• whole wheat olive oil buns
• marinara sauce
• turkey meatballs
• mozzarella cheese, sliced (optional)
• olives, sliced (optional)

Slice a bun on the horizontal nearly completely in half, leaving the crust intact on one side. Place a slice of cheese, if using, on the bottom bun. Top the cheese with a couple of spoonfuls of marinara sauce. Add a pair of meatballs. Next, dip two sliced olives into sauce and stick them to the meatballs to make them look like eyeballs. Close the top of the bun over the meatballs and serve.

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Whole Wheat Olive Oil Buns [Vegan]

(makes 16 buns)

• 1 cup rice milk, room temperature (+ 1 tablespoon for glazing the buns before baking)
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons quick rise yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground kosher salt (+ some for garnish)

Line a 9″x13″ baking pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, yeast and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together the milk, water, oil and brown sugar and warm it in the microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir the warm milk mixture into the flour mixture and once it starts to come together, knead it for 5-7 minutes either by hand on a lightly floured surface or with a dough hook in your stand mixer.

When the dough is smooth and elastic, divide it into 16 equal pieces and shape them each into a mini hot dog bun. Place each bun into the prepared pan, spaced evenly apart, and loosely drape a damp tea towel or sheet of plastic wrap over top. Let rest and rise in a draft-free, warm spot in your kitchen for 20-30 minutes until they double in size.

While the buns are resting, fill a medium-sized roasting pan half-full with water and place it at the bottom of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400F.

When the buns are ready for baking, brush the tops with a little rice milk and sprinkle a little additional salt over top. Bake for 25-35 minutes until buns are crisp and golden. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Easy Marinara Sauce

• a few glugs of olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 cups tomato passata with basil
• 1/2 cup red wine, optional

Heat the oil over medium heat in a frying pan or saucepan. Add the garlic and cook, turning it often, until golden.  Remove the garlic and pour in the passata and wine, if using. Stir and simmer over medium heat for 10-15 minutes. Serve on meatball sliders or over pasta.

Baked Turkey Meatballs

(makes 35-45 meatballs)
adapted from these chicken meatballs

• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-3 tbsp parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 1-2 medium-sized button or cremini mushrooms, finely chopped or shredded
• 3-4 heaping tbsp whole wheat breadcrumbs (toast 1 slice of bread and chop finely)
• 1/4 cup worcestershire sauce (about 20 shakes from the Lea & Perrins bottle)
• 1/4 cup bacon or pancetta, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• pinch or two of salt
• 1 lb ground turkey, still refrigerated

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Heat the oven to 400F.

Next, mix everything except for the turkey in a medium-sized bowl. Once the mixture is well combined, add the turkey to the bowl. Using your hands, combine it well with the rest of the ingredients. Divide the mixture into 4 equal parts.

Place one of the 4 parts of the mixture on to a prepared baking sheet and shape it into a long rope, about 1-1 1/2 inches thick. Repeat with the other 3 parts so there are 2 ropes per baking sheet. Cut each rope into 9 or 10 equal pieces. Then, move each piece, gently shaping it slightly as you go, to space them evenly around the baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, turning them once after 10 minutes. Serve hot, in a meatball sub, with pasta and sauce, or hot or cold on their own.