Meatballs with Pineapple and Peppers

I love Pioneer Woman. Who doesn't? Some of her recipes intimidate me, but I try my hand at the ones that don't require special equipment, exotic ingredients, or a kitchen the size of a football field. Her recipe for Meatballs with Peppers and Pineapple caught my eye a few weeks ago, and I finally tried it last night. It actually worked and I was thrilled, and full, and happy.

Meatballs with Peppers and Pineaple

1-¼ pound Ground Beef

½ whole Onion, Diced Very Finely
1 whole Egg
½ cups Panko Bread Crumbs (or Regular Breadcrumbs)
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
½ teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper, More To Taste
¼ cups All-purpose Flour
Canola Oil, For Frying
2 whole Green Bell Peppers, Seeded And Diced Roughly
1-½ cup Fresh Pineapple Chunks
2 cups Broth (beef, chicken, whatever)
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
½ cups White Wine Vinegar
⅓ cups Sugar
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
Salt To Taste
Crushed Red Pepper, To Taste
Extra Beef Stock If Needed

1. Combine ground beef, diced onion, egg, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs, and crushed red pepper. Mix with hands until combined. Roll meat mixture into small balls and place on a cookie sheet. Freeze on the pan for 15 minutes to firm.

2. Mix together beef stock, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and cornstarch. (I think this would be a great sauce to use in other recipes too... More on that when I feel creative enough to try some..)

3. Heat canola oil over medium-high heat. Roll meatballs in flour, then fry in two batches until nice and brown, about two minutes per batch. Don't fret if they aren't cooked all the way through, they'll finish cooking later in the sauce. Remove meatballs and set aside on a separate plate.

4. Pour off oil from pan and return pan to medium high heat. When pan is hot, throw in the chopped green peppers and cook for one minute. Add pineapple to pan and cook for one minute, stirring gently. Pour in stock/soy sauce mixture, then add meatballs. Stir gently to combine and allow to cook and bubble for a few minutes, or until sauce is thickened. Add salt and crushed red peppers to taste.

Serve over cooked brown or white rice. Feel good that you climbed and conquered a P-Dub challenge course.

Pineapple Chicken!

The ongoing hunt for great recipes continues! Remember the criteria? Quick, healthy, and a relatively simple list of ingredients. Check, check and check! We found this recipe (and I honestly for the life of me cannot figure our where I got it! Believe, I've been looking....) for Pineapple Chicken and were able the make it with ingredients that we already had in the cupboard. No shopping required! It was like a little miracle.

Pineapple Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 4 oz each)
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 20-oz can of pineapple (sliced, chunks, whatever)
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 c dijon or brown mustard
1/4 c honey
1 tsp minced garlic (the jar of this that I keep in the fridge is one of the best buys ever)
Hot cooked rice

1. Sprinkle chicken pieces with thyme, salt and pepper. In a large skillet, brown the chicken in the oil. Meanwhile, drain the pineapple, keeping the juice and setting aside.
2. Combine cornstarch with 2 Tbsp of juice and set aside. Combine mustard, honey and remaining pineapple juice. Add the mustard mixture to the pan with the chicken, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 - 20 mins.
3. Remove chicken, add cornstarch mixture to remaining starch in the pan, bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 mins or until thickened. Return chicken to the pan and add the pineapple, heat through, serve hot over rice.

YUMMY.