February 27-Turkey Meatball Subs

Holy. cow. (Er..turkey?) These meatball sammies are absolutely mouth-watering! 

Last week I tried my first meatball sub at a family birthday party and it was pretty good. It looked like something that would be easy to make from scratch and I was inspired to try it! After reading over a few meatball recipes, I whipped up this turky-fied version of this classic sub shop favorite. 

Turkey Meatball Subs

1 lb ground turkey

1/2 onion, finely chopped

3/4 tsp garlic powder

1 large egg

1/3 cup breadcrumbs

onion powder

ketchup

1 jar marinara sauce

parmesan cheese

soft Italian rolls

1. In a medium-large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients (Onion powder and ketchup as desired, about 4 shakes of  powder and a squirt of ketchup). Mix well and roll mixture into balls about 1in in diameter. (Mine made 28 meatballs).

2. Heat marinara sauce in a wide saucepan/pot. Try to use a pot that will allow the sauce to sit about 1-2 inches high (see photo below). 

3. Place the meatballs in the marinara sauce and cover. Simmer for about 12 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through. 

4. Serve meatballs on toasted Italian rolls. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

February 20-Hummus Crusted Chicken

My hubby and I have both had the privilege of dining in the Middle East (BEST food you'll ever eat, by the way) and have turned into hummus fanatics. We have been known to devour an entire package in one sitting. Over the past few years, we've made it our goal to visit every Middle Eastern restaurant in southern California and often rate the experience based on the hummus. 

When I found this recipe for Hummus Crusted Chicken by Ali at Gimme Some Oven I had to try it. I'll admit, I was a little skeptical at first because I had never baked hummus. Whoever came up with this is brilliant! Hummus is a great coating for chicken! It takes on a light crispy texture, almost giving the chicken a fried/crusted texture. Yummy. Plus, it was probably one of the easiest recipes I've ever made.

Hummus Crusted Chicken w/veggies

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

salt and pepper

1 zucchini, chopped

1 yellow squash, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup hummus

1 tbsp olive oil

2 lemons

1 tsp smoked paprika or sumac

1. Preheat oven to 450. Coat a large baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss zucchini, squash, and onion with olive oil until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper. 

3. Place vegetables on the bottom of the dish in an even layer. Lay the chicken breasts evenly on top. Cover each chicken breast with the hummus so that the entire breast is covered. Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the chicken and vegetables. Then sprinkle the pan with paprika or sumac. Thinly slice the remaining lemon and place the slices in between the chicken and vegetables if desired.

4. Bake 25-30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender. 

5. Serve immediately and enjoy!

February 9-Paleasagna

This recipe is incredible! 

When I first joined Pinterest, this is one of the first recipes I collected (Original by What Runs Lori).

 It had sat on my "Cooking Inspiration" board for a few months before I rediscovered it this week. 

It looked both healthy and delicious so I thought I'd give it a try. 

I am so impressed with how great it turned out! The yogurt/egg mixture made the dish for me (Although the seasoning of the meat was definitely a close second). It bakes together so well and adds a dash of comfort. So good!

It is a spinoff of classic lasagna, but higher in protein, packed full of veggies, and without any noodles. 

(The true test will be when my carb-lovin' honey comes home from work and heats up the leftovers.)

Paleasagna

1 white onion, diced

1lb lean ground turkey

1 15oz can diced tomatoes (drain excess juice)

3 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp Italian spice blend (I made my own with oregano, thyme, rosemary, and basil)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1lb zucchini and/or yellow squash, cut into medallion rounds

1/2 cup raw goat cheese, shredded (I had a TON of leftover mozzarella that needed to be eaten, so I substituted)

2 cups Greek yogurt

1 head broccoli, roughly chopped

1 egg

1. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and add the diced onions. Sauté on med-high heat until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add turkey, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, spices, salt, pepper, and crushed garlic. Continue to cook all ingredients until the turkey is cooked through. Set aside when done. 

2. In a medium bowl, combine cheese, yogurt, egg, and broccoli pieces. Mix well. 

3. Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease the bottom of a 13 x 9 glass baking dish. Place a layer of zucchini and squash rounds evenly across the bottom, making a sort of liner. Add a layer of turkey-tomatoe sauce on top of the zucchini. Top that with some of the broccoli and yogurt mixture. Continue the layering process until you have used all of your ingredients. Top with more cheese if desired. Bake 45-60 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.