Beautiful Baked Meatballs

I have been craving meatballs lately. I don't really want the spaghetti, but I really, REALLY want meatballs. Maybe it is the weather? Am I anemic? I don't know and I don't care because I just want meatballs.

Tonight I gave into my craving (full disclosure: I had some out last week but they were only fair) and made my beautiful baked meatballs. This recipe is my compromise between proper meatball technique (frying then simmering in sauce) and easy (baking then coating with sauce). It combines the ease of baking with the slow cooked flavor of fried. They are an excellent quick no-fuss meal and were so good. They were exactly what I have been craving.

Beautiful Baked Meatballs (makes 5-6 generous servings)

1 pound ground beef
3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1/3 C whole grain bread crumbs
2 T flax seeds (optional, but very good for you and you won't even notice they are there - promise!)
1/3 C milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 t crushed garlic
1 T Italian seasoning blend
1/2 t seasoned salt (or salt and pepper)
1/2 C Romano cheese (with additional to sprinkle on top of final dish)
2 C of your favorite marinara or spaghetti sauce

Heat oven to 425. Spray baking dish with non stick coating spray and set aside.

Place both meats in a large bowl and set aside. Add breadcrumbs, flax seeds, milk, eggs, garlic, seasoning blend, seasoned salt and cheese to bowl. Stir to combine well. Combine the bread and the meat mixtures and mix well (but lightly) with your hands.

Using an ice cream scoop, portion you meat mixture into 15 good sized meatballs. Arrange meatballs in baking dish so that there is a small amount of space between each meatball.







My little meaty soldiers all in a row.







Pour the marinara over the meatballs to fully cover. Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes or until firm and bubbling.






All dressed and ready for the oven.








Serve with a side of pasta (Dreamfields, of course!) and enjoy.

The SG Challenge: Turkey Black Bean Burgers

After my last post of how to cook black beans, my friend, SG, asked what I did with them once I cooked them. I pointed her to a number of recipes on this blog; Lentil and Black Bean Salad, Quick and Easy Turkey Soft Tacos, even The Amazing Black Bean Brownies. I started thinking about these recipes and the other that I make using black beans and I decided I needed to try something new. It was time to break out of my black bean rut and find some new and interesting recipes. I have dubbed this recipe search (drum roll please.......) The SG Challenge.

I found this little gem on the Taste of Home website. I made it tonight and it was a hit. Even the kids ate them, although they both initially resisted because they could see the red bell pepper in it (shame on me - I thought I diced it finely enough). Chris and I both loved them too. One note on the TOH recipe, theirs makes 4 servings. I found that with one lb of turkey I got six good sized burgers. As we ate them, these come in at 335 calories (including the whole grain sandwich thin and all of the toppings) and only 247 m of sodium.

Turkey Black Bean Burgers (makes 6 patties)

3/4 C black beans
1 egg white
1/2 C zucchini, finely shredded
1/2 C red bell pepper, finely diced
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t pepper
1/4 t salt
1 pound ground turkey
1 T olive oil

In a small bowl, coarsely mash beans. Add all remaining ingredients and mix lightly. With a wet hand, shape lightly into 6 patties. In a large skillet, cook burgers over medium heat for 4-5 minutes per side or until a meat thermometer reads 165 and juices run clear.

Serve as desired (we served on sandwich thins with mayo, mustard, chili sauce (Chris), lettuce, tomato and onion. Yum!)

Smoky Turkey Patties a la Saucy Mama

This is a recipe I have promised for awhile. It's a take-off of a Rachel Ray recipe that I have made many times. Rachel serves her patties on generously buttered white toast. I serve mine on buns (for guests), in a low carb warp (for me), or just plain (for the family). I had some patties frozen from the last batch I made, so tonight I served them in a whole wheat low carb wrap with some spring greens and a quick sauce made from some of my Saucy Mama goodies. Enjoy.

Smoky Turkey Patties a la Saucy Mama

1 lb lean ground turkey
1 T paprika
1 T grill seasoning (I use Montreal Steak Spice)
1 T dry parsley
1/2 small yellow onion, grated fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T extra virgin olive oil.

Heat griddle or non-stick pan over high heat. While pan is heating, mix all burger ingredients gently. Form 4 patties with the mix. Place patties on hot pan and cook until no longer pink, approximately 5 minutes per side. Serve as directed above or in a whole wheat tortilla with a dollop on Saucy Mama sauce and spring greens.

Saucy Mama Sauce (makes scant 3/4 cup)

1/2 C good quality mayonnaise
3 T Saucy Mama Chipotle Mustard
3 T red pepper jelly

All all ingredients to a small bowl and mix to combine.

Here's the sauce with some carrots as a dip - yummy.

Another quick dinner idea

Today I ran into my friend Stephanie at Trader Joe's. She wanted to know what was in my cart as she was needing inspiration for her dinner. Unfortunately, I had just walked in the door so I only had a few things in the cart to share with her. I did, however, tell her what sorts of things I typically serve in the summer to make meal prep as quick as possible.

My summer meals tend to be easy things that I can slap on the grill (or George Foreman) and serve with a side of whatever is in the fridge. Ground meat is a staple protein in the summer, as are boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Tonight I went with the later.

Here is my dinner tonight, which is a total throwback to the 90's. I whipped up some Roasted Red Pepper Aioli a few weeks ago and my family has been immersed in the land of big hair and high waisted jeans since then. We have eaten a few recipes worth and it is a hit every time I serve it. BTW, the aioli is good as a dip with veggies or in most sandwiches or wraps. It was particularly good with a smokey chicken burger recipe that I made last week. Stay tuned for that recipe.

Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Sandwich (serves 2)

1 large boneless skinless chicken breast, butterflied and pounded thin

1 large tomato, sliced

1 C spinach leaves, washed and dried

salt and pepper to taste

2 T Roasted Red Pepper Aioli (recipes follows)

2 buns, toasted or other bread of choice (I used TJ's Whole Wheat Tuscan Pane - thanks for the tip Stephanie)

Heat BBQ, George Foreman Grill or grill pan over high heat.

While the cooker is heating, liberally season your chicken breasts with salt and pepper. When the grill is hot, add chicken and cook until done (4 - 7 minutes, depending).

While the chicken is cooking, toast your bun or bread and set aside.

When chicken is done, remove to plate to cool. Begin assembling sandwich by spreading 1 T of the aioli on the bun. Next, layer 1/2 C spinach and 1/2 of the tomato on the bread. Top with 1/2 of the cooked chicken and the top layer of bread.

Roasted Red Pepper Aioli (makes approx 1 cup)

1 C good quality mayonnaise

2 large jarred roasted red peppers

1 large garlic clove

salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to food processor. Pulse until garlic and peppers are smooth and the mixture is well combined.