The Adventures of Kitchen Girl

Kung Pao Style Turkey Meatballs Ingredients for meatballs: 1# Lean ground turkey 2 cloves minced garlic 1 teaspoon minced ginger 1/2 cup finely minced onion 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 Tablespoon Chili Garlic Sauce (I used this: http://www.amazon.com/Huy-Fong-Chili-Garlic-18/dp/B000LO25RG) 1 whole egg, beaten 4 Tablespoons flour 1/3 cup old fashioned oats Sauce: 3 Tablespoons lower sodium soy sauce 2 Tablespoons Sriracha 1 Table spoon garlic chili sauce (same as above) 3 Tablespoons honey 1/2-1 Tablespoon sesame seeds Method: 1: Preheat oven to 400F 2: Line a large cookie sheet with foil (I used the non stick foil and needed no oil spray) 3: Mix turkey, garlic, ginger, onion, salt, pepper, garlic chili sauce, egg, flour and oats until well combined. 4: Form meatballs. Use a tablespoon measure to size. I got 18-20 meatballs from this mixture. 5: Place on cookie sheet and bake for 25 minutes, turning once half way to brown ev...

Amish Style Ham Salad Ingredients: 1 pound chopped ham (I run it through my food processor) 1/2 cup onion grated 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish 3/4 to 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese 2 Tablespoons dijon mustard 1/2 to 1 cup mayonnaise (start with 1/2 cup and add more until it is the consistency you like) 1/2 teaspoon black pepper Method: 1: Chop the ham by hand into a very tiny dice, or used your food processor or hand grinder. 2: Grate or chop onion. 3: Add ham, onion, pickle relish, cheddar cheese, mustard and mayo. Combine well. 4: Add black pepper, mix and taste. 5: Correct seasoning to your preference. Add more mayo, more pepper...until you get the consistency and taste you like. 6: Cover and refrigerate for a couple hours before serving. Makes 12 (ish) servings.

  Feta and Spinach Stuffed Chicken with Bacon Ingredients: 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 6-12 slices bacon (depending on the size of your breasts, I used 2 on each serving) 1 cup crumbled feta cheese 10 ounces chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove as much liquid as possible 1/2 cup mayonnaise 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup minced white onion 1/2 teaspoon black pepper Dash of salt, use restraint as feta and bacon will add some salt (optional) Toothpicks to secure bacon, if needed Method: 1: Preheat oven to 375*F. 2: Prepare chicken breasts by cutting a pocket into one side of each, using care not to cut all the way through. 3: In a bowl, combine feta, spinach, mayonnaise, garlic, onion, pepper and optional salt. 4: Stuff each chicken breast with feta mixture. 5: Carefully wrap each breast with 1-2 slices of bacon, securing with toothpicks, if needed. 6: Place each stuffed breast, pocket side up, on a li...

Lemony Crab Risotto with Prosecco and Chive Ingredients: * 1 pound lump crab meat * 8 Tablespoons butter (reserve 2 Tablespoons) * 1 cup chopped shallots * 2 cups Arborio rice * 1 cup Prosecco * 8 cups chicken or vegetable stock * Juice from 1 lemon * Zest from one lemon (for garnish) * 1/2 cup chopped chives (reserve half for garnish) * 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (reserve 1/8 cup for garnish) * Salt and pepper Method: 1: Prepare lump crab meat and set aside. 2: Bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan. Keep the stock simmering as you use it. 3:   In a 4 quart saucepan, heat 6 Tablespoons butter on medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for a few minutes until tender. Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring until well coated. 4: Add the Prosecco. Stir, allowing the rice to absorb the wine. Once the wine is almost completely absorbed, add 1/2 cup of stock to the rice. Continue to stir until the liq...

  Easy Cheeseburger Quiche Ingredients: 2 pounds extra lean ground beef Drizzle of favorite cooking oil for sauteing 2 cloves minced garlic 1 bunch green onions, sliced thinly 1 pound sliced mushrooms 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 3/4 cup mayonnaise 6 eggs, beaten Salt and Pepper 2 unbaked deep dish pie shells Method: 1: Preheat oven to 375*F. 2: Brown ground beef, drain and set aside to cool. 3: Drizzle a scant amount of oil in a skillet over medium high heat and add minced garlic and mushrooms, sauté. 4: When the mushrooms are almost tender, add the sliced green onion to the skillet to start them cooking. Do not cook them completely. You just want to take the “crunch” off. 5: In a large bowl combine the browned ground beef, mushroom, garlic and green onion mixture. Set aside until cooled to room temperature. 6: Once cooled, add shredded cheddar cheese, mayonnaise and the 6 beaten eggs to the ground beef, mushrooms ...

Notes: *This dish has a good bit of garlic, red pepper and ginger... feel free to lower the amounts to suit your tastes. *Use the Asian pear puree OR the brown sugar, not both. *Try the lower amount of brown sugar first and taste before adding the entire amount. Again, adjust to your preference. *The sesame oil really is only for flavor, it can be omitted if you would prefer. *This recipe is also delicious made with ground chicken or turkey. *Please do use low sodium soy sauce, because it calls for a lot, using regular might yield a dish that is too salty. Quick Asian Style Beef Ingredients: 2 pounds ground round (or the very leanest ground beef you can find) 1 Tablespoon sesame oil (more for the flavor than anything, feel free to omit if you like) 6 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, grated 1 Tablespoon red pepper flakes 1/2 to 1 cup low sodium soy sauce 2 peeled and pureed Asian pears (or 1/2 to 3/4  cup brown sugar, see notes ab...

This has to be one of the most difficult posts I've ever written. I've been working up to this, sitting down and writing about my friend Elle , for more than a week now and it's every bit as hard as I imagined it would be. There is so much I want to say, so much I wish I could still say to her. I only hope I can express here, with my words, what a treasure she was to so many of us. On January 28th, 2014 this world lost one of it's living angels. She was beautiful inside and out. She was hilarious and clever and sweet and utterly loveable. She was an amazing cook and baker. She was inspiring and encouraging and one knew they could always count on her. She was an amazing mother of 4 children and the love of her husband's life. She was a wonderful Mom to her fur-babies. And she's gone. Too soon. Far too damn soon. Elle was a young and vibrant 45 years old. Taken from this world suddenly and without warning from a pulmonary embolism. Her light remains bright...