Teriyaki Meatballs

All right, tonight's dinner features something I have been craving for a while! I am going to saute a few bell peppers, pineapples, onions carrots and broccoli, and zucchini to go with the rice and meat balls! 

Baked Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs

1 1/4 lb. ground turkey meat (preferably not extra-lean)
1/2 medium yellow onion, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp grated ginger
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
3/4 tsp five-spice powder
1 egg ( use equal substitute of flax gel)
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp dried Gf,Df,Ef breadcrumbs
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup Gf Tamari sauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
2 minced garlic cloves
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Meatballs:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Thoroughly coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, grated onion, garlic, ginger, parsley, five-spice powder, FLAX GEL, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.

Mix well to combine. Using a 2 tablespoon portion of the turkey mixture, form meatballs by rolling between the palms of your hands. Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly.

Bake until the meatballs are firm to the touch and cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Sauce:
In a small saucepan, combine rice vinegar, brown sugar, water, soya sauce, 1/4 cup canola oil, ginger, garlic, flour, and sesame seeds. Whisk the sauce together and place over medium heat. Simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Keep warm.

Brush the meatballs liberally with the sauce. Return to the oven for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

These can be served over rice or as hors d’oeuvres. Either way, serve with the extra sauce.

Makes 30 meatballs

sloppy Joe's- 8

SLLLLOOOOPPPPYYY JOOOEEESSS! Sloppy Joe's was a meal I had A LOT growing up and It was NOT my favorite. BUT as a mom I have found that a good old sloppy Joe's recipe really comes in handy on a night when you may have had a plan to cook something just spectacular -and well rounded- and for sure it was high end cuisine... ( as I am sure you do every other night)...but plan B is making a grand appearance. My family LOVES this recipe in fact they loved it so much a few said they were giving it a TEN and wouldn't mind eating it again tomorrow! For realistic purposes however, I am giving it and solid 8.... it is sloppy joe's after all. SO, I am going to write it down and MAYBE get it right next time. Because if I am being honest, what I love about sloppy joes is the fact that I can open my pantry, mix a bunch of random things, and it usually works! Here is tonight's mixture:

Sloppy Joes:

1 LB ground Beef, Turkey ( what we use, allergic to beef) or chicken

4-6 stripes of bacon, chopped up

1/4 cup green bell peppers. diced

1/4 cup red bell peppers. diced

1/2 cup yellow onion, diced

1 TBSP GF Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp chili powder ( I used about twice that much if not more)

a good sprinkle of Webers gourmet burger seasoning ( LOVE THIS STUFF)

a really good sprinkle of my favorite roasted garlic seasoning

some oregano sprinkled to.

2 cans Diced tomatoes in tomato juice

ALL seasonings should be double checked to make sure they are still GF. I have found companies change their recipes more often then I would like. Brown your meat and bacon and onion and peppers all together. Add all your seasonings as you are browning so the flavors can really get cooked in there. Once your mixture is all cooked up add your tomatoes and let it simmer, stir every so often so the bottom wont burn. Let it cook until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.

ONE MORE ADD. I take our GF buns, put Vegenaise on one side a DF cheese on the other and throw then under the broiler until toasted. YUM! make your sandwich, usually this awesome mess we eat with a fork, pair the meal with salad, fruit and veggies!