Recipe Review from 9/6/2021

The meal plan went out the window a little bit, well, truthfully, a lot, last week. For the second week in a row the sweet potato and kale dish has been shifted to the coming week. The chipolte meatballs made one more meal than I was expecting, but that worked out to my advantage. And a crustless quiche I first tried back in April made a re-appearance for lunches. I recommended both recipes below that did get made.

The Meal Plan:
Sat (Ricing) Leftover soup and mac and cheese (S) Family
Sun (L) Sweet Potato and Kale salad Out - pizza (S) Meatballs Steak and burrito
Mon (L) Fig, Blue cheese and bacon pizza (S) Meatballs
Tues - Sweet Potato and Kale salad Meatballs
Wed (Vet am/Yoga pm) meatballs
Thurs - Salmon
Fri - Salmon

Lunches - Crustless Quiche (from April)

Salmon with Smashed Broccoli (Eat Better Live Better by Giada DeLaurentiss)
I checked this cookbook out from the library for a second looksie and was able to try another recipe. This one was simple to the point of, why didn't *I* think of this simple. Broiled (or in my case, grilled) salmon seasoned with lemon along side of broccoli and Yukon gold potatoes that have been gently "smashed" together and flavored with olive oil, ground chili and a tich of salt. Yes, that easy. Light, flavorful, a repeater. Served 4 (or two meals for two of us). Recommended!

Cook book had to go back to the library, but this might go on the Holiday wish list.


Chipolte Meatball Torta with Roasted Red Pepper (Eating Well, Sept 2021)
This was super good. Don't be deterred by the ingredient list or directions. This can be made ahead and comes together very quickly. I made the meatballs and red pepper/onion mix earlier in the day, and prepped the black beans and bread while the meatballs were re-heating. I also noticed the red pepper mixture directions online are slightly different than the magazine. The magazine had me roasting 5 cups of red pepper and onion, which I read as 5 cups of red pepper...and onion. It was actually a very nice amount after it cooked down.

Anyhoo.

This wasn't as spicy as I thought it would be, but it could have been a variation in my chipoltes. Sometimes they are super spicy, other times, not so much. If you want err on the side of less heat, just use some adobo sauce or skip. I don't have a panini maker, so I just toasted my ciabatta buns in the toaster and went from there.  Flavors were good, assembly was easy, and it made enough for three dinners for two. My kind of meal! Recommended.

Serves 6

Chipolte Meatballs
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 ½ pounds lean ground beef (I used pork)
½ cup panko breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat
1 ½ cups finely chopped onion, plus 1 cup sliced, divided
⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
2 medium bell peppers, sliced
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil plus 1/4 cup, divided
1 (28 ounce) can no-salt-added whole tomatoes
¼ cup canned chipotle peppers in adobo
3 large cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons chili powder

Torta
½ lime
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ cup rinsed no-salt-added black beans
1 tablespoon sour cream
Pinch of salt
16-inch baguette (I used ciabatta buns)
¼ cup crumbled queso fresco
Cooking spray

To prepare meatballs and veggies: Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Squeeze zucchini in a clean kitchen towel to remove excess moisture. Place the zucchini in a large bowl and add egg, beef, panko, 1/2 cup chopped onion, cilantro, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Mix gently with your hands until just combined (do not over mix). Using about 3 tablespoons to make each, shape the mixture into 24 meatballs. Place 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.

Toss peppers and 1 cup sliced onion with 2 teaspoons oil in a medium bowl; spread on another large rimmed baking sheet.

Bake the meatballs until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 165°F, 15 to 18 minutes. Roast the veggies, stirring once halfway, until browned, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, chipotles and garlic in a blender. Blend until smooth.

Heat the remaining 1/4 cup oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 cup chopped onion and chili powder and cook, stirring, until the onion is beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Stir the baked meatballs into the sauce, cover and cook 5 minutes more.

To assemble torta: Squeeze lime half over the roasted vegetables. Sprinkle with oregano and toss to combine. Combine black beans, sour cream and salt in a small bowl; mash with a fork to a spreadable consistency.

Cut baguette into 4 pieces and split each horizontally. Hollow out most of the soft bread from the center (reserve the breadcrumbs for another use). Divide the bean mixture, 8 coarsely chopped meatballs, the vegetables, 1/2 cup sauce from the meatballs and 1/4 cup crumbled queso fresco among the sandwiches. (Reserve the remaining meatballs and sauce for another use.) Coat the tops of the sandwiches with cooking spray. Cook in a panini maker until the bread is crispy, 4 to 6 minutes.