Let's Get It On The Menu: quick meals

Sometimes I like to pretend that I eat healthy. Now don't get me wrong, I don't eat tons of over-processed, fatty junk foods and fast food. I do try to keep my pantry free of lots of pre-made meals and processed foods (granted I do have a couple boxes of mac & cheese in my pantry, to my shame). But I do enjoy using butter, sugar and all those things that can pack on the fat and calories.

This meal in particular is one of the healthier ones I have come up with lately. It is essentially just balsamic-glazed meat with tomatoes. You can use chicken, salmon or pork, all are great. You can add some mozzarella or parmesan if you like cheese (let's be honest, if you don't like cheese, you shouldn't be on my blog). Sage or thyme are both great with balsamic. Toss in some zucchini, broccoli or asparagus. Serve it with white/brown rice or pasta. I just love balsamic anything! I have even had balsamic ice cream and it was awesome, so when I say that I love balsamic you know that I mean it! But the options with this concept are endless!

TIPS:
Pork chops will usually cook faster than if you were to use chicken or something else, FYI
After adding the tomatoes, shake the pan every once in the while to get the tomatoes glazed on all sides
Balsamic vinegar will caramelize and then burn quickly if you leave it alone too long, keep a close eye and keep it moving!

I used pork and served with mashed potatoes and a salad this time!

INGREDIENTS
4 portions of pork chops, chicken breasts or salmon
2 cups of cherry tomatoes
1 Tbsp of dried thyme/sage
1 tsp garlic powder
3-4 Tbsp of balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp of olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Parmesan/Mozzarela cheese

DIRECTIONS
Heat a large skillet with a lid to medium heat, and add olive oil. Season all sides of your meat with salt, pepper, garlic and thyme/sage. Once your pan and oil are thoroughly heated, add meat and cook for 3-5 mins on each side (meat should not be cooked all the way through yet). Drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the meat and continuously spoon the balsamic back over the meat for about 2-3 minutes. Add cherry tomatoes to the pan and cover with a lid for a few minutes more until meat is cooked through and the tomatoes have popped. Serve over rice or pasta and top with cheese if desired. Add a side of veggies to make a complete meal!

Who doesn't love spaghetti & meatballs? Well, I am sure there are plenty of people who don't like them, but I am definitely not one of them! These are one of my favorite things to prepare for several of reasons. 1. They are the anti-procrastinator (make 'em ahead of time for the days on which you procrastinate). 2. There are so many variations! 3. They are always tasty (very important!) and 4. They are SOO easy to make and VERY hard to screw up!

I started making large batches of meatballs about three years ago. My mom was visiting and helping me stock up my freezer (love you, Mom!) and she had the idea to make a bunch of meatballs. Of course, that is exactly what we did. We made a TON, divided them into portion-sized baggies and threw them in the freezer! Since it's just me and my hubby at home, I will put about six meatballs into each baggie. That way, I can just grab a bag when ever I need it. Another great thing is that there is no defrosting required. I just toss the frozen meatballs in a pan with my spaghetti sauce and turn it on medium heat while I get the spaghetti cooked and make a quick salad or something. Just be sure to stir the sauce while it is heating up, you don't want anything to burn and it will help the meatballs warm evenly.

Like I said, I love how this recipe can be adapted and changed up in what ever ways you want. The recipe I wrote below is the way I made the meatballs this time. However, I haven't made them that way before and I probably won't make them this exact way again! I will mix it up based on whatever I have in my house, or whatever I feel like buying. The meats can be swapped out: ground beef, ground turkey, hot Italian sausage, mild Italian sausage.... I am serious, use what ever you like! Use red bell peppers. green bell peppers or NO bell peppers if you don't have them or like them! You can use plain breadcrumbs or Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs. I prefer buying plain breadcrumbs because I use them for more than just Italian-flavored dishes. If you use more ground meat and don't use Italian sausage, add in more herbs to make up for the lost seasoning. Maybe you like marjoram or parsley, throw them in too! The more the merrier!

TIPS:
-Use a cookie dough scooper to make the meatballs uniform in size and make quick work.
-Make sure your baking sheet has sides so your meatballs don't go rolling all over the floor! I used a 15x10in pan and that was big enough for all 4 dozen meatballs
-This is more of a helpful fact, some Italian sausage will come in the casings. Just cut a slit down the length of the casing and pull all the meat out, discard the casings.

But here goes nothing! I hope you like the recipe, let me know what you think about it, I love comments, feedback, requests and suggestions. <3

Served on top of some whole-wheat spaghetti!

INGREDIENTS
(yield approx 4 dozen meatballs)
1 lb. hot Italian sausage
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp died basil
1 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 - 1 cup breadcrumbs

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl until well blended. (It is easiest for me to use my hands to do this.) Divide mixture and roll into 1-2in balls and arrange on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. (They can sit close together, they don't expand like cookies). Bake for 20-25 mins until cooked through. Allow to cool before storing. And don't forget to enjoy!