There are some days where I just don’t have the time (or energy) to cook an elaborate meal. I’ve come to love quick, easy dinners that I can throw together in a half hour.
There are some sweet & sour meatball recipes that use only 3 ingredients: frozen meatballs, grape jelly, and chili sauce. I couldn’t even bring myself to consider making it. Instead, I opted to make meatballs from scratch (easy!) and sauce from scratch (easier!). Sure, it took a little longer to whip together than the 3 ingredient meatballs, but it’s well worth it to me! The meatballs are super tender and I love the sauce. I also love the fact that I can pour a healthy dose of Sriracha on top.
The only part that beats the fact that it is so simple to make is that this made a LOT of food. That means that Mike and I were able to eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a couple days 😉 If you’re cooking for a small group, you may want to cut the recipe in half.
Sweet & Sour Meatballs with Peppers adapted from All Recipes
for the meatballs:
2 pounds 90% lean ground beef
2 eggs
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped or grated onion
1-inch piece of ginger, grated
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
for the sauce: 2 – 20 ounce cans pineapple chunks, drained and juice reserved
1 cup water
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons corn starch
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 large onion, chopped
2 red or yellow bell peppers, sliced
white or brown rice, for serving
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
To make the meatballs: combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix by hand until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Shape into 1 – 1 1/2 inch balls and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Pour reserved pineapple juice into a large pot over medium heat. Whisk in water, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, corn starch, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
Stir in pineapple chunks, onion, bell peppers, and meatballs into the sauce. Gently stir to combine and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.
I’m not a coffee drinker. Or a dunker. So, biscotti and IÂ shouldn’t get along. But we do.
You see, these biscotti are delicious even when they are eaten plain. In fact, they are good enough to eat at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and for snacks. These biscotti were perfectly crisp yet still soft – nothing is worse than a biscotti that is break-your-teeth-hard. They weren’t overly sweet, either. So, whip yourself up a batch of these and enjoy!
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup (6 oz) Nutella, Â room temperature
3 large eggs, Â room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until smooth and slightly lightened in color, 2-3 minutes. Add Nutella to the bowl and mix on medium speed until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (15 to 20 seconds) and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to Nutella mixture and beat on low speed until combined; scrape down sides of bowl as needed.
Add chocolate chips and mix on low speed until just blended.
Divide the dough in half and on a lightly floured surface, shape each half of dough into a 13-inch log. Place the logs on the prepared baking sheet 4 inches apart. Gently press down on the logs to flatten them slightly until they are about 2 inches across.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the logs are firm to the touch. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the logs cool completely.
Turn the oven down to 275°F and position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Transfer the cooled logs to a cutting board and use a serrated knife to slice the logs on the diagonal into 1/2-inch thick cookies. Line a second baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the cookies, cut side down, on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 30-40 minutes, turning the biscotti over halfway through, until the cookies are dry. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
I love blogger’s choice swaps. It means I get to spend hours (yes, hours) perusing another blog. The only downside is that it’s nearly impossible to just choose one dish to make. This time was no different. The blog I was assigned was Cookaholic Wife. Again, I ended up with over a dozen dishes I wanted to make. I generally lean towards desserts, but the jalapeno popper pizza caught my eye.
Jalapenos. All over a pizza. With a jalapeno ranch dressing. And bacon.
Yes, please!
I’ve been craving pizza ever since I made the BBQ Chicken Pizza and this one definitely hit the spot. If you can’t really handle the heat from the peppers, feel free to cut back on the amount you put on. I may or may not have put extra slices on mine because I love spicy foods 🙂
for the pizza dough: 3 cups all purpose flour
1 – .25 ounce package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup warm water (~110°F)
for the jalapeno ranch dressing: 1 jalapeno, seeds and membrane removed
1 green onion, ends trimmed
1 clove of garlic
1/2 lime, juiced
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup light mayo
1 tablespoon cilantro
salt and pepper, to taste
2 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, softened
for the pizza toppings: 2 jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 slices bacon, cooked and roughly chopped
To make the dough: Fit stand mixer with dough hook. Combine dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Pour in oil and water. Mix on low speed until dough pulls away from side of bowl and gathers around hook and is smooth and elastic. Place dough in a large lightly greased bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Set aside and let rise for 30 – 40 minutes.
To make the dressing: combine all ingredients except for the cream cheese using a hand blender, food processor, or blender. Mix until smooth. Mix in cream cheese until well combined.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place pizza stone in oven and let it heat for at least 30 minutes.
Stretch prepared pizza dough into a circle 12″ in diameter. Fold edges over to create a crust.
Spread jalapeno ranch dressing over dough and sprinkle cheese on top. Top with jalapeno slices and bacon.
Bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until cheese has melted and crust is lightly browned. Serve immediately.
Thanks to Taste of Home Cooking for organizing! Make sure to check out the other recipe swap posts!
When Jessica over at My Baking Heart posted these tiramisu brownies, I knew I had to make them. Immediately. Usually I find a recipe that calls out to me and put it on my “to do” list. These babies almost skipped every other dish I had on my list and I made them as soon as I could.
A little tip – if you don’t want the 8 egg yolks to go to waste, do as I did and use 5 of them in these Layered German Chocolate Cupcakes. Then you will have not one, but TWO super decadent treats. It’s probably a good idea to share 😉
Hazelnut Tiramisu Brownies yield: 15 large brownies
2 oz dark chocolate chips 16 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature 1 1/4 c granulated sugar, divided 4 whole large eggs 8 large egg whites, divided 1 cup cake flour 2 tablespoons instant coffee 1/4 cup chopped, roasted hazelnuts 8 ounces Mascapone cheese, room temperature 8 ounces Neufchatel cheese, room temperature 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 package ladyfingers 1 cup coffee 2 tablespoons dark rum
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 13×9 baking pan and set aside.
Place chocolate chips in a large microwavable bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until smooth and melted, stirring after each time. Let cool slightly.
Pour melted chocolate into a mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat in butter on medium speed until well incorporated. Add in 1 cup of sugar, 4 whole eggs, and 4 egg whites, mixing until well blended. Mix in flour and instant coffee on low speed until just combined. Carefully fold in hazelnuts. Remove 1 cup of batter and pour remaining batter into prepared pan.
Place lady fingers rounded-side down on top of the batter, pushing down slightly on each one. Combine coffee with rum and brush onto the ladyfingers until saturated.
In a separate bowl, combine mascarpone cheese, Neufchatel cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, 4 remaining egg whites, and vanilla extract. Carefully spread over the ladyfingers.
Drop dollops of remaining brownie batter on top of the cheese layer and swirl gently with a knife.
Bake for 45 – 50 minutes, or until brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and the center is almost set. Let cool completely in pan before cutting.
Recipe slightly adapted from Chef Maureen Joyce & Barista Prima Coffee house via My Baking Heart
This post two-for-one deal. It’s a running and recipe post all rolled into one! Let me start the race recap with my Saturday. In my last post I talked about my nervousness and how I planned on dealing with it. So, what did I do all weekend?
Well, like I had said before, Mike and I went to the Cellcom Race Expo and picked up my race packet. We bought a running hat (for him) and some more running capris (for me) there. We then headed over to Hinterland for some beer & food. It was so good. We decided to sit in the lounge and I’m so glad we did. The space is really neat – we snagged a corner booth that had a nice view of the downtown area. The service and food were amazing. We’re already planning on next trip back – I’m sad they are a 40 minute trip away, but it’s definitely worth it.
We drank: Cherry Wheat (Crisp, cool and refreshing. Brewed using tart Door County cherries from Seaquist Orchards) and Bourbon Barrel Dopplebock (Dark amber color. Full-bodied. Pronounced notes of caramel and oak with a smooth bourbony finish. Aged 10.5 months). Both were delish.
We ate: Caprine supreme goat cheese curds with kimchee ketchup and Nueske’s smoked chicken pizza (maple bock barbecue, mango, chives, goat cheese). The cheese curds were different than any cheese curd I’ve had before – they were light and fluffy and the kimchee ketchup was awesome. The pizza was, of course, delish as well. I loved the addition of the mango.
Saturday, we wasted the day away at home and ran some errands. I felt sick with anticipation almost all day. I was refreshing the weather on my iPad every hour (definitely wasn’t helping). I ended up throwing together dinner early at around 5:00 so we could eat early and get to bed by 9:00.
Some people have certain foods they need to stay away from before race day. I’ve found that I can eat almost anything, but it’s best if I stay away from fiber and copious amounts of grease. I ended up making a dish with chicken sausage and bell peppers with a pasta salad side. I loved that this meal was filling, easy, and my stomach handled it perfectly.
Chicken Sausage & PeppersÂ
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
12 ounces fully cooked chicken sausage*, cut into 1 1/2 – 2″ pieces
2 bell peppers, sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add in onions and cook for 3 – 4 minutes or until they start to soften.
Add in sausage and bell peppers and cook until sausage is heated through, 3 – 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
*I used Johnsonville’s Chicken Sausage – Chipotle Montery Jack in my dish. I’ve had this type before and love it so I used it again instead of trying something new.
Easy Spinach Pasta Salad
12 ounces farfalle or other small pasta
1 teaspoon garlic olive oil or plain olive oil*
3 cups baby spinach
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
3 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Cook pasta according to package directions in a large pot of boiling salted water. Drain and immediately toss with garlic olive oil. Toss warm cooked pasta with spinach, onion, tomato and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
*I used a garlic evoo from a local store, The Olive Cellar. Love the place and will never buy olive oil (or balsamic) from any other place.
After eating a fair amount of this, Mike and I turned in for the night. He tried to calm my nerves by playing the Fun Run episode from The Office. It worked 🙂
Now, that brings us to Sunday: race day. Mike and I rolled out of bed at around 4:00 that morning and I nervously ate a banana and some Quaker Oatmeal Squares. I chugged a little water and then we were off to Green Bay. We weather was beautiful at first. Here’s a picture of me – all happy that it was race day and ready to conquer Cellcom once again.
I got about 2 miles in before I realized just how hot and humid it was. Last year was hotter, but this year was much more humid. I do not handle humidity or heat very well. Put the two together and well… I’m a goner. Let’s just say that there aren’t many pictures I want to post of my grossness mid-run. I will, however, share with you the pics Mike snapped during my last mile in Lambeau Field!
I may look happy and full of energy in the above photos, but miles 2 – 12 were killer. I was dragging and just mentally d-o-n-e with it all. After I crossed the finish line and found Mike, I loaded up on brats and beer. I got my picture taken with a complete stranger (??) and then changed into dry clothes before heading back out to Lambeau and cheering on the marathoners and snapping a few more pics.
I wish I could say that everything was perfect. That I hit my goal time. That I PRed. But none of that is true. I debated sharing my time with the world because I was embarrassed at first. Then, I realized that all runners have good days and bad days. I just happened to have a bad day. And even though my time was 2:27 and I finished nearly 15 minutes after my goal time, I still did better than the person I was just 2 1/2 years ago. I used to be someone who couldn’t run for 20 seconds straight and struggled through Day 1 of Couch to 5k for a solid week.
It’s that time again… half marathon time. I ran my first half marathon almost exactly a year ago at the Cellcom Half. I still remember how horrible it was. It was hot. Way too hot. I am still, to this day, thankful for all the residents who had their sprinklers out, to all the volunteers who had endless cups of water and Gatorade, and to myself for wearing a water belt.
I’m hoping this year will be cooler. The forecast for Sunday went from sunny to thunderstorms and it’s currently at partly cloudy with a high of 76°F. I have my fingers and toes crossed that it stays that way.
My second half (Honky Tonk Half) was no better. I ran it too soon after my first full and ended up with a stress fracture in my right foot. I am so thankful that my sister was willing to push all of her hard training aside and walk by my side for the last 6 miles. The best part of not being able to run? We were able to get awesome pictures like this:
Note the lack of sweat and the smiles on our faces. Now compare that to my typical race photo where I look like this (in the pink tank):
(It just so happens that this photo was taken during Cellcom last year. SO HOT!)
So, here goes half #3. I’m still not quite sure why I get so worked up before a race.  I go through this before every.single.race regardless of the distance. I get angry at myself for not training hard enough, not running fast enough, for having such a sensitive stomach, and for getting injured so frequently. It’s almost like my body is telling me “STOP RUNNING”, but I refuse to. I’m 100% certain that running is the only reason I’m still (somewhat) sane.
I’m mentally preparing myself this time by picking up my race packet tonight, and then going out for dinner and drinks at Hinterland. Saturday I’ll relax with some yoga, gardening, laying out my clothes, and making sure my watch and iPod are fully charged.
I’m trying to keep in mind that I’ve logged my miles by running dutifully 3 or 4 days a week. This year I actually cross trained with yoga 2 – 3 days a week, biking, and weights. My training calendar has the proof that I am ready. Now I just need to make myself believe it.
I rarely crave cake. When I do, it’s usually one of two types: a white cake with a strawberry filling or a chocolate cake with nuts.
So German chocolate cupcakes? They totally hit the spot.
These bad boys were a two day project for me. It all started on Sunday night after a long, long day. I baked the cupcakes and decided that I was simply too exhausted to deal with them any more. I let them cool, scooped them out of the pans, and covered them before collapsing in bed.
On Monday morning, I got ready for work as fast as I could and whipped together the chocolate ganache and coconut-pecan filling for the cupcakes. After cooking them, I scooped them into bowls and let them hang out for the day while I went to work. After a crazy day at work, I finally got around to decorating and photographing them. Phew!
A few lessons I learned along the way:
These cupcakes are fragile. I almost threw them all away after I spent what seemed like a million hours carefully removing them from the cupcake pans. I’ll probably opt to use cupcake liners in the future, even though it won’t look as nice.
Splitting this into a 2-day project was smart. The cupcakes were still very moist the next day (and for days after).
These are delicious (and dangerous to have around). How good are they? Well, I took the cupcakes that I failed to remove in one piece and layered them in a ramekin with the filling and ganache to create a little German chocolate cake parfait of sorts. I couldn’t bear to throw any of the goodness away.
The recipe from the box can be trusted!
German chocolate cupcakes >> German chocolate cake
for the cupcakes:
1 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
4 ounces German chocolate
1/2 cup water
4 egg whites
4 egg yolks
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
for the coconut-pecan filling: 5 egg yolks
12 ounces evaporated milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup butter
2 1/2 cups unsweetened flake coconut
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
for the chocolate ganache: 12 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 pint whipping cream
To make the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease cupcake pans and set aside.
Mix together milk and lemon juice in a small bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.
Heat chocolate and water in a large bowl for 1 1/2 – 2 minutes in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until chocolate is melted.
In a medium bowl, beat egg whites with a mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form.
In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, and salt.
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in melted chocolate and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture alternately with the milk, beating well after each addition.
Gently fold in egg whites until well combined.
Fill prepared cupcake pan no more than half full. Bake for 15 – 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Immediately run a small spatula along the edges of the cupcakes to loosen. Allow to cool in the pan 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the coconut-pecan filling:
Beat egg yolks, milk, and vanilla in a large saucepan with a whisk until well combined. Add sugar and butter and cook over medium heat for 12 minutes or until mixture has thickened and golden brown, stirring constantly. Stir in coconut and pecans until well combined. Let cool to room temperature before use.
To make the chocolate ganache:
Place chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring cream to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate. Stir until chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Let cool to room temperature before use.
To assemble the cupcakes:
Carefully cut cupcakes in half horizontally. Spread a spoonful of coconut-pecan filling onto the bottom half. Place the top of the cupcake on and spread more coconut-pecan filling on top. Place the chocolate ganache into a piping bag fit with a medium or large star tip. Pipe ganache onto the top of the cupcake and garnish with a pecan, if desired.
I’ve got a storm of baked goods comin’ your way. I would apologize for not posting healthier foods or main dishes, but I’m really not sorry. If you want someone to blame, you can start with Mothers’ Day. And then birthdays. Because all those occasions require baked goods. And when they all fall within a few days of each other… well, I end up pumping out a lot of goodies from my tiny kitchen.
I’ll start off with a lightened up lemon yogurt cake. I loved how light and spring-y this cake was. I’ve mentioned in the past how much I love lemons and their tartness. The next time I make this cake I will bump up the zest to 3 lemons and I’ll consider using a lemon-flavored Greek yogurt as well. I may double the glaze as well – I couldn’t get enough of that stuff! My sister liked it so much that she ate the top off a slice of the cake, leaving behind a sad naked slice. Rude 🙂
Lightened Up Lemon Yogurt Cake adapted from Ina Garten
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
3 extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8.5″ loaf pan with butter. Line the bottom with parchment paper and butter and flour the pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, beat together yogurt, 1 cup sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir gently to combine. Mix in canola oil until combined.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake in preheated oven for 45 – 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Meanwhile, combine remaining 1/3 cup sugar and 1/3 cup lemon juice in a small pan. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
When cake is done, let cool in pan for 10 minutes before placing on a wire rack over a sheet pan . Using a toothpick, pierce top of cake several times. Pour lemon-sugar syrup over warm cake. Allow cake to cool completely.
To make the glaze: in a small bowl combine lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar and mix until smooth. Pour over cake.
There’s something about a perfect burger that just screams “summer”! Even though it’s only spring, and even though it’s been a fairly cold spring so far, this burger made everything a-okay. I forgot for a few hours that summer was still forever away. Mike and I enjoyed these burgers with some grilled asparagus, grilled potato wedges, and of course, some fresh whisky sours.
Whiskey BBQBurgers with Caramelized Onions & Cheddar serves 4
for the whiskey barbecue sauce: 1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 Â teaspoon black pepper
1 Â teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup bourbon
for the caramelized onions: 1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, sliced
1 teaspoon brown sugar
for the burgers:
1 pound ground beef
salt and pepper
4 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
4 kaiser rolls, lightly toasted
To make the whiskey barbecue sauce:  combine all barbecue sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes, or until thick.
To caramelize the onions: heat olive oil and butter in a medium pan over medium-low heat. Add in onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add in brown sugar and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized and soft, another 10 – 15 minutes.
To make the burgers: shape beef into 4 even patties. Make a depression in the middle of each patty with your thumb. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a grill to high heat and cook burgers until slightly charred and browned on one side. Flip and cook burgers on second side until browned and slightly charged. Top with sliced cheddar cheese during last minute of cooking.
To assemble burgers: place a patty onto the bottom of  roll. Slather with barbecue sauce and top with a heaping spoonful of caramelized onions. Top with other side of the roll and serve immediately.
There are two liquors I love – gin and whisky. Gin has been a favorite since my college years. I could almost always be found with a cup of gin and something in my hand. That lead to my nickname Ginni Li, a twist off my maiden name of Jenni Li. My love for whisky didn’t start until I had a whisky sour in Mexico on our honeymoon. One sour led to two… to three… Basically it was a drink an hour for the entire duration of our week-long honeymoon.
This particular version of the  drink changed my view on whisky sours. Never again will a bar-made whisky sour of Kessler and sour mix taste good. I’m kind of upset that I made these because it’s ruined all other whisky sours to me. Nothing will ever match up to the deliciousness of this drink. Ever.
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup whiskey
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
ice cubes
maraschino cherries
Combine sugar with 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and chill.
Combine whiskey, lemon juice, lime juice, and 2/3 cup of the sugar syrup in a cocktail shaker. Place 3 – 4 cubes of ice into shaker and shake for 15 seconds. Pour into glasses. Garnish with maraschino cherries and serve cold.
DoughSeeDough 