Pea Salad

Pea Salad

Ingredients:
1 large head of iceberg lettuce, washed and chopped
1 medium red onion, diced
1 bag of frozen peas
6-8 strips of cooked bacon or Bacon Bits
2 cups of shredded Swiss cheese

Dressing:
1 cup of mayo
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of sugar

Combine all the salad ingredients, mix in the dressing and serve!

Honey Chipotle Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients
1 ½ lb ground turkey
½ yellow onion, diced small
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
4 tablespoons honey
2-4 tablespoons chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (depending on your tolerance for heat)
4 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon of Hungarian Paprika

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a medium bowl, stir the onion, garlic, paprika, salt, and black pepper together then add the turkey to the bowl and use your hands to mix just until combined (do not over mix). Form into 16 meatballs (each will be about the size of a golf ball). In a small bowl, stir together the honey, chiles, and vinegar.

Set a large ovenproof skillet over medium to medium-high heat and add the oil. Once it is shimmering, add the meatballs. Cook until browned on all sides, about 15 minutes. Move the skillet to the oven and bake the meatballs for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven (remember, the handle will be hot!) and pour the sauce over the meatballs. Bake for another 10 minutes (swirling the pan at the halfway point), or until the sauce has reduced to glaze the meatballs and the meatballs are cooked through. (Keep an eye on your meatballs in the oven - without eggs or milk-soaked bread for added moisture, they have the potential to dry out if overcooked.) Serve with Market Pantry Four Cheese Risotto or Cilantro Lime Rice.  Adapted from Martha Stewart

Spicy Sausage Rigatoni

Ingredients:
6 Spicy Italian Sausages, remove casing and slice into bite-size pieces
1 Shallot, diced
1 tsp. olive oil
1 lb. rigatoni, cooked al dente
1 jar tomato basil pasta sauce
Parmesan cheese
Italian parsley for garnish
Salt and Pepper to taste

This is a go to meal for us when work has me running late and life is busier than normal. I am all about making homemade sauce, but every once and awhile I use a jar. It's quick and easy!

Saute shallot in olive oil until translucent. Add sausage and cook through. Add a dash of salt and pepper to the pan. While sausage is cooking, start pasta. Salt the water, bring to a boil and cook the pasta for about 10 minutes. Drain pasta. Add sauce to sausage and shallots and heat. Toss in pasta and serve. Garnish with parsley and Parmesan cheese.

Chicken Sausage with Lemon Herb Orzo

Ingredients
2 cups orzo pasta
1 cup frozen peas
2 large lemons, juiced and zested
3 tbsps Kerrygold Irish Butter
1 package Hillshire Chicken Hardwood Smoked Sausage, sliced
1 shallot, finely chopped
3 tbsps olive oil
2 tbps white wine
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsps grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste


Directions
Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking add olive oil, shallots, garlic, red pepper and chicken sausage to pan and sauté. Once chicken is sauté, remove from heat and add white wine to deglaze the pan. Return to heat to cook off the wine. Zest one lemon and set aside. Drain cooked orzo, return to pan to heat and melt Irish butter. Add pasta back to pan with frozen peas and the juice from two lemons.stirring frequently. Add sausage, garlic and onion mix to pasta and toss. Top with grated parmesan and serve. 

Linguine in Tomato Vodka Sauce

Ingredients

2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 TBSP Butter

1 Medium Yellow Onion, finely diced

5 Cloves of Garlic, minced

2 Cans of Tomato Sauce (15 oz each)

1 Cup of Heavy Cream

1/4 Cup Vodka

1 1/2 TSP Sugar

Fresh Basil

1/4 Cup Italian Blend Cheese (Parmesan, Asiago and Romano)

1 lb Linguine

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and reserve one cup of pasta water to think the tomato sauce later. Melt butter and heat olive oil in pan. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until onions barely start to turn translucent. Add salt and pepper. Add vodka and cook for 5 minutes, reducing alcohol. Add tomato sauce and sugar. Cook sauce for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and add cream and cheeses. Stir in pasta and use reserved water to thin sauce if necessary. Garnish with fresh basil and shredded cheese. This recipe was adopted from The Pioneer Woman. 

Chicken Pasta with Basil Pesto Cream Sauce

Ingredients
1 lb bow tie pasta, cooked al dente
1 lb chicken breast
6-7 cremini mushrooms, sliced thin
3-4 green onions, sliced thin
1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

For the Pesto
3/4 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 grated parmesan cheese
3 tbsp pine nuts
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup additional parmesan
salt and peper to taste

Instructions
Dice chicken into bite size pieces, salt and pepper and sauté in oil oil.When chicken is 50% cooked, add mushrooms and the white part of the green onions and cook until most of the moisture from the mushrooms is gone and the chicken is fully cooked. Add red pepper and turn the hit down low. To prepare the Pesto- add basil leaves, 1/2 cup of parmesean cheese, pine nuts, salt and paper to food processor and stream in olive oil. Heat cream and butter in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add pesto and stir. Toss in pasta and chicken- garnish with shave parmesan and green part of green onions.  

Baked Penne

Baked Penne

1 lb hot Italian Sausage
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup green peppers (I left this out b/c I don't like green peppers)
1 jar of Basil Garlic Spaghetti sauce
1 tub (10 oz.) Philadelphia Italian Cheese and Herb Cooking Creme, divided
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided
1 lb cooked penne pasta

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Brown meat with vegetables in large nonstick skillet. Stir in spaghetti sauce, 3/4 cup cooking creme and 1/2 cup mozzarella; cook and stir 2 to 3 min. or until mozzarella is melted. Add pasta; mix lightly. Spoon into 9 x12 casserole dish; top with remaining cooking creme. Cover with foil and Bake 25 min. or until heated through. Uncover and add remaining shredded Mozzarella cheese and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Recipe adopted from The Plain Chicken. 

Crock Pot Sante Fe Chicken

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken

• 1 lbs chicken breast
• 10 oz can of Rotel
• 15 oz can black beans, undrained
• 8 oz frozen corn
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 cups fat free chicken broth
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in the crock pot . Season chicken breast with salt and pepper and lay on top. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Adjust salt and seasoning. Serve over cilantro lime rice. Garnish with fresh avocado, sour cream and low fat Mexican cheese mix if desired. Adopted from Skinnytaste

Lasagna Stuffed Shells

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 pound Hot Italian Sausage
• 1/2 pound Lean Ground Beef
• 1 box Jumbo Pasta Shells
• 16 ounces Ricotta Cheese
• 1 Egg, beaten
• 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 tablespoon Parsley
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1 tsp fresh Thyme, finely chopped
• 1 tsp fresh Oregano, finally chopped

SAUCE

Bertolli Tomato Basil red pasta sauce, 1 jar or homemade sauce, if you have the time

DIRECTIONS

In a large pan brown the ground beef and sausage over medium high heat. Drain and remove from heat. Cook the pasta shells according to the directions on the box (al dente- the shells will continue to cook in the oven). Preheat the over to 375 degrees. 

Mix ricotta cheese, 2 cups mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley, the egg, garlic, onion powder and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Mix in the cooled meat mixture then mix in 1+ cups of the sauce.

Cover the bottom of your baking dish with 1 cup of  tomato sauce. Fill the pasta shells with the cheesy meat mixture and place in the baking dishes. Sprinkle grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, Thyme and Oregano evenly over top. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese begins to turn brown. Warm extra sauce and serve on the side with garlic bread.

Recipes to Try

Foodgawker is my new OBSESSION! I love this site! It's ingenious I tell you! They gather recipes from all over the internet in one place and you can even add your favorites to your own Favorites page. Here's a few recipes on my "must try" list:

Bacon Guacamole Grilled Cheese
Guinness and Cheddar Dip
Caprese Grilled Cheese with Balsamic Mayo
Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies
Salmon Quino and Zucchini
Tequila Infused Queso
Buffalo Chicken Bites
Egg Drop

Jumbalaya

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
• 1 package smoked chicken sausage
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 small green bell pepper, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 tablespoon of flour
• 1 (16 ounce) can crushed Italian tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/4 cups uncooked white rice
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth

Directions
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of peanut oil in a large heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. Season the with Cajun seasoning. Saute sausage until browned. Remove with slotted spoon, and set aside.

2. In the same pot, melt butter and add flour to make a rue (this is your thickening agent). Sauté onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic until tender. Stir in crushed tomatoes and season with red pepper, black pepper, salt, hot pepper sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in sausage. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Stir in the rice and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.

Swedish Meatballs

Ingredients

Meatballs:
1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
¼ pound Jimmy Dean sausage (or favorite ground sausage)
1 egg
¼ cup ketchup
2 tbsps Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp dry mustard
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 clove minced garlic
2 tsps salt
1 tsp pepper

Sauce:
2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
3 tsps Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Tabasco sauce
1 cup milk
¼ cup of heavy cream
1 tsp pepper
¼ tsp of garlic powder
½ tbsp fresh Italian parsley to garnish

Preparation:
Mix all ingredients together for the meat mixture. DO NOT OVER MIX! Roll into small balls and place on cookie sheet. Bake 45 minutes or until browned. In a medium bowl mix sauce ingredients together. Place meatballs in a skillet or crock pot. Simmer for 45 minutes. Serve noodles or as an appetizer with toothpicks.

Rigatoni di Gregorio

Rigatoni di Gregorio (yields 4 servings) Ingredients: 8 oz. rigatoni 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided 1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts ½ cup chopped yellow onion 4 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp. dry white wine ¼ cup Marsala wine 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth 1 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half) 2 tsp. minced fresh basil 2 tsp. minced fresh parsley 1 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1 tbsp. butter Directions: Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Once boiling, cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain well. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken breasts to the pan and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.  If necessary, turn down the heat to medium-low so the outside doesn’t brown too quickly.  Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.  When cool enough to handle, cut into bite-size pieces. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan with the heat on medium-high.  Add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes.  Add the mushrooms to the pan and continue to cook until most of the liquid has been released and the onions are softened, about 5 minutes more.  Mix in the garlic and sauté just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Remove the pan from the heat and add the wines, scraping with a spoon to deglaze the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Whisk in the chicken broth.  Return Bring to a simmer, lower the heat to medium and continue to simmer until the liquid is reduced by about half.  Stir in the cream and cook until heated through.  Add in the herbs, Parmesan and butter; mix until well blended and the butter is completely melted. Add the cooked rigatoni to the pan and toss with the sauce.  Serve immediately with additional grated Parmesan as desired. Source: adapted from Pennies on a Platter, originally from RecipeLink

Chicken Lasagna with Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Chicken Lasagna with Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sauce

Ingredients:
4 cups finely chopped cooked chicken (Rotisserie Chicken works great!)
2 (8oz) containers of chive and onion cream cheese
1 (10oz) package frozen chopped spinach thawed and drained
1 tsp seasoned pepper
3/4 tsp garlic salt
9 no boil lasagna noodles
1 cup shredded Italian 5 cheese blend
Roasted red pepper sauce (see below)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Stir together first 5 ingredients


Layer a lightly greased 11x7 baking dish with one third of sauce, 3 noodles, one third of chicken mixture, and one third of cheese. Repeat layers twice. Place baking dish on a baking sheet.Bake covered at 350 for 50-55 minutes uncover and bake 15 more minutes.

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:
1 (12 oz) jar roasted red peppers drained
1 (16oz) jar creamy alfredo sauce
1 3oz package shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

Process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides.

Orecchiette with Chicken Sausage and Spinach

This dish was inspired by Martha- she uses broccili rabe on her dish and since I'm not a big fan of that, I substituted spinach. It was delicious.

Ingredients
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 lb ounces orecchiette 
1 package of precooked chicken sausages (5 sausages), cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 tablespoons white-wine 
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup of chicken stock
1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes
Freshly shaved Parmesan cheese

Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and return to pot.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add  olive oil, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes and saute. Add sausage; cook, without turning, until browned, about 4 minutes and repeat to get a nice golden crisp on the sausage. Add spinach, white wine, and chicken stock. Cook until liquid is reduced- about 3 minutes.

Add pasta and oil to spinach mixture. Season with salt and pepper; toss to combine. Top with fresh Parmesan and serve.

Serves 4

Chicken Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce

What can I say, I've been inspired....I'm trying 3 new recipes this week (to make up for some lost time) and last night we enjoyed these tasty enchiladas. I modified a Tyler Florence's recipe just slightly. I love this recipe because the tortillas are whole wheat and there's no sour cream in the sauce. While I love sour cream sauce, its also loaded with fat. 


Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

INGREDIENTS

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa:
1 lb. tomatillos, husked
1 white onion, peeled and quartered
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 jalapenos, stems removed
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 lime, juiced

Enchiladas:
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
fresh cilantro, chopped (to taste)
1 3 lb. chicken (rotisserie or boil your own to make the broth), boned and meat shredded
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
10 large whole wheat flour tortillas, warmed
8 oz. Monterey Jack, shredded
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper


sour cream, for serving
avocado or guacamole, for serving
fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly grease with cooking spray. Spread tomatillos, onion, garlic, and jalapenos on the prepared baking tray. Roast in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Cool slightly before transferring roasted vegetables and their juices to a blender or food processor. Add the cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice and pulse until well combined but still slightly chunky. 

3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and caramelized, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper and and cook for another minute. Sprinkle in the flour and stir until a thick paste forms. Slowly stir in the chicken broth and simmer until thickened. Remove from the heat and add half of the roasted tomatillo salsa, a handful of fresh cilantro, and fold in the shredded chicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread a little of the reserved salsa in the bottom of the baking dish.

5. To assemble the enchiladas, put a scoop of the filling inside each warmed tortilla and sprinkle with some shredded cheese. Roll up and place in the prepared baking dish. Pour the remaining salsa over top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and sprinkle some chili powder on top. 

6. Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown on top. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with sour cream, and avocado.

Serves 6

Squash, Corn, and Bacon Fusilli with Basil Pesto



This recipe is based on one I found over at Hint of Honey (my new favorite blog). Jon's not a big fan of zucchini so I used yellow summer squash and added some red pepper since we like our food with a little kick. It was amazing!

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. whole wheat fusilli pasta
6 slices bacon, crumbled
1 cup frozen sweet corn
2 medium yellow squash, sliced thinly

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

1 tsp of red pepper flakes

2 gloves of garlic , minced

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated for serving


Basil Pesto:
1 1/2 cups fresh basil
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 small cloves garlic
6 Tbsp. Parmesan, freshly grated
6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste


DIRECTIONS
1. To prepare the pesto, place the basil, pine nuts, garlic, and parmesan in a food processor. Pulse to create a chunky paste. With the food processor running, stream in the olive oil until smooth. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.


2. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Set bacon aside on a paper towel to drain. Reserve about 1 Tbsp. of bacon grease in the skillet and return to medium heat. Add the corn and zucchini and saute until tender-crisp, about 8-10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.


3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fusilli and cook, according to package directions, until al dente. Drain, reserving some of the pasta cooking water. Toss the cooked pasta with the veggie mixture and pesto. Add a little of the cooking water to thin, if necessary. Stir in the bacon. Serve topped with freshly shaved parmesan.


Serves 4

Easy Pasta Salad

Summer is on its way and in Texas it lasts a LONG time! I love this time of year because prepping dinner is super easy when you don't want to cook anything to heavy. I can't take credit fo this recipe, it belongs to my fantastic mother-in-law.

Ingredients:
1 lb elbow pasta (whole wheat if you are feeling healthy)
1 large green pepper, diced
1 medium white or red onion, diced
1 small can of black olives, sliced
1 large bottle of your favorite italian dressing
S&P to taste

Directions:
Cook pasta in salted water. Chop all your veggies and toss them in a large mixing bowl. Salt and peper the vegetables to taste. Drain pasta and let it cool. Add the pasta to the veggies and mix in the Italian dressing. Chill and serve. Can be garnished with fresh Itlaian parsley and asiago cheese. Above all else....ENJOY!

Chicken Sausage Rigatoni in a Spicy Vodka Sauce

Keeping to my goal for the year, February's new recipe was a hit and super simple to make! I cheated a bit with this recipe, mostly because I just didn't have time to make homemade sauce. I bought a jar Vodka Sauce and it turned out great. Instead of plain chicken sausage I used the Archer Farms (Target) brand called Italian Chicken Sausage and the best part is the the casings were already removed.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound chicken sausage, casings removed
1/2 cup roughly chopped onion
1 jalapeno, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup roughly chopped green pepper
1 teaspoon Hungarian hot paprika
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes with basil
1/3 cup vodka
1 cup heavy cream
1 pound rigatoni
1 cup grated Asiago cheese
3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves


Directions
Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. In a large saute pan over medium heat melt butter with oil. Add chicken sausage and brown, 3 to 4 minutes, breaking up large chunks with a wooden spoon. Add onions, jalapenos and garlic and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add green pepper, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, to taste, and cook 3 minutes more. Generously salt the pasta water and add the rigatoni. Cook until al dente, about 12 minutes. Meanwhile, add tomatoes to the sauce and bring to a simmer, for about 10 minutes. Add vodka and cream and cook a few minutes more. Toss in cheese and chopped parsley. To serve, drain the pasta well and add to the sauce. Mix until pasta is nicely coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Zesty Chicken Meatballs with Basil Pesto Fettucine

While I've always dabbled in cooking and baking, this year I have decided to try to make something new each month. My goal is to not only expand my culinary knowledge to but to get us out of meal-rut rotation we are in. I work full-time so I don't always have time to prep a complicated meal that takes hours....did I mention I also have a toddler and infant and husband and a dog and a cat and laundry...you get the point- I'm a busy girl, but I love food and my busy life shouldn't hinder my passion. To me food is love- we celebrate with food and we grieve with food. Below is the January recipe. It comes from Cooking for Real, and of course, I tweaked it a bit. Enjoy!

Zesty Chicken Meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground chicken

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 egg, whisked

• 3 tablespoons unseasoned whole-wheat bread crumbs

• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

• 2 teaspoons paprika

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

• 2 teaspoons onion powder

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano leaves, about 1 small sprig

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves, about 5 sprigs

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves

• 1 teaspoon brown sugar

• 1 lemon, zested

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

In a large bowl, gently mix the chicken, garlic, egg, bread crumbs, Worcestershire, paprika, chili powder, onion powder, oregano, thyme, cilantro, brown sugar, lemon zest, 2 healthy pinches of salt and a few grinds of pepper in a bowl. Form into mini meatballs, slightly smaller than a golf ball; it should make 28 to 30 meatballs. Warm the butter and oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Transfer the meatballs to the pan and do not disturb for 3 minutes to brown well. Turn, cooking another 3 minutes without disturbing. Keep cooking until browned and cooked on all sides, but still juicy and plump with a spring to the touch. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Serve atop fettuccine with basil pesto (fresh or store bought).