Thai Chicken Meatballs with Peanut Sauce

Used a couple of different websites for this one.  May need to look up more to continue to tweak it.
My Sugar Free Kitchen, Beauty from Burnt Toast, and JoCooks

Meatballs:
~1 cup of breadcrumbs (toasted 2 slices of bread and Cuisinart-ed)
1 inch ginger (2 inches was Cuisinart-ed to use in sauce, too)
3 garlic (3 + 2 were Cuisinart-ed to use in sauce, too)
1 jalapeno pepper (I chopped with glove and kept seeds/insides, could have been spicier)
1/4 cup chopped white onion (I forgot to do)
1 tsp chili paste (didn't have - next time use more red pepper flakes on top of jalapenos)
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp fish sauce (may try without in future bc it was salty)
1 Tbsp red curry paste
Pepper for taste
1 lb ground chicken or turkey
*Didn't add - Thai basil/Basil

Peanut sauce (had doubled from original):
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 garlic (see above, already Cuisinart-ed)
1 inch ginger (see above, already Cuisinart-ed)
1 can of lite coconut milk
5 Tbsp crunchy peanut butter (1/4 cup = 4 Tbsp, so use a little more than 1/4 cup)
2 tsp honey
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp lime juice
2 Tbsp red curry paste
Lots of red pepper flakes (didn't have 1 Tbsp chili paste)

Directions for meatballs:
1. Make Jasmine rice
2. Cuisinart the toast - set aside to dry
3. Cuisinart the garlic - set aside half for the sauce - add to bowl
4. Cuisinart the ginger - set aside half for the sauce - add to bowl
5. Chop jalapeno - keep the insides - add to bowl
6. Chop the onion - add to bowl
7. Add the red pepper flakes, soy sauce, fish sauce, red curry paste, pepper
8. Whisk egg - add to bowl
9. Add the chicken or turkey
10. Add the bread crumbs - Mix with hand
11. Use Tbsp spoon to put onto pan - put in oven for 400 degrees for 15-20 min

Directions for peanut sauce
(Cook veggies while making peanut sauce?)
1. Mix honey, soy sauce, lime juice, red curry paste, and red pepper flakes in bowl
2. Sauté garlic and ginger with sesame oil
3. Add coconut milk and stir for 1 min
4. Add peanut butter and stir for 1 min
5. Add rest of ingredients
6. Keep warm on stove

Veggies:
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 yellow onion
1 bag of snap peas
1 avocado on top

Notes: Original recipe called for 4 Tbsp peanut butter, but I added an extra while tasting it.  Tasted a bit watery.  Eric's recipe had 1 full cup of peanut butter.
It was a lot of work.  Eric mentioned just using chicken and peanut sauce without the meatball part.  Would try cooking one more time now that I know how to do the order of things.
There was a low level spice, but could have been spicier.

I like the ground chicken because HEB packaged more than 1 lb.  It was pretty mushy when using.

*Thai

*Asian

Balsalmic chicken

Recipe taken from Evolving Table

Ingredients:
-Chicken breast - used tenders
-1/2 cup balsamic vinegar - used a little less
-1/4 cup chicken broth - used a little more, but maybe that's why took longer to reduce
-2 tbsp. honey - use a little less next time
-2 cloves garlic crushed
-1/2 tsp salt to taste
-1/4 tsp black pepper
-1 tsp rosemary fresh, finely chopped (used Cuisinart, but could have tried knife for better chop)
-1 Tbsp olive oil - accidentally added this to the marinade? try skipping?

Instructions:
1. Mix vinegar, broth, honey, garlic, salt, pepper, and rosemary - Add 1/3 of mixture to ziplock bag to marinate chicken for 15-30 min
2. Bake chicken in oven - website state to cook 3-4 min in cast iron skillet
3. Add remaining balsamic marinade to small saucepan and bring to a boil, boil 1 min, then simmer for 10 min (more like 15 min) to form a glaze

Notes:

I served with mini potatoes and veggie medley (broccoli, bell peppers, onions).  Eric said glaze would be good with asparagus next time.

*American

Italian meatballs

Took some ideas from different websites - iamthatlady.com, bunsinmyoven.com, tasteandsee.com, and cleanfoodcrush.com

Ingredients
-1 lb ground turkey (93% lean)
-4 cloves of garlic (Cuisinart-ed)
-1 egg
-1/4 cup bread crumbs (I used panko)
-1/8 cup of grated Parmesan cheese (didn't measure out, but could have used more)
-1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
-1 tsp Italian seasoning
-1 tsp Oregano
-1 tsp basil (used fresh from the garden) - Cuisinart-ed
-1 tsp dried parsley
-salt and pepper to taste (1/2 tsp of each roughly)
-1 jar marinara sauce 
-zoodles

Instructions:
1. Mix all into bowl with the ground meat
2. Use spoon (my TBSP) to scoop meat onto tray
3. Cook 15-20 min in oven at 400 F
4. Mix zoodles with half a jar of marinara sauce (use other 1/2 for second night) - also add some Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and generous amount of crushed red pepper
5. Serve zoodles, sauce, and meatballs

Notes:
-I also served with asparagus, one bell pepper, one onion that was cooked in the Air Fryer for more food.

-Eric said to add some FENNEL next time

*Italian

Chimichurri sauce

Eric didn't like it, so not sure if I will make again, but I liked it.
Recipe taken from Gimme Some Oven

Ingredients:
-1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, tightly packed 
-1 cup fresh cilantro, tightly packed
-1/2 cup diced red onion
-3 Tbsp fresh oregano (I used 1 tsp of dried oregano)
-3 cloves of garlic, peeled
-2 Tbsp fresh lime juice (I used juice of one lime)
-2 Tbsp red wine vinegar (thought this was too much)
-1/4 tsp sea salt
-1/4 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
-1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (I sprinkled generously and could have used some more)
-1/2 cup of olive oil

Directions:
-Add all ingredients except olive oil to a food process, and pulse a few times until chopped.  Slowly stream in olive oil, while pulsing the mixture a few more times until combined.

Notes:
-more red pepper flakes
-too much red wine vinegar
-I served with chicken and asparagus

-I think I made this before and should try using with flank steak next time instead of chicken

----------------------------------------------

Tried a NEW recipe that was kind of combination of two recipes for cilantro-only chimichurri (Brazilian Kitchen) + roasted garlic (from WonkyWonderful), and STILL was NOT right.  

Used on roasted veggies - mini potatoes, bell peppers, and onions with a turkey burger.  

Eric said tasted good, but too "wet" as in he would have preferred this as a dip and veggies be crispy.  Maybe next time:

-no red wine vinegar.  Try lime juice again.  Less olive oil.  Try raw garlic again.  Try shallot instead of red onion. Do the olive oil stream?

Ingredients:

-2 bunches of fresh cilantro (about 2 cups, not packed though)

-2 heads roasted garlic

-3/4 cup olive oil (added less than this and still too much)

-1/4 small red onion

-1 tsp dried oregano (recipe called for 2 tsp)

-1 tsp red pepper flakes (recipe called for 2 tsp)

-1 tsp red wine vinegar (recipe called for 2 tsp) - STILL TOO MUCH

-salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

-Used a blender instead of food processor (so didn't do the olive oil stream)

Skinny Pineapple Chicken with Cashews

Recipe taken from Bowl of Delicious.
Felt like making Asian last night.  I doubled the sauce because I added veggies (bell pepper trio) and onions.

Ingredients:
-chicken breast, 1.5 lbs cubed
-salt and pepper to taste
-Your choice veggies: bell pepper trio, red onions
-1 cup fresh diced pineapple (reserve juices if any to add to sauce below)
-1/2 cup of cashews

Sauce:
-2 (4) garlic cloves
-1 (2) Tbsp ginger
-2 (4) Tbsp rice wine vinegar - tasted too vinegary! use less next time
-2 (4) Tbsp soy sauce
-2 (4) tsp Sriracha sauce - used maybe a little more, had some kick
-1/2 (1) tsp toasted sesame oil
-Sprinkled red pepper flakes for more spice
-leftover pineapple juice if any
-2 tsp corn starch + 1/4 cup of water 

Directions:
1. Combine ingredients to make sauce + cornstarch/water - set aside
2. Cook chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder - set aside
3. Cook veggies a little bit
4. Add sauce and stir
5. Add cornstarch/water mix - whisk with fork before adding
6. Stir until thickened
7. Add cashews and diced pineapple

Notes:
Served with rice.
As mentioned above, too vinegary, would add less than 4 Tbsp of rice wine vinegar.  Pineapple is already kind of acidic.

*Pineapple

*Asian

Avocado Pesto

Recipe taken from Eat Yourself Skinny

Ingredients:
-2 avocados
-1 cup fresh basil leaves
-3 cloves of garlic (used 4 and had some extra bite)
-1/4 cup of pine nuts, toasted (no more than 1/4 bc can be too nutty)
-2 tbsp. lemon juice (used 1 whole lemon)
-1/2 tsp sea salt
-3 Tbsp olive oil
-cracked black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1.  Mix in large Cuisinart
2. Added a little water (1/8 cup) to thin it out a little

Notes:
-Served with veggies (red onion, bell peppers, broccoli) and chicken - seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder
-can do with zoodles as in the website recipe
-unfortunately, have to make separately each day because avocados can go bad - but could try pre-making and freezing afterwards.  I just pre-peeled garlic and set aside the toasted pine nuts for the next day's serving.

*Italian

*American

Barbeque sauce

Recipe taken from @cleanfoodcrush

Ingredients
-15 ounces organic tomato sauce
-1 Tbsp tomato paste
-2 tsp mustard (OMITTED FOR THE HUBS)
-1/3 cup raw honey (use a little less next time as it was pretty sweet)
-1/4 cup high quality balsamic vinegar
-1/2 cup of water
-2 Tbsp pure maple syrup (or unsulphured molasses --> maybe try next time?)
-1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (or coconut aminos --> maybe try next time?)
-1 tsp sea salt
-2 tsp smoked paprika
-1/2 tsp onion powder
-1/2 tsp garlic powder
-1/2 tsp ground black pepper (ADD MORE)
-Did not measure, but added a lot of white pepper for a spicier taste

Directions.
1. Add all ingredients to a saucepan
2. Bring to a nice simmer over medium-high heat (at least a 7)
3. Lower heat to low (1) and simmer while occasionally whisking for about 30 min (did it for 28 as it was starting to smoke)
4. Allow to cool completely
5. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week

Notes:
-Served with chicken strips (oven), cauliflower (oven), and mini-potatoes (air-fryer) that were all seasoned with the same spices as above + cayenne pepper for added heat.
-Would consider cooking the night before (Saturday) and then cooking it with the chicken the next day or in a slow cooker shredded chicken recipe

*American