Chicken Meatballs
Using a few tricks and ingredients, this chicken meatball recipe cracks the impossible code of delivering the flavor, moisture, and tenderness of the traditional beef/pork meatball, with about half the calories and fat.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup parmesan
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1Tbsp italian seasoning
1 1/2 lbs Roberts' italian sausage (available in a wide variety of flavors/spicyness)
1 egg
1/2 yellow onion, shredded
1/2 cup part-skim mozzerella
1/4 corn starch
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 jar store-bought marinara sauce
Directions:
Using your hands or a stand-mixer, combine the first seven ingredients in a large bowl and mix well until combined. Add chicken, egg, onion, and mozzerella, and mix until just barely combined. DON'T OVERMIX! (makes for tough meatballs)
Using medium-sized ice-cream scooper, scoop out meat mixture and form into balls, using hands (should make about 18), and set on a plate. Refrigerate for half an hour.
Roll meatballs in corn starch, shaking off excess, using hands. Meanwhile, start heating oil over medium-high heat in a large, shallow, stainless steel pan. Place meatballs in pan and cook covered for 10-12 minutes, turning (or shake the pan) every 3-4 minutes, until all sides are browned.
Add marinara sauce to pan. If there are any bits of meatball stuck to the pan, scrape it off using a wooden spoon (that's flavor!). Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook for about 20 minutes, covered.
Serve over your favorite whole wheat pasta or whole-wheat hoagie bun, and enjoy!
I know what you're thinking. You're angry, and I'm sorry. I know it's a terrible pun, but aren't I entitled to one bad Jeremy Lin pun. Oh, it's not the pun you're angry about? You're upset because I'm about to compare Knicks' point guard sensation, Jeremy Lin, to Jackie Robinson, the legendary Dodger who broke the color barrier in baseball. You're saying that comparison is crazy and an insult to Robinson. Well, it's not crazy and it's actually a compliment to Robinson's legacy.
Floyd Mayweather Jr., while maybe by accident, was partly correct when he tweeted that Lin was only getting so much attention because he was Asian. It's not the only reason, but race is a factor and that's a good thing. Lin is the first ever American-born Asian NBA player. He is the one and only; the very definition of unique, and unique is a story. Also a story, is that he's doing some pretty damn impressive things, just like Robinson did when broke on the scene. As long as people handle it respectfully, or at least try to, it's a celebration that the game is more diverse today than it was yesterday. The fact that professional sports, and all avenues of success, continue to open up to more and more people of every race, creed, and color, is a very testament to the struggle of people like Jackie Robinson.
Also a testament to Robinson is the fact that Lin didn't have to go through the same struggles Robinson did to break the 'color barrier' in the NBA. Open racism is frowned upon now, and instituional racism is outright illegal, because of the progress we've made as a country thanks to Jackie Robinson and other civil rights leaders. But that doesn't mean that race and racism isn't, and hasn't been, something that Lin has had to overcome. Everyday we see another comment, headline, etc. that comes off as (at the very least, possibly) racist, sometimes seemingly by accident. You don't think he sees that? You don't think it affects him?
And if the kid is for real, what reason is there, other than race, that he was overlooked coming out of High School and college? Scouts, coaches, and even fans had never seen a great, or even good, Asian-American basketball player, so they just assumed there weren't any and immediately discounted him. Lin fell victim to the same type of thinking that said black people can't play quarterback in the NFL, and a long list of stereotypes that continue to be proven untrue.
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
8 oz. pit-smoked ham, chopped (from Roberts')
1 stalk of celery, finely diced
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
1 Tbsp green pepper, finely diced
1 Tbsp red pepper, finely diced
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 tsp paprika
1 medium potato, diced
300 g frozen corn
2 Tbsp flour
2 cups 1% milk
1 cup water
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
1/4 cup finely shredded low-fat cheddar
Directions:
Heat oil in a medium saucepan. Add ham and saute for 1 minute. Add celery, onion, and peppers, and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add corn, potatoes, salt, pepper, and paprika, and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add flour and saute for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until flour just starts to brown slightly.
Add milk and water and stir constantly, scraping the bottom of the pot with your spoon or whisk, until mixture comes to a boil and starts to thicken. Reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered, for about 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Add more salt & pepper, if needed.
Serve garnished with a pinch cheese and a pinch of parsley.
(One 2-cup serving is a meal in a bowl and only about 250 calories!)
We all know the old Vince Lombardi quote "winning isn't everything, it's the only thing". I don't think rooting for cheaters and making them the face of your franchise is what Mr. Lombardi had in mind when he said that. That's exactly what the Brewers have done in putting Ryan Braun on the cover of their 2012 media guide. Now granted, the verdict of Braun's appeal of a positive test for a banned substance is yet to come down and he could be found innocent.
The Brewers though, have apparently decided to go ahead with the reigning NL MVP as their representative, regardess of the outcome of that appeal. And I've heard numerous fans say they're in Braun's corner, no matter what. I have no doubt those are some of the same fans who were upset when Brandon Jennings tweeted that he is not a role model and when numerous athletes expressed the same sentiment. If the Brewers and their fans are serious about competing with integrity and teaching "little Brewers" to do the same, he not only would not be the face of the franchise (if guilty) and he not only would not get your cheers and support. He would not even be on the team when it comes down to it. Yes, I'm saying trade Ryan Braun.
Let him be someone else's cheater and win, lose, or draw with your head held high, knowing you did it right. Otherwise, the Brewers and Brewers fans hand over their right to ever complain about other teams cheating and other fanbases being "classless" or "clueless". You're lumping yourself in with teams and fanbases like the Cardinals, Giants, and Cubs, who have been blasted for supporting the likes of Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, and Sammy Sosa. I'm not saying you can't believe Ryan Braun when he says he's innocent or that you shouldn't support Braun and the Brewers. I'm just saying be consistent.
Ingredients:
3 pre-marinated tomato-basil chicken breasts, grilled (from Roberts')
1 6-oz jar artichoke hearts, undrained
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1/2 medium red onion, sliced
1 pre-baked or homemade whole-wheat pizza crust
4 roma tomatoes, sliced
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzerella, part skim
Directions:
Preheat oven to 475 degrees. If you have a pizza stone, put it in the oven to heat up. If you don't, you should invest in one. Cut chicken in 3/4 inch pieces. Drain artichoke hearts, reserving liquid. Coarsely chop artichoke hearts.
Place artichoke liquid in a non-stick skillet and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute. Add chicken, garlic, and onions to skillet. Cook 3-5 minutes, stir in artichokes hearts. Remove from heat.
Place pizza crust on baking-sheet. Top evenly with tomato slices. Top with chciken mixture, sprinkle on basil, and top with cheese. Bake 12-17 minutes until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly and starting to brown. Slice, serve up, and enjoy!
Tip: If you don't mind it not being quite as light, add bacon to the toppings.
Being the prolific businessman that he is, Nike chairman Phil Knight should have known better when he said "There is a villain in this tragedy that lies in that [the Jerry Sandusky] investigation, not in Joe Paterno's response to it." at Paterno's memorial service. And I don't mean he should've known better than to alienate potential customers by standing in defense of a man who aided and abbedded in child-rape. I mean that he should know a thing or two about hierarchy. What Knight, and all Paterno legacy-defenders, miss with statements like this, that pass the buck to Paterno's 'superiors', is that Paterno has no superiors. If Knight (you or anyone else) are ever confused of who's the boss in a given situation, ask just one question. If two parties can't co-exist, who's gotta go? Whoever is left standing is the boss. When a player and coach butt heads and the coach gets fired, that coach was never really in charge (i.e Paul Westphal, Demarcus Cousins). Joe Paterno was almost untouchable and un-fireable. Paterno's superiors couldn't give him his walking papers when he couldn't even do his job from the sideline anymore and was forced up to the press-box, where there was a bathroom more conveniently located. His supporters flooded the streets of State College PA. and reacted vilolently when Paterno was fired for contributing to the cover-up of child-rape. What would be a good reason for those idiots? Knight seems to think that there's only one person, institution, or authority to blame in this whole mess. When you're talking about something as heinous as what we're talking about here and it's covered up, there's plenty of blame to go around. The thing that sets Paterno apart is a.) People expected better from such a figure and b.)He had as much, if not more, authority than anyone on that campus and possibly in that state, and therefore had as much, if not more, power than anyone to stop it.
2 links chicken italian sausage (from Roberts') removed from casing
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1/3 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 28-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 15-ounce can low-sodium kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup diced potatoes
1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook just until it starts to brown. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add the celery and carrot and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the green beans, dried oregano and basil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste; cook 3 more minutes.
Add the diced and crushed tomatoes and the chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in the kidney beans and potatoes and cook until the potatoes and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt. Ladle into bowls and top with the parmesan and chopped basil.
