Baked Spaghetti with Meatballs

I am a sucker for a really good plate of spaghetti and meatballs. I am an even bigger sucker for baked spaghetti and meatballs! I pretty much got the idea for this dish from my vegetarian roommate. That's right, my vegetarian roommate! She loves to cook with her boyfriend whenever they have the time, and her favorite meal in the whole world is spaghetti layered with marinara sauce, pesto, mozzarella cheese, and Morningstar Farm's veggie beef crumbles, which are basically the crumbled version of a really good veggie burger. She's made that dish for me before, and I can honestly say that I loved the texture of the fake beef just as much as real beef, and it has the added bonus of having way less fat and calories than ground beef. 

I wanted to replicate her spaghetti by using the same elements, but with meatballs instead of the veggie crumbles. I used Trader Joe's sundried tomato and basil chicken meatballs, which have a lot less fat than beef meatballs, but if you prefer the flavor of beef, or just want to go all out, feel free to use beef meatballs instead. This is all so simple to throw together, too! Just boil the pasta, toss with a bunch of tomato sauce, top with the meatballs, pesto, and cheese and bake! I couldn't even take a picture of what it looks like on the plate because I immediately started eating - it's that good! 

Baked Spaghetti with Meatballs
* This recipe fills an 8x8-inch baking pan, and could feed 4 to 6 people. You can double the recipe to fill a 13x9-inch pan and feed a whole crowd!

8 ounces spaghetti (half of a one-pound box)
2 cups tomato-basil sauce or marinara sauce
10 fully-cooked italian-style meatballs, heated through (you can find fully-cooked meatballs in the frozen section or in the refrigerated section of your grocery store)
3 tablespoons store-bought pesto
6 thin slices FRESH mozzarella cheese***


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cook the spaghetti until al dente in boiling salted water. Drain and toss with 1 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce in a large bowl. Pour the spaghetti into an 8x8-inch baking pan, top with the cooked meatballs, dot with the pesto and the remaining 1/2 cup tomato sauce, and the mozzarella slices. Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and everything is heated through. Serve immediately and enjoy!

*** Using fresh mozzarella makes a huge difference, but make sure NOT to use the kind packed in water. That will make the pasta too liquidy, and we don't want that. If you can't find fresh mozzarella that is vacuum packed, just use part-skim shredded mozzarella instead. It will taste just as good. 

Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos w/ Chipotle Crema and Refried Beans

Oh, fish tacos, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways: They're out-of-this-world delicious, super fast to whip up, and not at all as weird as some people think they are! My absolute favorite restaurant in the world is Cabo Fish Taco in Blacksburg, VA, and if I could eat there every day, I would do it in a heartbeat (providing my heart's still beating after eating pounds of their Baja Shrimp and Crab Dip!). Since there's only about three weeks of school left, I've been counting down the time before I can get back home and pop on over to CFT for some of their incredible food!

Sometimes, when you can't make it over to your favorite restaurant, you have to whip up your own version of your favorite dish. Such was the case for me tonight when I broiled some Trader Joe's mahi mahi fillets that I flavored with lime juice, cumin, and chili powder, then assembled myself some tacos with creamy avocado, crunchy shredded cabbage, and some chipotle-yogurt sauce. Laaaaaawd, these were tasty! Now, Cabo's fish tacos are definitely a cut above my own, but I think I came pretty close to the flavors I wanted. You also don't have to use mahi mahi if you don't want to. Try using tilapia or fresh tuna - basically, anything goes!

I haven't even mentioned the refried beans yet! I personally adore canned refried beans, and I try to beef them up a bit by stirring in a can of whole pinto beans for extra texture. I also spice things up with chili powder, lime zest, lime juice, and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese at the end. If I were to keep up with the Cabo theme, I would have added some Modelo Especial Mexican beer to mimic their Modelo Refried Beans, but that sadly wasn't an option here. You really can't get much better than a side of creamy beans for that baja flare! 

Broiled Fish Tacos with Chipotle Crema

1 pound boneless, skinless fish fillets (mahi mahi, tilapia, etc.)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

juice of one lime

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

pinch kosher salt

1 (6 oz.) single serving fat-free greek yogurt

1 canned chipotle pepper, finely chopped

1 tablespoon water

pinch salt

6 to 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

*** Toppings: fresh avocado, thinly shredded cabbage, lime wedges, cilantro, chopped tomatoes, etc. 

For the Crema: Mix together the greek yogurt, chopped canned chipotle pepper, water, and a pinch of salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the Tacos: Whisk together the oil, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, and salt and coat the fish fillets with the mixture. Heat up the broiler in your oven and line a baking dish with tin foil. Place the fish on the tin foil and pour the remaining lime juice mixture on top. Broil the fish until completely cooked, cool slightly, and cut into 1-inch chunks. Warm the corn tortillas in a dry pan, assemble your tacos with the avocado, cabbage, fish, and chipotle crema, and serve with the refried beans!

Cheesy Refried Beans

1 can low-fat, vegetarian refried beans

1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

zest and juice of one lime

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

In a medium sauce pan, gently stir together the refried beans, pinto beans, lime zest and juice, and chili powder. Heat over medium heat until the beans are hot throughout. Right before serving, sprinkle the cheese over top and put the lid on the pot to allow the cheese to melt. When the cheese is melty, serve the beans with the tacos!

Lazy Sunday Afternoons and Mixed Berry-Granola Muffins

I'm not usually one to mess with a baking recipe, but today I was inclined to make some serious (and seriously tasty) tweaks to a blueberry muffin recipe I found at Allrecipes.com. For one thing, I didn't have any blueberries in my apartment, but I did have half a bag of Trader Joe's mixed berries, consisting of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries. I also had some plain granola, Back to Nature brand, that I really wanted to sprinkle on top for some extra crunch. I probably should have stopped there, but instead of regular old cow's milk, I substituted vanilla soy milk - yuuuummmm. 

Substitution in baking can be risky, and I honestly thought these muffins would be a flub because the batter only filled up 7 out of 12 muffin cups! The batter itself was super thick, so I was afraid I might have gotten my measurements wrong, but sometimes you can be pleasantly surprised by how well a little tweaking can work out in a recipe. These muffins are slightly heartier, and the granola adds the perfect crunch to the muffin tops, while the mixed berries are slightly tangy. I also threw in some lemon zest, and it adds such a citrusy scent - perfect with the fruit. I would definitely recommend making a double batch since mine didn't come close to filling up a whole pan. I'm definitely pumped to keep perfecting this recipe!

So next time you decide a recipe needs to be jazzed up, go for it! Even if it doesn't turn out the way you wanted, you just might be surprised! 

Mixed Berry-Granola Muffins
*For me, this made 7 muffins, so it might be a good idea to double the recipe in order to fill the whole muffin pan!

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk 
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 cup fresh or frozen mixed berries (mine came from a bag of frozen raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries)
1/4 cup plain granola (I used Back to Nature Classic Granola)


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Thoroughly spray a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. In a smaller bowl, combine the oil, egg, milk, and lemon zest. Stir the frozen berries in the flour and coat well - gently fold the liquid into the dry ingredients until just combined. Fill the muffin cups about 3/4 full. Sprinkle the granola over the top of the batter. Bake the muffins for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

"Oliver & Company" and Turkey Chili

Growing up, Oliver & Company was one of my favorite Disney movies! I couldn't get enough of the music, and it's the source of one of my favorite Disney songs ever (see the video clip at the end of the page). Watching classic Disney movies like that with my roommates is definitely a Saturday night well spent. This week hasn't been much of a week cooking-wise for me, so I vowed to make a big pot of something comforting and spicy that would take a little longer than boiling pasta (which I've been eating tons of lately). So while enjoying watching Oliver, I made one of the best pots of chili I've ever had. I always make vegetarian chili, with tons of zucchini, carrots, peppers, and beans, but I was craving something more substantial. This turkey chili hit the spot, and I even had some leftover chipotle peppers in the freezer that gave it an amazing smoky spiciness. Add some Trader Joe's cornbread, and this meal just might be perfection. 

Quick Turkey Chili

1 pound ground dark meat turkey
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon oregano
pinch red pepper flakes
2 canned chipotle peppers, minced***
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes (plus 1 can full water) 
1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
Salt, to taste


In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat and cook the ground turkey until no longer pink. Transfer the meat to a plate and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and cook the onion, bell pepper, and garlic until translucent. Add the spices and the chipotle pepper and cook 1 minute more. Add the turkey and the juices back to the pot along with the diced tomatoes, beans, and can-full of water. Season with salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Mash about half of the beans against the side of the pot and stir throughout the chili to thicken it even more. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Serve hot with cornbread on top!


***I never end up using all of the chipotle peppers in the can, so I took a tip from Rachael Ray and put the leftovers in a baggie and stuck them in the freezer. I took a cheese grater and grated quite a bit of the frozen block into the chili, and it worked perfectly. Definitely try this - it's pretty genius!