Our Daily Bread

 

What new recipes have you tried lately?? I will be sharing a weekly recipe that has worked well for our family and our busy schedule. It might be something for Sunday dinner to share with family and friends, or just a simple weeknight meal for busy moms looking to feed the family something delicious and healthy.

Homemade Meatballs ~

These are our very favorite meatballs to have with spaghetti, or for yummy mouthwatering meatball sandwiches. Here is a fail-safe recipe I have used for ages from Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking ::

 "Meatballs and Tomatoes"

• A slice of good quality white bread
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 pound ground beef, preferable chuck
• 1 Tablespoon onion chopped very fine
• 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 egg
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Tablespoons freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• Whole nutmeg
• Salt
• Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
• Fine, dry unflavored bread crumbs, spread on a plate
• Vegetable oil
• 1 cup fresh, ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped, OR canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, chopped, with their juice

1. Trim away the bread's crust, put the milk and bread in a small saucepan, and turn on the heat to low. When the bread has soaked up all the milk, mash it to a pulp with a fork. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.

2. Into a bowl put the chopped meat, onion, parsley, the egg, the tablespoon of olive oil, the grated Parmesean, and a tiny grating of nutmeg - about 1/8 teaspoon - the bread and milk mush, salt, and several grindings of the black pepper. Gently knead the mixture with your hands without squeezing it. When all the ingredients are evenly combined, shape it gently and without squeezing into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Roll the balls lightly in the bread crumbs.

3. Choose a saute pan that can subsequently accommodate all the meatballs in a single layer. Pour in enough vegetable oil (I have used olive oil as well) to come 1/4 inch up the sides. Turn on the heat to medium high and when the oil is hot, slip in the meatballs. Sliding them in with a spatula will avoid splasing hot oil out of the pan. Brown the meatballs on all sides, turning them carefully so they won't break up.

4. Remove from heat, tip the pan slightly and with a spoon, remove as much of the fat as floats to the surface. Return the pan to the burner over medium heat, add the chopped tomatoes with their juice, a pinch of salt, and turn the meatballs over once or twice to coat them well. Cover the pan and adjust the heat to cook at a quiet, but steady simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the oil floats free of the tomatoes. Taste and correct for salt and serve at once.

Ahead-of-time-note :: The dish can be cooked entirely in advancee and stored in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for several days. Reheat gently before serving.

 

What is your favorite method of cooking, crock-pot, oven, stovetop, microwave (gasp). I have jumpstarted my crock pot for autumn and I'm so happy. It does such a splendid job, without alot of prep or stress. Why don't I use this everyday??? Stay tuned for next time.

Thanks for sharing your recipes and answers this week :) Bon appetit!

Comments

[Kelly]

Sounds good, Meredith! The interesting thing with this recipe is the nutmeg. I usually only put nutmeg into my Swedish Meatballs. We usually cook the meatballs by browning them in a frying pan first and then transferring them into a pot of sauce or on a baking rack to bake in the oven. Depending on what sort of meal they are intended for. Thanks for the post!

[meredith]

Thanks for stopping by Kelly!! Have a great week :)

Blessings,

Meredith