Meatball Subs

This was on one of those handy-dandy recipe cards in Cook's Country, long ago. It is unfailingly reliable and a real crowd pleaser. It is really, really easy. 

 I've simplified it a bit more by using a pound of Italian sausage and bread crumbs that have no Italian seasonings. 

 I also use my favorite pizza sauce instead of a jarred marinara.  I usually have a cup or so stashed in my freezer, so that makes it very simple for me. Also, you won't find an easier or more delicious sauce anywhere. Just try it once and see what you think. 

  Meatball Subs 

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1-1/4 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
3/4 cup plain dried bread crumbs with Italian seasonings
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 (6-inch) Italian sub rolls, split lengthwise
1-1/3 cups jarred marinara sauce
4 slices deli provolone cheese (4 ounces)

BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Our favorite premium jarred sauce is Victoria Marinara Sauce.

INSTRUCTIONS
1
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease rimmed baking sheet with oil. Mix beef, bread crumbs, eggs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in bowl until well combined. Form mixture into twelve 2-inch meatballs, place on prepared sheet, and bake until browned and meat registers 160 degrees, about 15 minutes. Transfer meatballs to plate; discard accumulated grease on sheet.

2
Carefully line now-empty sheet with parchment paper. Place rolls on sheet and lay 3 meatballs inside each roll. Top meatballs on each sandwich with 1/3 cup marinara sauce and 1 slice provolone. Bake until cheese is melted and sauce is heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve.

The Pizza Maker's Sauce (Salsa Pizzaiola)

There isn't an easier pizza sauce around. Or one that is tastier. It also freezes well. This is from Pizza: Any Way You Slice It by Charles & Michele Scicolone. It's my favorite pizza cookbook. 

Pizza Sauce 

Makes about 3 cups 

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped 

Pinch of crushed red pepper 

3 tablespoons olive oil 

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes 

1 teaspoon dried oregano 

Salt (though I almost never use it) 

 In a large skillet, cook the garlic and red pepper in the oil over medium heat until the garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. 

Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, or 10-15 minutes. Let cool before spreading on pizza dough. Keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 1 month. (I've used it after a year and it is still good.)

Falafel with Cilantro Yogurt in Pita Bread

This is from Bon Appetit and you can find it online on Epicurious. It was really delicious.

The only problem we had was that the mixture was rather soft when forming patties. Looking over the comments there was a person from Egypt who said that canned garbanzos are too mushy and soaking dried ones for 24 hours is the proper way to do it. Without cooking them at all. This blew our minds and I began pulling out cookbooks that were the closest to primary sources as I had.

They agreed! My goodness! We will be going on an adventure the next time we make these, but in the meantime the recipe below works well and is simply delicious.

We're going to double the sauce next time but that's really the only change, aside from the fact that we didn't have pita bread so wrapped them in flour tortillas instead. Delicious!

Falafel with Cilantro Yogurt in Pita Bread

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup chopped onion
5 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 15-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
3 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 large egg
Olive oil
4 warm pita breads, top third cut off
Sliced tomatoes
Crisp lettuce leaves

Step 1
Whisk yogurt, 1/2 cup cilantro, 1/4 cup onion, 1 garlic clove, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne in medium bowl to blend; season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Step 2
Blend garbanzo beans, 3 tablespoons flour, cumin, remaining 1/2 cup cilantro, 4 garlic cloves and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne in processor until almost smooth. Add egg and remaining 3/4 cup onion and blend, using on/off turns, until onion is finely chopped. Transfer mixture to bowl; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Shape mixture into four 1/2-inch-thick patties. Turn patties in remaining 1/2 cup flour to coat on both sides.

Step 3
Pour enough oil into heavy large skillet to coat bottom; heat over medium-high heat. Add patties and cook until crisp and golden, about 8 minutes per side. Open pita breads; slide 1 patty, sliced tomato and lettuce into each. Spoon in some yogurt mixture.

Coriander Chicken Thighs with Cauliflower and Herbed Yogurt

This is easy and really delicious, from Cook's Country. The chicken is delicious but the genius comes from cooking the vegetables in the pan that the chicken browned in so it picks up extra flavor. I loved the way that the cherry tomatoes get cooked just enough by adding them to the pan the cauliflower is in, off heat.

I served it with Garlic Naan (from the freezer, thanks to a recent visit to a local India Bazaar). Delicious! And perfectly suited to the tone of the meal.

Coriander Chicken Thighs with Cauliflower and Herbed Yogurt

Serves 4

8 (5- to 7-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed
1-1/4 teaspoons table salt, divided
1-1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon pepper, divided
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 head cauliflower (2 pounds), cored and cut into 1-inch florets
10 ounces cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, plus 1/2 cup torn leaves (or fresh basil)
1 tablespoon lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS
1
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle chicken with 3/4 teaspoon salt, coriander, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook chicken, skin side down, until skin is browned and crispy, about 7 minutes. Flip chicken and continue to cook 3 minutes longer. Transfer chicken, skin side up, to rimmed baking sheet and roast until chicken registers 175 degrees, about 17 minutes.

2
Meanwhile, heat fat left in skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add cauliflower, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until tender and browned, stirring occasionally, 12 to 14 minutes. Off heat, stir in tomatoes and garlic.

3
Combine yogurt, chopped mint, lemon juice, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper in bowl. Transfer cauliflower to platter and sprinkle with mint leaves. Serve chicken with cauliflower and yogurt sauce.

Beef-Sauced Hot Lettuce Salad

From Beyond the Great Wall, another of the wonderful books by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. This is an unusual dish — a warm salad from Inner Mongolia — which the authors posit may be a fusion dish of some kind, possibly with a Russian influence. The sauce is literally a ground beef dressing which is delicious.

I turned it into a main dish by doubling it — which worked well — and the simple expediency of serving it with rice. Oh, so very good ... and it looked just like the picture in the book. It will not only make your taste buds sit up and sing but will be easy on the budget as well.

Beef-Sauced Hot Lettuce Salad

About 4 packed cups coarsely torn romaine lettuce

Dressing
1 tablespoon peanut oil or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1/2 pound (1 packed cup) ground beef
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon soy sauce, or to taste
1 tablespoon Jinjiang (black rice) vinegar, or to taste
1/2 cup warm water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
1/2 teaspoon roasted sesame oil

Place the lettuce in a wide salad bowl or serving dish and set aside.

Place a wok or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. toss in the garlic and stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the ginger. Stir-fry over medium-high to medium heat until slightly softened and starting to turn color. 

Add the meat and use your spatula to break it up so there are no lumps at all, then add the salt and stir-fry until most of the meat has changed color. Drain fat. 

Add the soy sauce and vinegar and stir to blend. Add the warm water and stir to blend. (The dressing can be prepared ahead to this point and set aside for up to 20 minutes. When you are ready to proceed, bring to a boil.)

While the dressing mixture is coming to a boil, place the cornstarch in a small cup or bowl and stir in the cold water to make a smooth paste. Once the liquid is bubbling in the pan, give the cornstarch mixture a final stir, add to the pan, and stir for about 1 minute, the liquid will thicken and become smoother. Taste for salt, and add a little salt or soy sauce if you wish. 

Add the sesame oil and stir once, then pour onto the lettuce. Immediately toss the salad to expose all the greens to the hot dressing. Serve immediately (or see Note).

Serves 4 as a salad or side dish.

Author's note on texture: If you use romaine lettuce, the salad will have good crunch as well as some wilted softer textures when you first serve it. We love the contrast. If you prefer a softer texture, either let the salad stand for 5 minutes before serving it, to give the greens more time to soften in the warm dressing, or use leaf lettuce instead of romaine.