Repeat along with a couple new recipes...

Even though it was not a new recipe, I did do some baking today. Jeff asked if I would use the last of the frozen cranberries to make his favorite Cran-Apple Muffins. As most muffins do, these freeze very well and make for a filling snack.

Since I was looking to get the chicken in the freezer used up, I made Swedish Meatballs tonight. As the recipe calls for ground chicken, these meatballs are a bit lighter than recipes that use ground beef/pork. The chicken is lightly seasoned, so some may think they taste a little bland by themselves, but the sauce confronts that problem head on. The meatballs are first seared until they achieve a golden crust, and then in the same pan, you start the sauce. Once slightly thickened, the meatballs are added back in and allow to finish cooking while the sauce reduces.

The sauce has a thick robust texture with a tang coming from sour cream. When I think of Swedish Meatballs, I believe the sauce has a rich and darker color, but this one keeps it fairly light. Egg noodles, served along side, were a delicious way to soak up the generous amount of sauce. I liked the unique hint of rye that the bread added, be sure to use it if you can!

It probably didn't match well, but I had a ton of carrots I needed to use - so I also made Spiced Carrots as a side. Chunky carrots are cooked in a flavor-packed mixture of garlic, chili powder, cumin and lemon zest. I cut the cooking time down to just over 10 minutes as we like our carrots with a bite in the center. If you like a softer texture, leave it to cook the full amount to time. The smoky cumin along with a slight heat from the chili powder was fresh way for us to doctor up plain carrots. The splash of fresh lemon juice at the end heightened the flavor and helped to bring out the sweetness of the carrots.

Recipes
Spiced Carrots
Swedish Meatballs