16 | Father's Day

1 |   Main Dish

BBQ Meatball Sub

My dad isn’t into spicy foods. In fact, I too have a pretty low tolerance for spice. But there was a sandwich place that made a fantastic meatball sub with curry mayonnaise. This is my attempt to replicate that sub sandwich. I’ve learned that I can handle and even enjoy spice when it’s balanced with other flavors. This barbecue meatball and mayonnaise combination has just the right amount of heat.

3 |   Side

Baked Potato Chips

Our family always loved potatoes. Fried, baked, scalloped, mashed- you name it; we ate it. These baked potato chips are one way I hadn’t tried until recently. Baking these thin potato slices has all the crispiness of regular chips, but without all the deep fried mess and oil. There’s just something about these salty, crunchy chips that adds a special touch to this mouthwatering meal.

2 |   Salad

Sweet Potato Cron Salad

Corn is all over in Minnesota. My grandmothers planted tons, and we enjoyed it. When it’s fresh and sweet, I can eat it raw, standing in the garden, right on the cob. Having it in salads is new for me, though. I added sweet potatoes and tomatoes to make a refreshing and delightful salad perfect for a celebration with dad. You might be surprised to find you crave this salad and can’t get enough.

4 |   Dessert

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

These cookies are inspired by my dad’s mother. Her famous raisin cookies were always in a cookie jar on the counter. Cinnamon and raisin are a classic combination, but I’ve substituted raisins for dried cranberries and added an ingredient to make them more irresistible. These cookies will bring back the memories of sitting on the porch chatting away not having a care in the world.

The Meatballs:
1 1/4 cup bread crumbs

1 cup ground pecans

1 teaspoon salt

1 onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoon sage

3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

4 eggs

Sweet ’n’ Spicy BBQ Sauce:
2 cups ketchup

1 cup water

1/2 cup white vinegar

7 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 tablespoon onion powder

1/2 tablespoon ground mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

whole wheat sub or hoagie rolls

shredded lettuce

tomato slices

curry mayo

Curry Mayo:
1 cup mayonnaise

juice from 1 lemon

zest from 1 lemon

2 teaspoon curry powder

2 garlic clove, mashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt

Want to make this dairy or gluten-free? Make your own gluten-free bread crumbs by breaking your favorite gluten-free bread into smaller pieces and placing them onto a baking tray. Bake at 300˚ for about 20 minutes or until the pieces are dried completely. Put the dried bread into a food processor or blender and pulse until you have crumbs. Store the unused bread crumbs in a sealed bag in the freezer for up to 5 months.

Make ahead option– This makes about 18 meatballs. If you have a family of four, make the whole batch. If you are a family of two, prepare the whole batch, but freeze 10 of them for later. Follow the Simple Steps 1-3. Place the baking tray into your freezer for two hours then transfer the “meatballs” to a sealed freezer bag or container. They’ll last in the freezer for 3 months! When you want to bake them, just follow The Simple Steps 4-5.These are also perfect as an appetizer. Simply make them into one inch balls and bake according to The Simple Steps or freeze for later use.

The Simple Steps...

1. Preheat oven to 350˚.

2. In a large mixing bowl, stir all the meatball ingredients together.

3. Use an ice cream scoop to make 18 balls that are about one and a half inches big. The scoop helps to make each “meatball” the same size, and you won’t get your hands all messy! If you don’t have an scoop, use about 2 tablespoons of the mixture per meatball. Place the balls onto a large baking tray with sides.

4. Bake for 10 minutes. Then pour the barbecue sauce over them and cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.

5. Once the meatballs, are cooked you can assemble your sandwich. Spread some curry mayo in the roll, both the top and bottom. Then place three to four meatballs on the roll. Add some lettuce and tomatoes and enjoy!

For Sweet 'n' Spicy BBQ Sauce:
1. Pour all the ingredients into a pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then pour it over meatballs and bake.

For Curry Mayo:
1. Mash garlic into a fine paste with the side of a knife on a cutting board, using salt as an abrasive.

2. Mix all ingredients together.

2 medium sweet potatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 large tomato, chopped into 1/2” chunks

1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped

1 cup frozen corn

1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed (15 oz can)

1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

juice of 1 lime

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

on a bed of baby lettuce

Want to make this dairy or gluten-free? This salad is completely dairy-free and gluten-free already.

Make ahead option– Add all the ingredients except the tomato and store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for put to four days. When you’re ready to eat, add a chopped tomato and stir it all together.

The Simple Steps...

1. Preheat the oven to 425˚.

2. Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch chunks. Place them in a large bowl and toss them with the olive oil, cumin, chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and oregano.

3. Spread the sweet potatoes evenly on a cooking tray. Roast for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Stir them halfway through cooking.

4. While that’s baking, pour the honey, lime juice, and olive oil into the bottom of a large mixing bowl and whisk them to combine.

5. Add the corn, beans, tomato, red onion, and cilantro into the bowl and stir to coat everything with the dressing.

6. When the sweet potatoes are ready, add them to the large bowl and fold them in.

7. Taste. Does it need more salt? Add 1/8 teaspoon salt and toss. Taste again.

2 medium potatoes

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Want to make this dairy or gluten-free? These are a simple dairy and gluten-free side dish.

Make ahead option– These are great fresh from the oven. If you don’t eat them right away, allow them to cool completely then store them in a sealed baggie on the counter for two-three days.

The Simple Steps...

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚.

2. Add the oil to a large zip seal baggie. Scrub and rinse the potatoes to remove all dirt. Slice the potatoes using a mandolin or a vegetable peeler. The thinner the potato slices are the more crisp they will turn out. Toss the potatoes into the baggie, seal it, and shake it to coat them with the oil.

3. Season with half the salt and shake the bag again. Place them in a single layer on two large baking trays. Or if you have a baking stone, use that.

4. Bake them in the oven for 12-15 minutes until golden brown and crispy. The chips in the middle of the pan will take a little longer to crisp up.

5. Remove them from the oven and season the chips with the rest of the salt. Transfer the chips to a wire rack to cool completely.

1 stick of butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened grated coconut

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Want to make this dairy or gluten-free? For a simple dairy-free option, use coconut oil instead of the butter. To replace the egg, use 1 tablespoon ground flax seed mixed with 3 tablespoons warm water; let it sit for one minute before using it. To make this gluten-free, make sure you use gluten-free oats. Use your favorite gluten-free flour blend plus 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum and two tablespoons almond meal.

Make ahead option– Refrigerate the dough in a sealed container for a week and bake a single scoop of dough when you want just one cookie. Freeze the finished cookies or dough in pre-made cookie balls into for up to 2 months. Or keep the cookies on the counter in a cookie jar, tin, or sealed bag.

The Simple Steps...

1. Preheat oven to 400˚. Grease two cookie sheets.

2. In large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light. Beat in egg.

3. In medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, coconut, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add this mixture to the sugar mixture and beat well. Stir in the dried cranberries. Coconut makes these cookies even more chewy and irresistible.

4. Drop about two tablespoons of dough, or use a small scoop, onto the cookie sheet. Make sure each drop of dough is about two inches apart. Make 18 cookies.

5. Bake for 12-15 minutes until light brown. Leave the cookies on the sheet for 2-5 minutes then transfer them to wire racks to cool.