Have you ever had a dish or ingredient that you just can’t ever seem to get right? That sums up my relationship with ground turkey, well at least until I tried these baked turkey meatballs. Meatballs made with ground turkey that are juicy, moist and mouthwatering delicious? Yes folks, I promise you it exists!

After dry turkey burgers and tasteless turkey meatloaf I was ready to give up on this healthy protein. I wanted something healthy to go along with my spaghetti squash with spinach and mushroom marinara so I decided I would give it one more shot and was met with great success! And deliciousness. They were also easy enough to whip up on a weeknight, which is always a huge bonus.

This recipe makes enough meatballs to have freezable leftovers so you can have meatballs all week long. Everyone tends to just think of meatballs with spaghetti, but there are endless possibilities with these tasty cuties. Add some melted provolone and have meatballs sliders. Serve them with brown rice & stir fried vegetables for a quick and healthy meal. Heat a few in tomato soup for some added protein. Eat a couple on top of a Greek salad. Or just enjoy them on a big pile of spaghetti with loads of Parmesan.

Mini Baked Turkey Meatballs

 

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Yield: 40 mini meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, grated
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large egg
• ¼ cup bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• ½ cup grated fresh Parmesan
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 pound ground turkey (look for ground turkey that isn't all turkey breast meat)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a large mixing combine all the ingredients except the turkey. Add the ground turkey and mix until just combined.
3. Form the meatballs with a diameter of 1½" and place evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.

Notes

To freeze, place the cooled meatballs so they aren't touching on a baking sheet small enough to fit in your freezer lined with parchment paper. Once the meatballs feel frozen, store in a freezer bag. To reheat, place in sauce while warming up. To heat in the microwave, cook for 1.5-2 minutes for 3 meatballs; 3 minutes for 6 meatballs.

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Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

Today I have a simple and healthy dinner for you. Well, a dinner recipe. I am not standing at your front door with this dish, unfortunately, or fortunately if you don’t personally know me and me standing at your door would be creepy. Well I guess even if you do know me suddenly having me on your doorstep would be creepy even then, but I digress.

This roasted pork loin is what we’re here for! And it is delicious! A basic dry rub is pressed onto the meat before being seared in a pan to lock in the flavor and juices. The meat finishes roasting in the oven then topped with a creamy and tangy roasted garlic balsamic sauce and it’s ready to be served.

Matt and I usually eat fairly healthy, but I was unsure of where pork lies. After some thorough Googling I have deemed this dish a winner. Although there are certainly some cuts of pork that are not doctor recommended, hello delicious bacon and pork belly, a cut like pork loin is lean if you make sure to remove the excess fat. Additionally, it is a great source of protein and vitamin B! Yay vitamins!

Dry Rubbed Roast Pork Tenderloin with a Roasted Garlic & Balsamic Sauce

 

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Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

for the pork

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 pound pork tenderloin
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

for the sauce

• 1 head garlic
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper

Directions

for the pork

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl mix together all the dry seasonings until well combined. Place the tenderloin on a cutting board and sprinkle the rub all over. Rub and gently press the seasoning onto the pork.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the tenderloin in the pan for 10 minutes, using tongs to turn the pork and sear each side.
4. Transfer the pork to the rack of a roasting pan and bake for 20 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 150-155 degrees F. Slice then top with the sauce before serving.

for the sauce

1. Cut the top off the head of garlic so that almost all the cloves are exposed. Place the head of garlic in a little square of tinfoil and curve up the sides. Lightly drizzle the garlic with olive oil then season with salt and pepper. Seal up the tinfoil to make a little packet. Roast for 35 minutes then let cool. Once it's cool enough to handle, squeeze out the roasted garlic cloves.
2. Blend the roasted garlic cloves and the rest of the ingredients in a small food processor or with an immersion blender until smooth.

Notes

Make sure you note the first step in the sauce recipe (roasting the garlic) before starting the pork.

3.2.2802

Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

I love this recipe and am so excited to share it with you today! As I’ve mentioned before on Lemon & Mocha, Matt and I try to eat vegetarian a couple nights a week for both cost and health reasons. However, I love the idea of almost meatless. In these almost meatless sloppy joes the ground beef isn’t the focus of the dish, but it provides a great richness and heartiness.

For those of you who read the title of this post and were instantly scared away by the mention of sloppy joes, don’t leave just yet! I think you know by now I only share recipes that are absolutely crave-worthy and these bad boys fit the bill.

I actually had never tried sloppy joes until I made this version from Cooking Light, but I am so glad I waited instead of having some dreadful version that everyone seems to remember from their school cafeteria. I’m not sure why they have such a bad rap, but let these almost meatless sliders change your mind.

Loaded spices and veggies these mini sandwiches have a complex taste that packs a punch. The mashed kidney beans mimic the heartiness of the ground beef and provide a smooth texture. I would happily eat these every night, and may have done just that for almost a week… 😉

Almost Meatless Sloppy Joes

 

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Yield: 6

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup finely chopped white onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 6 ounces ground sirloin
• ½ cup grated carrot
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
• 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 15.5 ounce can low sodium kidney beans, rinsed & drained
• 6 mini brioche buns, or other sandwich rolls of your choosing
• Sliced red onion, for serving

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large stockpot. Add the onion, garlic, salt, pepper and beef and cook until the onion is softened and the meat is browned. Stir occasionally, making sure to crumble the beef.
2. Add the grated carrot, chili powder, sugar, oregano and red pepper then continue to cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the crushed tomatoes then bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium then cook for 10 more minutes.
3. Take 1 cup of the kidney beans and mash them in a shallow bowl with a potato masher or fork. Add both the mashed beans and the remaining whole beans to the pot then cook until cooked through, about 1-3 minutes.
4. Serve on the buns topped with sliced red onion.

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Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

I ate a lot of delicious dishes at my family’s beach trip earlier this month, but my new favorite was my Uncle Rob’s tailgate filet sandwiches with whiskey marinade. He wanted to do something for Lemon & Mocha so I told him to come up with his signature dish for me to photograph while we were down at the beach. He did not disappoint with these succulent steak sandwiches.

During football season my Uncle is a regular tailgater at his alma mater, Villanova. He makes these regularly and I am sure they go fast. They certainly would if I was there!

My Uncle Rob and my Aunt Dottie, who hails from the University of Delaware, have a fun football rivalry tradition. Every fall Villanova and the University of Delaware play a big game. The person with the losing school has to place the winning school’s vanity plate on their car for the entirety of the year. My Uncle Rob wanted me to be sure to point out that Villanova has been on quite the winning streak 😉

No matter what team you’re rooting for this fall these delicious sandwiches will soften even the fiercest rivalry!

Matt and I don’t have steak often as it is usually our splurge meal, but I will definitely be making these sandwiches soon especially since I was already craving them the next morning. Enjoy!

Uncle Rob's Tailgate Filet Sandwiches with Whiskey Marinade

 

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Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• ¼ cup whiskey
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup dijon mustard
• ¼ packed light brown sugar
• ¼ cup minced green onions
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Dash of worcestershire sauce
• Ground pepper to taste
• 6 1" thick filets
• 6 pretzel buns
• Pepper jack cheese, horseradish sauce and lettuce for serving, optional
• 6 pack of beer for the chef, age permitting

Directions

1. Combine the whiskey, soy sauce, mustard, brown sugar, onions, salt, worcestershire and pepper in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Place the filets on a cutting board and top with plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet pound filets until they are ½" thick.
3. Combine the filets and marinade in a large plastic bag to marinate for 6-8 hours.
4. Heat grill to high heat. Grill according to desired doneness. For medium-rare, grill for 3 minutes on one side, flip and grill for 2 more minutes before letting rest for 3-5 minutes before eating.

Notes

If you can't find filet, possible substitutions include eye of round steak or hanger steak.

3.2.1311

Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

Do you ever have yourself convinced something is in a certain spot, but then when it’s not there you find yourself going nuts tearing your house apart looking for it? This happened to me recently with a recipe. Actually with a recipe that was supposed to be shared today. A recipe that apparently doesn’t exist because I can’t find it ANYWHERE.

I love cooking new dishes and between magazines, cookbooks, recipes that have been given to me and online recipes I’ve saved I have more recipes than I could ever cook in my lifetime so it is not uncommon for me to go years in between cooking the same dish, even if it was a favorite at the time. About three years ago I distinctly remember making a stovetop pork and mushroom dish for Matt and I in our old apartment. I remember it being simple, quick and incredibly delicious. I remember it being from one of my favorite cookbooks.

Well after combing through all my cookbooks I owned three years ago, all my neatly organized and cataloged magazine recipes, my personal recipe binders and recipes I have saved online I have concluded that this mystery dish is a lost cause. I decided to create a new dish: pork and mushroom 2.0. Since I can’t remember any of the original ingredients other than pork and mushrooms who knows how similar it is to the mystery dish, but what matters is that it’s even more delicious than I remember.

The pork cutlets are lightly dredged in flour before being pan-fried with mushrooms, red wine vinegar and seasonings. Serve it over some wilted kale and top with a fried egg, because all meat tastes better with a little runny yolk sauce. As much as it’s driving me bonkers that I wasn’t able to find that recipe this pork and mushroom dish over kale is certainly a good distraction.

Dredged Pork Cutlets with Mushrooms & Kale

 

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Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 8 cups chopped kale, thick stems removed
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ cup water
• 1 pound pork cutlets, ¼ inch thick
• 4 tablespoons flour, plus more if needed
• 12 ounces mushrooms
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Salt, pepper & garlic powder

Directions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Slowly add the kale using tongs to move around the kale as it cooks down to make room for more. Season with salt, pepper and ½ teaspoon garlic powder. Let the kale saute, moving often with the tongs, until all the kale is moistened and a medium green color, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, add ¼ cup water, cover and let cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
2. Season the pork cutlets on both sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
3. Place the flour in a shallow bowl or plate then dredge the first pork cutlet in the flour until it's fully coated. Shake off the excess and set aside on a cutting board or plate. Repeat for the rest of the pork cutlets adding more flour if needed.
4. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the pork cutlets a few minutes on each side, until they are golden brown and reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. Remove the pork from the pan to let rest.
5. Add the mushrooms to the pan along with the dried oregano and onion powder. Season with salt and pepper. Once the mushrooms have started to brown add the red wine vinegar. Cook until the vinegar has reduced by half and the mushrooms are nice and tender.
6. Place a serving of kale on each plate followed by some pork and red wine vinegar mushrooms. Serve as is or with a side of rice pilaf.

Notes

Top with an over-easy fried egg for a tasty variation.

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Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments