asian turkey meatball subs with zippy ginger lime cilantro mayo

When life gets way too busy I find myself lacking in creative juices when it comes to dinner. Our family eats in nearly every night and some nights there just isn't a darn thing that sounds good to me. Just when I'm about to give up and order a way too expensive, mediocre pizza, I run across a recipe that fills me with glee.


I hopped over to Gina's place and these Asian turkey meatballs caught my eye immediately. Gina served her meatballs over brown rice but I decided a sub with a little zippy mayo was more up my alley so...

Asian Turkey Meatballs Subs
adapted from Gina's Skinny Recipes

1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 1/4 lb ground turkey (not turkey breast)
1 egg
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil

Hoagie or Sub rolls
2 cups cabbage, shredded

*Zippy Mayo

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking pan with foil and lightly spray oil.

Mix all ingredients until well combined and form into 12 evenly sized meatballs. Bake for 25-30 minutes until cooked through. While meatballs are baking, stir fry the cabbage in 1 tbs of canola oil until tender crisp.

*Zippy Ginger Lime Cilantro Mayo
by theUngourmet

1/3 cup light mayo
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp chili oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp grated lime zest
juice from 1/2 small lime
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
pinch of kosher salt

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until subs are ready to assemble.

Place 3 meatballs onto toasted sub rolls. Top with mayo and stir fried cabbage. Serve immediately.

Print recipe

These subs are rockin'! Give 'em a try soon!

Have a wonderful Thursday, friends. Thank you for stopping by!






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jazzed up tuna melts...and a winner!!

Somehow or another I stumbled upon this amazing tuna melt recipe over at Mommie Cooks. I wasn't completely sure about it at first because Julie mixed the tuna with sour cream and picante sauce but then I got to thinking about how much I adore fish tacos so I figured it had to be good. Ya know what? These Tuna Mexi Melts are beyond good. I think even that cereal lovin' Tony the Tiger would give a "They're Grrrrrrreat!" shout out!


I have to share something with you though. I was all excited to serve these to my husband. We both love Mexican food so I thought for sure he would be all over these as well. He. Wasn't. I got all in a huff about it, too. I'm not really sure why exactly. I mean, it's not even my recipe. Why did it even matter? I liked it. The photos came out looking pretty nice. Sometimes, I take my cooking way too seriously! He sensed my frustration (not that I was subtle) and finished his meal in silence.


Maybe this is chick food. Is this chick food? Poor man, having to endure my salads, soups and now Tuna Mexi Melts. He did mention that he wanted steak earlier today. I laughed and told him that steak is too darn expensive. I'm not really a beef girl, you see. But, since he is a beef boy and such a good sport, maybe I'll grill him up a nice filet over the weekend....with a loaded baker on the side.

Has anyone one else ever reacted this way? No? Okay. Just checking. ;D

Hop on over to Mommie Cooks for this fantastic recipe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Drumroll, please!

The lucky winner of the Xagave giveaway is non other than....

Barbara of the delicious Moveable Feasts. Yay! Congrats, Barbara!

Email me your info and I will forward it to the company right away.

I also wanted to say a big Thank-You to everyone that entered!






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some mighty lovely lentil burgers

This is my second attempt at making lentil burgers. I tried putting a recipe together last summer and they were way too dry. I vowed not to give up and then quickly forgot all about lentil burgers.


Recently, I stumbled onto the nifty blog, Vegetarianized. There I found an adapted lentil burger recipe from Cooking Light. I decided it was high time I gave lentil burgers another try.



I adapted the recipe even more and came out with a winner....at least in my book. What completely amazed me was when both my son and my daughter's bff, two of the pickiest of eaters on the planet, returned to the kitchen with nearly empty plates. Incredible! I thought for sure they would take one micro-bite, curl up their lips and be done with it.

Smoked Cheddar Stuffed Lentil Burgers
very adapted from Vegetarianized

makes 6-8 burgers depending on the size

1 lb of steamed lentils, cooled and mashed with potato masher
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, minced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 medium carrot, grated
1 small zucchini, grated and water squeezed out with paper towels
1/4 cup chopped spinach
1 tsp fresh basil, finely chopped
1 tsp worcestershire
1/2 tsp dried mustard
salt and cracked pepper to taste
1/3 cup smoked cheddar, grated
1/2-2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 egg

Whole wheat buns and condiments of your choosing

Heat the oil in a small skillet. Saute the onion, garlic and carrot until soft. Set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, mix together the zucchini, spinach, basil, worcestershire, dried mustard, salt, pepper, cheese, panko and egg. Add in the lentils and carrot mixture. Mix well. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Shape into patties and fry on a lightly oiled, non stick griddle until crisp on each side.

Serve with your favorite toppings.

Note: These burgers wanted to fall apart a little. I had to make sure they were cooked enough on each side and I also had to adjust the breadcrumbs after I cooked the first few burgers.

Print recipe

Give these a try. I think you'll love them too!

Don't forget to enter my Girard's Dressing giveaway!!




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wasabi chicken salad sandwiches and a cookbook review

I received this fun cookbook in the mail recently for review. Now, just how did they know about my crappy little kitchen? This book is right up my alley alright! Even if you don't have a crappy little kitchen you'll still love exploring all of the terrific recipes inside.



In addition to the fantastic recipes, there are also many fun tips including how to organize your CLK, the best tools and gadgets for your CLK, nine gourmet rules and more. Each chapter has little snippets of info titled Chefology, Swap it, and my favorite...Did you know this crap?.



Each recipe has a fun name, too. There's Wish I was a little Bisque Taller, Get Freaky Tzatziki, For a Good Time Call Champagne Oysters, Make-You-Want-to-Marry-Me Mussels Marinara, Better Than Nookie Sweet Potato Gnocchi, When the Saints Come Marching In Gumbo.... It goes on and on. There are appetizers, soups, salads, veggies, entrees, sides and desserts.



The Wassup! Wasabi Chicken Salad really caught my eye. My husband and I are both crazy for wasabi so I knew this would be a good choice.



This recipe includes ingredients like ginger, garlic, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, peanuts, cilantro and wasabi, all of which make this a chicken salad far from ho-hum. I also loved that it was so simple to prepare. I'm all about simple meals in the summertime.

Wassup! Wasabi Chicken Salad
adapted from Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens

Sea salt, to taste
1 lb chicken breast, boneless and skinless
1 lb chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp wasabi powder
2 tbsp sour cream
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
black pepper to taste
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
3 tbsp chopped fresh mint (I left this out)
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion (I minced mine)
1/4 cup peanuts (I roughly chopped mine)
1/2 cup roughly chopped dried apricots (I left these out)
Napa cabbage leaves (I shredded mine)
1 tbsp black sesame seeds (I used a blend of black and regular sesame seeds that I had on hand)

Fill a 12 qt stock pot halfway with water and place on high heat. When it begins to simmer, add 3 tbsp of sea salt and allow it to dissolve. Remove any remaining fat from chicken. When the water comes to a boil, turn the heat slightly down. Gently place the breasts and thighs into the pot. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Remove with tongs, place into a bowl and cover with ice for 5 minutes. Remove ice, pat chicken dry and chop into fairly small pieces and toss into a mixing bowl.

Pour the rice wine vinegar into a blender and sprinkle the wasabi powder over it. Add the sour cream and pulse the mixture until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while blending at low speed. Add the soy sauce, ginger and garlic. Pulse to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add 1/4 cup of the dressing to the chopped chicken and toss to combine. Add the cilantro, onion, peanuts (and the mint and apricots if you wish. Again, I left them out.) Taste salad to see if you would like to add more dressing, salt or pepper. I used every bit of this yummy dressing and was begging for more! I'll make a larger batch of it next time.

The recipe says to place cabbage leaves on a platter and place the chicken on top. Cover and refrigerate until ready for use. Serve ice cold.

We put our salad on lightly toasted kaiser rolls with a bit of shredded cabbage and served with some kettle chips. I'm sure it's fantastic either way.

Print recipe

P.S. I was also thinking that tofu could easily replace the chicken for a vegetarian version. :)

Look for this cookbook, you'll love it!





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cobb salad sandwich

Do you ever think you've come up with some brilliant recipe only to find, as you hop online, that about 547 other human beings have already thought of your brilliant recipe? This happens to me quite often. A cobb salad sandwich popped into my head last night so I checked to see if there was a recipe for it and sure enough...my sweet and talented bloggy friend, Cathy had a delicious recipe on her blog from March '09.



My only change to this recipe really is a substitution of turkey bacon.



Let me tell you, this is one awesome sandwich! I LOVED IT! I can't wait to eat it again. I'd even love it for breakfast!

Cobb Salad Sandwich
adapted from Wives with Knives

serves 4

4 onion rolls, toasted
mayo
green leaf lettuce
1 pkg roast chicken lunch meat (I found some spicy cajun chicken. It added a nice kick.)
8 slices of turkey bacon, cooked crisp
1 large tomato, sliced
1 ripe avocado, sliced
3-4 hard boiled eggs, sliced
blue cheese crumbles
cracked black pepper

Layer ingredients on half of the onion roll. Top with the other half. Chow down!!

I hope you'll give this a try. It's so dang tasty!

Print recipe



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Greek Wraps

My son has been completely intrigued with his study of ancient Greece! His 2nd grade class has been fully immersed in these studies for a couple of weeks now. Students had the opportunity to make their own tunics and then wear them each day as they studied. They designed Trojan Horse models, learned Greek Myths, saw through the eyes of the Greek Gods and finally, ended it all with a Greek Festival. The festival included Olympic games, formal debates, a Greek play and, of course, lots of delicious Greek cuisine.



We feasted on lemon chicken, hummus, olives, baklava, dolmas, Greek salads...



I wanted to bring something gyro-ish. I almost made Greek meatballs but ran out of time (and energy). A friend of mine suggested I crumble the meat and add some bread crumbs to save money and help the meat go a bit further. Brilliant!



These wraps were such a big hit. They were so yummy, in fact, that I ran back to the store after school to pick up more stuff so that I could make them again for dinner!

Greek Wraps
by theUngourmet

Serves 4-6

Print recipe

1 lb ground beef or turkey (or a mix of each)
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1 large egg
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried dill
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp salt
cracked black pepper

large flour tortillas
shredded lettuce
diced tomato
crumbled feta
tzatziki (Trader Joe's has a great one! )


In a large bowl, combine the beef or turkey, bread crumbs, egg, spices, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Place mixture into a large skillet and crumble as it browns.

Place 2 tbsp of tzatziki on a flour tortilla. Layer with meat, lettuce, tomato and feta. Wrap tightly. Cut in 1/2 if desired. Enjoy!

I think sliced Kalamata olives would be a fantastic addition to these wraps!




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A good for you white bread

As a participant in the foodbuzz tastemaker program I have the opportunity to try many new and delicious food items. This time around it's Wonder's new Smart White. As I was putting together a perfectly fabulous PB&J, I had some childhood flashbacks.



You see, I wasn't one of the fortunate ones. I had to endure yucky whole wheat bread while most of my friends were chowing down on soft, stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth PB&J's on white Wonder bread. I was white with envy! Life can be so unfair!



I suppose my mother felt that whole wheat was more nutritious or something silly like that. ;D



Well, move over whole wheat bread! There's a new Wonder bread in town. Wonder Smart White. Each serving has five grams of fiber and as much calcium as eight ounces of milk. It's a great source of nine vitamins and minerals such a iron, vitamin D and folic acid and has 33 percent less sodium than regular white bread.

I really enjoyed the soft texture and mild flavor of this bread. It's perfect for a good ol' PB&J, grilled cheese or any other sandwich favorite.

I'm giving this new Wonder Smart White a thumbs up!

Thanks foodbuzz and Wonder!

P.S. Now that I am all grown up, I'm all over the whole wheat as well! :)




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Cookbook Review Part 1: Daisy: Morning, Noon and Night

I recently had the pleasure of reviewing a fabulous new cookbook called Daisy: Morning, Noon and Night. The recipes in Daisy's cookbook are inspired by her extensive travels with family throughout Latin America. During the trips, Daisy kept careful notes on the food she and her family enjoyed most. The recipes are easy to make and easy to follow and are loaded with bright, bold flavors.



I had a hard time choosing which yummy recipe to try first. I finally settled on the Pressed Turkey, Ham and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich with Roasted Red Pepper Spread.



I love to serve sandwiches like this for any meal. We actually ate this for lunch on Sunday. One of the best parts of this recipe is the Roasted Red Pepper Spread, it brings such a rich, creamy goodness and really sets this sandwich apart from the ordinary.



I had a hard time capturing a photo that looked as great as it tasted.



This is definitely a new found favorite and I can't wait to make it again.



Some other recipes that caught my eye were the Mayan Omelets infused with chaya, Braised Chicken with Coconut Milk and Curry, Pan Seared Red Snapper with Weeknight Salsa, Fava Beans with Serrano Ham and Cream, Twice Fried Plantain Cups, and Puerto Rican Shortbread Cookies... just to name a few.

Pressed Turkey, Ham, and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich with Roasted Pepper Spread
recipe from Daisy: Morning, Noon and Night

For the Spread (Makes 2 Cups)

1 cup whole-milk ricotta
1/2 cup mayonaise
1 red bell pepper, roasted, seeded, and peeled or 1 bottled roasted pepper, well drained

For the Sandwich

4 Croissants, split
4 thin slices deli ham (I used 8 slices, two on each sandwich)
4 thin slices turkey (I used 8 slices, two on each sandwich)
4 thin slices cheddar cheese

Make the spread: Process the ricotta, mayo and bell pepper in a food processor until smooth (I just stirred mine...oops!). Remaining spread can be stored for up to 1 week in the fridge.

Brush one cut side of each croissant generously with spread. Layer slices of ham, turkey and cheese over spread. Top sandwiches with the remaining croissant halves.

Cook the sandwiches in a panini press until the centers are warmed through and the croissants are grill-marked, about 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Keep your eyes out for this wonderful cookbook! It will be arriving in stores March 2, 2010.

Tune in next time for Part 2 of my review. I'm going to bake up a batch of the Puerto Rican Shortbread Cookies. Yum!




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Chicken bacon mushroom blue cheese spinach wrap Whew! That's a mouthful!

My husband is crazy for blue cheese! The other night we were watching Alton Brown whip up blue cheese stuffed steak and I thought there would never be an end to all of the ooooohs and aaaaaaahs!

I have to admit, I am a very bad wife. I think I've only purchased blue cheese crumbles once in 16 years and never have I purchased a block of blue cheese!

I honestly don't know what came over me at the grocery store yesterday. I usually try to make healthy, low-fat meals, but as I was pushing my little red cart past the Trader Joe's cheese section a voice from heaven called to me and said, "Buy your husband a block of blue cheese!". Okay, that voice thing didn't really happen. I did, however, spot the blue cheese and my brain threw together a crazy good wrap idea.

I quickly made a u-turn and headed back over to the produce area to pick up a bag of baby spinach and some sliced crimini mushrooms.



Next, I grabbed a jar of TJ's blue cheese dressing (killer stuff, you must try!), some bacon, chicken tenders, and tortillas.



Beaming from ear to ear like a total spaz, I approached the check stand, and the Hawaiian-shirt-wearing manager asked me what I had planned for the day, of course, I just had to share!



There is just way too much deliciousness going on here! I can't believe the tortilla can stand to keep itself wrapped up! ;0)

Chicken Bacon Mushroom Blue Cheese Spinach Wrap
by theUngourmet

Serves 4

Printable version

4 chicken tenderloins
4-6 pieces of bacon, save drippings
2 cups of sliced crimini mushrooms
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp minced garlic
salt and pepper
blue cheese, crumbled
blue cheese dressing
1 bag of baby spinach
4 large flour tortillas

Cook bacon until crisp. Crumble and set aside. Cook chicken tenderloins in a bit of the bacon grease, season with salt and pepper. Cut into 1 inch pieces and set aside. Saute the garlic in the butter, add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Warm tortillas in the oven or microwave.

To assemble: Place a handful of spinach on each tortilla. Next add the chicken, mushrooms, bacon, blue cheese, and dressing. Wrap tightly. Cut in half if desired.

Chow Down!!

This is truly a flavor extravaganza! Your mouth will think it has died and gone to heaven!

Happy Wednesday!





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real cowboys eat wraps

I had to make up for my last meal of soup chowder and bread, so I decided to knock my husband's socks off (or as Mary says, "make his socks go up and down") with some meaty cowboy pizza wraps.

These wraps are super easy and packed with flavor.

Cowboy Pizza Wraps
by theUngourmet

Ingredients

Makes four wraps

3 Italian sausage links, removed from casings
24 slices of pepperoni
1 cup of sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 large diced tomato
1 8 oz can of Italian style tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
4 large flour tortillas

In a large skillet break up and thoroughly cook the sausage. Drain. Add a bit of oil to the same pan and saute the mushrooms for a couple of minutes.

Warm the flour tortillas in the microwave. Spread about 1 tbsp of tomato paste onto each tortilla. Layer each tortilla with the pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, cheeses, olives, and tomato. Sprinkle with a pinch of the oregano. Roll up tightly and brown on each side on a lightly oiled skillet.



Serve to your hard working cowboy while it's all hot and melty and he'll forget all about that dreadful soup chowder from the night before. Guaranteed!

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A day to veg out

October 1st is World Vegetarian Day so I decided to whip up some grilled veggie sandwiches. Thanks to the folks at Foodbuzz I had some fabulous bread for my sandwiches! They were kind enough to send me 2 loaves of the new Nature's Pride bread. I received 1 lovely loaf of 100% whole wheat and 1 beautiful loaf of 12 grain.



I thought the 12 grain would be perfect for this yummy sandwich.



This 12 grain had wonderful texture and taste and I was pleased to find that it contains no trans fat, no artificial flavor, color or preservatives, and no high fructose corn syrup. It also has 14 grams of whole grains per slice so it's a great source of fiber!




Ingredients

makes 4 grilled sandwiches

8 slices of Nature's Pride 12 grain bread
4-8 slices of Swiss Cheese
4-8 slices of Cheddar Cheese
1 cup sliced Crimini mushrooms
1 cup sliced zucchini
2 large ripe tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
butter for grilling


For my sandwich I piled on the Cheddar and Swiss cheeses, sliced mushrooms, sliced zucchini, sliced tomato, and fresh basil leaves. Then grilled it until the bread was a lovely golden brown and the cheese was nicely melted.



Just look at all of this goodness! The bread had a wonderful crispness!



You can substitute a rennet free or soy cheese for a true vegetarian sandwich.

Give this bread a try. You'll love it!

Thanks again Foodbuzz and Nature's Pride for your generosity!

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