Sunday Family Dinner - Roman Style Meatballs

Made with ground beef, pork and bits of prosciutto, these hearty Roman meatballs are simmered in a tomato sauce and paired with Gnocchi alla Romana (see recipe in Lindaraxa). They go well also with spaghetti or served on their own with crusty bread and a green salad.

To ensure tender meatballs, don’t overwork the ingredients; mix them gently until just combined.

The original recipe for the meatballs comes from Williams Sonoma. If you want to use their recipe for the gnocchi go here.  The one on my blog has been adapted from Marcella Hazan.


Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs

1/2 cup milk

4 oz. finely chopped prosciutto

1 lb. ground beef

1 lb. ground pork

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tsp. finely chopped fresh oregano

6 Tbs. finely chopped fresh basil

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more, to taste

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more, to taste

5 Tbs. olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes with juices (I use Pomi brand)

Gnocchi alla Romana for serving (see Lindaraxa)) or spaghetti

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and milk and let stand for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the prosciutto, ground beef, pork, eggs, cheese, parsley, oregano, 3 Tbs. of the basil, 3 of the minced garlic cloves, the 1 tsp. salt and the 1/2 tsp. pepper. Add the soaked bread crumbs and mix gently until combined. Divide the meat mixture into 1/4-cup portions and roll into balls. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, warm 2 Tbs. of the olive oil. Working in 2 batches, brown the meatballs on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.

In the same pan over medium heat, warm the remaining 3 Tbs. olive oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the remaining 2 minced garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juices, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Stir in the remaining 3 Tbs. basil.

Add the meatballs to the pan and cook, turning occasionally and basting with the sauce, until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately with the gnocchi alla Romana alongside.  You can also serve with spaghetti. 


Williams-Sonoma Kitchen

Meatball Pizzas

Hearty meatballs make a mouthwatering topping for these pizzas, which are finished with a sprinkling of fresh basil, oregano and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.  You can either purchase ready made dough at the supermarket or make your own.

The original recipe calls for meatball starter, a product sold by Williams Sonoma.  I have substituted it with my recipe for Italian meatballs.

A great idea for Friday evenings.



Ingredients:

For the pizza dough:

2 tsp. active dry yeast

1 tsp. sugar

1 cup warm water (105º to 110ºF)

2 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 Tbs. olive oil, plus more for coating bowl



For the meatballs:

1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs

2 Tbs. milk

1/2 lb. ground beef

1/2 lb. ground pork

1 small onion finely chopped

1 TB chopped basil

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 Tbs. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, mashed

1 1/2 cups prepared tomato sauce



3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup julienned fresh basil

1 1/2 Tbs. fresh oregano leaves

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese


Directions:

To make the pizza dough, in a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the dough blade, combine the 2 cups flour and the salt and process with 3 or 4 pulses. With the motor running on the dough speed, slowly add the yeast mixture, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding more. Slowly drizzle in the 1 Tbs. olive oil and continue processing until the dough forms a ball and cleans the sides of the bowl, about 1 minute, then process for 1 minute more. 


Coat the inside of a large bowl with olive oil and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and roll each into a ball. Place on a flour-dusted baking sheet and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the bread crumbs, milk, beef, pork, basil, chopped onion and egg and shape into small balls. In a large nonstick fry pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the mashed garlic.  Working in batches, brown the meatballs on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Transfer to a large plate. Pour the tomato sauce into the same pan, add the meatballs and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to a large plate and cut each one in half.

Place a pizza stone in a convection or regular oven. Preheat the oven to 450ºF for 20 minutes.

On a floured work surface, roll out 1 ball of dough into an 11-inch round about 1/8 inch thick, dusting with flour as needed. Transfer to a well-floured pizza peel and spread 1/3 cup of the tomato sauce on the dough. Top with 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and place one-third of the meatballs, cut side down, on top.

Carefully slide the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone. Bake until the crust is crisp and the cheese is bubbly, about 12 minutes. Using the pizza peel, transfer the pizza to a cutting board.

Repeat with the remaining 2 balls of dough, sauce and toppings. Lightly sprinkle the pizzas with the basil, oregano and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Cut into slices and serve immediately. Makes three 11-inch pizzas.



Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

Sunday Family Dinner...Turkey Enchiladas

Okay, you did it...you survived THE family dinner of the year....and you are still intact.  So, nobody expects anything more from you, at least, not until next week.  If you come up with something unexpected, fun and easy for you, you will be a hero for at least another 24 hours. 

You can always count on Mexican to fit the bill.  It is unexpected, at least for those of us who are not Mexican,  it's fun and it's simple.

For this recipe use any favorite, good-quality salsa, red or green, for the enchiladas. The recipe is a great way to use up leftover holiday turkey, but if you don't have turkey on hand, shredded cooked chicken is a good substitute. Serve the enchiladas with a simple Mexican coleslaw of shredded cabbage dressed with lime juice and yellow rice cooked with onions and cumin or saffron.


Yield: Makes 6 servings


Ingredients

3 cups shredded skinned cooked turkey (see notes)

1 cup Mexicali corn

2 cups sour cream

2 TB Cilantro, chopped

About 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (8 oz.)

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup vegetable oil

12 corn tortillas

1 jar (16 oz.) medium-hot salsa (see notes)

Preparation

1. In a bowl, mix turkey, corn, cilantro, sour cream,  and 2 cups shredded cheese, and the salt.

2. Heat oil in an 8- to 10-inch frying pan over low heat. Dip the tortillas, one at a time, in the hot oil just until limp, about 5 seconds.

3. Fill tortillas equally with turkey mixture, roll up, and arrange side by side, seam down, in a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Pour salsa evenly over the top.  Sprinkle most of the  1 cup shredded cheese saving some for the end.

4. Bake in a 350° oven until heated through, about 20 minutes. If desired, sprinkle more shredded cheese over hot enchiladas before serving.

You may also want to look at other turkey leftover suggestions from Lindaraxa's Garden::

Turkey Chili
Turkey Croquettes
Turkey Tetrazzini
Turkey A La King

Recipe inspired by Sunset Magazine
Photo: Same

Tomato Sauce With Onions And Butter

This recipe blew the mind of some of blogdom's top food bloggers last year.  This simple recipe! You can make it with ingredients most of you will probably have in your pantry, although you must use San Marzano tomatoes.  Don't skimp, most grocery stores have them.  You will find it doesn't even need Parmesan Cheese,  Try it without, then if you must add some, and don't be tempted to add anything else. The flavor of the sauce is so delicate, fresh and sweet that it needs nothing at all.

Serves 4 as a main course; makes enough sauce to lightly coat most of a pound of spaghetti

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

28 ounces (800 grams) whole peeled tomatoes from a can (San Marzano, if you can find them)*

5 tablespoons (70 grams) unsalted butter

1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and halved

Salt to taste

Put the tomatoes, onion and butter in a heavy saucepan (it fit just right in a 3-quart) over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free of the tomatoes. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat, discard the onion, add salt to taste (you might find, as I did, that your tomatoes came salted and that you didn’t need to add more) and keep warm while you prepare your pasta.

Serve with spaghetti, with or without grated parmesan cheese to pass.

Adapted from Marcela Hazan’s Essentials of Italian Cooking
Via Smitten Kitchen (Photos)

Hot Toddies, Roast Chicken And Brownies!

From the looks of it, winter isn't ending any time soon.  We are having friends over this weekend and I'm sure some kayaking is in the program.  It's almost worth it to brave the elements just to come home and enjoy one of these by the fire... nothing like a hot toddy after a few hours on the lake!

To simplify my life and be able to enjoy some time with my friends, I am planning on Roast Chicken With Red Potatoes and Carrots, one of my no fuzz Sunday dinners, with Brownies and Coffee Ice Cream for dessert.  How simple can that be!  The recipe is over at Lindaraxa's Garden, my main recipe blog.

Yield: serves 4

Time: 15 minutes


Ingredients


4 slices of red apple

3 cinnamon sticks

3 slices of orange

2 cloves

16 oz simple syrup (equal part sugar dissolved in water)

16 oz bourbon whiskey


Directions

Add all ingredients to a large saucepan and put over low heat. Slowly bring up to a simmer to infuse the bourbon, and keep over low heat for 5-7 minutes until the fragrance of the mixture becomes more apparent. Serve warm.

Weekend Family Dinner Menus

This weekend's family dinner menu has been posted on Lindaraxa's Garden.  Come check it out!

This Weekend's Family Menu...Lipton's Meatloaf With a Twist!

The entire menu is up on Lindaraxa's Garden.  It is one of my family's favorite meals and very simple and easy to prepare.  Check it out!