Caribbean Turkey Mango Meatballs

I put these together for a cook-off at work, and they were a big hit! Their spicy and sweet flavor combination worked well together and kept the taste buds entertained!

Ingredients: Ground turkey, ½-1 cucumber, 1 red bell pepper, 1 mango, 1 jalapeño, cornmeal, plaintain chips, eggs, mango nectar, mango/island-y marinade, water, hot sauce

Spices: Jamaican all-spice, cumin, thyme, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, place the ground turkey, eggs (1 egg per 1 lb. of meat), cornmeal (a generous amount to coat), all the spices (generous, but go easy on the cinnamon and nutmeg), crushed plantain chips (a few handfuls). Mix thoroughly adding more dry ingredients as needed.  Roll into meatball shape, small or large, depending on how many you want to make. Place in a lightly-oiled baking pan or on a lightly-oiled baking tray and bake for about 25 minutes or until browned to your desire. Let cool then place in the crock pot.

In the crock pot, pour in ½ to a whole small container of mango nectar, full bottle of mango/island-y marinade of your choice, enough water to pretty much cover the meatballs, a few drops of hot sauce, chopped red pepper, cucumber, jalapeno, and mango. Stir to coat the meatballs. I just cooked on low for 1 hour, then just let warm. They’re already cooked so really just need to warm.

Tomato Caprese

A classic Italian appetizer and one of my favorite snacks to eat. The cool, fresh tomatoes combined with the salty mozzarella cheese, sweet fresh basil and balsamic vinegar create a delicious, satisfying bite!

INGREDIENTS:
Tomatoes (whatever kind you like- the larger the tomato, the larger the slice will be for the appetizer)
Buffalo Mozzarella cheese (in the specialty cheese section of supermarkets- comes in a container with water)
fresh basil leaves
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Chop your tomatoes into thick slices. Arrange on a plate. Chop the mozzarella cheese into squares or rectangles, and place on top of the tomatoes. Chop your fresh basil leaves into small pieces. Sprinkle over the tomatoes and cheese. Drizzle some olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the top and a few dashes of salt and pepper, if desired. (The cheese has salt so I wouldn't add much more salt.) 

And there you have it-- a healthy, put-a-smile-on-your-face (well mine anyway) kind of dessert that only takes minutes to prepare! Buon Appetito!

**OPTION-- If you love grape or cherry tomatoes like I do, you can do a different version of this on skewers with the smaller tomatoes and small mozzarella cheese balls.

Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips

   

These chips are a party favorite! I've recently made these for several BBQs and get-togethers, and they were very popular. They're simple to make as well, and a quick snack to throw together at the last minute. 

Ingredients:

1 package corn tortillas

cinnamon

sugar

salt

In a deep pot, add in a thick layer of either canola or vegetable oil, and heat on a medium temperature until hot. Meanwhile, cut your tortillas into either 4 or 8 triangles. (Stack them to cut many at once.) Line a large bowl with paper towels for preparation. In a bowl or Tupperware, mix an even amount of cinnamon and sugar. Add in about 1 tsp or 2 of salt. Mix all together. When oil is hot, place in as many tortilla triangles that can fit in the pot. (Don't overcrowd) Let tortillas brown on each side (flip after the sides get brown) usually for about 1 minute. Scoop chips out with a straining utensil. Shake off excess oil and place into paper towel-lined bowl. Sprinkle the cinnamon, sugar and salt mixture over hot chips. Coat both sides. Repeat until all chips and fried and coated.

 

Tilapia and Shrimp Ceviche

This Central and South American delight is really delicious and quick to make. I always order it at restaurants but recently just made it myself for the first time, then made it several more times after that.

Ingredients:

Tilapia filets (I used the 6-pack of frozen filets)

shrimp (I used about half a pack of frozen shrimp)

juice of 2 limes

juice of 1 lemon

1 red bell pepper

1 red onion

chopped green onions

1/4-1/2 bunch chopped cilantro

black pepper

salt

1/4-1/2 hot pepper or some dried red pepper flakes

If your seafood is frozen, defrost first. Chop up all seafood and place into large bowl. Squeeze the juice of 2 limes and 1 lemon over the fish and mix to coat. Then chop up all vegetables and add in. Add in all spices. Stir, cover and let sit in refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes until fish is white or opaque. Serve and enjoy.

Asian/Indian party meatballs OR Asian/Indian spaghetti & meatballs

A different take on a classic: spaghetti and meatballs OR a unique appetizer for your next party. Everyone always loves those little party meatballs- these have a flavor sure to please all. I love all kinds of Asian food, and have started experimenting with Indian spices in the last few years. And mixing Asian and Indian flavors together is one of my favorite things to do in the kitchen.

FOR THE MEATBALLS:

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 piece of gluten-free bread, grounded into crumbs
• 2 tbsp. yellow curry powder
• 2-3 tbsp. sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp. ground ginger
• 2 tbsp. dried cilantro leaves
• 1 tbsp. black pepper
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp. cumin powder
• 1 tbsp. parsley flakes
• 2 tbsp. onion powder
• 1 tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. cardamom
• 1 tsp. coriander 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Then form/roll into small-medium ball shapes. Place on a baking sheet, and bake meatballs for about 20 minutes. 

Meanwhile, in a large pot on medium temperature, add the following to create the sauce:

• 1/2 carton of vegetable or chicken broth
• 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup gluten-free soy sauce (Wal-mart brand or La Choy)
• 1 tbsp. Colgins Liquid Smoke
• 1 tbsp. fish sauce
• 1 tbsp. sesame seed oil
• 1 tbsp. rice vinegar 

Heat to a boil, then reduce to a low temperature to keep warm. When meatballs are done in the oven, let cool for a few minutes, then add them into the pot with the sauce to coat with the liquid. (You could also do this in a crock pot slow-cooking for hours, but this is a faster version)

SPAGHETTI WITH THE MEATBALLS:
To make this into a meal, place meatballs aside and cook 1 package of rice noodles or Asian Bean Thread noodles in the sauce mixture for a few minutes until tender. Add noodles into a bowl with a few meatballs and top with some fresh chopped cilantro. (Optional: add in some shrimp)

Tuna Cakes

These are so easy, fast and inexpensive to make. Perfect for a weeknight or quick meal. Compare to a crab cake, but much less expensive and just as delicious. And you can really add in whatever you want. This is usually how I make them.

Quick Ingredient Checklist:

• 3 eggs
• 2 cans of tuna, drained
  
• about 1/2-1 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs (or regular for non-Celiacs) (to make your own breadcrumbs: gf bread crumbled fine, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley flakes, Italian seasoning)
  
• garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, black pepper, salt
  
• just a few spinach leaves (optional)
• chopped hot pepper (optional) or a pinch or two of cayenne pepper
  
• parmesan cheese (optional)
  

In a bowl, mix the tuna and eggs until tuna is chopped small and eggs are thoroughly mixed. Mix in the breadcrumbs, spices, spinach, hot pepper or cayenne pepper and parmesan cheese and anything else you wanna throw in to try! If mixture is still too wet, add in more dry ingredients. Form the mixture into pancake shapes. In a frying pan on medium temperature with a little bit of oil lining bottom, fry one cake at a time a few minutes on each side until browned. And that's it!