SPAGHETTI & PECAN MEATBALLS
by Carla Hall from The Chew
*These pecan meatballs are so good, you will not even miss meat!
Ingredients
Pecan Meatballs
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 medium yellow onion (minced)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups pecan meal
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 bunch flat parsley (chopped)
1 cup mozzarella (shredded)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
salt and pepper (to taste)
Tomato Sauce
1 medium yellow onion (minced)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 can crushed tomatoes (28 ounces)
kosher salt and black pepper
1 bunch fresh basil (torn)
1 pound spaghetti
Step-By-Step Directions
For the Meatballs: preheat oven to 400ºF.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil, onion and garlic, cook until soft and translucent., about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large bowl, add onions, garlic, pecan meal, bread crumbs, dried oregano, flat leaf parsley, mozzarella, parmesan, eggs, hot pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
Using your hands mix to combine. Form into golf ball sized balls and place on parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes.
Remove from oven and transfer to cooked tomato sauce, let simmer for 5-10 minutes.
For the Tomato Sauce: in a medium Dutch oven over medium high heat, add olive oil, onions and garlic, cook until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add the crushed tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti, cook according to package directions. Drain pasta and serve with pecan meatballs and tomato sauce.
Tips:
– After making the pecan meatballs, freeze the extra until ready to use!
– Instead of pecan meal, use almond meal! (I ground up real pecans)
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WELSH RAREBIT
Ingredients
Your favorite bread (thick slices)
1/2 cup dark beer
2 cups of sharp cheddar
2 Tablespoons flour
Paprika
Cayenne
Milk
Butter
Dijon or brown mustard
Tomatoes
Step-By-Step Directions
Toast one side of bread in oven
Warm beer to just short of boiling
Toss cheddar with flour, a little bit of paprika, and a tiny bit of cayenne
Whisk cheese mixture into beer
Add a splash of milk, butter, and a dollop of mustard. Stir until smooth
Spoon cheese sauce over bread, add tomatoes (broiled)
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QUINOA STUFFED BELL PEPPERS
by damndelicious.net
Ingredients
3 cups cooked quinoa
1 (4-ounce) can green chiles
1 cup corn kernels
1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup petite diced tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or more to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 bell peppers, tops cut, stemmed and seeded
Step-by-Step Directions
Preheat oven to 350ºF
Line a 9 x 13 baking dish with parchment paper
In a large bowl, combine quinoa, green chiles, corn, beans, tomatoes, cheeses, cilantro, cumin, garlic, onion and chili powder, salt and pepper, to taste
Spoon the filling into each bell pepper cavity
Place on prepared baking dish, cavity side up, and bake until the peppers are tender and the filling is heated through, about 25-30 minutes
Serve immediately
My sister is a vegetarian and says its not that hard really. I might become one later on in life. My big problem is that I like the taste of (most) meats. I hate lamb, will absolutely REFUSE to eat veal, I don’t eat duck, goose, goats (goats because we have a farm and goats are too cute to be eaten). I basically only really eat chicken, beef, fish, turkey. So I have a dilemma. I feel guilty but I like the taste. Are you faced with the same problem?
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I have never really minded the taste of meat, but I have always been “grossed” out by it. If I thought about it, the fact that I was eating an animal really grossed me out. In the past, the grossing out wasn’t an advocate thing, it was simply a grossed out thing. Recently, it has become an advocate thing as I learn more and more about animal’s lives (if you want to call it that) at a factory farm. It is horrible, disturbing, and absolutely cruel. Even if an animal is one day going to be somebody’s meal. while they are alive they should be treated kindly and humanely. If you haven’t yet done this, check out the link to a video on my “Links” page called “Eating Mercifully.”
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Okay i will check it out. I agree with you 100% on the cruelty of factory farms. I live on a small farm not a factory farm.
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yum!
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I may actually try the pecan meatballs. I have a machine to grind up the pecans, and I love vegetable pasta. I don’t miss meat at all, and my diet keeps me slim, trim, and regular. Thanks for sharing!
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The pecan meatballs are really good! If you try them, I’d love to hear how they turn out. 🙂
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Love my Welsh Rarebit.
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