Southwest Meatballs with Black Bean and Corn Salsa

So, you guys know I subscribe to an obnoxious amount of magazines. We’ve talked about this. Er, I’ve blogged about this and then you guys commented. Same thing, right? Yep.

One of the magazines I subscribe to, Clean Eating, was never one of my favorites. I thought the recipes were boring and not worth trying. Well, when I plucked the October issue out of my mailbox, I took one look at the cover and thought, “Oh I am making that!”

Black beans + corn = one of my favorite combinations, ever. And meatballs? Who doesn’t love a freaking meatball. Oh, vegetarians you say? Boo.

This lady’s on a red meat kick lately. I’ve no idea where it came from, but I’ve been ditching the chicken for the cow at least once a week. (The Chick-fil-A Gods are hating me right now.) So, I often pull recipes out of magazines and shove them in a folder and forget about them. Or I star them on google reader but rarely go back to them. This time it was different. The next day, I made the recipe on the cover with a few changes. And it was good. So good.

Southwest Meatballs with Black Bean & Corn Salsa

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground sirloin (or turkey breast)
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 15 oz. can low-sodium black beans, drained
• 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1 4 oz. can diced green chiles
• 1 tsp. cumin
• juice of one lime

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, combine ground meat, egg whites, bread crumbs, salt and pepper and mix well. Shape into 16 meatballs.
2. In a large skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Add meatballs and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, turning frequently, until browned on all sides. Add corn, beans, tomatoes, green chiles, and cumin. Mix well. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through. Squeeze lime juice into the pan, and mix well. Serve immediately.

This is such a flavorful dish and so easy to make! I highly recommend using ground sirloin. Browning the meatballs in the pan seals in all the juices and really adds a good flavor to the entire dish. I really can’t wait to make this again!

What are your favorite food combinations? Some of mine are:

• brown sugar & cinnamon
• peanut butter & banana
• avocado & honey
• goat cheese & honey

What’s your favorite spice? I love cumin, coriander, and cinnamon. Cinnamon on everything!

Food, Fashion, and Funny

The Food. I’m often asked where I get my recipe ideas from. The long answer is “All day I dream about food.” (A.D.I.D.A.F.?) The short answer is magazines. I currently subscribe to ELEVEN magazines, 10 of which are either health or food related.  I’m sure this is an abnormal amount to be receiving monthly, but subscriptions prices are much cheaper than buying off the newsstands. Here are the magazines I subscribe to, in the order of how much I love them.

Food Network - tons of recipes from your favorite chefs, both easy and difficult, and fun kitchen products.

Real Simple – ideas for food, home, body, and soul. Lots of tips & tricks for simple living.

Women’s Health – tips for getting in shape, exercises, workout gear, and healthy recipes.

Health – very good resource of information!

Fitness – very similar to Women’s Health but with less information.

Every Day with Rachael Ray – This magazine made me not hate Rachael Ray anymore. She has some great recipes and this magazine is very fun to read.

Shape – just like WH and Fitness.

Saveur – highlights authentic cuisines from all over the world. The recipes are pretty intense and a bit unrealistic.

Clean Eating – this magazine is informative, but sometimes the recipes are so “clean” that they’re boring and tasteless.

Martha Stewart’s Whole Living – I love Martha, but this isn’t her best magazine. It’s a bit boring.

Food & Wine – fun to read about foods from all over the world, but the recipes are also unrealistic. 

Which magazines do you subscribe to? Which are your favorites?

The Fashion. Saving money by purchasing yearly subscriptions means you can splurge in other areas like fashion! I just added another Longchamp Le Pliage to my wardrobe. I went to Gwynn’s with the intention of buying a basic black tote that I’d be able to wear year-round. But when I spotted the large the “Palm Green” shade, I could not resist.

 

And finally, The Funny. My old roomie, Boding, just sent me this picture message : “What the heck? I asked for a wagon on a hill and someone put a tombstone. Someone is getting cut.”

Why the heck would Publix think someone would want a tombstone on a birthday cake?!?!