Teriyaki meatballs

This recipe can be made with beef or turkey. Serve the meatballs with additional teriyaki sauce or prepared Thai peanut sauce.

Serves 6 as a snack (double recipe to make enough for a meal for 6 with leftovers)

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced (optional, but tastier with)
  
• 1 large carrot, shredded
• prepared teriyaki sauce (see recipe below)
  
• 1 cup bread crumbs, fresh (or I use nuts ground up in the blender or food processor, flax seed flour, or ground up oats)
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• dash garlic
• dash salt
• dash pepper
• dash crushed red peppers
• Cooked rice
  

Make teriyaki sauce (recipe below). Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, scallions, carrot, 1/3 of prepared teriyaki sauce, bread crumbs, and spices. Blend well. Using a 2-ounce scoop (or large spoon), form meatballs with wet hands and place in a shallow glass baking dish (or on a baking pan lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil). Sprinkle meatballs with sesame seeds. Pour remaining teriyaki sauce over meatballs. Roast in a oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown on the outside, cooked through, and sauce has thickened. Serve over rice. I served this with steamed broccoli, but it's also good with any stir-fried vegetables.

Teriyaki sauce:

• 6 T brown or white sugar (you can use less if desired)
  
• 4 T organic catsup (no high fructose corn syrup)
  
• 6 T soy sauce
• dash garlic (or 1 tsp minced garlic)
  

Combine until mixed thoroughly.

Spicy sesame noodles with chicken

This was really good. The kids saw this had peanut butter and honey in it and now refer to this dish as PB&H noodles. It got rave reviews from the fam and is a definite do-over.

Teriyaki chicken with broccoli

Fried Rice

4 C cooked white or brown rice (made ahead and chilled)
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 c cubed cooked ham
2 eggs beaten
2 T Soy sauce
1/2 c frozen peas
pepper to taste

1. Fry ham, onions and peas in an oiled nonstick skillet until onions and peas are soft. Remove from pan and wipe out residue with paper towel.
2. Fry eggs briefly, remove from pan and wipe out.
3. Heat 1/4 cup oil or butter in pan and fry rice for 3-5 minutes.
   
4. Add ham, eggs, onions, soy and pepper. Stir to combine.

This can be made early in the day, refrigerated and reheated at dinnertime

Sesame Chicken

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. packed brown sugar

4-6 chicken breasts (cut in half)
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/3 c. sesame seeds
1/4 c. orange juice
honey

1. cook garlic and butter in 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Just until garlic begins to turn brown. Stir in brown sugar until melted.
2. Combine baking powder, salt, paprika, and pepper in a shallow bowl. Drag chicken through mixture and place in skillet with garlic/butter/brown sugar mixture. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, turning over once, until browned.
   
3. Add orange juice. Cook over medium heat 8-10 minutes, turning once, until chicken is glazed and has clear juices. Drizzle honey and sprinkle sesame seeds over top of chicken. Simmer until sauce thickens and almost disappears. Watch carefully to prevent scorching. Allow to sit for a few minutes to cool.
4. Remove chicken from pan. Excellent served over brown rice or with fried rice.
   

I was a bit doubtful about this meal with my picky eaters, and while it was cooking it didn't smell the most promising, but I got rave reviews from the fam. It is definitely a do-over. I served it with steamed broccoli, rice, and steamed green beans.