Dinners

Perfect for a crowd or small group, these meatballs come together in no time. You can make them ahead and store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to serve. We prepare them with wheat germ instead of bread crumbs for an extra boost of vitamin E, folic acid and other nutrients.

6 main-dish servings (12 appetizer servings)

Meatballs

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 small onion, peeled and grated (about 2 tablespoons)

1 egg

1/3 cup Kretschmer Original Toasted Wheat Germ

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon dried parsley

Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

28-ounce can tomato puree

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 can whole cranberry sauce

1 cup sauerkraut

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 bay leaf, optional

Preheat oven to 375° F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.

To prepare the meatballs, in large bowl mix beef, onion, egg, wheat germ, mustard, pepper and parsley. Using 1/4-cup ice cream scoop or your hands, make 24 equal-size meatballs (about 1 inch in diameter). Place on prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

While meatballs are cooking, prepare sauce. Heat olive oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Turn heat down to medium low, add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes until onion is caramelized. Turn heat up to medium, add tomato puree and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in brown sugar, cranberry sauce, sauerkraut, lemon juice and bay leaf.

Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes. Add cooked meatballs and heat for 10 minutes on low. Serve hot.

Eggplant parmesan, delicious as it is, is often packed with fat and calories. To make ours more nutritious, we bake the eggplant instead of fry it and add wheat germ to the breading. Make it a day ahead and enjoy it during the week-it gets better each day! Store what you can't finish in the freezer and reheat it in the microwave or the oven.

Makes 8 servings

2 pounds medium eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds (about 2 eggplants)

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 small onion, peeled and chopped (about 3/4 cup

2 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes

10 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces

2 large eggs

1 cup plain breadcrumbs

1/2 cup Kretschmer Original Toasted Wheat Germ

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2/3 cup Parmesan cheese

8 ounces shredded fresh mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Toss eggplant with 1 teaspoon salt in large bowl. Spread slices in single layer on two trays lined with paper towels and let sit for 30 minutes. (Eggplant will begin to release moisture.)

While eggplant drains, prepare sauce. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to medium pot and heat over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes until onion is softened.

Add both cans of tomatoes and basil leaves to pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes. Turn heat off and let sauce sit until ready to use. (Sauce can be made up to three days in advance.)

Place 2 oven racks in middle of oven and preheat oven to 400° F.

Crack eggs into shallow bowl and whisk lightly. In another shallow bowl, mix together bread crumbs, wheat germ and pepper.

Prepare 2 rimmed baking sheets by brushing 1 tablespoon olive oil onto each pan.

Working with 1 slice at a time, dip eggplant in egg, letting excess drip off, and dredge in breadcrumb and wheat germ mixture until evenly coated. Transfer eggplant to baking sheet, arranging slices in a single layer.

Bake eggplant 30 minutes until golden brown, flipping eggplant and switching the upper and lower trays after 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.

Reduce oven heat to 350° F. Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in bottom of an 11 x 7-inch rectangular baking dish. Arrange 1/3 of eggplant slices in 1 layer over sauce, overlapping slightly if necessary. Cover eggplant with 1/3 of the mozzarella and 1/3 of the parmesan. Repeat layer twice, ending with cheese. Bake uncovered until cheese is melted and lightly brown and sauce and eggplant are hot, about 30 minutes.

Nutritious black rice, also known as purple rice or forbidden rice, typically turns deep purple when cooked. Its mild and nutty flavor pairs well with wheat germ. Shrimp, mango and cilantro top this colorful dish that’s as pretty as it is tasty.

Serves 4

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1 cup black rice

3 tablespoons Kretschmer Original Toasted Wheat Germ

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 large garlic clove, sliced

1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

2 green onions, sliced

1 pound medium shrimp, shells removed

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce or tamari

1 tablespoon lime juice

4 teaspoons chopped cilantro

1/4 cup diced mango or more to taste

In medium saucepan over medium heat, bring vegetable broth and rice to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in wheat germ and set aside.

While rice cooks, pour oil into large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, ginger, green onions and shrimp and saute, stirring frequently, until shrimp are cooked through and opaque, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in sesame oil, soy sauce and lime juice and saute for another 30 seconds; remove from heat.

To serve, place 1 cup rice on each plate and spoon shrimp mixture over rice. Garnish each dish with cilantro and diced mango and serve.

Perfect for a special dinner or brunch, this freshly baked ham is full of flavor and less salty than a typical pre-seasoned ham from the grocery store. Serve it with Whole Wheat Cloverleaf Dinner Rolls with Wheat Germ and use any leftovers for sandwiches.

Serves 16 to 20

Ham

8-pound fresh ham, excess fat trimmed

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

5 fresh sage leaves

1/2 cup parsley (packed), large stems removed

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 cup Kretschmer Original Toasted Wheat Germ

2 tablespoons olive oil

Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup apple cider

2/3 cup brown sugar

6 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons Kretschmer Original Toasted Wheat Germ

Take ham out of refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Preheat oven to 500° F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. Rub ham with salt and pepper. Place ham on prepared baking sheet and put in oven. Reduce oven temperature to 325° F and bake for 2 hours, basting with pan juices every 30 minutes.

While ham is roasting, place sage leaves, parsley and garlic into food processor and process until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and stir in wheat germ and olive oil.

After 2 hours, remove ham from oven and pat wheat germ and herb mixture on top of ham. Put ham back in oven and bake for an additional 30 to 45 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 160° F. Remove from oven, cover with foil and let rest 15 minutes before slicing.

While ham is baking, prepare the sauce. In medium saucepan, heat olive oil until shimmering. Add shallot and saute for about 1 minute, until slightly softened. Whisk in chicken broth, apple cider, brown sugar, mustard and vinegar and bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 30 minutes, until sauce thickens and reduces to about 1 cup. Stir in wheat germ.

To serve, place sliced ham on plate and spoon sauce over.

Note: The sauce can easily be doubled. After adding broth, cider, brown sugar, mustard and vinegar, boil for 45 minutes until reduced to 2 cups. Stir in wheat germ.