Spaghetti & Meatball Cups

Spaghetti & Meatball Cups Recipe

Yield: 12 spaghetti & meatball cups

Ingredients:

•     1 lb 95% lean ground beef
•     ¼ cup seasoned bread crumbs
•     1 large egg
•     1 tablespoon skim milk
•     8 oz wheat spaghetti (I used thin spaghetti), broken into 2-3” pieces
•     3 egg whites
•     1 oz Parmesan cheese, freshly shredded (I used the smallest holes on a box grater to shred mine)
•     ¼ cup 2% shredded Mozzarella cheese
•     1 ½ cups + 3 T marinara sauce, divided
•     Parsley or chopped fresh basil (optional garnish)

 
Directions:

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil then lightly mist it with cooking spray and set aside.
2.  In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs, egg and skim milk and stir until mixed. Add the ground beef and stir in until thoroughly combined. Split the meat mixture into 12 equal pieces and roll them into balls. Set the balls on the prepared baking sheet and put them in the over to bake for 25 minutes at 350.
3.  While the meatballs bake, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the broken spaghetti pieces according to package directions. Drain the spaghetti and set it aside to cool (I actually stuck mine in the fridge for a few minutes. It doesn’t need to be cold, but you don’t want it to be too hot to handle when you press it into the cups).
4.  When the meatballs are done, remove them from the oven and place them in a saucepot with 1 ½ cups of marinara sauce. Bring the meatballs and sauce over low heat on the stovetop, just to keep it all warm. Stir occasionally. Turn the heat on the oven up to 400 degrees.
5.  When the pasta is cooled enough to handle, whisk the egg whites together in a large bowl and then add the pasta. Stir to combine and then add the Parmesan, Mozzarella, and 3 tablespoons of the marinara sauce. Mix together until thoroughly combined.
6.  Lightly mist a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Place about 1/3 cup of the spaghetti mixture into each cup in the muffin tin. Using your fingers, press down on the center and up the sides of the spaghetti, forming cups. Slide the tin into the pre-heated oven and bake for 15 minutes at 400.
7.  When the spaghetti cups are done, remove them from the oven and let them cool for a moment before removing them from the tin. When ready to serve, pour a tablespoon of marinara sauce from the pot into the center of a spaghetti cup, top it with a meatball, and follow it with another tablespoon of marinara.

Delicious Mini Chicken Pot Pies

Mini Chicken Pot Pies Recipe

Prep time : 20 minutes
Total time : 40 minutes
Serves : 5 people

Ingredients:

•  1 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken
•  1can Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup or Campbell's® Condensed 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup
•  1/2of a 16-ounce package frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, green beans, corn, peas), thawed (about 1 1/2 cups)
•  1 package (12 ounces) refrigerated biscuit dough (junior-sized, 10 biscuits)
•  1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.  Spray 10 (2 1/2-inch) muffin-pan cups with vegetable cooking spray.  Stir the chicken, soup and vegetables in a medium bowl.
2. Roll or pat the biscuits to flatten slightly.  Press the biscuits into the bottoms and up the sides of the muffin-pan cups.  Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture into each biscuit cup.  Lightly press the chicken mixture down so it's level.  Top each with about 2 teaspoons cheese.
3. Bake for 15 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown and the cheese is melted.  Let the pot pies cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

General Tso's Cauliflower

Crispy cauliflower in a sweet chili sauce is the best way to describe this sticky sweet and addictive General Tso’s Cauliflower and I wont be wrong if I say that this is better than take out!Its Vegan and Gluten Free too!

The current new favorite of everyone, the new found super veggie that has replaced Kale from it spotlight – yes, it is Cauliflower. Super veggie or not, this vegetable has been a favorite in our household always. Whether I toss it with the very versatile potatoes and perfumed with spices to make the delicious Aloo Gobhi or just roast with with any favorite combo of herbs or spices or allow it to share its spotlight with other veggies all swimming in a lightly spiced coconut sauce – a vegetable Kurma, we love it in all forms!

But the star dish that was made with cauliflower was Gobi Manchurian – the famously favorite preparation of batter fried cauliflower tossed in a spicy garlicky sauce, a dish that signifies all that Indo-Chinese cuisine stands for!

This General Tso’s Cauliflower was a happy accident. I planned to make Gobi Manchurian but kinda changed it at the last minute to this, as I had some left over sweet chili sauce from the previous day and I didn’t need that much sweetness for the Manchurian. I also did not want to make a very batter-y coating for the fried cauliflower, so I just tossed it with a little corn flour, salt and pepper and deep fried it twice. Deep frying it twice – frying once, draining and then frying it again to make it extra crispy and for it maintain that crispiness even when doused in the sauce.



General Tso's Cauliflower Recipe


Prep time : 10 mins
Cook time : 20 mins
Total time : 30 mins
Serves: 2


Ingredients:

•     ½ head organic cauliflower, rinsed and cut into florets
•     ⅓ cup organic corn flour
•     salt, to taste
•     crushed black pepper, to taste
•     3 cups or enough sunflower / coconut oil for deep frying
•     1 tbsp grapeseed oil
•     4 cloves garlic, minced
•     1 tsp grated ginger
•     1½ tbsp crushed red chillies
•     ¼ cup brown sugar
•     1 tsp shaohsing wine / Chinese cooking wine
•     1 tsp soy sauce
•     1 tsp rice wine vinegar
•     2 tbsp organic ketchup
•     ¼ cup chopped scallion, for garnish

Directions:

1. Toss the cauliflower with the corn flour, salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a deep wok / pan and fry the cauliflower in a couple of batches, till crispy. Drain and keep aside. Fry the already fried cauliflower another time and drain again on paper towels.
2. In another deep pan or a wok, heat the grapeseed oil and add the garlic to it. Once the garlic starts browning a little, add the ginger, red chillies, brown sugar, shaohsing wine, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and ketchup. Whisk away till they all mix well together and the sugar melts. It should become a sticky, glazed sauce. Check for salt and add more if needed.
3. Toss the fried cauliflower in this while on low heat. Switch off heat, garnish with scallions and serve immediately.

See Full Recipe please visit : General Tso's Cauliflower