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

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

Lean Hamburgers

Kevin and I buy very lean meat, but without a little help, this makes for some dry burgers. This is our go-to hamburger recipe. We love it! We never go 'out' for burgers.

1 lb 94% lean ground beef (or for the adventurous, ground buffalo)

1/3 of an onion, diced

3-4 T Worcestershire sauce

Mix ground meat with onion and sauce. Form into patties (3 or 4) and grill about 4 minutes on each side, or until meat is medium to medium-well. Wrap the patties in foil until you are ready to serve.

I usually buy fresh whole wheat buns from sprouts. Our favorite toppings include jalapeños, pepper jack cheese, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, and your traditional, ketchup, light mayo, and mustard.

Steak and Cheese Sandwiches with Mushrooms

1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups presliced onion
2 cups green bell pepper strips
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1 cup presliced mushrooms
3/4 pound top round steak, trimmed and cut into thin strips
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
4 (0.6-ounce) slices reduced-fat provolone cheese, cut in half
4 (2 1/2-ounce) hoagie rolls with sesame seeds

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add mushrooms to pan; sauté 4 minutes. Sprinkle beef with salt and black pepper. Add beef to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in Worcestershire sauce; cook 1 minute.

Place 1 cheese slice half on bottom half of each roll, and top each serving with one-fourth of beef mixture. Top with remaining cheese slice halves and tops of rolls.

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Shepherd's Beef Pie

1 lb ground beef
1 1/2 cup beef broth, divided
1 t salt
2 bay leaves
2 whole cloves
1/2 t thyme leaves
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 small box frozen peas
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced onions
1 1/2 T flour
1 lb peeled, cooked potatoes, mashed
1 1/2 T butter
1/2 cup milk
4 oz grated cheddar cheese
1 T chopped chives

Preheat oven to 375.

Brown ground beef in a medium saucepan, drain oil, add 1 cup broth, salt, bay leaves, cloves and thyme. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add carrots, peas, mushrooms, celery, and onions. Simmer until vegetables are just tender.

In a small bowl, gradually add remaining broth to flour, stirring constantly to form a smooth paste, add to beef and vegetables. Simmer 5 minutes longer.

In a small bowl, combine potatoes with butter, stir in milk. Mash.

Transfer the meat and vegetable mixture to a baking dish. Add mashed potatoes on top of the meat and vegetables, covering the mixture entirely. Add grated cheese and chives on top of potatoes. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until heated through, then broil 1 to 2 minutes or until potatoes are lightly browned.

Source: cooks.com

Taco Soup

1 lb lean ground beef or turkey
1 pkg taco seasoning mix
1 pkg dry ranch dressing mix
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can ranch style beans
1 can pinto beans with jalapenos
1 can chopped green chilies
1 can white hominy
1 chopped onion

Brown ground beef. Add all other ingredients (don't drain any of the cans). Simmer 20 minutes. Serve with grated cheese and tortilla chips or corn bread.

Turkey Chili

2lbs ground turkey (or extra lean ground beef)
28oz can of diced tomatoes, not drained
2 cans of dark red kidney beans, not drained (or black beans)
2 T chili powder
1/2 diced onion
2 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 T paprika
1 t salt
1/8 t pepper
2 t cumin

Brown turkey, onion and garlic in a pan. Combine browned turkey and remaining ingredients in a crock pot and stir together. Cook on low for 8 hours.