Category: Meat & Poultry

Turkey Meatballs with
Red Wine Cranberry Marinara

Ah the classic childhood favorite, meatballs! We all love them, but we get so bored of them, don’t we? I’m always trying to reinvent the classic meatball, whether it’s quick and easy lazy beef meatballs, melt-in-your-mouth veal meatballs, or even baked chicken meatballs, there’s something for everyone. One thing I hadn’t tackled yet is turkey meatballs.

Now when KOL Foods sends you 100% pasture raised ground turkey, you can’t just make any meatball. You gotta be good to your meat (or in this case, poultry) and make sure it doesn’t dry out! And that my friends, can only be done with REAL bread. Yes, real, organic, GMO-free poultry deserves only the best, so mass-produced dry breadcrumbs just doesn’t cut it. Soaking the bread in almond milk creates a wet binder to keep the turkey super moist. Say goodbye to the dry, bland turkey balls of your past because KOL turkey is about to change your meatball horrors forever!

Now the perfect, moist turkey ball can’t just swim in boring old marinara either. I had to up the ante on that too, starting with a Casa Del Cielo Cabernet reduction from kosherwine.com. You can’t go wrong with cabernet now can you? The red wine reduction gives the marinara a great depth of flavor, and the addition of cranberry sauce just brings everything together for a thick and rich sauce.

It’s not every day that I spike my marinara with cabernet, but KOL is hosting a special Rosh Hashanah Cooking with Wine contest, and I created this recipe in it’s honor! They’ve got a whole roundup of recipes featuring different wines from kosherwine.com, so head on over to the contest page to check them out! You can also enter their GIVEAWAY to win $150 gift certificates to KOL Foods and KosherWine.com! Click here to enter!

Can you believe someone is already having a Rosh Hashanah giveaway? Are the high holidays really just around the corner?! {Insert Meltdown}… Bring on the kosher wine ‘cuz I’m going to need a few glasses!

Speaking of the holidays and wine, I’ve got plenty of boozy recipes on the blog, like this mulled wine cranberry sauce, cherries in red wine syrup, and my very first blog post ever (!!) chicken with port wine cherry sauce. This honey roasted za’atar chicken with red wine and dried fruit is my favorite Rosh Hashanah dish, and these Moscato poached apricots make the most of the summer fruit before they go out of season.

Whether you’re cooking with wine this holiday or not, we can all use a glass or two (or three), especially with the month-long cookfest that’s coming up soon, so lets raise a glass…L’chaim!

Turkey Meatballs with Red Wine Cranberry Marinara

Enter the Cooking with Wine Giveaway to win $150 worth of grass-fed meat/poultry from KOL Foods or $150 to spend at KosherWine.com!

for the meatballs:

1.5 lbs. KOL Foods ground turkey
3 cups bread, cut into cubes (use bread that is at least a day old)
1/2 cup almond milk
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
kosher salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup pine nuts, optional
3 tbsp olive oil

for the red wine cranberry marinara:

1 medium onion, diced small
1/3 cup dried cranberries or cherries
1 cup Casa Del Cielo cabernet sauvignon
1 15oz. can tomato sauce
1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
1/2 tsp allspice
juice of 1/2 lemon
kosher salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

In a small bowl, soak the bread in almond milk until wet and squeeze to remove most of the milk.

In a large bowl, combine the turkey, bread, egg, garlic, parsley, pine nuts (optional), salt and pepper. Mix with your hands to incorporate.

Using wet hands, form the mixture into small meatballs. If the meatballs start to stick to your hands, just rinse your hands again with water.

Heat a large skillet with oil and brown the meatballs in batches, so that they are golden on all sides. Set the meatballs aside.

In the same pan, add the onion and saute until golden (add more oil if needed). Add the dried cherries and wine and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook until the wine is reduced by half. Add the remaining sauce ingredients, stirring to combine, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through and glazed with sauce. Serve immediately.

NOTE: if you like a lot of sauce with your meatballs, you may double the sauce recipe.

TIP: If your sauce gets too thick, add a bit of water to thin it out.

This post is sponsored by KOL Foods & kosherwine.com. All opinions are my own. 

Related Recipes:

melt-in-your-mouth veal meatballs
2-ingredient lazy meatballs
baked chicken meatballs

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Beer & Franks Baked Beans

With Father’s Day soon approaching, I was wracking my brain trying to think of the most serious guy food I could come up with. It’s BBQ season after all, and there’s nothing that guys like more than to sit back with an ice cold beer and some hot dogs, am I right? A side of baked beans or chili doesn’t hurt either, so I decided to mix it all together for some serious guy grub – beer and franks baked beans, can I get an Amen?!

To really up the ante on this beer-franks-beans mashup, I used beer infused hot dogs from my favorite brand, Abeles & Heymann. They also make whiskey infused dogs, so if you want to try for a bourbon version, go right ahead!

The thing about these baked beans, is that they’re not really baked, in fact, they come together quickly on the stovetop. And they really do taste like beer. So if you don’t like thick creamy stout as much as I do, go ahead and use stock instead. The brown sugar and molasses add such great flavor, you won’t even miss the beer! (Although if you’re serving this up for dad, he might!)

Now honestly this was first try at making baked beans from scratch (well semi-scratch if you count the fact that I used canned beans instead of dried). I usually just buy a can of baked beans and heat it up on the stovetop, straight from the can. That’s the way my mom always did it, campfire-style, and that’s the way I do it too!

Making from-scratch beans wasn’t hard at all, it came together in no time! I love how the franks turn it into an all out meal, and I served it over mashed potatoes for some serious comfort food. My kids gobbled up their beer-infused-dinner, none-the-wiser, but I wondered if they were a wee bit tipsy, or if it was all the candy they had consumed from their last-day-of-school-parties (what’s up with that, by the way?!). If you’re worried about all that alcohol (as not all of it will burn off during cooking), you can make these adult-only. Don’t you just love the idea of spiked beans?

Now that I’ve made beer infused baked beans, I’ve got all sorts of spiked foods up my blogger sleeve! Considering how viral my drunken hasselback salami went, I’m pretty sure you’re all liking it too!

Happy Father’s Day ya’ll! Have fun, stay safe, and don’t get too drunk on these boozy beans!

Beer & Franks Baked Beans

1 small onion, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 15oz. cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 12oz. pkg Abeles & Heymann beer flavored hot dogs
1 1/2 bottles beer (from 12oz. bottles, use the leftovers for drinking!)
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
pinch of cayenne, optional

Method:

Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Add the tomato paste and saute for a few minutes to caramelize. Add the remaining ingredients and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Allow it to boil for a few minutes so some of the alcohol cooks out. Reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the mixture thickens to a saucy consistency.

ALCOHOL-FREE-OPTION: Use 2 1/2 cups of stock instead of beer. Simmer until the mixture thickens to a saucy consistency.

VARIATION: Use Abeles & Heymann’s no-nitrate hot dogs for a healthier alternative.

NOTE: This recipe is on the sweet side. If desired, saute a chopped jalapeno with the onion/garlic for added heat.


This post is sponsored by Abeles & Heymann. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter! 

Other Hot Dog Recipes:

hot dog eggrolls
bunless fajita dogs
spiralized spud dogs
kid-friendly dirty rice
fire roasted tomato rice stoup with franks

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Bunless Fajita Dogs

What a week it’s been! I was lucky enough to attend a fabulous food photography class by Andrew Scrivani, food photographer extraordinaire and regular contributor to The New York Times. The class was hosted at the B&H Photo Event Space, which offers lots of free seminars and inspirational lectures. It was my first time going, and I’m definitely going to keep my eye out for more great workshops!

I took a lot out of the class, and I’m sharing it with you here, mostly in my pictures. Andrew spoke about many different aspects of food photography, but what really got me was how he said that our food photos should tell a story. They should evoke emotion in the reader, drawing them into the photo and the scene. I’m only fairly new to “decent” food photography, I’m slowly learning and growing with each blog post, but I really tried to incorporate that into these photos. Let me know what you think!

Now aside from the amazing food photography class, I also took part in a really fun fundraising event for the Ha’or Beacon school. I had never heard of Ha’or Beacon before, but just working with the thoughtful and caring staff on the Culinary for a Cause fundraiser, gave me a small glimpse into the type of people running the special needs school. Aside for a Chinese Auction, the entertainment for the evening was a roundup of cooking demonstrations by yours truly and a few other famous kosher foodies, including OvertimeCook, The Aussie Gourmet, Dini Delivers, Joy of Kosher Magazine Editor, Shifra Klein, and Victoria Dweck, cookbook author and editor of Ami Magazine.

Each of us was assigned a different course to demonstrate including Hors D’oeuvres, Appetizer, Entree, Side Dishes and Dessert. I made the hors d’oeuvres of mini Asian turkey sliders on a cauliflower bun with quick pickled cucumbers and spicy mayo. I really wanted to show people how easy it to make cauliflower-everything (rice, couscous, pizza crust and buns) so I decided on that dish. Needless to say, it was super fun and great to meet so many of my fans!

Now the one thing I didn’t do at the event, was eat. Yes, I tried my turkey sliders but Victoria’s braised short ribs were off limits, not to mention Dini’s quinoa-corn cakes and Miriam’s chocolate crepes. I’m going strong on The South Beach Diet, and I won’t cheat for ‘nothin!


In fact, I’ve really upped my ante by joining a fitness regimen at The Space Brooklyn. They are hosting a 60 day challenge, where they are encouraging participants to get healthy via the mind and body by doing 30 workouts in 60 days. Their amazing lineup of classes helps me mix it up, so that I’m not bored or dreading my workouts. So far I’ve done a yoga class, a circus arts class, a barre burn class, and pilates is on the schedule for tomorrow.

I’m charlie horse in muscles that I didn’t know existed, but I feel so strong and healthy! I’m looking forward to attending some of the other nutrition-based classes that they are featuring during the #30in60 campaign (one of which will include me and my spiralizer!)

So, back to the food, ‘cuz that’s what it always boils down to, right?! Today I’m sharing a favorite dish and a favorite trick. First, how on earth will I get through BBQ season on South Beach?! Well, I”ll tell you…BUNLESS HOT DOGS are the thing! Turning your hot,dog into its own bun is a diet lifesaver! You’ll be amazed at how a simple slit in your hot dog will open up when it’s heated and the filling possibilities are endless!


Fajita spiced peppers and onions are my absolute fave, and I’m sharing my own homemade spice mix below! With no carbs or MSG, it’s great on chicken or beef, perfect in tacos, and definitely over hot dogs. Finish with some sauerkraut (fermented foods are top of the food chain these days) and salsa, and you’ve got yourself a carbless meal that’s filling AND delicious!



Bunless hot dogs are best made with a nice hefty dog, so Abeles & Heymann’s knockwurst are my go-to. I love that they use natural nitrates found in celery and cherry, so there’s nothing artificial about them. In fact, ever since I went down to the factory for a tour, I don’t feel guilty about eating hot dogs at all. They start with real pieces of meat, not the fatty trimmings that I always imagined, to produce an extremely flavorful dog that is unmatched in the kosher industry. Quality and flavor? I”ll take two, please.

What’s your favorite way to top off your hot dog? Share it with me in the comments below!

Bunless Fajita Dogs

1 package Abeles & Heymann no-nitrate-added beef knockwurst
1 red pepper, sliced into strips
1 green pepper, sliced into strips
1 yellow pepper, sliced into strips
1 large Spanish onion, sliced into strips (root to tip)
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 heaping tbsp fajita spice (recipe follows)
1/2 cup sauerkraut
1/2 cup black beans
1/2 cup salsa

Method:

Add olive oil to a heated wok and saute the onions and peppers over high heat until the onions are translucent and the peppers start to soften. Add fajita spice and continue to saute until tender. Remove the fajita peppers to a bowl and reserve.

Cut the knockwurst lengthwise, being careful not to cut all the way through. Add a bit more oil to the wok and sear the hot dog over medium heat (or on the grill). As the hot dog heats up, it will split open. Turn the hot dog over to sear the other side and repeat with remaining hot dogs. Stuff the hot dogs with fajita pepper mix, top with sauerkraut, black beans and salsa. Serve warm.

Homemade Fajita Spice

2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 tsp kosher salt

Mix to combine and store in an airtight container. Makes 5 tablespoons.

FOR A LIMITED TIME, GET 15% OFF YOUR ABELES & HEYMANN ONLINE ORDER USING COUPON CODE “BUSY”!

This post is sponsored by Abeles & Heymann. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter! 

Other Hot Dog Recipes:

hot dog eggrolls
spiralized spud dogs
kid friendly dirty rice
fire roasted tomato rice stoup

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Beer Battered Salami Chips with Beer Mustard

Oh yes I did. I made SALAMI. ON. STEROIDS.

And I didn’t have much choice either. I mean, there’s pretty much no outdoing my drunken hasselback salami, so I had to go there. And by there I mean, the deep fryer.

Ever since I read about a not-so-well-known custom to eat salami on Purim (to commemorate the hanging of HAMAN…hanging….salami….get it?), I’ve been banging out salami recipes for the holiday. Truth be told, I have no idea if this is a real thing, or if I happened upon a practical joke, but regardless, this taking-salami-to-the-next-level challenge has been a blast.

And it’s so ironic because I literally hated salami growing up. My mom used to feed us salami sandwiches for lunch every Friday afternoon. She’d smear ketchup on rye and top it with thick slices of salami all wrapped up in a foil package so we could take it along as we played in the courtyard of our building. One at a time, we’d chuck those salami sandwiches down the incinerator, and my mom was none the wiser! Fast forward some 20+ years and here. I. am.

Now when I think about this recipe, I have to admit, it’s like the ultimate guy food. It’s got beer, salami and it’s fried. I mean, seriously, could you ask for anything more?

Apparently you can. Because, not only did I come up with the ultimate finger food, I even made a beer dipping sauce, just to take the whole Purim thing over the top. Because that’s the way I roll. Or hang, apparently.

I’ve never made mustard from scratch before so I was excited to give it a try. There’s something really interesting I discovered about mustard in this recipe creation process. When mustard is exposed to heat, it loses it’s potency. (Same goes for horseradish and wasabi by the way)! I learned this by trying the same mustard recipe two ways – one used a bit more beer so I reduced it over heat, and the other I blended in the food processor to thicken, using no heat. The results were astounding! The blended mustard is super hot, while the cooked mustard is mildly sweet with little heat. Pretty awesome, right?

When the crispy salami and beer mustard meet, it’s the ultimate marriage. And it’s not just any salami, by the way. I used my favorite brand, Abeles & Heymann, because after visiting their factory a few months ago, and watching the salami-making process with my own eyes, I know their salami is made with the highest quality ingredients from start to finish!

And I wouldn’t think of coating that salami in anything less than the perfect crispy batter – which is what you get from beer batter. It’s super light and crisp, and let’s not forget, easy! Beer batter is just flour and beer and that’s it. Because the salami is packed with flavor, I don’t add much else, but you can always add a pinch of cayenne for some heat, if you’d like.

Now that we have the ultimate party food, lets discuss the Jewish holiday of Purim for a second! The Purim celebration is based upon the biblical Book of Esther, which recounts the story of Queen Esther and how she saved the Jewish people from annihilation at the hands of Haman (after whom the HAMANtasch is named). We celebrate with a festive feast (where these salami chips must make an appearance!), sending food gifts to family and friends, drinking until we don’t know the difference between the evil HAMAN and the righteous MOREDECHAI, and of course, dressing up as characters in the Purim story.

Growing up, Purim was always our favorite holiday, and you can imagine why. We got to dress up, deliver goodies to our friends and gorge on hamantaschen. As an adult, I love to put my own twist on the holiday with creative themes on my food gifts, fun twists on holiday cocktails and of course, crazy spins on salami!

If you live in Brooklyn, Queens or The Five Towns, be sure to check out my other salami recipe in the all new FYI Magazine! I’m so excited to join the team of FYI as the food editor, with a column for Fast & Fresh recipes as well as a Nutritious and Delicious section. This month, I’ve got a quick and easy salami quiche as well as a Persian twist on dried fruit truffles – perfect for your Purim feast or your Mishloach Manos.

Whether you choose to take on the Purim salami tradition or not, just remember to have fun and be joyous, because that’s what this holiday is all about! :) Happy Purim!

Beer Battered Salami Chips

1 16oz. Abeles & Heymann salami, sliced
1 cup all purpose flour
1 12oz. bottle of beer, ale preferred
pinch of salt

Method:

Add the flour and salt to a bowl and whisk to combine. Pour in the beer and stir until a thick batter forms. It should be a little thicker than pancake batter. You’ll need most of the bottle of beer (with about 1/2 cup left over).

Heat a few inches of oil in a saucepan to 350 degrees.

Dip the salami slices in the beer batter and place in the hot oil. Fry a few at a time until golden brown on one side, and then flip over to brown the other side. Remove with a slotted spoon or spider and drain on paper towels. To keep the salami chips crisp, remove from the paper towels and place on a rack.

Beer Mustard, Two Ways

1/2 cup yellow mustard seeds
1 12 oz. beer, ale preferred
3 tbsp mustard powder
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 heaping tbsp honey
1/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp salt

For sweet mustard, soak the mustard seeds in the beer overnight. Place the mustard seeds with the soaking liquid and all the remaining ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to break up the bubbles. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the mixture has reduced and thickened. Stir occasionally, so the mustard seeds don’t burn or stick to the bottom of the pan. Be sure not to thicken the mustard too much as it will thicken more once cooled.

For spicy mustard (VERY SPICY!), soak the mustard seeds in 1 cup of beer (not the whole bottle) overnight. Place the mustard seeds with the soaking liquid and the remaining ingredients (excluding the leftover beer) in a food processor. Blend until the mustard seeds break down and the mixture thickens (it will thicken more in the fridge).

For either mustard, store in a glass jar in the fridge, giving it a few days for the flavors to meld and develop.

FOR A LIMITED TIME, GET 15% OFF YOUR ABELES & HEYMANN ONLINE ORDER USING COUPON CODE “BUSY”!

Salami making at the Abeles & Heymann factory with owner, Seth Levitt! This is the first and last time you will see me in a lab coat and hairnet ;)

This post is sponsored by Abeles & Heymann. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter! 

Other Salami Recipes:

drunken hasselback salami
baked salami chips with dijon dipping sauce

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Tortilla Crusted Chicken Fingers (Baked!)

Wait. Stop. I know what you’re thinking. These look EXACTLY like KFC chicken tenders, now how did she do that?! I’m an accidental genius, that’s how (and a very humble one at that). Read on.

These crazy, amazing, oven-fried crispiest-ever chicken fingers where never supposed to happen. It was around the holidays, Succot to be exact, and I decided to go with a Mexican-themed menu. We’d already had so many meals and I needed a break from the traditional! I made blackened fish tacos, guacamole, taco salad, black bean & chorizo chocolate chili, cornbread, empanadas, and Mexican hot chocolate brownies. Now there was lots of meat going on, but not much in the form of chicken, so I wanted to make sure we had something kid-friendly that matched the Mexican theme. I looked through my pantry for something “corny” and found a half-eaten bag of BBQ tortilla chips – perfect! OK maybe BBQ tortilla chips are not authentically Mexican but I figured it could pass.

And pass it did. Those chicken fingers never even made it to the table. They got passed around and were gone in seconds. And the crazy part is – I made them the most untraditional way – by dipping the chicken in oil instead of egg.

My youngest is allergic, and I wanted to make sure there was something for him to enjoy, so I decided to forgo the egg-dipping and just go for some oil as a binder. True oil is not as sticky as egg, so the chips did not adhere as well – but they were super ultra crispy.

They were also super ultra tasty – because I used BBQ tortilla chips instead of the plain old boring ones. The BBQ seasoning gives the chips a nice color, so even though they’re baked, they look fried. Just like those crispy cornflake chicken tenders you drool over in every fast food commercial.

Speaking of commercials, I had wanted to get these up for Superbowl Sunday this week, but they just didn’t make it. Maybe that’s because I, nor anyone I know, is interested in the game. We’re more like social media geeks than sports fanatics so if you ask my husband and I who played, we have no idea. The only thing I know about Superbowl Sunday is that Katie Perry wore a yalmulkah dress! And I only know that ‘cuz it was all over my whatsapp!

Superbowl or not, these crispy oven-fried chicken tenders are the perfect appetizer for any party. They also make the best child-friendly dinner, with a mayo-salsa sauce for dipping. My picky-eaters loved them, and I’m sure yours will too!

Tortilla Crusted Chicken Fingers

1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 eggs, lightly whisked
1 bag BBQ tortilla chips
cooking spray
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup salsa

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour the tortilla chips into a ziploc bag and crush with your hands until completely broken apart into small bits. Set up a dredging station with the chicken strips, eggs and tortilla chips each in a separate dish. Dip the chicken into the egg and then into the tortilla chips, pressing down so the chips stick to the chicken. Place the crusted chicken strips on a well-greased baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray and bake for approximately 20 minutes, until chicken is crispy and cooked through. For best results, serve immediately or remove to a cooling rack so chicken remains crispy.

For the dipping sauce, combine the mayonnaise with the salsa and mix.

EGG-FREE VARIATION: Dip the chicken strips in oil instead of egg and proceed as above.

Related Recipes:

french fried chicken nuggets
nut crusted shnitzel

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