Cook Crook Creation: Teriyaki Meatballs

I am always looking for ways to simply meals during the week and as I have said many a time, a slow-cooker is often the way to go. And the meal itself may prove to be as simple an inspiration as a magazine coupon!

I came across an advertisement and coupon for Minute-Rice and Dole Pineapple. The idea was to make a teriyaki meatball with pork and bottled teriyaki sauce along with the pineapple and serve over rice. Being that I always have prepared turkey meatballs on hand and just so happened to have a can of pineapple chunks as well as a bottle of Lawry's teriyaki marinade and sauce, a crock-pot meal came together just like that.

I used two packages of meatballs, one bottle of teriyaki, and the whole can of pineapple and juice. I had it on my slow-cooker for about 7 hours on Low but I think the ideal time would be 4-5 only because I could tell that the meatballs closest to the side of the crock-pot were getting a little overdone. I removed the meatballs and then turned the crock-pot on high and added a little cornstarch to thicken the liquid. I then decided a little more pineapple was in order and added one of the single serve containers to the sauce. I added the meatballs back in and served them over 90 second Uncle Ben's Jasmine Rice. Quick and pretty yummy. I think when I do it again I will make my own teriyaki ahead of time only because the bottled kind is pretty salty. The leftovers were even better the next day.

Travel Spot: Tutto Italia

As I mentioned, my family and I spend our holiday break in Orlando. We were fortunate to have great friends who invited us to come along with them to their timeshare and even more fortunate to have my youngest sister-in-law and her husband join us in Florida for a few days prior to our time in the timeshare. In planning the trip, my girlfriend Pat made it a point that at some point during the trip we would be dining at her family’s favorite Italian restaurant in Epcot, Tutto Italia . Since we were staying at a timeshare with a full kitchen and had planned to try and eat as many meals outside the parks as possible, a splurge at a Disney restaurant wasn’t unreasonable and I looked forward to it.

Disney is famous for their outstanding efforts to preserve authenticity in their world showcase at Epcot but prior to this trip I hadn’t spent enough time at Epcot to experience it myself. So when we arrived at Tutto Italia and we sat down and were greeted by our server, who was 100% Italian and then I looked at the menu, I was certainly a believer. This is their antipasti platter:

Because it was prime busy season, dinner reservations were impossible so we were at Tutto Italia for lunch. Consequently, I purposely looked for a lighter dish and then came across their gnocchi. Have I mentioned my love of gnocchi? Or how many different times I have ordered it in restaurants? Or maybe how it is sometimes hit or miss? Gnocchi is on my wish list of entrees to attempt but I am still trying to overcome a dough phobia I seem to have developed over the years! So I continue to order it, always hoping to be impressed and greatly wishing one of my grandmothers had been Italian.

The gnocchi arrived and I was already impressed by its appearance and aroma.

One bite and it was pure heaven. Seriously, I mentioned it to the server that the chef was a genius. I made Patricia’s husband Joe taste it. Let it be known that both of them are of Italian heritage and Joe has vast experience with gnocchi. Joe was equally floored as I was to its lightness and flavor.  I cannot find a description that adequately describes the lightness of those gnocchi especially when often times they are doughy or so dense you want a nap after you eat too much. I am not ashamed to say I could have eaten two bowls, by myself, in one sitting with no stops for liquid. That…freaking…good!

So maybe this experience will push me to attempt gnocchi myself sooner rather than later!

Wordless Wednesday: January Meal Calendar

New Year, New Dishes, New Possibilites

Happy New Year!

You know what they say about good intentions, right? As in I had every intention of working on my blog during the holidays and it never came together. My company shut down from December 22 thru January 3 and it seemed reasonable that I would squeeze in a posting or two. Yet, family and friends took priority (as they should) and the below picture sums up what I did with my holiday break:

So, today I return to my beloved blog, excited for 2012.

As I start thinking about this new year and the upcoming adventures in food, I do find that there are some loose ends that need to be wrapped up for 2011 and some observations about the past year.

1. I was in fact crowned Hampton Road’s Top Home Chef in the first season of Cooking with Passion. It was an awesome experience as well as an eye opening one into the reality of filming reality TV. The respect I have for competitors in food challenge competitions is enormous and has done nothing but deepened my love for shows like Top Chef.

2. I was so inspired by my victory that as I previously mentioned, I auditioned for Season 3 of Gordon Ramsey’s Master Chef. I never did get a call back (and have heard the cast is set) but I remain proud of myself for putting myself out there..and I might even do it again.

3. I was offered my first gig as a blogger for a publication, only to have the opportunity dissolve at the last minute when the publication decided to go a different direction with its food section. That blog is still a good concept that will one day find a home. In the meantime, it’s title and content will still be something I will file away for the future.

4. I had a lot of plans of what I wanted/want this blog to be. But I have had to align the fact that I work outside the home full time, I am a mom, a step-mom, a wife, a volunteer at my church AND I am taking more graduate classes to further my HR career. I need to cut myself some slack for not posting every day or not as often as I want.

5. Never have I been more convinced that something food related is my eventual destiny as a career. For the time being it is a fabulous hobby that has unrelenting support from friends and family who I cannot thank enough for all of the encouragement.

Whether you are a continuous reader, a first-time lurker or just stumbled upon this accidentally, I wish for you a 2012 filled with adventure as you pursue your passion while I resolve to continue pursuing mine.