Tag: dinners kids will eat

Beef Kebabs

I am shocked, shocked I tell you! that my children actually enjoyed this recipe.  I’m not sure why, perhaps they have given up all hope of enjoying a decent meal from my kitchen and now sullenly submit to my demands that they eat the goddamn food that I paid for and worked hard to put in front of them and it’s not like you do any chores around…  Ahem.  I got a little off track here.

Whatever the reason, they ate this one on my first attempt.

These are basically middle-eastern meatballs.  You can cut in other things with the meat, serve them in a variety of ways, whatever floats your boat.  (I rather enjoyed wrapping them in some naan with rice.)  It’s a meatball.  It’s the spices that make it.

The oven instructions are below.  We haven’t grilled them yet, but they should do great, just use a little grill-sense.  It’s a reasonably easy and fast recipe, ~20 minutes to prep and ~20 minutes to cook.

The recipe plus rice and other sides makes enough for 6-8 people.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds of ground beef – don’t get a lean mix!  80-85% seems good
    • mix in other ground meats as your fancy takes you, but you need some fats – don’t go too lean
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, or 1/4 cup dried
  • 1/2 small onion, diced fine
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced fine
  • Garlic, 3-4 minced cloves
  • Paprika, 1 tsp
  • Salt, 1 tsp
  • Cumin, 1/2 tsp
  • Pepper, 1/2 tsp

Directions

If you plan on skewering the meat, and you’re using bamboo or wood skewers, soak them in water for ~30 mins.

  1. Preheat oven too 350°
  2. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl (don’t overmix)
  3. Form the mix into oblong patties, about kielbasa-thick
    • If you’re skewering, shove in the skewers now or form the patties around the skewers
  4. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or grill for ~20 minutes, flipping at least once
  5. For the last couple of minutes turn on the broiler to brown the meat

Usual disclaimer with ground meat dishes: make sure the internal temp is at least 160° before serving.

Serve with some traditional middle-eastern sides, like:

  • Naan bread
  • Tabbouleh
  • Cucumbers and cherry tomatoes
  • Rice

kebab with rice and naan

Pork Chops and Rice

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups of rice
  • 3 cups of water
  • half a spoonful of minced/chopped garlic
  • half a spoonful of chicken bullion

Place all above ingredients in a rice cooker, and kick it off. It should be done in about 25 minutes

  • 1/2 inch thick Pork chops
  • 1 Tbsp butter for each chop
  • Italian breadcrumbs (about a cup)
  • Parmesan cheese (enough to add some yellow to the bread crumbs)

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Heat a large, oven safe skillet on the stove over about low-medium heat.
  3. On a plate, mix the Parmesan and the bread crumbs.
  4. On another, microwave-safe, plate melt the butter
  5. Dip the pork chops in the butter on both sides, and then dredge through the breadcrumbs. Place them on the nice, hot skillet.
  6. Once they are all on the skillet, give them a couple of minutes, and then flip them all over. Cook them for another 3 or 4 minutes.
  7. Place the whole skillet in the oven for 15 minutes (for 1″ chops, 25 minutes).

Serve with the rice, applesauce, and some green veggies. Makes as many chops as you need.

A Billion Baked Fish Recipes

Baked Fish — More than a Billion Recipes (5x12x3x12x11x12x5x12x12x6 = 1,231,718,400)

From http://www.reddit.com/r/AskCulinary/comments/19x3ak/should_modern_recipes_be_consultative_or/c8s3gqz (Ken-G)

I call this a recipe template. It is a spreadsheet but shown below in text outline format.

Container (choose 1 of 5)

  • Au Gratin Pan
  • Baking Dish
  • Foil
  • Parchment
  • Single Serve

Fish (choose 1 of 12), guideline 1 pound

  • Bass/Branzino
  • Cod
  • Dorado/Mahi Mahi
  • Grouper
  • Halibut
  • Roughy
  • Salmon
  • Scallops
  • Shrimp
  • Snapper
  • Sole/Flounder
  • Tuna

Fat (choose 1-2 of 3), guideline 2-4 Tbsp

  • Butter
  • Olive Oil
  • Mayo

Liquid (choose 2-3 of 12), guideline 1/2 Cup

  • Lemon Juice
  • Lime Juice
  • White Wine
  • Sherry
  • Balsamic Vin
  • Milk/Cream
  • Soy Sauce
  • Fish Sauce
  • Rice Vinegar
  • Mirin
  • Sesame Oil
  • Teriyaki Sauce

Extras (choose 0-3 0f 11), guideline <1/4 Cup

  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Ginger
  • Green Onion
  • Bacon Bits
  • Capers
  • Jalapeño
  • Olives
  • Marmalade
  • Shallots
  • Sugar/Honey

Fruit/Veg (choose 0-2 of 12), guideline – not too much

  • Tomato
  • Mushrooms
  • Bell Pepper
  • Mango
  • Pineapple
  • Cajun Trinity
  • Creole Mix
  • Parsley/Cilantro
  • Pesto
  • Salsa(Red/Green)
  • Sambal
  • Tabasco

Cheese (choose 0-1 of 5), guideline 1/4-1/2 Cup

  • Parmesan
  • Romano
  • Jack
  • Cheddar
  • Feta

Spices/Herbs (choose 2-3 of 12), guideline 1/2 tsp each

  • Salt & Pepper
  • Basil
  • Cayenne
  • Cilantro/Coriander
  • Cumin
  • Garlic Powder
  • Mustard(Dry/Wet)
  • Oregano
  • Paprika
  • Red Chile Flakes
  • Thyme
  • Wasabi

Crust (choose 0-1 of 12), guideline <1 Cup

  • Coconut
  • Corn Flakes
  • Cornmeal
  • Flour/Egg Batter
  • Panko/Bread Cr
  • Almonds
  • Cashews
  • Macadamia
  • Pine Nuts
  • Pistachios
  • Sesame Seeds
  • Walnuts

Oven Setting (choose 1 of 6), guideline Hotter=Crispier

  • 325° 30-40 min
  • 350° 20-30 min
  • 375° 15-20 min
  • 400° 10-15 min
  • 450° 8-10 min
  • 500° 5-8 min

Meatballs

This is just classic meatballs.

This is one of alpha child’s favorite recipes to make with me. Honestly, I appreciate letting someone else mix the meats, my hands get really cold doing that.

Meatballs

Tasty, tasty meatballs
Print Recipe
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine European
Servings 8 people

Equipment

  • 1 mixing bowl large
  • 1 15" cast iron pan
  • 1 oven
  • 1 measuring cup
  • 1 garlic press optional
  • 1 baking pan must have sides

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lbs ground beef
  • 1 lbs sweet italian sausage may substitute ground pork
  • 2 cloves garlic pressed or finely chopped
  • 1 yellow onion, medium diced
  • 2 eggs large
  • 1 cup Romano cheese or Parmesan, or mixed Parm/Romano
  • 2 cups breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup olive oil divided
  • 1 pinch black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Combine beef, sausage, garlic, onion, eggs, cheese, breadcrumbs, and pepper in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
    The mix should be very moist, but able to be rolled into a meatball shape and hold it. You might need to dd a little water (up to a cup is sometimes needed) until it's moist enough.
  • Shape into meatballs.
    I generally aim for 1-2 inches across, or the size when you curl your index finger and touch your thumb. Larger meatballs will need a longer time to finish in the oven.
  • Preheat oven to 350° F
  • Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
  • Fry meatballs in batches in skillet until browned on all sides.
    Add oil as needed between batches.
  • Transfer meatballs to pan, and finish in oven for 15-20 minutes.
Keyword breadcrumbs, eggs, garlic, ground beef, onion, romano cheese, sweet italian sausage