 This recipe for my mom's Sweet & Sour Meatballs is one of my favorites. I've been helping her make it as an appetizer since I was in elementary school, and now it is my go-to appetizer to serve or to bring to a pot luck.
I promise you that there are never any leftovers. The original recipe calls for a jar of Heinz Chili Sauce and a jar of grape jelly. I prefer to use the Bonne Maman Concorde Grape Fruit Spread because is mixes with the sauce very smoothly. Plus I always save my Bonne Maman jelly jars for storing my spices, mixing my salad dressings, and for leftovers. And while you may not have Bonne Maman at your supermarket, please know that over the years I have used everything from Smucker's to Publix's grape jelly, and they all will still taste great. Amy's Sweet & Sour Meatballs INGREDIENTS: 2 lbs regular meatballs, cooked* (small meatballs, not Italian Meatball Sub-sized) 1 jar chili sauce (12 oz)** 1 jar grape jelly (10-12oz) PREPARATION: Step 1: Preheat oven to 350F Step 2: Whisk together the chili sauce and grape jelly until it is smooth. Step 3: Add the meatballs and mix well. Step 4: Bake uncovered in the oven for 30 minutes to thicken the sauce. Notes: * you can make the meatballs from scratch or you can use bags of frozen meatballs. ** you can use the jarred sauce or, you can make you chili sauce from scratch. I f you want to do that, here is my recipe: Homemade Chili Sauce INGREDIENTS:
PREPARATION: Simply whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Makes approx. 1 1/4 Cups of sauce.  We recently bought asparagus at Costco, which means that we had TONS of asparagus. So I started looking for recipes for different ideas, and I found this recipe for Turmeric-Black Pepper Chicken with Asparagus from NYT Cooking and I knew I had to try it in the Delaney Test Kitchen for two reasons: #1 - it looked and sounded delicious, and #2 - it said "Total Time 15 minutes." As a working mom I need to know - can that be real?!
This recipe was truly as easy as it seemed, and I even had everything I needed already in the pantry. And the best part? It truly was delicious!! I served it with rice at the request of my son, but this could easily be served with some of your favorite noodles. I think it took me closer to 20 minutes to make it, but who's counting? Even if it was 20 minutes, that is a weeknight win for me. I hope you enjoy it, too! Turmeric-Black Pepper Chicken with Asparagus INGREDIENTS:
Step 1: In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together ¼ cup water with the honey, pepper and ½ teaspoon salt; set honey mixture aside. Step 2: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, turmeric and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the chicken and toss until coated. Step 3: In a medium (10-inch) nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the chicken and cook until the turmeric is fragrant and the chicken is golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Step 4: Add the asparagus, season with salt, stir to combine and cook until crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Step 5: Add the honey mixture and cook, stirring, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Step 6: Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with lime squeezed over top, if you like.  The internet wanted me to try this recipe. I have been served up so many recipes like this one where you create the protein mixture, spread it directly onto the tortilla, and then cook the tortilla face down in a skillet. I just had to give this a try in the Delaney Test Kitchen if for no other reason that it looked so delicious. And it was! This was fun to both make and eat.
In terms of serving sizes, I found that the 1 lb of pork, once mixed with everything, 9 tacos total, or 3 tacos each for the three of us at dinner that evening. Definitely give this one a try - I am so glad we did! Smashed Dumpling Tacos INGREDIENTS:
PREPARATION: Step 1: Add pork, ginger, garlic, 1/2 of the green onions, 2 tablespoons cilantro, 1 cup slaw mix, 1 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and pepper to a bowl and mix until combined. Step 2: Spread pork mixture in a thin layer all the way to the edges of each tortilla and set aside. Step 3: Combine remaining soy sauce with vinegar, sugar, water and hot sauce in a small bowl and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Set aside. Step 4: Working in batches in a large skillet or griddle, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Place tortillas, meat side down in the hot pan and cook, undisturbed, until browned and mostly cooked through, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until browned and lightly toasted, another 1 to 2 minutes. Flip once more and cook 30 seconds. Remove from pan and repeat with remaining tortillas. Step 5: Top tacos evenly with remaining green onion, cilantro, and slaw mix. Serve drizzled with sauce or serve sauce on the side for dipping. |