I have come to the conclusion that Menu Planning for the entire week at my house is nearly impossible.  Last week I almost got everything back together and then Jon went out of town for 2 nights and then we went on a (awesome) spur of the moment mini-vacation.  That is how our lives are.  Eventually I will learn how to really get it all together.

So with that revelation, I will take it one day at a time.  Here is my “Menu” for tonight.  Mini Turkey Meatballs and Penne w/green beans and corn.  I found this recipe from Giada on Food Network, but tweaked it to make it a little more healthy (i.e. I baked the meatballs instead of frying them)

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, grated (dry off excess water)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup Italian dried bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 1/2 cup Italian Blend Cheese (Parmesan, Romano, Asiago…)
• 1/2 teaspoon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 pound ground dark turkey meat
• 26 ounces Simple Tomato Sauce or store-bought marinara sauce

Directions

Add the onion, garlic, egg, bread crumbs, ketchup, parsley, Italian cheeses, salt and pepper to a large bowl and blend. Mix in the turkey. Shape the turkey mixture into 1 1/4-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on a large plate or baking sheet.

Bake in the oven at 350 for about 25 min.  Turning over halfway thru. Add the marinara sauce, about 3 cups. Return all the meatballs to the pan. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors blend, 15 to 20 minutes. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Transfer the meatball mixture to a serving bowl.

You can serve this alone as an appetizer or with pasta

I made this Sunken Chocolate Cake for small group on Saturday night and it was a total success.  There was only one tiny piece left and I was glad because I forgot to grab my hubby a slice.  It is incredibly rich.  I intended to do the raspberry whipped cream topping, but my raspberries were bad.  So, it was just whipped cream. 

Cake:
8 oz. (250 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup butter, softened or cut into chunks
6 large eggs
1 cup sugar

Topping:
1 pint raspberries or blackberries (optional)
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar, divided

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9″ springform pan with a circle of waxed paper or parchment – use the bottom of the pan to trace a circle on the paper, then cut it out with scissors. Don’t grease the pan – the batter needs to be able to cling to the sides as it rises.

Gently melt the chocolate with the butter in a glass or stainless steel bowl set over a bowl or pot of hot or gently simmering water, or do it on low in the microwave. (If you have a double boiler, use it, but it’s not essential.) The thing to remember when melting chocolate is to do it gently, and not let it come in contact with intense heat; chocolate scorches and can seize up easily.

Separate 4 of the eggs, putting the yolks and whites in separate medium-sized bowls. Add the remaining 2 eggs and half of the sugar to the egg yolks. Whisk in the warm chocolate mixture and stir until it’s smooth.

Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add the remaining sugar, beating until the egg whites form soft mounds but aren’t yet stiff. Fold about one-quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, and then gently fold in the rest, without deflating the egg whites. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the cake is puffy and cracked on top, and the middle isn’t wobbly. Cool the cake completely in the pan without loosening the sides; the batter needs to cling to the sides of the pan as it cools so that it can properly sink in the middle and keep its high edges.

If you’re making fool whipped cream for on top, gently crush the berries with half the sugar - did this with a potato masher. Set aside to macerate for 10 minutes or so. When you’re ready to serve the cake, beat the cream with the rest of the sugar (if you are making fool whipped cream - otherwise just with 2-3 Tbsp. sugar) until softly stiff and mound the whipped cream in the middle of the cake. Run a thin knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake, remove the sides of the pan and transfer it to a serving plate, leaving the cake on the pan bottom. Serves about 12.

This recipe came from Dinner with Julie’s blog