Meatball Subs

Quick Note: Very easy, very tasty--definitely a 'guy' recipe. I used extra lean ground beef (in an effort to be a little healthier). I'm sure you could also use lean ground turkey. I used pre-made marinara sauce, but I may try her sauce next time. I made more meatballs from the recipe than she does. They would be HUGE if they were divided as indicated below.

Meatballs

1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup (3 handfuls), Italian bread crumbs
1 medium onion, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons (several drops) Worcestershire sauce,
1/4 cup (a couple of handfuls) flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1/4 cup (a couple of handfuls) grated Parmigiano or Romano
Coarse salt and black pepper

5 Minute Marinara Sauce

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, (2 turns around the pan)
4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
A handful flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped, about 2 tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (28 ounces) can crushed tomatoes
1 (14 ounces) can chunky style crushed tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Other ingredients

4 semolina crusty sub rolls, with or without sesame seeds 1 (10-ounce) bag
(2 1/2 cups) shredded provolone or Italian 4-cheese blend
Shredded basil (sweet) or shredded arugula (spicy) leaves, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place ground sirloin in a large mixing bowl and punch a well into the center of meat. Fill well with the egg, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire, parsley, cheese, and a little salt and pepper.

Mix up meatball ingredients until well combined, yet not over-mixed. Divide mix into 4 equal parts, roll each part into 4 balls and space equally onto a nonstick baking sheet. Place meatballs in oven and roast about 12 minutes.

Break a meatball open and make sure meat is cooked through before removing from the oven.

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add oil and garlic. When garlic starts sizzling, add herbs and crushed pepper. Allow oil to infuse for half a minute, then stir in the tomatoes and season sauce with salt and pepper. Bring sauce to a bubble, reduce heat, and simmer until meatballs are removed from oven.

Combine meatballs and sauce and pile into sub rolls, 4 meatballs per sub. Top with shredded cheese and place under subs under broiler to melt cheese. Top with shredded basil or arugula.

Source: foodnework.com; Rachel Ray

Best Ever Coconut Cream Pie

Quick Note: I made this for Kevin's birthday (he is more of a pie guy than a cake guy). He claims it is the best coconut cream pie he has ever had. And he has had a lot of coconut cream pie. The recipe includes a few terms you may not often use. I have provided a few definitions. Hope that helps. :)

scald: heat until it almost boils
slurry: mixture used as a thickener
temper: adding warm mixture to the egg yolks to bring the eggs closer to the temperature of the mixture they will be added to. This keeps the eggs from immediately cooking and scrambling when they are added to the scalded mixture.

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup cornstarch
5 egg yolks
1/4 t salt
1 cup flaked, unsweetened coconut
2 t vanilla extract
1 T butter
1 (9-inch) baked pie shell, recipe follows
1/3 cup toasted coconut
Whipped cream for garnish

Preparation
In a nonstick 1-quart saucepan, combine 3/4 cup sugar, coconut milk and 1 cup milk. Scald mixture.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup milk and cornstarch together to make a slurry. Whisk egg yolks with salt in a medium bowl. Temper yolks by adding 1/2 cup scaled mixture to yolks and whisk well. Add yolk mixture and slurry back into milk mixture and whisk vigorously over medium heat until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add coconut, vanilla and butter. Whisk until uniformly incorporated.

Pour the filling into the prepared pie shell. Cover with pie and plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Chill the pie completely, about 2 hours.

Pie Shell

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1 T sugar
1 t salt
3/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
6 to 7 T ice cold water

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Mix well. Add the shortening and mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the water and let sit 1 minute. Either using a fork or your hands, carefully press the mixture to form a soft ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Remove the dough from the fridge and place it in on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a circle about 12 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick. Gently fold the circle of dough in half and then in half again so that you can lift it without tearing it, and unfold into a 9-inch by 2-inch deep-dish pie pan. Crimp the edges and chill again for 30 minutes before baking.

Bake pie shell until golden, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely before using.

Yield: 1 deep dish pie crust

Source: foodnetwork.com; Emeril Lagasse

Slow Cooker Ribs

Quick Note: Try it. You won't regret it.

Ingredients

4 lbs of ribs (beef or pork)
2 T garlic powder
2 T salt
2 T black pepper
3 lemons, juiced

Preparation

Cut the ribs to fit your slow cooker. Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Rub the rack of ribs with the dry mix, covering all sides. If you have extra rub, pour it over the ribs in the slow cooker.

Squeeze the lemons over the ribs.

Cover and cook on low for 7-10 hours or on high for 5 hours. The meat will be more tender if cooked on low heat.

Source: A Year of Slow Cooking Blog