GROW SOME (MEAT) BALLS IN YOUR NEW RELATIONSHIP

DIFFICULTY LEVEL: OY VEY!

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Okay, so, you just started seeing a new guy a few months ago. And you like him. A lot. When is he going to (finally) refer to you by the term "girlfriend?"

How are you going to take it to the next level?

With this dish, of course.

After all, the way to a man's heart IS through his stomach.

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• 2 pound of ground turkey or beef
• 3 tablespoons of garlic powder
• salt to taste
• Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
• 3 tablespoons of dried basil
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped (or the pre-minced in a jar equivalent works just as well)
• Jar of great tomato marinara sauce

First things first. You should ALWAYS have a jar of your favorite marinara sauce on hand. It's great to add to almost any meal (except dessert).

Heat the oven to 395. Line an oven tray with tin foil and spray with olive oil.

In a large bowl, mix the ground meat, dash of salt, chopped garlic, basil, garlic powder and pepper flakes well with your hands. You don't need breadcrumbs or egg for this dish to shine.

Once thoroughly mixed, create large balls, and place them evenly on your tray. My "go to" rule with balls-- the bigger, the better. Toss them in the oven for 25 minutes.

Warm up that marinara in your trusty microwave or on the stove top. I tend to rev up my marinara sauce with a dash of extra garlic and red pepper.

If you want to add some pasta, be my guest. They are great addition to some angel hair.

How to Plate: On a crisp platter, organize the meatballs in a row, spooning the sauce over them (like I did in the picture above).

Leftovers: These are FANTASTIC in a sub sandwich!

MOUTH-WATERING PARMESAN CRUSTED CHICKEN

DIFFICULTY LEVEL: OY!

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You're at a bar and some horribly cheesy guy starts talking to you. Studded jeans, Tattoo-inspired club shirt. Total Cheese.

Who said CHEESY has to be a bad thing?

This following dish will totally change your whole outlook.

This breaded chicken isn't literally breaded. (I need to lose all the carbohydrates I can find!)

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• 1lb chicken cutlets (thinly sliced or pounded)
• 1.5 cups of Parmesan cheese (grated)
• dried basil
• salt and pepper
• olive oil

In a shallow dish, mix the Parmesan with a dash of salt, pepper and basil. Press each piece of chicken into the cheese mix, creating a nice crust.

Heat your pan on medium and spray with some olive oil. Make sure the oil gets warm before you begin cooking your chicken.

Place each piece of chicken into your pan and cook, about 2-3 minutes each side, flipping after it creates a nice light brown crust.

Plate and enjoy!

THE FIVE MINUTE BRUSHETTA

DIFFICULTY LEVEL: LESS THAN OY!

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Times are tough. We have to work harder than ever  and be as frugal as possible when it comes to our daily spending habits. 

This means having friends over for wine and an affordable homemade appetizer.

The below recipe is simple, affordable, and most importantly: Fabulous and Easy. 

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• Jar of Sun dried tomatoes (packed in oil)
• French bread
• Olive oil
• Garlic powder
• Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 500. 

Slice your French bread on a diagonal.  Drizzle olive oil on a plate, and coat each slice with some oil and sprinkle with garlic powder.

Toast the bread in the oven for 2 minutes on each side. 

Remove from the oven and top each toasted slice with sun dried tomatoes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve!

Enjoy!

CHICKEN AND SUN DRIED TOMATOES

DIFFICULTY LEVEL: OY!

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After a long day of work, who wants to stand in the kitchen and make a fantastic meal for their man themselves?

I want the most fabulous, most decadent meal without the killer calories or effort. 

The following dish uses simple seasonings and minimal ingredients for a kick-ass main course!

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• Chicken (I prefer tenders)
• Can of Julienne Sliced Sun Dried Tomatoes (in olive oil)
• Salt and Pepper
• Garlic powder
• Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

In a pan on medium heat: spray your pan with olive oil, lightly season your chicken and the garlic powder, and cook for about 3 minutes per side. You want a nice browning on both sides of the chicken.

Add about a third of the can of sun dried tomatoes. Add the optional pepper flakes for a little heat. Mix together, allowing the flavors to merge for a few minutes. 

Plate and enjoy!


How to Plate: This dish goes great with a nice greens salad, or for more substance, some mashed garlic potatoes.

CAPRESE WRAP

DIFFICULTY LEVEL: OY VEY!

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The following is one of the chicest ways to make a salad into an appetizer.

It's simple, gorgeous, and required no fork!

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• Balsamic vinegar
• Basil leaves (the bigger, the better)
• 1 tomato
• 1 fresh mozzarella in water

On the stove top, heat the vinegar until it boils and thickens.

Wash your basil leaves, dull side up.

Chop your tomato and mozzarella into small chunks. Mix, toss and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Spoon the mixture into each basil leaf. Wrap it carefully, and pin with a toothpick. Line them up on a crisp plate.

Drizzle the balsamic reduction on to the platter of Caprese wraps.

PESTO CHICKEN AND PASTA (THAT AIN'T ROCKET SCIENCE)

DIFFICULTY LEVEL: OY!

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When I was in 4th grade, I discovered that the back of my Math book had all the answers to every mathematical equation. I thought I was a genius for finding the answer page.

I would start to do the equation, and then just look in the back of the book. My plan was foiled when my teacher caught me. She said, "Sara, the only person you are cheating is YOU." And she was right. From there on out, I did my work and never cheated again in school.

Besides the fact that I didn't end up going to MIT (although it would have made for a better story if I suddenly became a math mastermind), I do believe in cheating...in the kitchen.

I think it's OK to cheat in cooking up something delicious and saying you made the packaged pesto from scratch.

And if you’ve got some chutzpah, make the pesto yourself! In a food processor: add 2 garlic cloves, 1 full cup of washed basil leaves, some pine nuts and a hearty amount of Parmesan —or no cheese! Process finely. Replace this mixture with the store-bought kind.

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• Chicken cutlets
• Fresh whole grain pasta
• Plastic bin of Pesto

Boil water in a large pot.

Grill Chicken in a pan with olive oil.

When the chicken is almost done, take out and chop. Return meat to pan. Add a small amount of pesto to the mix.

When the water is boiling, add salt and pasta until done. Drain.

Back in the pot, add a dash of olive oil, and empty the pasta and the pesto into pot. Reserve some pesto for the top of the dish. Mix well.

How to Plate: Use the chicken strategically to dress the pasta—arrange chicken on top, drizzling additional pesto over the whole dish.

A TRIBUTE - "DOM'S MOM'S MEATBALLS"

"DOM'S MOM'S MEATBALLS"

• 2 pounds ground chuck
• 1/2 pound of ground pork
• 2 cups Italian bread crumbs
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup fresh parsley chopped
• 1 cup grated cheese parmesan
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves chopped very fine
• 1 onion minced
• 1/2 cup pine nuts (optional)

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Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix throughly. Let stand 1/2 hour. Shape into medium-size meatballs.

Fry gently in olive oil until lightly browned, or place on foil on a cookie sheet and bake for 1/2 hour at 35o degrees.

Gently place in your own hot spagetti sauce and cook on medium-low heat for 1 hour.

(1988 copyrighted material courtesy of Dom Deluise's EAT THIS... IT'LL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER)