Turkey Meatball Subs

{serves 6-8}

Ingredients:

1 1/4 lbs lean ground turkey
1 egg, lightly beaten
Half of a medium onion finely diced
3 tbsp minced garlic
1.5 tsp fresh chopped oregano
1.5 tsp fresh chopped basil
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4-1/2 tsp sea salt
1 jar of tomato & basil pasta sauce
6-8 hoagie buns, split
12-16 slices of Swiss or Provolone cheese

In a large bowl mix ground turkey, egg, onion, garlic, oregano, basil, pepper and salt. Combine all {usually best to just use your hands}. Shape into meatballs {about 40}.

In a large skillet, add a bit of oil and brown the meatballs in 4 batches of 10 each. Drain on paper towels and then place in a large sauce pan.

Pour tomato sauce over and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 25-30 minutes.

A few minutes before your meatballs are done, open hoagie buns and place 2 pieces of sliced cheese in each bun. Place buns on cookie sheet and put in oven on broil until cheese is melted and edges start to crisp.

Remove from oven and load up with your meatballs and sauce. The reason this recipe says it feeds 6-8 is because I found that, for me, five meatballs were the perfect amount to put in the hoagie buns... My husband and seventeen year old son, however, found that more was better. So depending on your preference and how stuffed you like your sandwiches will determine the final servings count :)

We served ours with my youngest kids favorite side, onion rings ...and yes, I am ashamed to admit they were indeed the ones you pull out of the freezer *sigh* ... But you could serve these with anything!

PS: These are GREAT the next day served warmed back up, or how I liked it, cold {reminded me of those yummy cold meatloaf sandwiches I loved so much as a kid!}

 Dedra



Print the recipe here: Turkey Meatball Subs

Crab Cakes

1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
2 slices of bread finely chopped in food processor
1 egg beaten
2 tablespoon mayo
1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon fresh parsley chopped
1 teaspoon fresh cilantro chopped
2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 pound of lump crab meat

mix all the ingredients together except crab......refrigerate for at least an hour and then add crab, slowly mix in crab

. Form patties and saute in a large fry pan with a little olive oil and butter, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Serve warm...I served a yogurt avocado lemon sauce over the cakes sitting on top of garlic grits...

Print recipe here: Crab Cakes
print sauce here: avocado lemon sauce

Rosemary Garlic Grilled Pork Chops

In the search for a nice marinade for pork chops, I stumbled upon a recipe that looked like a great base for an experiment. Below is what I ended up with and I love the taste it gave to our grilled pork chops. It was a big hit with the 'grill master' as well, so that is enough for me!

 Ingredients: 

1 c soy sauce

½ c water

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 c brown sugar

1 medium-size sprig of rosemary {about 4”}, finely chopped

2 tbsp minced garlic

6-8 boneless pork chops

Chop Rosemary and combine all ingredients in bowl {except pork chops}. Mix well. 

Place pork chops in large zip-lock bags or seal-able container and pour marinade over, shaking to make sure all pork chops are covered. Place in refrigerator to marinate for at least 3 hours.

 Grill over medium heat until done {approximately 4-5 minutes on each side} or until preferred doneness.

And that's it! You could also put some of this marinade aside before you add the meat to use for basting. I will definitely do that next time!! Enjoy!!

 Dedra

Print this recipe here: Rosemary Garlic Grilled Porkchops

Chicken Schnitzel with Cheddar Cheese Sauce

In 2010 we moved to South Africa for two years. While we were there I was introduced to a lot of new and tasty foods, like this Chicken Schnitzel with Cheese Sauce. I didn't have a recipe for the South African version of this dish, so I created one based on my limited knowledge of cooking a 'flattened' chicken breast and of making a cheese sauce... and of course relying on my memory of what that South African Schnitzel tasted like! The final product, I am happy to say, was good enough to empress my South African husband... I even received a 'this is better than the ones back home' comment! *Hurray! I'll take it!*

Ingredients: 

Chicken:

6 boneless skinless chicken breast

1/2 C flour

3 eggs- lightly beaten

1 1/4 C dry Italian bread crumbs

Oil for frying

Cheese Sauce: 

 2 1/2 tbsp butter

1 C milk

4 tsp flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 C (packed) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 tsp black pepper

pinch of cayenne pepper {optional}

Chicken:

To flatten chicken, place a chicken breast between two pieces of wax or parchment paper. {Note: I remove any fat and then rinse/pat dry the chicken breast before I begin}. Using a meat mallet {or in my case a rolling pin...also hear champagne bottles and heavy frying pans work well, so use whatever you can come up with} gently flatten the chicken, careful not 'break' the meat. Flatten to approximately  3/8" to 1/2" thick. Do this for each breast. *Sorry I forgot to snap a photo of this part of the process, will add the next time I prepare*

In wide shallow bowls place your lightly beaten eggs, Italian bread crumbs and flour. Dredge chicken pieces in flour then egg then coat completely with bread crumbs. Place all the coated pieces in refrigerator for about 30 minutes to dry/set. 

In a large non-stick skillet, heat your oil {about 1/4"} over medium-high heat. Adding no more than two pieces of chicken at a time, cook until golden brown and cooked through {about 3 minutes on each side}. 

Drain off excess oil on paper towel lined platter and keep warm while you prepare the cheese sauce. 

To prepare cheese sauce, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until smooth. 

Add bit of the milk, whisking to incorporate all together smoothly. Then add remaining milk and the salt and  bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, cook for about 2 minutes until thickened. 

Remove from heat and add cheese, pepper and small pinch of cayenne pepper {optional}. 

Whisk all together until cheese is melted. 

Then serve {or smother!} this sauce over your chicken schnitzel... and that's it! I really really hope you find that you like this recipe as much as we do!!

*Note: this cheese sauce would also be great over fish, vegetables or as a warm cheese dip {my kids even love this as a dipping sauce for their beloved chicken nuggets}! 

 Dedra

Print this recipe here: Chicken Schnitzel with Cheese Sauce
Want just the cheese sauce? Can find that here: Cheese Sauce