Meatball Pizza with Sauteed Onions

This might sound odd but trust me, its delicious! I made it for my family and there was not a crumb left!

Ingredients:
store-bought pizza dough
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
olive oil
1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 large onion, 1/2 sliced, 1/2 finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
salt and pepper
3 Tbsp tomato sauce
1/2 tsp dried oregano

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut pizza dough in half. Roll out each half into a circle a 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Drizzle olive oil over crusts and sprinkle with rosemary. Poke holes all over with a fork and bake in oven for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, drizzle a pan with olive oil over medium heat. Add ground beef and break up with a wooden spoon. Brown and stir meat a couple of minutes, then add chopped onions and garlic. Season the meat with salt and pepper then work in the tomato sauce using the back of a wooden spoon to combine. Stir in the oregano. Remove meat mixture and wipe down pan. Drizzle with olive oil again and saute sliced onions to translucent and slightly browned.

Remove pizza crust from oven and top with meat. Arrange onions over the meat. Return the pizza to the oven and bake 10 to 12 minutes.

Grilled Burgers with Garlic Broccolini and Warm Potato Salad

Ingredients:
ground beef
sesame teriyaki sauce
egg
bread crumbs
garlic powder
onion powder
whole wheat bread
bunch broccolini (baby broccoli)
garlic clove, chopped
olive oil
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
bag small red potatoes, cut in half
low-fat mayonnaise
dijon mustard
chives or parsley (optional)

Mix together ground beef, teriyaki sauce, egg, bread crumbs, garlic powder, and onion powder till just combined. Form patties and grill on bbq or grill pan, 5 minutes on each side till fully cooked. Trim ends of broccolini and blanch in boiling water for 5 minutes till just cooked but still crisp. Remove with slotted spoon, keeping water for potatoes. Heat 1-2 Tbsp olive oil in pan. Add chopped garlic and cook till golden. Add broccolini and mix with garlic, cook 3 minutes. Sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.

Add potatoes to boiling water and cook till fork tender, about 10 minutes. Don't over cook or will fall apart. Drain potatoes and place on grill pan skin side up, and cook on med-hi heat to make nice grill marks on potatoes. Remove to bowl and add 1 Tbsp of mayo and 1 Tbsp of mustard. Sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Add chives and parsley for garnish (optional). Mix gently so potatoes won't break. Serve burgers with a side of broccolini and potato salad.

Blueberry Pie

Ingredients:
1¾ cup flour (or mixture of whole wheat and regular flour)
½ tsp salt
½ cup oil
3 Tbsp water
½ cup sugar
1 Tbsp soy milk
1 bag frozen blueberries or 2 pints fresh blueberries
2 pears (optional)
1½ Tbsp corn starch
2 tsp sugar (or more)
lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix ingredients together. Roll out into 2 circles. Place one in pie pan. Mix filling ingredients together and place in crust. Cover with other circle. Coat with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 minutes then lower to 350 and bake for 1 hour until brown.

Sticky Spicy Ribs

For ribs
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1½ teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons paprika (not hot)
1½ teaspoons chipotle chile powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 (2-lb) racks baby back ribs

For sauce
1½ cups chopped onion (from 1 large)
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1½ tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1½ cups ketchup
½ cup cider vinegar
6 tablespoons soy sauce
½ cup water
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
1½ teaspoons salt
¾ teaspoon black pepper

Whisk together brown sugar, salt, and spices in a small bowl. Line a 17- by 12- by 1-inch heavy-duty baking pan with a double layer of foil, then oil foil. Pat ribs dry and arrange in baking pan. Rub ribs all over with spice mixture and marinate, meaty sides up, covered and chilled, 2½ hours. Bring ribs to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Cover pan tightly with foil; bake 1¼ hours. Remove foil.

Make sauce while ribs bake: Cook onion, garlic, and ginger in oil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Purée sauce in 2 or 3 batches in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Set aside 1 cup sauce for serving with ribs.

To cook ribs using a gas grill: Lightly oil grill rack, then transfer ribs to rack above shut-off burner, reserving pan juices. Grill, covered with lid, basting generously with pan juices and sauce and turning over and rotating ribs every 10 minutes (keep ribs over shut-off burner), until ribs are tender and browned, 30 to 40 minutes total. Transfer ribs to a cutting board and let stand 5 minutes before cutting into individual ribs. (If you aren’t able to grill outdoors, after baking ribs covered, remove top sheet of foil and continue to bake ribs, uncovered, basting generously with sauce and pan juices every 10 minutes and turning ribs after 20 minutes, 40 minutes total. Then turn on broiler and broil ribs, meaty sides up, 4 to 6 inches from heat until browned, about 3 minutes.)

Pasta with Wild Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound assorted wild mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
1 cup vegetable stock
1 cup heavy cream (or soy milk for non-dairy)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound pasta
Grated Parmesan

In a large stock pot, bring salted water to a boil.

In a large saute pan, over high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 1 minute, just until beginning to turn translucent. Add the marjoram and saute 1 more minute. Add the mushrooms and saute until they begin to brown and release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Add the stock and reduce 5 minutes. Add the cream and reduce about 5 minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Cook pasta until al dente. Drain and quickly toss with mushroom sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Divide onto serving plates and serve immediately.

Baked Wrapped Tilapia

I didn't use measurements when i made this, just drizzled the ingredients over each piece of fish. It came out really good.

Ingredients:

1-inch cube fresh gingerroot, finely chopped or grated
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped or grated
2 green onions (green part only), finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped cilantro or parsley
2 tbsp grapeseed (or safflower) oil
Dash of toasted sesame oil
Dash of soy sauce
Dash of fish sauce
4 tsp dark maple syrup
4 fillets (4 oz each) fresh tilapia (or other firm-fleshed whitefish)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine all topping ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place a fillet on parchment paper and divide topping evenly among them, spreading it over the top. Fold parchment paper over to form a packet around each fillet and seal the edge of each packet with a small piece of aluminum foil, crimping it tightly. Place on a baking sheet and bake 25 to 30 minutes.

Scalloped Potatoes with Leeks

Serves 6 to 8. Yummy 9 days light dinner with a side of roasted asparagus.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp unsalted butter (smart balance)
2 leeks, trimmed, thinly sliced, and rinsed well (about 1 cup)
6 russet potatoes peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (or ground nutmeg)
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 oz shredded cheese (about 3 cups)
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup low-sodium vegetable stock

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 12-cup baking dish. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add leeks, and cook until translucent, 3-4 minutes.

Arrange 1/3 of the potatoes in dish, slightly overlapping slices. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt, half of the nutmeg and pepper, followed by 1/2 of the leeks and 1 cup of the cheese. Repeat. Then top with remaining potatoes in a spiral. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Combine cream and stock. Pour over cheese and potatoes. Cover with parchment paper and foil. (Can be refrigerated overnight)

Bake for 30 minutes. Increase temperature to 425, uncover, and cook until top is golden brown and potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes. Let rest for 15-30 minutes before serving.