Italian Turkey Meatball Subs

I was really craving meatballs but not sure how I wanted them served.  I was debating "Swedish", "Asian" and the good ole "Italian" with spaghetti.  In the end, I decided to make subs on fresh baguette for the first round.  (I had mozza that needed to be used).  Costco started selling "Rao's" marinara sauce so my workload got a little easier using a jar of it... I was worried they'd be dry because they were so lean so I decided to incorporate some bacon in it.  What I came up with:

Braised Lamb Shanks with Orange Gremolata

I do love fall/winter season for cooking even if this year has brought the second wave of Covid-19 with it. 😢  So many soups, casseroles, stews and comfort food will be filling our days now.  

Sweet & Sour Boneless Pork

I had a pineapple that I needed to find a use for.  I debated over Pina Coladas, ham & pineapple pizza and this.  In the end, this won.  I did a combination of marinade, broiling and then baking.  I served this with fried quinoa in the style of fried rice.

Turkey Vegetable Barley Soup

I made the turkey stock yesterday and added a bag of duck bones I had in the freezer to it as well.  This simmered all day for about 8 hours. I strained it and let it cool in the fridge overnight.  

Thanksgiving: Dry Brined Free Range Turkey

I got my turkey delivered.  It was expensive - 11 pound local bird for $60 but not as expensive as this one was and I had to pick that one up myself.  

Thanksgiving: Gateau di Patate (Italian Potato Cake)

I saw this on food t.v. and couldn't resist making it.  It seemed appropriate for Thanksgiving and it was something new to make.  I love trying a new dish each Thanksgiving.  I ordered the salami from this great local place we have here.  I baked this with the roasted veggies and stuffing while the turkey was resting. I also made this the day before so all I would have to do is bake it at dinner time.  I had a shit load of stuff going for a 2 people dinner.  😜  Doing most of the prep early was really helpful...

Thanksgiving: Spiced Rum Bananas Foster

Instead of pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving, I decided to do Bananas Foster.  This is a favorite of my sons.  I followed this recipe though it's pretty straight forward to guess on your own if you've had it before.  I bought Duncan Hines yellow cake mix and made a pound cake with their recipe for it.  I made the cake the day before and froze half of it for another time, the rest was wrapped in Saran and put in the fridge. 

One-Pot Ground Turkey Chili with Quinoa

 I wanted to make an easy healthy meal that wouldn't have many leftovers.  I came up with this:

Brie Cheese Pull-Apart Bread

I've always wanted to make this.  Usually want to do it at Christmas time but haven't yet as it isn't the "heathiest" to say the least, and that time of year is usually bad enough with all I do.  However, I saw that this great bakery by my house was selling this for a limited time.  I thought the splurge would be now.  They described it as:  "A delicious sourdough loaf made with Sifted Red Spring Wheat Flour, a small touch of chili flakes and loaded with Golden Ears Cheesecrafters Havarti and Cheddar Cheese".  $12!!!  Below shot is after picking it up, still warm. This would be served with homemade tomato soup.