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. 

January 30-Broccoli Chicken Divan

Oh. my. goodness. I found this bubbling, creamy, comforting dish through Campbell's and I am definitely adding it to our family cookbook. Recipes don't get any easier (or more comforting) than this!

Broccoli Chicken Divan

4 cups cooked broccoli florets

1 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken

1 10.75oz can Campbell's Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% fat free)

1/3 cup milk

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

2 tbsp dry bread crumbs

1 tbsp butter, melted

Place the broccoli and chicken in a casserole dish. Stir the soup and milk in a small bowl and pour the mixture over the broccoli and chicken. Sprinkle with cheese. 

Stir the breadcrumbs and butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle the bread crumbs mixture over the cheese. (Personally, I think it would be a good idea to double the crumb/butter mixture next time). Bake a 450 for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbling. 

Serve with brown rice.

Tip: Crumb/Butter mixture can be swapped with cornflakes. 

January 28-Oven Roasted Potatoes

A few years ago my mom had to go on an iodine-free diet for medical reasons. During that time we got creative making our own recipes. You can add non-iodonized salt to just about anything, as long as you make it from scratch, and we concocted this recipe for oven roasted potatoes. They were so delicious that we kept the recipe, even after she was declared in remission and given the "ok" to ditch the diet (We use real salt now). 

Enjoy!

Oven Roasted Potatoes

1/8tsp of each, salt, pepper, garlic powder

1 tbsp of each, dried onions, parsley flakes

1 tsp of each, thyme leaves, oregano leaves

2lbs all-purpose potatoes cut into chunks

1/3 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 350-425 (Depending on what else you are preparing in the oven. Temp. will affect cooking time.) In a large ziplock bag, add all ingredients. Close bag and shake well until potatoes are evenly coated. Empty potatoes into a shallow baking pan. Bake 35min-1hr or until potatoes are tender and golden brown. Stir occasionally. 

The perfect accompaniment to meatloaf and baked chicken. 

January 20- Shrimp and Pineapple Stir-Fry

My husband and I are big fans of Asian cuisine. I joke that I should've been born in Thailand, Japan, or China, because no one there would consider me a picky eater. Earlier this month my husband and I went out to dinner at one of our favorite Chinese restaurants and ordered kung pao shrimp. It was so delicious and made me wonder why I don't cook with shrimp more. I was inspired to whip up this shrimp stir-fry recipe that I had been wanting to try, compliments of my cookbook by GoodHousekeeping. 

Shrimp and Pineapple Stir-fry
2 tsp vegetable or olive oil
1 bag (16oz) mixed cut stir-fry vegetables (snap peas, carrots, broccoli, peppers, etc)
1/3 cup bottled stir-fry sauce (I improvised with soy sauce and a little bit of ginger and red pepper)
2 tsp cornstarch
1 lb frozen shelled and deveined shrimp
1 can (8oz) pineapple chunks in juice

1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Add vegetables and cook, stirring frequently, until evenly coated with oil. Cover skillet and cook until vegetables are tender crisp, about 3-4 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and stir-fry sauce until smooth. Add shrimp, pineapple and its juice, and sauce mixture to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, just until shrimp are cooked through, about 4-5 minutes.

3. Serve over rice and enjoy!

January 13- Beef Stroganoff

First time making beef stroganoff and it turned out great! Personally, I'm not a huge fan of beef but I did enjoy it and my carnivorous husband said it was delicious. 

The sauce has a great flavor.

 (My meal was basically sauce and mushrooms over noodles, but it was pretty tasty that way!)

Beef Stroganoff

1 8oz carton sour cream (can use reduced fat or light if desired)

3 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

2lb boneless steak, cut into 2-inch strips or chunks

1 tbsp butter

1/2 chopped onion

1 14oz beef broth

1 cup sliced mushrooms (canned or fresh)

8 cups cooked egg noodles 

1. Combine the first 3 ingredients and set aside.

2. Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a ziplock bag. Add beef, seal bag, and shake well to coat.

3. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet. Add onion and saute 2 minutes or until tender. Add beef mixture and saute 3 minutes or until beef is browned. Gradually add broth. Add mushrooms. Cover and cook 5 minutes. 

4. Reduce heat to low and gradually stir in cream mixture. Cook, uncovered 1 minute or until heated through. Be careful not to let the mixture boil, to maintain consistency and prevent curdling. 

5. Serve over cooked egg noodles.