Waikiki Meatballs

I tried this recipe a couple years ago when I found it in my good ol' Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, and it was an instant hit. (Here is a copy of the original recipe on Allrecipes.) I obviously had to alter it to make it gluten-free, but I changed a few other things as well. The main thing I changed was the sauce -- I like a little more sauce than the original included, so I make about a half recipe extra. I also reduced the sugar, because the original was much too sweet for me, especially considering it already has big chunks of pineapple in it that are plenty sweet. Finally, I added the zucchini because it seemed to be sadly lacking in veggies. A bit more zucchini than what I added wouldn't hurt, actually!

[Picture coming soon]

WAIKIKI MEATBALLS

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs. ground beef

2/3 c. crushed GF cracker crumbs*

1/3 c. minced onion

1 egg

1/4 c. milk

1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. salt

3 tbs. cornstarch

1/3 c. packed brown sugar

1/2 c. white vinegar

2 tbs. water

2 tbs. soy sauce

1 (20-oz.) can pineapple chunks -- drained, juice reserved

1 tbs. olive oil

1/3 c. chopped green bell pepper

1 c. chopped zucchini

4-6 servings cooked brown rice

Directions:

1. Combine beef, cracker crumbs, onion, egg, milk, ginger, and salt. Mix thoroughly and shape into meatballs. Place on a broiler pan and cook at 350º for 20-25 min. (May be somewhat pink inside after 20 mins, should be cooked through at 25 mins.)

2. While meatballs are cooking, saute pepper and zucchini in oil in a large frying pan. Remove from pan and set aside.

3. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, brown sugar, vinegar, water, soy sauce, and reserved pineapple juice. Stir until smooth. Pour into same pan as used for veggies. Cook, stirring consistently (a whisk would be good), until mixture thickens and boils (about 5 min for a cool pan, but if pan is still warm from veggies, this will only take 1-2 mins). Stir in meatballs, pineapple, and veggies. Warm over medium heat until everything is heated through. Serve over rice.

*I normally use Trader Joe's "Savory Thins" (rice crackers). Other options: GF bread crumbs (may want to add about 1/2 tsp. extra salt), or GF ginger snaps. If using ginger snaps, reduce or omit ginger, depending on how gingery the cookies are. I used Trader Joe's GF ginger snaps, which have a very strong ginger flavor, and was able to omit the ginger altogether.

Taco Scramble

Ever wanted a taco, but didn't want to bother with the hassle of eating it out of a crunchy (falling apart) taco shell or a soft corn (falling apart) tortilla? Or perhaps, like me, you don't like to bother with getting all the different veggies and fixings out so that everyone can build their own custom taco, which only results in more mess to clean up and more leftovers (that will probably never get eaten) because you weren't sure how much to put out.

Meet the one-stop taco. My family first came up with the idea for this dish while we were in the Virgin Islands, so we called it "Virgin Gorda beef." But since no one would understand what that is, I'm calling it "taco scramble." Basically, it's most of the stuff you'd want in a taco, without the shell, in an easy-to-clean-up mixture.

Observe:

This is a tasty, filling meal that is made even more desirable to me because I don't have to put it away leftovers in 10 separate little baggies... Just scoop and dump it into one container! (Minus the container for lettuce or rice, anyway.)

TACO SCRAMBLE

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 small onion, diced

3 large stalks celery, diced (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 a large green pepper, diced (about 1/2 cup)

3/4 cup water

1 packet or about 2 tbs. taco seasoning

1 tsp. oregano

1 (15-oz.) can beans (black, pinto, kidney... whatever suits your fancy)

1 cup frozen corn (optional)

2 medium tomatoes, diced

lettuce and/or rice as desired

shredded cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Begin browning beef in a large frying pan. Add onion, celery, and pepper and cook until beef is browned and veggies are almost tender. Drain beef fat.

2. Add water and seasonings and bring to a boil. Lower heat. Add beans and (if desired) corn. (To be honest, I definitely would have added corn, but I didn't think about it until after I made the meal and took the picture above. Doh!) Simmer, stirring occasionally, until water is mostly absorbed and beans and corn are heated.

3. Remove from heat. Add tomatoes and stir to combine. Serve as is, or over lettuce or rice (or with added lettuce over rice... whatever). Top with cheese if desired.

Shepherd's Pie

This recipe was handed down from my sisters... I'm not sure where it came from originally. I've altered it just slightly, mainly by using mixed veggies instead of green beans to add a wider variety of flavor. This is definitely a favorite of my husband's and mine. My kids are picky about pretty much everything but hot dogs and ham these days, but even they eat this fairly well. Besides tasting good, I love it because it includes so many veggies that I don't have to prepare any on the side!

SHEPHERD'S PIE

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef*

1 med. chopped onion

3 cups frozen mixed vegetables

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste

¼ tsp. pepper

salt to taste (I use about 1 tsp.)

½ tsp. each basil, oregano, and thyme

¼ c. water

mashed potatoes** (using about 5-6 medium potatoes)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. In a skillet, cook beef and onion until onion is tender and beef is no longer pink. Remove from heat, drain fat, and place in a 9 x 13 casserole dish.

3. In a separate pot, cook mixed veggies. Drain and add to beef mixture. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, pepper, salt, spices, and water.

4. Drop mashed potatoes in mounds on top. Smooth mounds if desired.

5. Bake uncovered in preheated oven for about 30-35 min. or until veggie / meat mixture is hot and bubbly. Optional: if potatoes are not yet turning slightly golden-brown on top, place under broiler for 2-3 minutes or until desired level of browning is achieved.

Alternate cooking instructions: The above is the way I have always made this dish. But I just now noticed that my recipe has different directions... hah! Following these directions, you add everything except the mashed potatoes into the pan where the beef was cooked and bring them to a boil. Then transfer into the casserole dish and continue with step 4. This will decrease baking time to about 20-25 minutes. I will probably try this next time I make it and alter this recipe accordingly if it works better.

* Also works well with turkey. If using turkey, add ½ tsp. sage instead of oregano.

** To make mashed potatoes dairy-free, I normally use rice or almond milk and dairy-free butter spread like Earth Balance or Smart Balance (make sure it says "dairy-free" or "vegan"). Yellow or yukon potatoes work especially well. Make sure you salt the boiling water generously!

(Cheesy) Beef 'n' Rice

This recipe is excellent with or without the cheese.

(CHEESY) BEEF 'N' RICE

Ingredients:
1 c. uncooked brown rice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tbs. olive oil
3 to 3 1/2 c. water
2 med. carrots, shredded
2 tsp. beef or chicken bouillon granules (2 cubes)
1 tsp. parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. each salt, basil, and minced onion
1 lb. beef, cooked and drained
1/2 c. shredded cheese (optional)

Directions:
In a large saucepan, saute rice and garlic in oil until golden brown. Stir in water, carrots, bouillon, parsley, salt, basil, and onion. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 5 min. Stir in beef. Cover and bake in 9-in. pan at 350° for about 45 min, stirring twice. (May take 5-10 extra minutes for the water to be absorbed.) Optional: Sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 more minutes.

Serves 6.

(Source unknown to me.)

Tastes great with a little Worchestershire sauce sprinkled on it!