MEATBALLS + POLENTA FAMIILY STYLE {Sponsored post}

I’m very fortunate to be married someone to makes killer Italian food.  Seriously, the best!  So I rarely bother to attempt Italian recipes myself as it’s hard to compete with the master. But when I saw this recipe for Pork Meatballs and Polenta on Blue Apron,  my interest was piqued.  I had never made polenta before and figured it would make a good new skill to get under my cooking belt (OMG - so easy!  How did I not know this already??).  The added bonus is that it’s an ideal recipe for little hands to get involved. Agatha is at the perfect age to be super enthusiastic to “help”.  Sure, her “help" usually ends up making more mess than if I had done it myself, it still helps to have company in the kitchen that can think of nothing more exciting than adding ingredients to the bowl.  Maybe one day she will cook whole meals for me one day I’ll get back all that extra clean up time in spades.


So back to the recipe.  This was one of the more simple ones I’ve tried from Blue Apron but delivered on teaching me a new skill and making a tasty meal for the family with limited time involved.  They also did something lots of Italian chefs would love to keep a secret - adding ricotta cheese into the meatball mix to make them fluffier.  You don’t really taste the cheese but they make a big different in the resulting ball.  Finally, I love how they elevated this simple dish with the addition of some fresh broccolini giving the rest of the dish a lightness you wouldn’t get with just meat and starch. The ingredients are wholesome and fresh and of course the best part - delivered straight to my doorstep with exactly the right ingredients.  No time wasted going to the grocery store and no food wasted by buying ingredients I wouldn’t use.




Prep is easy.  Chop up some garlic and parsley.  Boil the Broccolini for a few minutes before setting aside.  Make the polenta by simply adding the dry polenta into boiling water and adding butter at the end.  (Seriously - thats it!!)  Make the meatballs with the meat, cheese, parsley, breadcrumbs and herbs and sear.  Add crushed tomatoes to the pan and simmer until thickened.  Serve and enjoy.  Couldn’t be easier and mastering a new recipe makes me feel like a domestic goddess even if all the hard work was done for me!







I’m really looking forward to trying my hand at Greek food with this Chicken Souvlaki recipe and Northern Spain with this Baked Empanada recipe.

Want to give Blue Apron a try?  The first 50 readers will get two free meals on their first Blue Apron order.  Just click here. 

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Blue Apron but all opinions expressed are my own. 

Cooking with Aggie + Blue Apron

You know by now how much of a Blue Apron fan I am so I’m thrilled to have another opportunity to share another amazing recipe. Ok, I will admit that when I first read 'Sweet Potato Pizza', this born and bred New Yorker rolled her eyes. I mean really - can something without tomatoes or mozzarella even considered pizza?  But since the chefs at Blue Apron have never let me down, I figured it was worth soldiering on. And more importantly I knew Aggie would just love to help making pizza so I was excited to crack this box open.




The ingredients came with ready to cook pizza dough so the hard part was complete.  I chopped and boiled the sweet potatoes to prep the ingredients. Then I made a quick béchamel using the provided flour, milk and cheese.   Finally it was time for the fun part!  Aggie got her apron on and we stretched (and slapped and pounded) the dough a bit until she declared it was the right shape.  The dough got a little rub down with olive oil before we added the béchamel, sweet potatoes, onions and fontina cheese.  In the oven it went for 18 minutes and we anxiously awaited the result.




Even though our pizza wasn’t quite the perfect shape pictured in the recipe card, it smelled and looked pretty delicious right out of the oven.  We knew the argula topping would not have toddler approval so we halved it down the middle leaving the greens for the adults.  Time to eat! My mind was blown - it was absolutely delicious.  (Trust me on this!  Even if you don't have Blue Apron, go out right now and make this. You can thank me later.)  The slightly sweet, creamy nature of the sweet potato paired perfectly with the cheese and onion on a chewy golden crust.  This is absolutely going into the regular recipe rotation and best of all, we had a great little family memory making it.




As you can tell from Aggie's face, she enjoyed it too!

Looking forward to my next box.  Especially looking forward to trying  Fresh Gnocchi + Maitake Mushroom and Hearty Potato, Broccoli + Quinoa Salad.

Want to give Blue Apron a try? Sign up here and get 2 free meals with your order.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Blue Apron but all opinions expressed are genuine.

Crunchy Pork Chops Al Fresco with Blue Apron

The summer can be a great time to live in New York.  The parks are full and everyone is outside enjoying a seemingly endless list of fairs and fun. But that means less time to get all the chores done.  So I was so happy to team up with Blue Apron again – saving me all the hassle of planning and shopping while still allowing me to make a fresh meal for our family.  Score!



By now, I know we really enjoy the flavor profiles of the Blue Apron meals but this one was a big winner – perhaps our favorite yet.  Combining my husband’s favorite protein with a fresh veggie slaw and simple oven fries made for the perfect meal to enjoy in our backyard on a warm night without having to slave over a hot a grill.  It felt robust enough to serve as a hearty Sunday dinner without it being too heavy for the heat.  The garlic aioli was simple to make but added just a touch of finesse to an easy to prep meal. I also loved learning a new and super easy no cook way to serve zucchini that I would have never discovered on my own.




Despite having three elements, the whole meal was prepped, cooked and served in less than an hour thanks to having every ingredient ready in my Blue Apron box.  The potato wedges cook in the oven while the rest of the meal is prepped.  It all came out ready to go together just as the sun was setting making it perfect for an al fresco evening.




Check out the complete recipe for the Crunchy Pork Chops with Summer Squash Slaw and Roasted Potato Wedges – you have to try it! Can’t wait for my next Blue Apron box. Especially looking forward to trying Hoisin Glazed Chicken and Stuffed Zucchini.

Want to give Blue Apron a try?  The first 25 people who order will get 2 free meals on their first order.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Blue Apron but all opinions are my own.

Veggie Packed Muffins | Mom to toddler combat

We have one tiny opinionated member of the household who has recently decided that vegetables just aren't her thing. In a quest to get a balanced diet into her without the benefit of cooperation, I've been working on recipes. Muffins seem to do the trick as she will eat them, nay, BEG FOR THEM, no questions asked.  Her weakness is my advantage!


I've tried a few recipes now and made my own tweaks to up the health factor.  They are just tasty enough for her to enjoy but not delicious enough to feel sinful. Since I know I'm not the only one in the battle against the terrible twos, I thought I'd share.






These muffins have a lot of good stuff but are not especially sweet - which is exactly what I was looking for. I  If you want something sweeter or just more of a treat, I'd suggest leaving out the beets and putting a bit less spinach in.  We use them exclusively for toddler deception so I pack in the healthy fillings.

Anyone else want to share their sneaky mom tricks?

Recipe: No Knead Irish Soda Bread

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day, famous for corn beef and green beer but my personal favorite March treat is Irish Soda bread.



I was fortunate to practically live in the house of an Irish friend growing up and grew addicted to her mother's amazing soda bread.  I've been chasing that childhood memory for years.



A true Irish Soda bread requires cutting cold butter into the flour in such a way that doesn't overwork the dough but evenly distributes the butter.  I have come to accept this as one of the skills I will never master.  So I'm happy to share this recipe for Irish Soda bread that requires no such special technique that is almost as good as that mythical childhood version.  This recipe is easy even for the novice baker (like me).



For those of you who aren't familiar with Soda Bread, its a cross between a sweet bread and a scone with a crusty exterior and flaky inside.  It's especially delish slathered with Irish butter and served with a cup of tea. If you've never had it, I urge you to throw this recipe together and let me know what you think.

May the road rise to meet you & the wind be at your back this St. Patrick's Day and always.

Popsicles nom nom nom

Interrupting this trip recap to talk sweet treats. I'm generally anti kitchen gadget since I like to keep my counters clean but as the temps have risen so has my interest in one of these fancy fast freezing popsicle machines. With that in mind, I thought I'd do a round of up some of the most tempting popsicle recipes I've been saving if I ever do break down and buy one.

drool from top left...

chocolate cherry pudding pops via whipperberry

orangesicles via i am momma hear me roar

raspberry yogurt via thekitchn

peaches and cream via my baking addiction

cereal and milk popsicles via the little foodie

raspberry cheesecake pops via the comfort of cooking

Anyone have a Zoku or something like it? Is it worth it/do you really use it?

Play with your food: Carve a Shark Watermelon

I'm not sure how to explain how I've carved pumpkins every October (despite never eating the insides) but have never carved a single watermelon despite eating plenty.  A new era has dawned in the fruit carving annals.



Ok, so maybe my version looks more like a piranha than a shark but it was still a big winner at a BBQ this weekend. Jokes aside, this was super easy and fun so I'll be doing it again for sure.  Definitely something a little bit different than your usual bottle of wine (although I certainly think this would be just as much of a winner with some alcohol infused fruit inside).  All you need is a shallow dish, one cherry, a few toothpicks, a sharp knife and a watermelon.

Tutorial on how to carve a shark watermelon can be found here although I'm not entirely sure why watermelons need a promotion board.

Easy Apple Butter Recipe

If you are anything like me, you pick up a temporary kind of sickness during apple picking.  Despite being a perfectly reasonable person who logically knows only so many apples can be consumed before going foul, you still bring home a heaving bag of the fruit with visions of domestic godesshood.  A few days later, you are completely sick of apples and wonder why on earth you bought so many.  If so, this post is for you.

Courtesy of the kitchen whiz that is also my future sister in law (heretofore known as Aunt Amber), I have a recipe to use up all those extra apples that will make you appear like you have a clue in the kitchen when you really don't.  Apple Butter!




All you need is a slow cooker and a blender and you are in business.  This will keep in your fridge for a while but you can also can it for longer storage (also great for gifts!)



Enjoy!

If you have a favorite recipe to use up the barrels full of apples that are oh so tempting, please share it.

more yummy dishes: blueberry buckle, rainbow cake, pear claufouti, banoffee pie