Turkey Meatballs

Feel free to add pasta to this dish, but I ate them alone! YUM!!!

Source: Martha Stewart + my own twist!!

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
large can of diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
sprinkle of red pepper flakes (for heat)
salt & pepper
1 large egg
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/3 cup fresh parsley
1 pond ground turkey
pasta, if you prefer

Directions:
Make the sauce: In a large nonstick skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, oregano, and thyme. Season with salt & pepper and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes.
Make the meatballs: In a large bowl, whisk together egg, milk, salt, pepper, with a fork. Stir in breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley. Add turkey, mixing until combined. Form 1 1/2 inch balls.
Add meatballs to the skillet, spooning sauce over to coat. Cover, cook over medium heat until meatballs are cooked through, about 10 - 15 minutes.
Optional: Toss with pasta.
Serve with additional cheese.

Pumpkin & Chocolate Chip Muffins

YUM! I can't resist pumpkin and chocolate!

Source: http://lovestoeat.wordpress.com/

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY’S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease thirty-six 2 1/2-inch muffin cups or line with paper bake cups.

COMBINE all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl. Combine eggs and sugar in large bowl. Add pumpkin and oil; mix well. Stir in flour mixture until moistened. Stir in morsels. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

BAKE for 20 to 25 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes; remove from pans.

Turkey Chili

This was the first time I ever made chili, or even ate chili! It was ssoooo good and I'll definitely be making it again in the winter months ahead! And it makes enough for leftovers! Score!

Recipe from Rachael Ray

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
2 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast (99 percent lean), 2 packages
4 tablespoons dark chili powder, 2 palm fulls
2 tablespoons grill seasoning blend, any brand, 1 palm full
1 tablespoon cumin, 1/2 palm full
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 to 3 tablespoons hot sauce, medium to extra-spicy
2 large peppers, any color combination, red, green, yellow or orange, chopped
1/2 bottle beer (the alcohol cooks out), about 1 cup
1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup smoky barbecue sauce
can of black beans
2 cups frozen corn kernels
(chopped onion, optional)

Directions
Heat a pot over medium to medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, and the turkey meat. Season the meat with: chili powder, grill seasoning, cumin, Worcestershire and hot sauce. Break up the meat with the back of a wooden spoon into small crumbles.
Brown meat 5 minutes, then add (onions, optional) and chopped bell peppers and cook 10 minutes more. Add beer and deglaze the pan, scraping up the drippings and cooking off the alcohol. Add tomato sauce and barbecue sauce and bring to a bubble. If using corn kernels or black beans add them now. Let chili simmer 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings and heat level to your taste. Remove from heat and serve.

Dipper Options
Choose from any or all of the following for dipping and scooping into your chili:
Pretzel Rods
Yellow, Red or Blue Corn Tortilla Chips, any flavor
Black Bean Tortilla Chips
Polenta Chips, Plain or Guacamole flavor
Pita Chips, Plain or Spicy flavors
Yukon Gold, Red Bliss or Blue Potato Chips, any flavor
All of the above can be found on either snack aisle or natural foods snack section in your market.

Topper Options
Choose from any or all of the following for topping your chili:
Shredded Cheeses: smoked white sharp cheddar, such as Cabot brand, pepper jack, chipotle Cheddar, 5 peppercorn Cheddar, Monterey jack
Sliced canned jalapenos, drained
Salsas
Sour cream
Chopped raw onion
Chopped green olives and pimentos
Chopped cilantro leaves
Diced tomatoes
Defrosted frozen corn or leftover corn on the cob, scraped from cob

Penne with Pumpkin Cream Sauce

This was a pleasant surprise! I was dying to try this recipe, but was also unsure how it would turn out. I paired it with asparagus, which I put on a cookie sheet, drizzled with evoo, salt & pepper, and chopped garlic. Into the oven for about 15 minutes. We had BlueMoon HarvestMoon Beer with it, and it was perfecto! I definitely recommend making this!

Recipe from Rachael Ray

Ingredients:
1 pound wheat penne pasta
2 tablespoons butter
salt & pepper
15 ounce can pure pumpkin puree
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan, plus more for topping
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Directions:
1. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water. 2. In the same pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Season with salt and pepper; stir until melted. Stir in the pumpkin and heavy cream and bring to a boil. Return the pasta to the pot along with the reserved pasta cooking water and toss. Stir in the parmesan; season with salt and pepper. 3. Top the pasta with the parsley and more parmesan.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

This bread is delish! I am a chocolate lover, so the idea of mixing fabulous pumpkin with chocolate was amazing! I will definitely be making this again!

Recipe from Taste Of Home

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups canned pumpkin
1-1/2 cups vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips


Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. In another bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into two greased 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: 2 loaves.

Chicken Parm Meatball Subs

This was my first time cooking with ground chicken and it was a success! Yummy!

Recipe from Rachael Ray

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
1 large egg
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
Handful of chopped parsley leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil, for liberal drizzling plus, plus 3 tablespoons, 3 turns of the pan
2 large cloves garlic, cracked from skin and split
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, a healthy couple of pinches
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, (recommended: San Marzano)
Salt & Pepper
8 to 10 leaves fresh basil, torn or shredded
4 (6 to 8-inch) crusty sub rolls
1 1/2 cups shredded provolone

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Place chicken in a bowl and season with grill seasoning. Add egg, half of the grated cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil to the bowl. Mix the meat and form 12 large meatballs. Squish the balls to flatten them a bit like mini oval meatloaves. Be careful not to form the balls wider than your bread. The flattened balls will stay put on your sub, no roll-aways! Bake the meatballs 15 minutes until golden and firm. Switch the broiler on.
While the meatballs bake, heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and garlic and cook 5 minutes then remove the cloves. Add crushed red pepper flakes then tomatoes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and simmer 10 minutes, adjust seasonings and stir in the basil. Reserve a extra sauce for dipping on dinner table.
Remove the meat from oven and loosen with a thin spatula. Turn meat balls in sauce.
Cut sub rolls making the bottom a little deeper than the top. Hollow out a little bread and lightly toast the sub rolls under broiler. Fill the bottoms of the breads with flattened balls and sauce. Combine the provolone and remaining Parmigiano. Cover the subs with cheese and return to broiler to melt the cheese until golden.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Frosting

Recipe from http://cateskitchen.blogspot.com/

Cupcakes
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup applesauce
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
Preheat oven to 350 and line a cupcake pan with paper liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, spices, and sugars.
In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients.
Gently stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, and pour into cupcake liners - fill pretty much to the top - they don't rise too much! ( I didn't fill mine high enough!)
Bake for about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool completely on a wire rack

Frosting
4 tbsp butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 cups powdered sugar
Beat together the butter and cream cheese.
Add maple syrup and beat on medium until combined.
Mix in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, then mix on medium-high until smooth.
Frost each cupcake liberally.

Grilled Chicken Parmesan

Healthy and delicious! I can't wait to make this again!

Recipe from Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Get Real Meals Cookbook

Ingredients

Thin chicken breast cutlets

Salt & Pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 can (28 ounces) fire-roasted diced tomatoes

20 fresh basil leaves, shredded or torn

1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano

1/2 pound fresh Mozzarella

Directions

Heat an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan to high. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and drizzle with EVOO to keep it from sticking to the grill. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side and transfer to a foil covered platter to hold. While the chicken cooks make the sauce.

Place a medium pot on the stove over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the EVOO (twice around the pan). Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, (and onion if you prefer). Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the tomatoes and heat through, 2 minutes. Wilt in the basil and and season the sauce with salt and pepper.

Preheat the broiler to high.

Layer the chicken with the tomato sauce in a casserole dish. Top the casserole with Parmigiano and Mozzarella. Brown the chicken parm casserole under the broiler for 3 minutes.