Pork Meatballs

It's 4:30 p.m. The kids are starting to ask what's for supper, even though we all had a big lunch. I have very little in the fridge (need to go grocery shopping) but plenty of meat to chose from. The answer: Meatballs and Rice

2-3 Tablespoons oil
1 pound ground pork
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 cup Stove Top
1 egg
2/3 cup Kraft Asian Sesame Dressing

1. Heat oil in a skillet at medium-high heat.
2. Combine first four ingredients and form into 1-inch meatballs.
3. Place sausage in skillet. Cook on medium-high heat with the cover on.
4. Turn after 3-5 minutes, once they start to brown. Cook 3-5 minutes more, until cooked through.
5. Add Asian Sesame dressing. Bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, let it boil for 3-5 minutes, until thickened.

Serve over rice.

Loaded Rice

My menu called for spanish rice, but I ended up improvising and created a pretty tasty meal.

3 cups cooked rice (I used the bag rice; it's much cheaper!)
1 small onion, diced
4 tomatoes, diced (keep the juices) or 1 can Ro-Tel
2 bell peppers, diced
1 pound ground sausage
3-4 tablespoons taco seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste

Combine the sausage, onion, and pepper in a large skillet. Cook until the sausage in browned and the onion is translucent. Add the tomatoes and seasonings. Stir, and cook until warmed through. Add the rice. Stir, and let simmer for 5-10 minutes.

My husband and I added Tabasco sauce to our servings, but kept the dish mild so the kids would eat it.

Fried Rice Recipe

In case you didn’t get a chance to make the pizza rolls on Tuesday and are wondering what to eat tonight, here’s another “ol’ reliable” that we use. The peanut oil gives it an authentic, restaurant flavor, and the flexibility of the recipe means I usually have the ingredients on hand.

Fried Rice for 6
3 cups minute rice, cooked
2 eggs, beaten
1 small onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 carrot (or 3 baby carrots), diced
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon peanut oil (can substitute vegetable oil)
1 chicken breast OR 1 cup diced ham, optional

1. Prepare the minute rice as instructed on the box. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet to medium-high heat.
3. If you are using meat, add the chicken or ham to the skillet and saute until cooked through. Remove from skillet and set aside
4. Add the onions, celery, and carrots to the skillet. Stir fry until just tender.
5. Add the meat and cooked rice to the skillet. Stir and let cook for 1-2 minutes over medium-high heat.
6. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, beat the eggs.
7. Pour the eggs over the rice mixture and stir until cooked through.

Bonus the meal by stopping by your local Chinese food restaurant or grocery store for a few egg rolls. Or, if you are really ambitious, you can make your own.