So, I don’t really have the greenest of thumbs. It’s a pretty well known fact around here…
However, oh how I love this time of year when the nurseries and garden centers are overflowing with more plants than you could ever dream of, and I have to tell myself not to take home more than I can reasonably plant in a weekend (it happens anyways). I just get so excited by all the flowers, and herbs, and vegetables, and ooh is that an okra plant?!
Along with flowers and herbs, every year, I put out a garden. And every year, it just does…eh…
The flowers in pots usually do great (as long as it’s a geranium and I remember to water it), the herbs in my courtyard seem to do fairly well (again with the watering), but my garden is just okay. (Frustrating when my mother-in-law can grow amazing vegetables, and she doesn’t even eat them, and we live a half mile apart, and we’re both named Sarah! What gives? Just kidding, love you!)
Last year, I re-did the whole garden, moving it to a sunnier spot and adding these Vego Garden raised beds, which I love. I got a ton of cucumbers (yay! but I think it was a fluke), a fair amount of tomatoes (alright!), and then like two zucchini, and finally one eggplant (in October!). Everything else- nada, zippo, zilch.
But I’m not a quitter, so here we go again! Compost is in, plants are planted, and I added a creepy fake owl on a stick (Lord of the Flies style) since my hound dog is only interested in hunting snakes and lizards in the backyard and doesn’t care about the birds or other pests getting in the garden.
I have high hopes for this year! (As I always do.) Now, enough about my gardening woes, onto the recipes! (But I’ll definitely take gardening tips if you have those…)
I actually had a completely different plan for this week’s recipe, but after all this beautiful weather (and what feels like more of a spring than we usually get), a hearty beef stroganoff just didn’t seem to fit, so we’ll shelve it for later.
Instead, I decided to share the Creamy Tomato Orzo and Turkey Meatballs we had for dinner last week as I was finalizing the recipe. It’s still a comforting bowl of pasta, but it brings in the first signs of the season with fresh basil and lightened-up meatballs made from ground turkey and ricotta cheese that keeps them incredibly soft. It’s a one-skillet dish finished in the oven, so you don’t have to stand over it, made even faster if you keep a stash of the meatballs in the freezer. Perfect for days when, before you know it, you’ve spent too many hours digging in dirt, and where did the time go?!
Recipes down below. My notes - no, you don’t have to use the turkey meatballs in the pasta, other frozen meatballs will work as well, but they are so darn good! And, as another dish, those meatballs are wonderful in the House Marinara Sauce (linked in the Cheese Stuffed Shells from this week’s menu on Monday night) for classic spaghetti and meatballs.
MONDAY - Birthday Dinner for YaYa!
We’ll have her favorite Cheese Stuffed Shells with salad and homemade focaccia bread (recipe coming in the near future!), then finish off with her requested birthday cake - yellow cake and chocolate ganache frosting! Happy Birthday to our favorite YaYa!
TUESDAY - Skillet Chicken and Rice, Broccoli
I like being able to brown some chicken a skillet and then add rice and finish cooking it all together. I can roast the broccoli in the oven as a side dish, or just toss it on top of the chicken and rice as it cooks to make it an all-in-one situation.
WEDNESDAY - Pork and Veggie Stir Fry with Noodles
Ground pork and frozen stir fry vegetables in a teriyaki style sauce make a super quick dinner! Last time I did it with ramen noodles, but I thought they got a little too soft, so this time I may just try spaghetti noodles.
THURSDAY - Creamy Beef and Shells
I’ve linked it before, but this hamburger helper style dish is always a winner! My cooking friend, Rachel, came over this last weekend, and we made a big double batch to split and keep in our freezers.
FRIDAY - We’re going out!
Our Children’s Discovery Center is having a fundraiser called “Shakesbeer” - local breweries and food trucks set up for food and drink, and local artists perform mini Shakespearean plays! It’s a fun night out for a good cause!
SATURDAY - Another date night?!?
The Kiddo has been invited by friends to go to the Nashville Soccer Club’s game and festivities for May the 4th (Star Wars themed!), so we may pick up something to eat and have a quiet night at home. I can’t remember the last time we had two date nights in a row…
SUNDAY - Dinner at Dad’s
Grilled pork chops, baked potatoes, and succotash are on the menu! Side note - every year we get a large order of pork from some family friends who have a farm. It is hands down the best pork! If you’re ever in Fayetteville, TN, you have to check out Buckley Farm for an awesome meat selection and the cutest farm store.
LUNCHES for this week -
Rachel and I also made a Greek Quinoa Salad and Asian Chicken Salad on cooking day. Two of my favorites I can eat on all week long!
EXTRAS for this week
I saw a very yummy looking molasses sourdough bread come across my Instagram feed, and now I can’t get it out of my head. So, that’s on the list for later this week after making birthday cake for Monday.
Creamy Tomato Orzo with Turkey Meatballs
Makes about 4-5 servings.
· 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
· 2 tablespoons Butter
· 2 Shallots (or 1 large), diced
· 2 cups Orzo Pasta
· 4 cloves Garlic, minced
· 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
· 1 cup White Wine
· ½ teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)
· ¼ teaspoon ground Black Pepper
· 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
· 2 cups Chicken Broth
· 1 cup Heavy Cream
· 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese, plus more for topping if desired
· 18-20 Turkey Meatballs
· ¼ cup fresh Basil, chopped
Preheat oven to 400 and arrange a rack in the middle position.
In an oven safe large skillet with deep sides, heat oil and butter over medium heat until butter is melted. Add shallots and cook for 5-7 minutes until cooked through.
Stir in garlic and orzo pasta and cook for one minute, stirring to lightly toast orzo. Stir in tomato paste and cook for another minute.
Add white wine and stir until it is mostly absorbed and the mixture looks thick. Then stir in salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, broth, and cream. Bring mixture to a low simmer.
Stir in the 1 cup of parmesan cheese and carefully arrange the meatballs on top.
Move pan, uncovered, to the oven and bake for about 20-22 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed. (It may look like there is still a lot of liquid, but you can carefully stir around the meatballs to get a better idea of whether the pasta is done.)
Remove the pan from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle the top with the fresh basil and extra parmesan cheese.
Turkey-Ricotta Meatballs
Makes about 30-32 meatballs.
· 1 pound Ground Turkey
· 1 cup fresh Breadcrumbs
· 1 Egg
· ½ cup Whole Milk Ricotta
· 2 tablespoons chopped Fresh Parsley
· 2 cloves Garlic, minced
· 1 teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)
· ½ teaspoon ground Black Pepper
· 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
· ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
In a large bowl, combine breadcrumbs, egg, and ricotta. Mix well. Stir in fresh parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese. Stir in ground turkey and mix until well combined.
Cover bowl and refrigerate at least one hour. (This just helps the mixture firm up a bit for easier shaping.)
Preheat oven to 375 and arrange the rack in the upper third. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil, and coat with non-stick spray.
Using a scoop or two spoons, form meatballs and place on prepared baking sheet, leaving a little bit of space between them. (If you’re using a scoop and it has a number on the inside, I use my #40. It’s about an inch and a half across the diameter.)
Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning the pan halfway through.
NOTES: For fresh breadcrumbs, I like to use my food processor to grind up a cheap loaf of white bread. I’ll then keep them in a bag in my freezer for breadcrumbs whenever needed.
Also, sometimes a little of the parmesan cheese will melt and leak out of the meatballs during baking and look like a bit of a mess on the pan. I just knock it off the edges of the meatballs when I take them off the pan so they look prettier.
Usually, I make a double batch and stash them in the freezer for easy meals down the road.
That’s all for now, thanks for reading! See you back here next week!
(Don’t forget you can see all my past newsletters and recipes at the archive link below!)