Eating Dinner With My Family

My husband choose this throwback Thursday dish.  I followed the sauce recipe, but the meatballs I played around with a little bit.  Mostly, I just made my life easy by getting the meatloaf package of ground beef/pork rather than get a package of both meats and most likely have odd bits I didn't need for tonight's dinner.  As always, if you don't eat beef or pork, you can switch out the meat for other ones, but the beef & pork combo is traditional and I think the tastiest.  I totally am loving the greens in the meatballs.  I don't know where I first saw this idea (and it was most like spinach that was in the original recipe), but I have used collards and now bok choy with fantastic results.  (my next experiment will involve the leavings from my juicing, but that is for another time:)  I also love coating the meatballs in bread crumbs. This coating absorbs the juices (and fat) cooking out of the meatball and adds a lot of flavor and a nice crisp...

I decided to make something up for the chicken legs I got for my boy.  (he loves drumsticks)  Since I was planning to make the Thai Bok Choy recipe tonight, I opted to make it similar to the chicken and 40 cloves but seasoned with five spice and end it with a quick broil with hoisin sauce to make a glaze.  I am not a fan of meat on a bone and I thought it was pretty good.  The boys loved it!  It was very easy but it does take some time.  It is inactive time and you could leave it unattended for a bit. (like to pick up a child;)  If you aren't familiar with five spice powder, it does take some getting used to.  The cinnamon particularly makes me think of desserts and it can be odd the first time you try it. (or first few times)  Once you are prepared for it, it makes for an amazing dish. The hoisin, one of my favorite Asian sauces, is perfect for glazes.  It is thick and a little sweet. If you are making the bok choy only,...

I loved this recipe.  It could easily be a vegetarian one if you used vegetable stock.  I had an open beef stock and used it.  Bok choy is a bitter vegetable and my son complained about that.  I however didn't mind it's bitterness.,  I think this is not only a great side, but would be a tasty meatless main.  The crunchiness of the bok choy makes it feel more like a meal to me than just some side. We had this with the Bourbon Chicken.  It is a fast side and not your usual veggie.  I found that you really need a good dose of salt.  Without it, the dish was too bitter. Bok Choy With Garlic 1/2 c  chicken stock or low-sodium broth 2 t  cornstarch 1 T  vegetable oil 2    garlic cloves,minced 2 lb bok choy—stems cut into 1-inch lengths,leafy tops left about 4 i Salt and freshly ground pepper 1.In a bowl, whisk the stock with the cornstarch. In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add the garlic and cook over high ...