Tag Archives: Sauce

Babybel-stuffed Meatballs

November 15, 2011 – 8:00 am

I’m declaring a savory week here on Satisfy My Sweet Tooth.  A few weeks ago, I made Vegan Gluten-free Brownies and then a few hours later proceeded to make Babybel-stuffed meatballs.  I love all food.  I don’t discriminate.

I grew up eating my grandmother’s to-die-for Italian red sauce with meatballs.  Since she is gone :( no one can quite replicate the amazing flavor of her “gravy” but I am able to take myself back to sitting around her table with these meatballs.  My grandmother did not stuff meatballs with cheese but Giada does, so I figured combining two of my favorite cooks versions of meatballs could only result in a small meaty miracle in the shape of a ball.  And I was right.

Pasta is easily my single favorite savory food and while I do not feel the need to add a protein to top my noodles, my husband is never quite content with a meatless dinner (Waah).  So, as I mentioned after experimenting with vegan gluten-free baking during the first part of the day and watching his nose turn up with the addition of each “weird” ingredient, I knew that a meaty meal was the way to his heart.

Babybel cheese wheels are a favorite of mine.  I can remember my mother packing them in my lunchbox as a child and even now when I am hungry for a snack I love to eat a couple of the Babybel Lights for a low-calorie high-protein snack.  I wasn’t sure how the Babybel would melt in the cooked meatballs, but I was pleasantly surprised when I cut into a meatball and was met with a gooey string of cheese.  Cook up some pasta with your favorite red sauce and whip up a batch of these meatballs and you will be satiated and comforted in no time.

Babybel-stuffed Meatballs

by Mercedes Porter

Keywords: bake entree cheese meat Italian

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 3/4 cup diced onion
  • 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
  • 1 tsp red chili flakes
  • 1 egg
  • salt and pepper
  • 5 Babybel cheese wheels, quartered

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients except egg and meat and mix to combine. Add egg and meat and mix until all of the other ingredients are incorporated evenly.

Roll mixture into small balls. Make indentation into each ball and stuff with a quarter of a Babybel. Seal meat around the cheese by rolling and place stuffed balls onto prepared baking sheet.

Bake about 20 minutes or until meat is cooked to your liking.

Serve with spaghetti and tomato sauce. Garnish with extra parmesan cheese.

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dry ingredients

quarter Babybels

combine all ingredients, roll into balls and make indentation into each ball

stuff quarter of a Babybel into each ball and roll to seal

bake


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Shrimp Spring Rolls and Pad Thai

September 20, 2011 – 8:00 am

I love spring rolls but for some reason I had always feared the sticky rice paper and been too scared to make them myself.  All that has changed thankfully.  A good friend and I recently attended a cooking class and spring rolls were on the list of dishes to make.  I have always recognized that the ingredients are simple, but I have had negative experiences with rice noodles in the past and I thought that getting that rice paper wet would leave me with a sloppy clump of frustration.  Much to my surprise, rice paper is relatively easy to work with and even if minor tears do occur, it all gets rolled up anyway!

So to make fresh spring rolls, you can basically just choose the vegetables (sprouts, lettuce, peppers, carrots, etc.), protein (tofu, shrimp, chicken, pork, etc.) herbs (basil, mint, cilantro) that you like and you could even stuff in some rice or rice noodles in if you would like.  The ingredients you choose need to be sliced very thin.

Let me tell you about rice paper in case it causes you anxiety like it did for me.  The rice paper may be kept in the produce section of your grocery stores by wonton wrappers and other specialty ingredients.  Each sheet is very thin and somewhat brittle.  To soften the rice paper, all you need to do is put some hot (not warm) water in a large shallow bowl and place one sheet of rice paper at a time into the bowl until it is soft and pliable (just a few seconds).

Once the paper is pliable lay it out on your work surface (I used a plastic cutting board).  Now let’s think of the rice paper as a clock face.  Line up your thinly sliced vegetables and protein at 6:00.  Then sprinkle your herbs around the rest of the clock.

Now for the folds.  First, fold 3:00 and 9:00 sides of the rice paper in toward each other.

Next, begin folding at 6:00 and roll up to meet 12:00.

That’s it!  Wasn’t that easy sweet teeth??  Now for a super simple and delish dipping sauce, mix soy sauce, sweet chili sauce and sriracha (or garlic chili paste).

Ok, so now you have a fabulous appetizer.  May I suggest this Shrimp Pad Thai for your entrée? (recipe from Bake Your Day)  It is the best Pad Thai I have made at home.  (In the photo below, I did not have rice noodles on hand, so I used whole wheat spaghetti which works great too.  And I prefer to double the sauce in the recipe).

 Get the Pad Thai recipe here

Fresh Spring Rolls

by Mercedes Porter

Keywords: appetizer low-carb vegetables seafood Thai

Ingredients

For the rolls

  • 1 package rice paper
  • raw sliced vegetables of your choice (slice them thin!)
  • cooked protein of your choice (sliced thin; shrimp butterflied and sliced in half lengthwise)
  • fresh herbs of your choiced, minced
  • hot water

For the dipping sauce

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
  • 1 tsp sriracha (more or less depending how spicy you would like it)

Instructions

For the rolls

*NOTE* I hesitate to tell you an amount for the vegetables, protein and herbs because it depends how many rolls you want to make, but you will probably use less that a 1/4 cup of ingredients total for each roll. I would recommend slicing more than you think you will need, putting the rolls together as you wish and then using the extras in another dish if you end up with them. This is about having freedom and creativity and who can complain about pre-sliced veggies and protein? It will make your next meal easier, I hope!

Fill large shallow bowl halfway with hot water. Place rice paper (one at a time) into the water until soft and pliable.

Place the softened rice paper onto a work surface (plastic cutting board). Remember, think of the paper as a clock face and then line up your thinly sliced vegetables and protein at 6:00. Then sprinkle your herbs around the rest of the clock.

Fold 3:00 and 9:00 sides of the rice paper in toward each other. Then, begin folding at 6:00 and roll up to meet 12:00. (You can store the spring rolls for 4 hours in the refrigerator if you simply rub them lightly with oil and cover with a wet paper towel.

For the sauce

Mix all ingredients and serve with spring rolls.

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Bar La Grassa

August 26, 2011 – 8:00 am

Bar La Grassa has earned itself quite a reputation around the Twin Cities.  The Italian restaurant has boasted several local and national “best” restaurant awards over the past couple of years.  And Chef Isaac Becker was named the 2011 James Beard Best Chef in the Midwest.  Awards like that are nothing to overlook.  The atmosphere at Bar La Grassa is exactly what you would hope and expect to find at an Italian restaurant in the warehouse district of Minneapolis.  It is hip, packed and loud (in a good way).

I always enjoy the feeling of an open kitchen with a bar that allows you to belly up and watch the masters at work.  I went to Bar La Grassa last weekend expecting to have quite a wait since I had not made a reservation, but I was pleasantly surprised to be offered immediate seating at the bar overlooking the kitchen.

When we sat down we were met with some marinated peppers and butter beans and wonderful focaccia that had a topping of salt and herbs.

After ordering some wine, it was time to explore the menu.  Bar La Grassa is known for it’s homemade fresh pastas among other things, and being the pasta lover that I am, I knew that I wanted to sample some fresh noodles.  However, that did not narrow down my decision much as the restaurant offers about 12 different fresh pasta selections.  We decided to start with the Crispy Insalata Saporoso Vinaigrette which was a lovely green salad with frisee, fennel, pine nuts and cheese.  It was an unique, fresh and light way to begin our meal.

I was lucky that my company also wanted to sample fresh pasta dishes.  That way I got to try 3 different pastas without feeling totally gluttonous.  I had read about the Mushroom and Taleggio Agnolotti, so that was the decision for me.  The rich flavor of the mushrooms was amazing, but I am glad that the plates come in half or whole orders because a little bit of this dish goes a long way.

My mother is unable to eat cheese, so the Crab Ravioli was perfect for her.  The Ravioli was paired with a rather simple cream sauce.

Finally, my husband needed some meat and so he sampled the Pappardelle with Veal Ragu.  The sheets of fresh pappardelle were perfectly delicate and light, but the veal ragu was sweet, somewhat one-note and left me wanting for something:  salt, spice, garlic, something.

We were too stuffed for dessert, but lucky for me, Bar La Grassa Satisfied My Sweet Tooth anyway.  The check was brought with some almond brittle with a hint of chili pepper for a surprisingly warm and lovely slow burn.

What is your favorite pasta dish and/or restaurant?

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Feasting in Mexico and Chicken Enchiladas

July 13, 2011 – 8:00 pm

Hola los dientes dulces!

I just returned from a lovely vacation in Mexico

and I couldn’t resist sharing some of the wonderful dishes that we had on our trip with you.

One of my favorite Mexican desserts is Tres Leches cake and when we requested this traditional Mexican cake for our last dinner, the chef at our resort was kind enough to Satisfy My Sweet Tooth and make the cake for us.

All of the food we had was amazing.  I especially enjoyed the different ceviches we sampled throughout the trip.  Ceviche is so simply prepared but so undeniably fresh and refreshing.

This is a sample of 4 different ceviches that we ate during a Tequila tasting at our resort.

And how could I leave Mexico without having some fish tacos and short rib enchiladas?

Now it would not be very nice of me to leave you drooling over all of the wonderful dishes I got to enjoy on my trip and offer you nothing for yourself would it?  So, here is my recipe for chicken enchiladas!  I know it may be tempting just to buy the enchilada sauce pre-made from the store, but this sauce is so simple that it will be finished by the time you have made the filling and wrapped it up in the tortillas and the fresh flavor is so worth it.

Chicken Enchiladas

Sauce:    (recipe adapted from The America’s Text Kitchen Family Cookbook)

  • 1 Tbsp canola oil
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 Tbsp chili powder
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 (16 oz.) can tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup water
  1. Heat oil in medium/large sautée pan over medium heat until simmering
  2. Add onion and salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes
  3. Stir in chili powder, garlic and cumin (this mixture will look dry) and cook until fragrant, about 20 seconds
  4. Pour in the tomato sauce and water and stir
  5. Turn heat to medium-high, bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes

Onions tender and translucent

Mixture will appear dry after adding spices

Filling: 

  • 1 rotisserie chicken (meat shredded, I used only white meat)
  • 6 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 cups shredded colby-jack cheese
  • 2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chiles
  1. Mix all ingredients with spatula until well blended

Assembling the enchiladas:

  • Filling
  • Sauce
  • Corn tortillas
  • 1 cup shredded colby-jack cheese
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  2. Spray 9X13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray
  3. Wrap 4 tortillas in moistened paper towel and microwave for 10 seconds (this makes the tortillas more pliable so they do not tear while you are filling them)
  4. Place about 2 Tbsp of filling into each tortilla, roll it up and place it seam side down into the baking dish
  5. Continue steps 2-4 until you have filled your dish with one layer of rolled and filled tortillas
  6. Lightly spray the top of this layer with nonstick spray
  7. Pour half of enchilada sauce over this bottom layer
  8. Repeat steps 2-4 to make second layer of enchiladas
  9. Pour remaining sauce over top of second layer and sprinkle with cheese
  10. Spray a piece of foil with nonstick spray and cover baking dish
  11. Bake 25 minutes, remove foil and bake an additional 5 minutes
  12. Serve with sour cream, salsa, cilantro, lettuce, jalepenos, and any of your favorite Mexican toppings!

 

Chicken Enchiladas

Sauce:    (recipe adapted from The America’s Text Kitchen Family Cookbook)

  •  1 Tbsp canola oil
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 Tbsp chili powder
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 (16 oz.) can tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup water
  1.  Heat oil in medium/large sautée pan over medium heat until simmering
  2. Add onion and salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes
  3. Stir in chili powder, garlic and cumin (this mixture will look dry) and cook until fragrant, about 20 seconds
  4. Pour in the tomato sauce and water and stir
  5. Turn heat to medium-high, bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes

Filling: 

  •  1 rotisserie chicken (meat shredded, I used only white meat)
  • 6 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 cups shredded colby-jack cheese
  • 2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chiles
  1.  Mix all ingredients with spatula until well blended

Assembling the enchiladas:

  •  Filling
  • Sauce
  • Corn tortillas
  • 1 cup shredded colby-jack cheese
  1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  2. Spray 9X13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray
  3. Wrap 4 tortillas in moistened paper towel and microwave for 10 seconds (this makes the tortillas more pliable so they do not tear while you are filling them)
  4. Place about 2 Tbsp of filling into each tortilla, roll it up and place it seam side down into the baking dish
  5. Continue steps 2-4 until you have filled your dish with one layer of rolled and filled tortillas
  6. Lightly spray the top of this layer with nonstick spray
  7. Pour half of enchilada sauce over this bottom layer
  8. Repeat steps 2-4 to make second layer of enchiladas
  9. Pour remaining sauce over top of second layer and sprinkle with cheese
  10. Spray a piece of foil with nonstick spray and cover baking dish
  11. Bake 25 minutes, remove foil and bake an additional 5 minutes
  12. Serve with sour cream, salsa, cilantro, lettuce, jalepenos, and any of your favorite Mexican toppings!

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