meatballs

Simple. Easy. And homemade. So good we ate them all up before I took a picture.

Ingredients:

* 1 lb. lean ground beef

* 1/2 super fine bread crumbs

* 1 egg (forgot to use this, they were a-ok!)

* 1/4 cup finely chopped onion

* 1 tbsp minced garlic

* salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mixing throughly.

Shape into 12 2 inch meatballs. 

Place on sprayed cookie sheets. 

Bake for 25-30 mins. or until meat is not pink in the middle.

We ate these with spaghetti - Avery's favorite. These would be easy to make and freeze for additional meals - like meatball subs or cut up for a pizza topping. We've been using the pre-cooked, frozen Trader Joe's meatballs before moving to a Trader Joe-less location (sniff sniff). But I will have to say, these hit the spot (I think it had to do with using super fine bread crumbs, it gave them a nice crisp) - we may be just fine without our TJ meatballs. 

bell pepper nachos

These were a huge hit last nigh ... so yummy!

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 green onions, sliced, white parts and green parts separated

1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/8 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon paprika

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup salsa

salt and pepper to taste

1 pound mini bell peppers (I used regular bell peppers cut into chunks)

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar/Monterey jack cheese blend

1/4 cup sliced black olives

1/2 large tomato, diced

1/4 cup cilantro

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Heat the oil in a 12 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and the white parts of the green onions and cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in chili powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add chicken and toss until all ingredients are well coated and chicken is warm, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in salsa. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

3. Slice the ends off each mini bell pepper and slice in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and ribs and press each half open so the peppers are as flat as possible. Arrange close together in a single layer on a large baking sheet.

4. Spoon chicken mixture evenly over pepper halves. Top with black olives and cheese mixture. Bake nachos for 10 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Remove from oven, top with tomatoes, cilantro, and remaining green onions. Serve.

found at: http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/

Black-Eyed Pea Dip

Ben grew up eating black-eyed pea soup on the first day of the new year - a sign of good luck. He never liked the soup, yet he felt obliged to eat it all for the sake of a good year. This year, I found this yummy dip recipe that we devoured with tortilla chips, so I am sure our year will be extra lucky!!!

Ingredients

1 can (14-ounce) Can Black-eyed Peas

1/4 whole Onion, Chopped Fine

1/4 cup Sour Cream

8 slices Jarred Jalapenos

1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

3 Tablespoons Salsa

Hot Sauce, to taste

Salt And Black Pepper To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain black-eyed peas and partially mash, leaving some whole.

Add all other ingredients, stirring to combine.

Spread into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish and bake for 20 to 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Serve with tortilla chips!

*Note: if you have them available, you can use the canned black-eyed peas and jalapenos (they're canned together.) If you do this, you can omit the extra jalapeños.

recipe found at: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/12/black-eyed-peas/

Texas Caviar

This is a really good dip to make for a party- we tried it in Tulsa and made it for a BBQ- it was a hit! It is so yummy and filling and doesn't have to stay refrigerated. 

Ingredients

2 cans black-eyed peas drained and rinsed

1 can yellow hominy drained and rinsed

1 bunch green onions

2 tomatoes diced

1/4 cup parsley diced

4 garlic cloves diced

8 oz. Italian dressing

Mix everything together and let marinate in refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Serve with tortilla chips. Yummy!