english muffin pizzas

we're on a tight budget at barton street this month until we leave for the sundance film festival on january 20. i've been making dinner out of ingredients we already have at home, so you can expect lots of easy, cheap recipes coming from me. you can't go wrong with an english muffin masked as a pizza.  obviously you should add your favorite pizza toppings, but i went with the classics.  it seems silly to even post the directions for this, but here i go...

ingredients:
1 whole wheat english muffin
fresh mozzarella cheese
favorite marinara sauce
pepperoni slices

directions:
preheat oven to 400 degrees. toast english muffin until crunchy. top with marinara sauce, cheese and pepperoni slices.  broil for 5 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and gooey. garnish with italian seasonings.

**if you're feeling really healthy - add some chopped spinach and mushrooms to your marinara sauce.**

mini turkey meatball sliders

i've been craving meatball sliders ever since sis and i went to the brooklyn flea market last weekend. for anyone who has never been, it's a lot like eastern market in capital hill. it's a fun event that showcases vintage pieces, homemade crafts, and my favorite - local grub. sis and i were about to leave when we spotted the meatball sub station. i thought to myself - why hadn't we seen this before we devoured the fish tacos, organic mozzarella/tomato panini, fresh watermelon lemongrass popsicles, dill pickles, and taken over the homemade dip station! cursing myself for being too full/eating like a pig, i decided i would make them once i got home.

i tweaked a recipe from ellie kreiger, using turkey meat and incorporating vegetables in the mix. i was a little skeptical at first because it calls for grated carrots. i was worried they would add too much sweetness and throw everything off, but you could barely taste them. these little meatballs turned out moist, delicious and perfectly satisfying!

ingredients:
sauce:
1 tablespoon evoo
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, liquid included
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
s&p

meatballs:
cooking spray
1 pound ground turkey meat
1 slice fresh whole-wheat bread, crusts removed, pulsed into crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/2 cup finely grated carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 egg, lightly beaten
s&p
1 package mini whole wheat dinner rolls
provolone cheese

directions:
in a large saucepan heat the evoo over medium heat. saute the onions until translucent, about 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. add tomato paste, tomatoes, spices and salt. (since i don't like big chunks of tomatoes in my marinara, i used a masher to break them up - totally up to you though.) bring all the ingredients to a low boil, reduce heat and cook for approximately 15 minutes, until liquid has evaporated slightly. season with salt and pepper, to taste. while sauce is cooking, make meatballs.

preheat the broiler. spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. combine the turkey with all other ingredients in a large work bowl. form into 2 1/2 -inch balls and place on a baking sheet. broil for 10 minutes, or until browned and almost entirely cooked through.

add the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and cook additional 10 minutes, or until sauce has slightly thickened and meatballs have absorbed some of the sauce.

cut dinner rolls in half and place on another baking sheet. add one meatball to each one and top with small slice of provolone cheese. broil for 3-5 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly. serve immediately with a simple side salad and you have yourself a "that's-a spicy meat ball-a" - sorry had to do it.

spicy eggplant parmesan

click on image to zoom in.

this is a guest blog post from meagan kessler.

being a teacher this time of year, i find myself with a whole lot of nothing to do. i've been doing my very best to distract myself from texting my roommates at work all day, but trying to be productive at the same time. day after day the girls come home to a spic and span, ant-free house because of all my efforts. i find myself secretly expecting a “wow, meag, this place looks great…thanks for folding all my laundry! it’s so nice opening up the cheez-its and not finding them covered in ants. by the way jillian’s 30 day shred has really been paying off! your arms look great!”….HOWEVER, that is simply not the case. most days i listen to them complain about 2-hour commutes, bosses that have no bathroom etiquette, or how hungry they are. i decided it was about time i drown this out, even if for just one night, and make them notice me (who by the way has usually been waiting anxiously for the past 3 hours for them to finally come home so she can have someone to talk to).

i’m not a cook. don’t get me wrong, i like food and i appreciate all sis’s home cooked meals, but i usually don’t have the patience to cook myself.  i decided on my go-to, eggplant parmesan recipe. i was worried because this is usually a good cold weather meal, but the rain we had here in arlington last night really helped make it acceptable.  the meal, as expected, was a success. i could say it's easy but then i wouldn't be doing myself any justice. it definitely takes the skills of a skilled master chef, but i think you could pull it off. 

to duplicate my version exactly, follow tyler florence's recipe and instructions to a t, leaving out the olives and maybe accidently mistaking 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes for 1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes.  ;) i served it with garlic bread and a simple salad with a red wine vinaigrette dressing.

sis' input (because i couldn't resist):

first off the sauce was to die for. i'm definitely going to use this as my go-to recipe next time i make any pasta dish. it was perfect combination of spicy, garlicy, and sweet. next let's talk about the eggplant. meagan cooked it to a perfect crisp so you could still taste the fried bites after it was baked. the warm, gooey mozzarella cheese was the ultimate topping, making you go back for seconds. seriously try this one. good job, meggy. i think i have some new competition in the house.