Italian Meatballs

Meatballs

1lb ground veal

1lb ground lamb

1lb ground beef 85/15

1/3c tomato paste

2 large eggs

1 heaping cup fresh bread crumbs

1T granulated garlic

1T granulated onion

1T black pepper

1 heaping T kosher salt

1 heaping T dried herbs de province

2T dried basil

Generous shake of cayenne pepper

1t ground fenugreek seed

Bring meat and eggs to room temp for half an hour before preparing, and preheat oven to 400°F.

Mix together all ingredients in a large bowl until combined. Using a small ice cream scoop, shape into 1” balls and evenly space on a cookie sheet. You will most likely need to use two cookie sheets to fit all of the meatballs.

Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes, then turn off the oven and let the meatballs rest for another 15 minutes inside the hot oven.

Can be cooked in a sauce at this point or frozen – let cool completely and then put into the freezer on a cookie sheet for one hour to firm up. Transfer to a gallon baggie and keep frozen until use.

Vegetable Lasagna

As I’ve mentioned many times, lasagna is my absolute favorite food. All of its cheesy, meaty, tomato-y goodness – mmm! Growing up my standard birthday dinner consisted of my Mama’s homemade lasagna, Caesar salad and cheesecake.

Since I began cooking on my own I’ve never made lasagna the same way more than once. I throw together whatever I have on hand and make it work. Brent had asked for vegetable lasagna last weekend and the very first thing we saw as we entered Central Market was these one-balled squash. I hadn’t seen anything like them before and I was completely giddy to make this lasagna with them. They are 3-4 inches in diameter and look like a small pumpkin. Maybe next time I find them I’ll try squash chips with them.

Like most things I make, this recipe is completely versatile. You could use whatever veggies you had on hand and I think especially eggplant would be great.

Vegetable Lasagna

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients:

1lb whole wheat lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions

2 one-balled squash (or 4 regular squash)

1 Vidalia onion

10oz baby spinach

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ cup tomato sauce (I used leftovers from the meatball recipe)

16oz ricotta cheese

Zest and juice from ½ a lemon

1 Tbsp. Kosher salt

2 tsp. black pepper

1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning

2 cups grated Italian cheese blend

2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9”x13” lasagna pan with cooking spray and set to the side.

Using a mandolin slicer with a thin setting, slice your squash (conversely use a knife and slice 1/16^” thick). Then switch to the ultra thin blade and slice your onion (or, using a knife, slice paper thin).

In a large skillet heated to medium-high heat and drizzled with EVOO, sauté your onion and garlic for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add in your spinach, cover and let steam for 2 minutes. Remove lid, stir, recover and remove from heat. Let sit about 5 minutes or until spinach has wilted.

In a large mixing bowl, combine your ricotta cheese, lemon zest & juice, salt & pepper and Italian seasoning. Stir to incorporate. Add in 2 cups grated Italian cheese blend and stir to combine.

To begin layering your lasagna, ladle ¼ of your tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan, and top with noodles to cover – approximately 3. Drop 1/3 of your ricotta cheese mixture on top of noodles and spread as best you can. Top with 1/3 of your squash slices, and then 1/3 of your spinach and onion mixture. Drizzle another ¼ of your tomato sauce over the spinach and onion. Repeat the layers two more times, ending with tomato sauce. Top with 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese.

Bake in preheated oven on a cookie sheet for 45 minutes, or until lasagna is bubbly and cheeses have browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack for 20 minutes before serving.

Enjoy! KC

Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Remember how I mentioned that I LOVE Italian food? Well, next to lasagna, meatballs are my favorite. You could forgo the pasta as long as you have the meatballs swimming in a perfect red sauce.

Brent has never been a big fan of meatballs but since eating these he has requested them again for next week already, so that’s really saying something. These were born from my watching “Food Feuds” on Food Network and having a massive craving for meatballs while heading to eat sushi. All through dinner I was bouncing ideas off of Brent and writing ingredients in my iPhone. Needless to say we made an early trip to Central Market the next day.

This recipe can be quick, or it can take an entire day, depending on how much time you’re willing to spend. I tasted it both ways – eating as soon as they were finished, and eating them the next day, and we both preferred them on day two as they’d absorbed the flavor of the sauce.

Meatballs

Yield: 15-16 meatballs

Ingredients:

1lb ground lamb

1lb ground veal

½ cup fresh seasoned breadcrumbs

2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. onion powder

1 Tbsp. granulated garlic

1 Tbsp. Kosher salt

Pinch black pepper

½ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

Simmering tomato sauce (recipe below)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and work with your hands until incorporated.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add just enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom. Fry your meatballs on each side just until browned, then transfer to your simmering tomato sauce. Cover, and cook over medium-low heat for one hour.

You may eat the meatballs after they’ve cooked for the hour, however by letting them cool and then refrigerating them overnight they will absorb the flavors of the sauce. Reheat the next day and serve over spaghetti.

Tomato Sauce

1-28oz can pureed crushed tomatoes

1-28oz can tomato sauce

5 small carrots, diced

5 cloves garlic

1 cup diced red onion

1 cup fresh basil leaves

1 Tbsp. granulated sugar

Salt & pepper to taste

Sauté your carrots and onions in EVOO over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add in your garlic and basil and cook 1 minute. Pour in your tomatoes, salt and pepper, cover and simmer for 1 hour over medium-low heat. Remove from heat and puree, then return to the pan.

Enjoy! KC