Moroccan Meatball Tagine

There is nothing better than being able to give your husband a taste of home. His love language is acts of service and I'm notorious for showing him my love through food. Normally I'm spoiled and when we have Moroccan he cooks because well duh.  Live in Moroccan chef here! And he is a fabulous cook. But now and again I'll whip out a dish or two to show him I appreciate and love him. 

Also what is it they say? A way to a man's heart is through his stomach. So feed those bellies ladies and gents!

Now for this recipe I used my tagine he bought me in Morocco but you could use any pot with a tight fitting lid.

Moroccan meatball tagine

Meatballs:
1 lb. Ground beef the leaner the better
3-4 TBS finely chopped parsley
3-4 TBS finely chopped cilantro
Olive oil

Sauce:
Salt
Pepper
1 TSP Cumin
1 TSP Turmeric
1/2 TSP Paprika
DASH Cayenne pepper
1/2 TSP Onion powder (or 1/2 small onion finely chopped you don't want chunks in the sauce)
1/2 TSP Garlic powder (2 large cloves grated in)
4 TBS Mild paprika pepper paste (optional but if you can find it get add it. Trust me. Its not spicy at all.)
2 CUPS Prego (or tomato sauce we just always seem to have traditional prego around)
2 TBS finely chopped cilantro
2 TBS finely chopped parsley
Water to thin sauce to desired consistency

Topping:
4 Eggs
Cilantro/parsley garnish

Mix your ground beef, cilantro, and parsley together. Form into balls about the size of a nickle across.

Heat your tagine on med with olive oil to almost coat the pan about 1 TBS. Brown your meatballs all over. This only takes a couple min because they are tiny.

Next toss in all the sauce ingredients at once except the extra water. Turn down your burner to 2 or 3 you want a low slow simmer. Place lid on top. After 10 min give it a stir so it doesn't burn on the bottom.

Taste sauce to see if you need to adjust the seasonings. If you're good  here is where you'd add water to the sauce to thin about 1/3 to 1/2 cup. Place lid back on and continue to simmer for 25-30 min. so the flavors really mingle. Remember to stir 2 or 3 times while it simmers and to check to see if you need more water. Depending on your pot you may not need much.

About 5 min before it's done simmering make little pockets in the top and crack an egg inside. Continue to cook with the lid on until egg white is set. Garnish with more cilantro/parsley.

Traditionally you eat this with crusty bread to sop up all the saucy goodness and it works as your utensil too. My kids love it over pasta.

**Handy tip**
If you take a bunch or 2 of cilantro and parsley each chop it up really fine and mix it together you can place it in an airtight container in the freezer for recipes like this. Saves so much time. We always have some about in ours.

Tagine warming on medium heat while I made the meatballs

My hubby was working late so I only put one egg in for my littles to split until he and I ate later

This is the paprika pepper paste I use. It can be found at any Turkish/middle east market

Peanut Butter and Jelly Oatmeal fingers

Peanut Butter and Jelly Oatmeal Fingers

• 1 banana
• 4 packets of instant oatmeal or 1 1/3 cups (a packet holds 1/3 cup each)
• 2 TBS of fruit preserves (I just take a large dollop)
• 2 TBS of peanut butter (I just take a large dollop)
• Butter or cooking spray for your dish

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. smash your banana really well and add in the jam and peanut butter stirring well and then add in your oatmeal.
3. Spray your baking dish and add the PB&J oatmeal mix smoothing out the top.
4. Bake for 20 min.
5. Let sit for 5 or so min. to cool
6. Cut and serve. 
7. Store remaining in an airtight container in the fridge.  

 Just before the oven....

Just out of the oven. 

DIY Fruit and Veggie Pouches

These are so easy and so versatile. My littlest little will not eat baby food from a spoon. Who knows why he eats everything else from one! and my eldest little is of course in that picky toddler phase where all vegetables just about are the enemy. And baby cereal psh. He just says no to that too...So what's a mom to do!

I began buying pouches all the time and the baby food in my cupboard was just sitting there. I thought hmm I wonder if I could make these things myself. I did a Pinterest search for inspiration and realized BAM I definitely could! Next was Amazon to see if they sold reusable pouches that wouldn't require me to purchase any baby food making gadgets and BEHOLD These pouches appeared! I have been using them now for about 3 months and they are perfect. AND come with a 1 year warranty. The bottom opens up quite large which is perfect and the zipper seal is crazy strong so they do not come open. Score! Here is the link in case you wanted to check them out... http://a.co/bkjLw6w

Pictured above are Pea Spinach Carrot Pear Oatmeal pouches. I have made all the usual flavors you find in the store and even tweaked some and added things like chia, flax meal, and baby cereals. I found a ratio of 2 vegetable jars to about 5 fruits work best. Mr. Little will go 50/50 or straight veg but his sister will not and so a 2/5 ratio works best for her. It still tastes like the veg with the fruit but no too veggie. If you add any baby cereal or chia you will want to add some water or juice to thin it out a bit. I typically just use water. 

Basic Pouch Recipe Formula
makes about 8 pouches

2 4oz. jars of vegetable baby food
5-6 4oz. jars or fruit baby food
seasonings to taste like cinnamon (start with 1/4 tsp and adjust up)
1/4 cup rice or oatmeal baby cereal (optional)
water or juice to thin out to desired consistency (optional if adding chia, baby cereal or flax)

Pour all the pureed baby food and baby cereal if adding into a pour-able bowl whisk it all together making sure everything is well blended. Add some water or juice to thin out the puree if you need to whisking well again to make sure your puree isn't thick like mashed potatoes and then fill the reusable pouches. 
Freeze the pouches until the day you are going to use them. They will keep 48hrs in the fridge. 
To thaw sometimes I simply place them in a bowl of warm water or take them with me to the park if I am heading out and let them thaw on their own if I do not need them right away. You can always pull them out the day before and thaw in the fridge too. They work great for a cold pack in a picnic lunch.

**Handy Tip**
I do not like to write on the pouches and I keep several flavors in my freezer so I take a gallon ziplock and write the flavor of each batch on it with the date I made them and when it's empty I simply cross out the previous flavor/date with my sharpie and put the new one. It keeps my freezer tidy this way. 

A few other flavor combos that my 2 littles enjoy are: (all are good with or without the cereal type add ins)

Banana pumpkin
Apple blackberry carrot 
Sweet potato and pear
Pea pear and spinach
Apple pumpkin cinnamon
Mixed vegetables with apples
Apple and butternut squash (with cinnamon and with out)
Parsnip and apple cherry banana
Pear mango and spinach
Apple and carrot (with and without cinnamon)
Pea spinach carrot pear
Pea spinach Apple
Apple carrot butternut squash
Apple Blueberry carrot
Apple Blueberry butternut squash
Apple Blueberry sweet potato 
Apple and Sweet Potato (with and without cinnamon)
Pear and butternut squash (with and without cinnamon)
Pear and sweet potato (with and without cinnamon) 
Apple cherry banana with chia

Next I am going to try to add grains like quinoa or barley but I think after the grain is cooked they may need to be pulsed in the food processor so they aren't so chunky. It's on my list of pouch add ins to try. 

Has anyone else tried a unique flavor combos? When Mr. Little is older I want to try making my own purees but for now the ease of using the pre-made packaged ones fits better with our busy life here. 

Toddlers French Toast

So finger foods are life right now with my 2 year old and 9 month old.  I found roofs recipe here is the link... https://www.myfussyeater.com/baby-french-toast-eggy-banana-bread/

And I've changed it several ways depending on the day the the basic recipe is...

1 ripe banana mashed
1 egg
Splash of milk
3 to 4 slices of bread

INSTRUCTIONS

-Mash the banana and add it to a bowl with the egg and milk. Mix well until all the ingredients are well combined.

-Cut the bread into fingers and dip each one into the mixture. Don’t let it soak in the mixture, just dip it very quickly so it coats each side.

-Cook on each side and serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 48 hours.

Sometimes I'll add some vanilla or cinnamon to spice things up. The whole

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Mops is soon upon us and so I have been racking my brain to come up with a tasty dish to bring for the brunch...Someone else is already bringing a breakfast casserole and another a dessert and I wasn't feeling particularly fruity but rather more like a pasta since we don't really eat pasta here often. Then it hit me... Chicken. Cheese. Tangy mustard and PASTA! 

So here it is....

1 small rotisserie chicken de-boned or about 5 cups or so chopped chicken
1/2 pound deli ham. you could use a thin sliced or just buy an hunk and chop it into small chunks
12 oz. bad of egg noodles cooked to the lowest amount of time the package says
2 heaping cups shredded swiss cheese

The sauce
4 TBS butter
4 TBS flour
4-5 cups of whole milk
3 TBS Fresh squeezed lemon juice
2-4 TBS Dijon mustard (I like mine rather tangy so I lean more towards the 4 TBS)
squirt of regular yellow mustard 
1/2 TSP Salt and Pepper
3/4-1 TSP Paprika

The Topping
1 1/2 cup panko
4 TBS butter
1/2 TSP seasoning salt
1 1/2 TSP crushed dried parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish. Set aside.

For the sauce:

Melt the butter in a large sauce pot over medium heat. When butter is melted, quickly stir in the flour to form a smooth roux. Do not brown! Once the roux is smooth and bubbly, slowly pour in the cold milk while stirring briskly to make a smooth sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Stir in the lemon juice, mustards, salt, smoked paprika and white pepper. Bring sauce just back to a low boil and turn off heat. 

Assembly

In your noodle pot after draining the noodles pour your mustard roux and give a good stir. Add your shredded cheese, diced chicken and ham. Stir to combine and make sure your sauce is not to thick as the cheese will thicken it a bit. If you need to add a splash or 2 of more milk. Taste for seasonings to see if you need more mustard or lemon salt/pepper or paprika. 

Pour the casserole filling into your 9x13 dish

For the topping:

Melt the butter in the microwave in a medium sized microwaveable bowl. Heat it for 30 seconds at a time and stop once it’s melted. Take the bowl out of the microwave and stir in the panko bread crumbs, crushed dried parsley. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.

Bake casserole uncovered for 45 minutes until hot and bubbly throughout and topping has turned a light golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes prior to serving.

Moroccan Tea

How to make the perfect pot of Moroccan tea...Trust me I married one

Of course boil up your water.  Then in your tea pot place 1 to 2 handfuls of gun powder green tea.  Pour some boiling water into the pot swish about a few seconds and pour off down the sink.  Then pour more boiling water into the pot about one Moroccan tea cup size and let sit a few seconds. Pour into one of your tea glasses and reserve. Then again (Yes I know) pour more boiling water into the pot. Swish about and pour out again. Finally place a generous amount of mint and sugar (and if you have it a small amount of sheba) into the pot fill with boiling water again and let sit a minute.

Here you can simply stir and pour or be fancy and pour several cups in and out to mix everything up.  And then enjoy!

Handy tip: if you're like my hubby and I we stretch the pot a little farther by refilling with boiling water after we pour out the first 2 glasses just to get a bit more cups. Be sure to stir again though. 

*** My favorite treat from Morocco he brought me home from his last trip I didn't get to too was my chabekya...I do love my tea with shortbread cookies or almond biscotti as well...

sweet potatoe cheddar croquette

Lentils, uncooked 1/2 cup
Sweet potato, raw 10.5 oz
carrot, grated 2.5 oz (optional)
cheddar, grated 3.5 oz
1/2 cup shredded parmesan
1 large egg
frozen peas 1/4 cup (optional)
1/2 tsp paprika
olive or avocado oil
Low sodium chicken or vegetable broth 1 cup

Add the lentils to a saucepan, cover with the broth, bring to a boil and simmer till all liquid is almost absorbed, turn off heat, cover with a lid and leave for 10 mins. you want them mushy so they blend easier

Pierce sweet potato with a fork and microwave for approx 6 mins, until soft to touch (if you don't have a microwave you can steam)

Remove skin from sweet potato and mash until smooth.

Or they are equally good left raw and shredded like the carrot

Preheat oven to 200c or 400f

Add lentils to a bowl, along with sweet potato, cheddar, carrot, paprika and combine

Add the egg and mix till combined

Stir in the peas

Form into croquettes or patties (approx 15) and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper

Spray or brush over the top with olive or avocado oil

Bake in the oven for approx 30 mins, until firm and lightly golden.

Note the raw sweet potatoe makes them not hold their shape as much add is you'd done it the mashed way. My kiddo prefers the texture of the raw though.