for up to 1 year. Opened Jars must be refrigerated.


Other recipes to try:
Dill Pickles                                  Quick Pickled Jalapenos & Radishes                    Pickled Onions     

Spicy Pork, Red Pepper and Lentil Soup

I woke up yesterday, the day after Thanksgiving, to the quiet, rhythmic tapping of rain on the roof and windows. I could hear the drips on the backdoor threshold and I stayed in bed, listening and enjoying the sounds. I love rain. Unfortunately, it doesn't rain much in California and when it does, two things are certain. One, no one knows how to drive in the rain here; two, the local news stations will over-report a light drizzle as Storm Watch 2013. It's a breaking news story when we have actual weather in Southern California. Anyway, confronted with the reality of rain and not wanting to drive with all those crazies, we changed our plans to visit my husband's family and stayed home instead. 
I was happy because there's something about a rainy day that makes me want to stay home and make a big pot of soup and luckily that's exactly what I did. I enlisted my two boys to help with preparation. Gotta keep the kiddos busy when they are "rained in". They were a great help. I let them peel garlic and cut up red bell peppers and carrots. They had a lot of fun too. My oldest, who has stated on many occasions that he wants to be a Marine Biologist, has now changed his future profession to chef. :) 
Like most of the soups I make, they're a little bit of this and that. Basically, I use whatever I have on hand at the time and this one is no different. I had some leftovers of my Crockpot Pork Verde in the freezer and decided to put it to good use. I also like to use spaghetti sauce in my soups, it makes for a great base that you can doctor up. For this soup, I used a jar of Classico Spicy Red Pepper Sauce. It's the main soup flavor and the spicy ingredient in this soup. Add some chicken stock, vegetables, lentils and Pork Verde and you get this delicious Spicy Pork, Red Pepper and Lentil Soup. Enjoy!

Spicy Pork, Red Pepper and Lentil Soup 
Serves 8


1 small onion, diced (~1/2 cup)
1 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 cup red bell peppers,chopped
2 T olive oil
1 cup white wine 
3/4 cup green lentils
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1 jar Classico Spicy Red Pepper Sauce
4 cups chicken broth
1 t cumin
1 t coriander
1/2 t smoked paprika
salt and pepper (to taste)
1-2 cups leftover Pork Verde, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
cilantro, garnish

In a dutch oven, add olive oil, onions, carrots and red bell peppers and saute until onions are translucent, about 5-8 minutes. Add white wine, tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, chicken broth, spices and lentils, cover and simmer on medium heat for 30 minutes to cook lentils. Add chopped pork and heat for additional 10-15 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in frozen peas and serve. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

I also made some Cheese Pita Bread to have along side this soup. Lightly brush pita bread with olive oil and sprinkle with Queso Fresco, heat in 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes. Cut into wedges.

For another recipe using leftover Pork Verde, try Pork Verde and Hominy Stew.

Turkey Sausage and Peppers Pasta

It's early morning on Father's Day and of course I woke up thinking of food. Specifically about what dish could I blog about this morning that would be a manly enough dish to represent, this all man-day, Father's Day. I'm sure my husband would prefer this blog to be about steak and potatoes but unfortunately we rarely eat steak because of the price of beef. (Remember, we live in California on one income.) :) So I had to be resourceful. Pasta's always crowd-pleasing and this is a recipe I'm positive men, women and kids will love. It's utterly delicious and the hour long cooking time of the sauce allows the smoky flavor of the sausage to permeate the sauce and mellows the bell peppers into a sublime pasta sauce like no other. 

This recipe came about as a 'by accident on purpose' kind of meal because I didn't have any meat thawed for dinner one night. With hungry kids and a hard working hungry husband, I asked myself, "What thaws quickly in a pinch?" I searched deep in the freezer and I came up with some Smoked Turkey sausage I'd bought on sale a week prior. It was less than $2.00 for a pound. I also had some bell peppers and onions on hand and started to throw this dish together. I served it with a green salad but with the hour long cooking of the sauce, I also served some cheese and crackers to hold the kiddos and hubby over. Definitely don't skimp on the cooking time with this sauce, it's worth the simmer-time.

I'll let the recipe speak for itself and let me know how you like it. :)

Happy Father's Day!

Turkey Sausage and Peppers Pasta
Serves 4-6

16 oz. Smoked Turkey Sausage, sliced
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup green bell pepper, diced 
1 cup of red and yellow bell peppers, diced (or any combination on hand)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T olive oil
1-15.5 oz can of Tomato Puree or 1 can of Diced Tomatoes, undrained
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup red wine
1 t dried basil
2 T Prepared Pesto
1 T unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste

2 cups dried mini bow-tie pasta or any small pasta, cooked

Preparing the Sauce:
Prepare all vegetables and slice turkey sausage into thin rounds. In a large
skillet or a medium-sized dutch oven, add onions, peppers and garlic with olive oil and saute for about 5 minutes.  

Add Sausage.

Add tomato puree, chicken broth, wine and basil and stir and heat on med to low heat for 1 hour. 

 This is what the sauce looks like after a half an hour. Almost there... You can cook the pasta anytime during the last half hour, drain and set aside.

After an hour the sauce will be thick and super flavorful. (If it gets too thick, you can add more chicken stock to thin it as needed.) 

After an hour of cooking time, finish the sauce off by adding the 2T of a prepared pesto and the pat of butter and serve over cooked pasta. 

The butter and pesto add a complexity of flavor that really completes the sauce. If you don't have any pesto, for sure add the real butter to finish it off, you will not be disappointed. Enjoy!