Pork Egg Roll Skillet

This is a yummy dish I made earlier this week. I had already decided it would be the one I shared today, and so was pleasantly surprised to find my daily email from Punchbowl telling me that it's Chop Suey Day.

According to that definition, this recipe counts as Chop Suey!  It's basically a deconstructed pork egg roll, but also kind of like pork fried rice.  I got the idea from Mostly Homemade Mom, and switched it up a little, adding some extra veggies and seasonings.  Here's my version.

Pork Egg Roll Skillet

Ingredients:

1½ lbs. ground pork

14 oz. package cole slaw mix

1 cup sliced mushrooms

½ cup edamame, thawed

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp Bangkok Blend

2 tsp powdered ginger

¼ cup soy sauce

Green onions, sliced

Sweet chili sauce, optional

Directions:

Brown the ground pork in a large skillet.  Add the mushrooms, cole slaw mix, mushrooms, and edamame, and cook over medium-high heat.  Stir in the garlic powder, Bangkok, and powdered ginger.  When vegetables are beginning to soften, add the soy sauce and stir well.  Taste for seasoning, adjusting if necessary.  When veggies are cooked to your preference, remove from heat and garnish with sliced green onions.  Drizzle each serving with sweet chili sauce, if desired.

Makes 6 servings.  

This is so super easy to throw together.  Love it!  And my family loved it too.  Of course, it is totally customizable to fit your family's preferences and works well with whatever you happen to have on hand at the moment.  You can chop regular cabbage instead of using the cole slaw mix, but I love the convenience of it, because it also adds carrots without having to get out your grater.

I used Penzeys Bangkok Blend, which is a salt-free Thai-style seasoning.  I happen to know that Penzeys is offering a 1/4 cup jar of it as a free gift with purchase right now on their website. (They are also offering free shipping with $30 order.)  I am not affiliated with Penzeys in any way (I wish!), and I don't benefit in any way from promoting them, I just thought I would pass that little tidbit along! I really love the Bangkok Blend. If Penzeys isn't an option for you, I found that Spice Islands has a Thai Blend.

This dish really does taste like an egg roll without the wrapper.  Perfect for my husband and I who are doing low carb.  According to my calculations, it comes out to just below 4 carbs per serving (without the chili sauce).  Very nice! Of course, that will vary depending on the veggies you choose.  I served it over brown rice for my kiddos.  If you are not low-carbing, you can just add cooked rice right into the skillet to make it like fried rice.  I splurged a little (carb-wise) and drizzled some sweet chili sauce on top of mine.  It's fine without, but that made it even better.

My whole family loved this, and I love having another super quick and easy recipe for dinner now that my kids are heading back to school next week.

What I'm Reading Right Now

Mary Poppins

by P.L. Travers

Doctor Sleep

by Stephen King

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Broccoli Apple Salad

What would you say if I told you there exists a salad with three different veggies, two different fruits, and some nuts that kids will not only eat, but like?  You would think I was crazy, right?  I would have thought so too until I made this awesomeness this week.  I cooked lunch for my daughters' school on Friday and had planned to make those little ham and cheese sliders on the Kings Hawaiian rolls. But I couldn't decide what to serve with them.  I could have been boring and just done carrot sticks or something, but I wanted to be a little more creative than that.  I did some Pinterest research and found this gem from the blog on Super Healthy Kids.  Are you familiar with that site? They have all kinds of neat ideas on there.  If you cook for kids, I encourage you to check it out.

This salad was so perfect for the school lunch.  Shredded broccoli (stems), carrots, and red cabbage with chopped apples, dried cranberries, and sliced almonds for crunch.  Poppyseed dressing is a convenient and delicious way to tie it all together.  While this salad is tasty, its beauty is a real asset to it.  I love how colorful it is: pale green from the broccoli, bright orange from the carrots, bright pops of red from the cranberries and apple skins (I highly recommend using red apples for this reason), and even the tiny little dots of the black poppyseeds are nice.  

Broccoli Apple Salad

Ingredients:
6 cups broccoli slaw
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup poppyseed dressing
6 cups apples, cored and chopped (not peeled)
½ cup sliced almonds

Directions:
Put broccoli slaw in a large bowl.  Add the cranberries and poppyseed dressing and toss to combine.  Chop the apples; add each cup to the broccoli mixture as you chop it.  Tossing them with the dressing will keep the apples from browning.  After all apples have been added, toss well, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, add the sliced almonds, and toss a final time.

Makes about 14 cups.

Can you believe how easy this is?  I had never bought the broccoli slaw before, but I had seen it and knew where to find it (in the produce section with the bagged salads).  It made this so easy and fast.  

I love how it can be prepped ahead of time.  I debated on whether or not to add the apples in the morning because I was afraid they would brown.  But I saw that the poppyseed dressing contained vinegar, so I gave it a shot.  They didn't brown one bit in the 2 or so hours until lunch, and I just checked my leftovers in the fridge and still no browning.  The salad is just as beautiful today as it was yesterday.  The reason I held off on adding the almonds is because I thought the dressing might soften them a little bit.  To make it even healthier, you can use "light" poppyseed dressing.

I will admit one thing, however: I just called this "Apple Salad" to the kids at lunch.  Since the shredded broccoli stems are so pale green, I figured the kids (at least the younger ones) wouldn't realize it was broccoli.  And if they don't know (or think) there is broccoli in it, they will be more willing to try it.  It was definitely well received. I can't say that every kid loved it, but I know lots of them ate all of what I gave them.  That's success in my book!  And the teachers and my husband loved it too.  Bonus!  

Here's a close-up.  Isn't it just gorgeous?

(The camera on my phone really rocks!)

I'm so glad I found this recipe.  This will make an awesome potluck dish.  It is gluten-free, and dairy-free, and vegan as long as the poppyseed dressing you choose is vegan.  I used Marzetti, which is not vegan because it contains egg yolk, but I saw the Ken's does not.  So perfect for all those summer get-togethers and potlucks!

What I'm Reading Right Now

Mary Poppins

by P.L. Travers

Doctor Sleep

by Stephen King

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Slow Cooker Honey Mustard Corned Beef and Cabbage

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Did you make corned beef and cabbage today?  A lot of people are intimidate by it; thinking that it's complicated and hard to make.  It's totally not!  I already have a recipe for Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage on my blog, but I have found a recipe I like even better.  It is adapted from A Year of Slow Cooking.  This one is better because it is simpler.  And simple is always best!  All you do is throw a hunk of corned beef in your slow cooker and slather it with a honey mustard glaze.  The glaze permeates the meat and makes it so tender and delicious.  

 Slow Cooker Honey Mustard Corned Beef and Cabbage

Ingredients:
4 lb. corned beef brisket (point cut)
2 tbsp honey
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
½ large head cabbage

Directions:
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Unwrap the corned beef, and remove the seasoning packet, and trim as much of the fat from the meat as you can. Rinse and pat dry.  In a small bowl, make a paste of the honey, brown sugar, and mustard. Rub this mixture on all sides of the meat. Place the meat into the slow cooker and cover. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until meat pulls apart easily with a fork. 

Halfway through cooking, chop the cabbage into chunks and place it in the slow cooker, on top of the corned beef.  Using tongs, toss the cabbage so that it gets coated in the cooking liquid.  Replace lid and continue cooking on low.

Remove corned beef to a platter and slice.  Remove cabbage with a slotted spoon and place alongside corned beef.

Makes 6 servings.

I serve this with Traditional Irish Soda Bread, of course.

I like to get the point cut for this.  It has more fat and is beautifully marbled.  You want to cut off as much of the visible fat as you can before you cook it.  I have found that kitchen shears work better than a knife for this.  You might need to remove some more of the visible fat after it has cooked. By then, it's easy to remove.  You can certainly use the flat cut for this recipe too.  It will not be quite as fall-apart tender though.

This beef comes out so amazingly tender.  It literally just falls apart.  I love that.  And the cabbage has a surprising sweetness to it.  It's all just delicious. 

For more great St. Patrick's Day food offerings, click on "St. Patrick's Day" on the category list to the right. ----------------------------->

What I'm Reading Right Now

Mary Poppins

by P.L. Travers

Doctor Sleep

by Stephen King

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Improv: Slow Cooker Sausage and Wild Rice Pot

It's Improv time again!

The premise of the Improv Challenge is easy: each month there are two assigned ingredients.  The participants must make a recipe using both ingredients and blog about it. 

This month's assigned ingredients were pork and rice.  So many options!  I actually already have several pork and rice dishes on my blog: Baked Pork Chops with Brown Rice, Coconut Galangal Pork Fried Rice, Sausage, Spinach, and Brown Rice Skillet, and Smoked Sausage, Peas, and Rice Skillet,  Pork and rice is a great combo!  I searched my pins on Pinterest for something new to try and was overwhelmed by the number of pins I had that would work.  

I settled on soup.  I was going to make a slow cooker creamy sausage and wild rice soup.  But it was one of those times when you set out to create one thing, and end up with something completely different!  My intention was to cook wild rice, mushrooms, and seasonings in beef broth, with a little gravy mix for thickening, then when the rice was tender, add sausage and some heavy cream, and more broth if necessary to make it a cozy winter soup.  But when I checked on the rice to see if it was done, it was not only done, but it was amazing!  The broth and gravy had thickened up just perfectly for a really yummy rice dish.  I simply could not imagine watering it down to make it into a soup!  It was not yet time for dinner, so I added the sausage and turned the slow cooker down to warm until dinnertime.  The funny thing is, I hadn't even intended to serve this for dinner that night; I was making it a day ahead so I could get some good pics of it at lunchtime the next day, then we would eat it for dinner.  But after smelling it cook all afternoon, and seeing how amazing it tasted, I couldn't resist eating it that same night.  It worked out well because I had some unexpected errands to run right before dinner that night, so it was awesome to have dinner ready when I got home.  (The meal I originally planned for that night was easily switched to the next night.)  

Slow Cooker Sausage and Wild Rice Pot

Ingredients:

32 oz. reduced sodium beef broth

8 oz. cremini mushrooms, chopped

1 cup wild rice blend (I used Lundberg Wild Blend)

1 tsp dried onion flakes (I used Penzey's toasted)

1 bay leaf

½ tsp dried oregano

1 (.87 oz) packet brown gravy mix

2 tsp flour

1 lb. ground Italian sausage

Directions:

Place beef broth, mushrooms, rice, onion flakes, bay leaf, and oregano in a 3 qt. slow cooker.  In a small bowl, combine the gravy mix and flour.  Add to slow cooker, using a whisk to combine it with the beef broth.  Set slow cooker to high and cook for 3 hours.

Remove bay leaf.  Brown sausage in a medium skillet.  Drain off grease and add sausage to slow cooker.  Stir and serve warm.

Makes 6 servings.

I browned the sausage and added it at the end, but if it's more convenient for you, I'm sure you could add it to the slow cooker at the beginning so it all cooks together.  

I served this with some roasted broccoli.  While my four-year-old wasn't wild about this (pun intended), my husband and six-year-old raved about it.  Lena actually said it was a "flavor sensation that is sweeping the nation!"  She's a total goof.  My husband devoured the leftovers for lunch the next day.  He mentioned that it had great "umami".  He watches too many food shows with me!

This is just such perfect wintertime comfort food.  I have never had much luck cooking rice in the slow cooker before, so I was so excited that this turned out so perfectly.  Cooking it on high probably had a lot to do with that.  I'm not sure low would work with this recipe.  It might make the rice mushy.  I can already think of a couple of variations with this same method; chicken with chicken broth and chicken gravy mix immediately comes to mind.  Can't wait to experiment some more!

Check out all the other great pork and rice recipes below and come back next month to see what I make with coffee and cream.  Yum!

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Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

Can you believe the first week of November is already gone?  Wow!  Time is moving so fast this fall.  Thanksgiving is now less than three weeks away.  Do you have plans yet?  I just found out yesterday that my mom is coming up to spend the holiday with us. :)  Last year it was just the four of us.  It was the first time since we were married (10 years) that we didn't spend Thanksgiving with any extended family.  Since it was just us, I felt like experimenting a little bit.  Instead of cooking the big bird, I cooked a turkey breast in the slow cooker.  It was so super easy.  My husband and kids love the white meat, but I am a dark meat fan, so I also roasted some drumsticks for me.  It was awesome!  We were all happy and it was so much less work for me (much less prep work) and for my husband (who gets clean-up duty after big meals like that).  I have decided that it will be our "new tradition".

You will not believe how easy cooking a turkey breast in the slow cooker is.  Cutting off the skin is the worst part, but even that isn't too bad.  Then you just season it, stuff it with onion and fresh herbs, and throw it in the slow cooker.  I have made it three or four times now and it comes out perfectly every single time.

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

Ingredients:
7 lb. bone-in turkey breast, thawed if frozen
1 onion, cut into large chunks
3 cloves garlic, quartered
Fresh oregano, thyme, and sage
2 tsp Bicentennial Rub
½ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp onion powder
Salt

Directions:
Cut all the skin off the turkey breast and discard it.  Stuff the cavity with onion, garlic, and herbs.  Combine the spices and the salt and coat the breast with it.  Place the breast on its side in a 6 qt. oval slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 7 hours.  If you want to, you can flip it to its other side halfway through, but this is not necessary.  Remove from slow cooker, carve, and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

Isn't it beautiful?  I don't even care for white meat that much, but this is really good!  It is very moist, and the fresh herbs permeate the meat so well you can taste them in every bite.  Amazing.  

You really need to take the skin off if you are cooking in the slow cooker.  It will become rubbery and gross and it will make it kind of greasy and fatty.  You really don't need it; the slow cooker locks in the moisture so the breast doesn't dry out.

You will notice that I didn't list how much salt to use.  That's because I use Bicentennial Rub from Penzey's as the main seasoning, and it contains salt.  So I don't add very much more.  But if you aren't using Bicentennial, you might want to use more.  Use your best judgement on that one.  The Bicentennial is awesome because it contains turmeric, which gives the turkey its beautiful golden color.  Golden color is hard to achieve in the slow cooker, so this turkey really benefits from that.  The smoked paprika helps with that too.  So if you don't have Bicentennial Rub and are putting together your own blend of spices, I suggest throwing a little bit of turmeric and smoked paprika in there.

About the gravy: I am not good at the gravy-making.  The frozen turkey breasts that I buy come with a gravy packet.  I have used that and find it's a little salty.  Even better is making a simple roux with flour and butter and then whisking in the liquid that accumulates in the slow cooker when the turkey is done.  Bring to a boil until it thickens.  Season with additional freshly ground black pepper.

This is such an easy meal that I always stock up on frozen turkey breasts when they go on sale.  Not only is this awesome for Thanksgiving, it works really well for busy weeknights too!

I can't wait for Thanksgiving!

What I'm Reading Right Now

Mary Poppins

by P.L. Travers

Doctor Sleep

by Stephen King

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SRC: Slow Cooker Gingered Applesauce

It's time for this month's Secret Recipe Club! The Secret Recipe Club is a group of food bloggers who secretly make one of someone else's dishes and post them all on the same day at the same time.  It's really fun, choosing a recipe to make, making the recipe, then reading about everyone else's recipes.  It's a great way to "meet" other bloggers and check out some great blogs that you never knew about before.   

This month I was assigned to Renee's Kitchen Adventures.  Renee is a nurse-turned-stay-at-home-mom from Ohio.  She has so many great recipes on her blog.  I happened to have a surplus of pork in my freezer when I was perusing her recipe index, so I was interested in any pork and/or fall dishes.  Renee did not disappoint!  I found Crockpot Roasted Pork Loin with Onion Gravy, Mustard Pork Tenderloin with Maple Rosemary Glaze, and Pork Chops with Brandied Apples and Onions.  Oh my goodness, so many yummy options!  I still want to make every single one of those recipes, but I ended up going in a different direction when I saw her Crockpot Chunky Gingered Applesauce.  I made applesauce in the slow cooker last year, but I lost the paper I wrote down my recipe on.  Bummer.  Renee's recipe really intrigued me because I love ginger and I thought it was such a genius idea to put it in applesauce.  I couldn't wait to try it.

Slow Cooker Gingered Applesauce

Ingredients:
3 lbs. apples, peeled, cored, and diced
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
½ tsp cinnamon
1½ tsp vanilla extract
½ cup apple cider or water
1 tsp apple cider vinegar (optional)

Directions:
Place all ingredients into a 3 quart slow cooker.  Stir well.  Cover and cook on high for four hours.  Remove lid and either lightly mash with a potato masher, leaving some chunks, or puree with a stick blender.  If it seems too wet, leave the lid off for a while with the slow cooker set to high.  Taste for seasoning, adding more sugar if desired.  If the flavor seems a little dull, add the apple cider to brighten it up a bit.

Pour applesauce into a container with a lid and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes about 5 cups.

I changed a couple of things.  I increased the amount of apples from 2 lbs. to 3 lbs., only because my bag of apples was 3 lbs. and I was too lazy to get out my scale to weigh 2 lbs. worth.  I also increased the ginger and decreased the cinnamon.  I was afraid the cinnamon would overpower the ginger.  I love how Renee used vanilla; that was a great addition.  I was out of apple cider when I made this, so I used water instead.  I found the finished product was lacking a bit of acidity since I used water instead of cider, so I added a tsp of apple cider vinegar and that helped a lot.  You probably won't need that if you use cider instead of water.

I loved how Renee served hers chunky, and I tried it that way and loved it, but I knew my kids wouldn't eat it that way.  They aren't picky eaters in general; usually they are very adventurous, but for some reason, they won't eat chunky applesauce.  So I did a quick zip with my stick blender.

I tasted this when it was warm from the slow cooker and found it to be a bit spicy!  Maybe I increased the ginger too much.  I was afraid my kids wouldn't like it.  But I found that it was absolutely perfect after being refrigerated.  The cold toned down the ginger just enough so that it was still noticeable, but the bite was significantly muted.  Perfect.

My kids loved this!  This will definitely be my go-to homemade applesauce recipe from now on.  Thanks for a great recipe, Renee!

   

    An InLinkz Link-up
   

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Turkey Salsa Verde Chili

Is it chili weather where you live?  It is here in Wisconsin.  Today I am sharing with you my family's favorite chili recipe. Last winter, I had been wanting to try a turkey chili with white beans. There is a "Turkey and White Bean Chili" in my favorite soup cookbook, Soup of the Day.  It was still a red chili, using tomatoes and chili powder.  I wanted to make it into a "green" chili, using my favorite roasted tomatillo salsa instead of the tomatoes and chili powder.  It was a big hit with my family and I called it "Green Turkey Chili".  My husband informed me that it sounds like it uses green turkey, and that it sounds gross, so even though I still call it that in my head (and in my personal recipe file!), I have renamed it Turkey Salsa Verde Chili for his sake. :)

Turkey Salsa Verde Chili

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
½ large onion, diced
1-1¼ lbs. lean ground turkey
2 (15 oz.) cans white kidney beans, drained and partially rinsed
1½ cups roasted tomatillo salsa (aka salsa verde)
1½ cups water
½ - 1 tsp cumin
Sour cream, optional
Mexican shredded cheese, optional
Tortilla chips, optional

Directions:
Heat oil in large soup pot over low heat.  Add onion and sauté a few minutes, until it begins to soften.  Add turkey and break up into chunks.  Increase heat to medium and cook until turkey is cooked through and slightly browned and the liquid has evaporated.

Dump in the beans, tomatillo salsa, water, and cumin.  Stir well, scraping up any browned bits off the bottom of the pot.  Increase heat to high and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-15 minutes.  Mash some of the beans with a potato masher until slightly thickened.  Simmer a few more minutes, or until it has reached your desired consistency.

Serve with sour cream, cheese, and tortilla chips, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

I have mentioned this several times before, but I absolutely love the Meijer Gold Del Cabo Roasted Tomatillo Salsa.

I don't live near Meijer anymore, but I got so hooked on this stuff, that I buy several jars every time we go back to Indiana to visit family.  Fortunately, a Meijer is being built here in Kenosha, so I will be able to buy this salsa whenever I want! :)

This chili is so awesome.  The flavors just meld perfectly.  My daughters love it.  They are four and six right now and they can't get enough of this stuff.  The salsa is a little spicy for them, and as they are eating it, they have to stop for water and fan their faces off, but they keep shoveling it in!  It always amazes me, because usually they are super picky about spicy food.

We like to serve this with sour cream and a little shredded cheese, with tortilla chips as spoons.  Mmm, so good! I know I will be making this several times over the winter to come.

What I'm Reading Right Now

Mary Poppins

by P.L. Travers

Doctor Sleep

by Stephen King

Read More

Sausage, Spinach, and Brown Rice Skillet

I have two things for you today: a great meal-in-one recipe and the winner of my Red Gold apron giveaway.  I'll start with the recipe, so scroll down to find out the giveaway winner.

This is one of those convenient one-pot meals.  Well, it can be.  I made the rice separately, but if you want to do it all together, just pick up some Ready Rice.  I don't use that stuff very often, because I am home a lot and have no excuse not to make my own brown rice, but I like to keep a package or two on hand for rice "emergencies".  It can be your best friend on those super busy weeknights when you only have a few minutes to get dinner on the table.  (No, this post is not sponsored by Uncle Ben's; I just like that rice!)  My kids absolutely love brown rice, so we have it at least once a week, if not twice.  They also love sausage, so I thought this dish would be a big hit with them.  It's adapted from Cooking Light.

Sausage, Spinach, and Brown Rice Skillet

Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil

½ large onion, chopped

1 lb. ground sausage

6 cups fresh baby spinach, torn into pieces

1 tomato, chopped

3 cups brown rice (homemade, or 2 pouches Ready Rice)

½ tsp garlic powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

Directions:

Heat the oil over medium-low heat in a large skillet.  Sauté onion until it softens.  Add the sausage and cook over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a spoon, until it is no longer pink.  Add the spinach and the tomato, stirring until spinach is wilted.  Stir in brown rice and season with garlic powder and smoked paprika.  Cook another minute or so, stirring constantly to make sure everything is evenly distributed.

Makes 4 servings.

I was right; my kids loved this recipe.  They aren't huge fans of spinach, but they tolerated it in this dish.  I left out the Parmesan, and I thought it needed a little something for color.  I had some vine-ripened tomatoes in my produce basket, so I chopped one up and threw it in there.  That was a great addition, not only for the color, but it also added a punch of brightness and acidity.  Worked out really well.

Speaking of tomatoes, it's now time for me to announce the winner of my Red Gold apron giveaway.

The winner is: Bonnie Boucek!  Congrats, Bonnie!  Check your inbox for an email from me!

I used Random.org to choose the winner:

A huge thanks to all of you who entered my giveaway.  I wish I could give all of you an apron!  :)

What I'm Reading Right Now

Mary Poppins

by P.L. Travers

Doctor Sleep

by Stephen King

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SRC: Potato Chops

 

It's time for this month's Secret Recipe Club! The Secret Recipe Club is a group of food bloggers who secretly make one of someone else's dishes and post them all on the same day at the same time.  It's really fun, choosing a recipe to make, making the recipe, then reading about everyone else's recipes.  It's a great way to "meet" other bloggers and check out some great blogs that you never knew about before.  

This month I was assigned the blog My Hobbie Lobbie, written by Trisha.  Trisha is Indian, but living in Australia.  Cool!  I found so many yummy things on her blog.  I really wanted to make an Indian dish, so I was drawn to her Chole (garbanzo bean curry).  But I also love potatoes, so her Hasselback Potatoes definitely caught my eye.  I also thought her Beef Cutlets sounded delicious.  In the end, I decided to combine Indian cuisine, potatoes, and beef  and make her Potato Chops. The best of all three worlds!  Potato Chops are curried potatoes, wrapped around Indian-spiced beef, then breaded and pan-fried.  I knew my family would love this.  The beef filling she used for her potato chops was very similar to the Keema that I make regularly, so I just used a quarter batch of that for the beef part.  

Potato Chops

Ingredients:

1 tsp canola oil

¼ large onion, diced

¼ lbs. lean ground beef

1 garlic clove, grated

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

½ tbsp Garam Masala 

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

Salt, to taste

½ cup frozen peas, thawed

4-5 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

Salt

¼ tsp curry powder

1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup seasoned dry breadcrumbs

2-3 tbsp canola oil

Directions:

Heat the 1 tsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened and golden. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon until brown and cooked through. Drain off grease.  Add the garlic, ginger, Garam Masala, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Cook, stirring regularly, for 3-5 minutes until tomatoes are softened and flavors are combined. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and more Garam Masala if desired.  Add the peas and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes until the peas are softened without being mushy.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, boil potatoes.  Drain and mash.  Stir in curry powder, cilantro, and salt to taste.  While potatoes are still warm, take about ⅓ cup, roll it into a ball, and flatten it to form a patty shape.  Make a well in the middle and place about 2 tbsp of the beef mixture there, gently folding up the sides of the potato patty to completely cover the beef and peas.  Handle the patties gently, as they are delicate and fall apart easily.  After making each patty, dip them in the beaten egg, then coat in the breadcrumbs.  

Heat 2-3 tbsp oil over medium heat in a large skillet.  Place patties in the skillet and cook until they are golden brown on one side, about 5 minutes.  Very carefully flip the patties and cook on the other side until browned.  Remove to a serving platter.  Serve warm.

Makes 6 patties.

I know that looks like a long list of ingredients, but these are really pretty simple to make.  You are simply browning ground beef, adding spices and peas, then wrapping mashed potatoes around it and pan-frying them.  Really not difficult at all.

The beef filling.  I left the tomatoes out of the recipe I usually use, worried that they might be too wet for this application.

One of the patties before breading and frying.  Isn't the color gorgeous?  And I love the flecks of green from the cilantro.

I served these patties over Indian-Spiced Spinach, a recipe from a fellow SRC member.  Hi Sara!  My husband and oldest daughter loved these patties and the spinach too.  My four-year-old didn't eat it, but she doesn't like potatoes and was being picky that day anyway.  This was actually my husband's birthday meal.  I had it on my meal plan the week before, but when he saw it posted on the fridge, he asked if I could make it on his birthday instead.  Unfortunately, the weather was beautiful and sunny the day I had planned to make it, but cloudy and super windy the day of his birthday, so my pics aren't great, but I was happy to oblige the birthday boy.

Thanks so much, Trisha, for an awesome Indian meal!

   

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