Meatballs

MeatballsDelicious Meatballs!

These Meatballs are absolutely without a doubt off the hook.  I wondered off into unknown territory, combining the idea of Chinese sauces with Italian Seasonings and it worked Beautifully.  I originally filmed this with my Spaghetti Recipe, but, I realized that this recipe really needed to stand alone because Meatballs are good in so many different recipes.  Although the list of ingredients seems at first glance a bit ridiculous, every single  ingredient serves a purpose.  I hope you try these Meatballs soon!

MEATBALLS Ingredients:

2 lbs Ground Beef
1 lbs Ground Sausage
2 eggs
1 chopped Onion
1/2 Chopped Julian Bell Pepper
1 handful of fresh chopped Parsley
1 pkg Ritz Crackers
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup Hoisin Sauce
1/4 cup Ketchup
2 tbsp Tempura Dipping Sauce (light soy sauce, water, vinegar, sugar and Lemon Juice mixed)
2 tbsp Sriracha Rooster Sauce
3 chopped Cloves of Garlic
1 tbsp Sugar
1 tbsp Thyme
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper

Combine all the Ingredients in a bowl and roll 1 1/2 inch meatballs and place on a baking sheet or in cupcake pans.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Teriyaki and Mesquite Shish Kebabs

Shish KabobsGrilling Shish Kabobs!

I love Shish Kabobs!  It’s all in the marination.  Okay, so the meat cut matters too, but if you have a great Teriyaki or Mesquite marinade, you’re already half way there.  Here I’m using Yoshida’s and McCormicks for the Meat, and a little Olive Oil and Herb blend I like to whip up for the vegetables.  Oh, you don’t normally marinate the veggies?  No big surprise.  Most people don’t even think about it.  But, if you do, kuddos!  If not, you’re going to want to pay attention to this little tutorial, because this recipe is off the hook!  😉

Shish Kabobs MarinadesIf you’ve had Yoshida’s before, then you know they make a real fine Teriyaki sauce that just melts anything you put in your mouth.  And if you didn’t know, well, you do now.  I like it best with beef and chicken, but in my opinion, it’s better with chicken.  The McCormicks I’m using here is the Mesquite I mentioned.  But on the back of the package it gives a suggestion to mix ketchup and honey with the standard ingredients.  McCormicks is just one of those 98 cent dry rubs you mix with water and oil so the other two ingredients were a no-brainer because I was planning on using the Mesquite on the pork Shish Kabobs.  The Olive Oil marinade I mentioned has several different herbs in it, both dry and fresh.  Just a little something I picked up from my Italian studies.  In fact this marinade is great with bread.  I only recommend you add Balsamic Vinegar to it if you’re going to use this for that; what ever you decide. Just remember to use it for the Vegetables in this recipe.  The tip of the day is Wrights Liquid Smoke.  If you’re not able to grill outside but you still what that Hickory flavor when you are cooking indoors, just add a few drops of this Liquid magic to your marinades and no one will be able to tell the difference, I promise!

 

Olive Oil and Herb Marinade for Shish Kabobs:

1/2 cup Olive Oil
3/4 tsp Salt
3 chopped Garlic Cloves
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 tbsp Oregano
1 tbsp fresh chopped Parsley
1 tbsp fresh chopped Basil
a few shakes of Black Pepper

Mix thoroughly and poor over the cut vegetable chunks before you skew the Shish Kabobs, and marinate for 20 minutes.

Dan Dan Noodle

Dan Dan NoodleHow do you like your Dan Dan Noodle?

The Dan Dan Noodle is originally a Scechwan recipe, which in my opinion translates, “Hot and Spicy”!  But the heat can literally be thrown out all together if you’re not really into that much of a kick.  This recipe is a perfect example of how I “dumb it down” for my girls.  Mostly because the flavor still exists, I just extract the spice so that their little mouths won’t set on fire.  But if you want it in there for your self, feel free to throw in some chili flakes or some chili oil to pep it up a bit and you’ll love it.  Aso, you need to decide if you want to use Ground Pork or Chicken.  In this recipe I’m using Pork but it can very easily be substituted and it won’t change the recipe at all what so ever.  In fact, I personally prefer Ground Chicken.

Now, that we’ve covered the basics, all you have to decide now is whether you want the Dan Dan Noodle on a plate or in a bowl as a soup.  Just like deciding if you want it spicy or not, it’s just a simple additive of chicken stock if you want it to be a soup.  Nothing to it, it’s that simple.  On a side note, you can add some peanuts to this dish as well because it gives it a little crunch.  I only mention it because you’re going to find that ingredient in other versions of this recipe if you’re doing some investigative research on the Dan Dan Noodle.  I think here in America, P.F. Chang’s is ultimately responsible for bringing this dish to light.  Other restaurants in the corporate chain like Typhoon’s and the like have added it to their menu as well because it’s a great gourmet Noodle dish.

Dan Dan Noodle Ingredients:

8 oz Noodle
8 oz ground Pork or Chicken
1 chopped Green Onion
2 tbsp chopped Red Bell Pepper
1/2 tsp minced Ginger
2 tbsp Black Bean Garlic Sauce
1 tsp Hoisin Sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup Chicken Stock
1/2 tsp Chili Flakes or Chili Oil (optional)
1 tsp Corn Starch (deluded with 2 tbsp water)

Garnish with Grated Cold Cucumber and Bean Sprouts
If you’re preparing a Dan Dan Noodle soup, just add 1 cup Chicken stock over the top.