Italian Meatball Sub Sandwich Recipe

Sometimes nothing quite hits the spot than homemade meatballs.  These are simple to make, and every time I make these with spaghetti I always get compliments!  I like to pair these sandwiches with a simple arugula salad to balance out the huge hoagies!  But make sure you make my FRESH tomato sauce and don't cheat by using jarred. 

For The Meatballs

1 lb. of ground beef ( I like to use the kind that is 97% fat free, trust me you won't be missing a thing, other than of course the fat)

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons italian flat leaf parsley, chopped finely

1 egg

1/4 cup of parmesan romano cheese

1/4 cup of italian style breadcrumbs

Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

1 loaf of Italian Bread

4 slices of mozzarella cheese

1 1/2 cups of my Homemade Italian Tomato Sauce

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients and combine well with your hands.  Form meat into 1 1/2 inch meatballs and place on a baking sheet.

Homemade Italian Tomato Sauce Recipe

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

10 ripe tomatoes, diced

1/3 cup of white wine

1 teaspoon of chili pepper flakes

20 leaves of basil, cut into long strips

1 can of tomato paste

In a large pot, add the olive oil, onion and garlic.  Saute for a few minutes, or until the onions begin to get soft.  Stir in the tomatoes, wine, chili flakes and fresh basil.  Bring up to a boil and then turn down under low.  Cook for about 20 minutes, then add in the can of tomato paste to thicken.  Cook for about another 20 minutes and then serve.  If desired you can add up too a 1/4 cup of water to sauce for a less thick sauce.  

2.  Bake for about 20-25 minutes.  Half way through make sure you turn the meat balls with a spatula.  

3.  Slice the bread lengthwise.  Add about a half cup of sauce on the the bread.  Add the meatballs and then top with the remaining tomato sauce.  Add slice cheese and bake for about 5 minutes or until lightly toasted.  

Double Berry Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwich Recipe

Get your Labor Day on!  This is a deliciously sweet, mildly fruity barbeque sauce that is balanced out with a jaleopeno kick to it!  This grilling season you are going to want to slather all your meat in it!  I like it because it helps me to empty out all the leftover sauces and jams in my fridge, that I feel guilty tossing since there isn't a whole lot left.  Top with my No Mayo 5 Ingredient Coleslaw for a crunch!  It's super easy to make and the ginger in it pairs lovely with this sauce.  

  

1/3 cup cup of blackberry jam

1/3 cup of strawberry jam

1 cup of barbecue sauce (I used 2/3 cup of Famous Dave's and then used up whatever else was in the fridge)

2 teaspoons of season all

2 tablespoons of Worcestshire sauce

2 jaleponos, minced finely

1 yellow onion, diced

3 large, skinless boneless chicken breasts

Hamburger buns

1.  Mix all the ingredients together, besides the chicken in a bowl, until well combined.  In a slow cooker add the chicken and pour sauce over it.  Cover and cook 3-4 hours on high.  Shred chicken with a fork and serve with my No Mayo 5 Ingredient Coleslaw

No Mayo 5 Ingredient Coleslaw with Ginger Recipe

Start getting in gear for your Labor Day!  You know, I don't really care for the taste of mayo so I try not to cook with it very often.  This coleslaw doesn't require a lot of ingredients and the ginger adds a refreshing flavor for summer, especially when paired with the berry bbq sauce.  See, make your summer hang in there, a little bit longer!!

1.5 cups of coleslaw mix (cabbage and carrots)

1 teaspoon of sugar (I used Splenda)

1 teaspoon of ginger (I used the kind in the tube)

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

1.  Combine and make sure that all ingredients are thoroughly combined.  Serve. 

Sweet Potato Cakes with a Peach Lime Salsa

This is the perfect recipe to make while entertaining for guests.  It's totally different than probably anything they would expect you to make and is perfect out on the patio!  The fruity and refreshing salsa compliments the sweetness and warm depth of the flavors from the potato.  Try using the peach salsa on top of grilled chicken or fish too! 

2 sweet potatoes

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 yellow onion, minced

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of butter

1 pinch of nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves

1/2 cup of panko crumbs

Salt and Freshly Ground Potatoes

For The Peach Salsa

2 ripe peaches, with skins removed, diced

2 teaspoons of honey

4 mint leaves, chopped finely

1 teaspoon of chili pepper puree (the kind that comes in a tube)

1 tomato, diced

2 green onions, sliced thinly

1 tablespoon lime juice

1.  Take a fork and poke several holes in the sweet potatoes.  Microwave the potatoes for about 8 minutes or until tender and then peel the skins off of them.

2.  In a frying pan, add olive oil garlic and onions and saute for about 3-5 minutes or until tender.

2.  In a medium sized bowl mash the potatoes.  Then add the garlic, onions, butter, nutmeg and ground cloves.  Combine all ingredients and shape into pattys.  Put in a bowl in the refrigerator for about 15-30 minutes while making the salsa by combining all the ingredients.

3.  Heat the pan that you used to saute the onions and garlic.  Add the patties and cook for about 3-5 minutes on each side.  Place on a dish and then serve with the salsa.

Homemade Italian Tomato Sauce

This recipe is adapted from the red sauce that my Nonna taught me to make while growing up.  I gotta say though, mine is a lot quicker to make than hers!  I don't care much for jarred tomato sauce and once you realize how fresh and easy this is to make, you will be converted to only making your own!  I like to be able to see real chunks of tomatoes in my sauce so I don't bother peeling them.  This is also another great recipe to double and then freeze or to use in other recipes i.e. pizza, meatball sandwiches or over chicken.  You can store the extra sauce in ziplock bags or plastic containers.  Perfect for me because everyone is giving me bags of extra tomatoes from their garden!

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

10 ripe tomatoes, diced

1/3 cup of white wine

1 teaspoon of chili pepper flakes

20 leaves of basil, cut into long strips

1 can of tomato paste

1.  In a large pot, add the olive oil, onion and garlic.  Saute for a few minutes, or until the onions begin to get soft.

2.  Stir in the tomatoes, wine, chili flakes and fresh basil.  Bring up to a boil and then turn down under low.  Cook for about 20 minutes, then add in the can of tomato paste to thicken.  Cook for about another 20 minutes and then serve.  If desired you can add up too a 1/4 cup of water to sauce for a less thick sauce. 

Cooking With Kat on Lite98!

Hi All!  For everyone who listens to Lite98, make sure you listen all this week at 12:20pm!  I am filling in for Kat Simon's during Cooking With Kat as her guest chef!  This whole week you could win $50 worth of food coupons for the Filipino Festival happening this Friday and Saturday!  Listen online at Lite98.com!

Red Wine Beef Stew with Egg Noodles

This is a wholesome and very fulling meal.  I like to make it on those rainy days in summer and heading into the fall.  The red wine and mustard marinade is slightly tangy and pairs nicely with any red meat. 

1 1/2 cups of red wine

1 lbs of beef round steak, cubed 

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 tablespoon of honey mustard

1 onion, sliced thinly

1 celery stalk, diced

2 tomatoes, diced

2 tablespoons of flour

1 cup of water

3 sprigs of thyme

2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

1/2 package of egg noodles

1.  Add the red wine, beef, olive oil and honey mustard in a resealable bag.  Marinate for at least 24 hours.

2.  Add a little bit of olive oil to a pot and then add the onions, celery and tomato.  Cook for about 10 minutes under medium high heat.  Add meat, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and then sprinkle with flour and then stir.  Add the red wine marinade and the water.  Cook under low temperature for about 1 1/2 hours.  

3.  Cook noodles according to package directions.  Place meat over cooked noodles and then serve.