Turkey Meatballs

Meatballs have always had a superiority about them that led me to believe that it would be too hard to make at home. Three different kinds of groud meat together… veal… it is overwhelming just thinking about how complicated the process might be. This recipe for Turkey Meatballs is from Everyday Italian, and if Giada said not only can I do it, but my guests will love it, then I am willing to try it.

I made these balls on the same afternoon as I made Chicken Parmesan and an angel food cake. It was such a big production that I started a kitchen fire. More on that later. Just remember to always have a jar of flour nearby to put out the flames. Back to the turkey meatballs. They are great and here is the recipe:

Turkey Meatballs
adapted from Giada De Laurentiis and Mama Rocco

1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup grated Romano or Parmesan Cheese
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1 lb ground turkey, dark meat
1/4 cup Olive oil
1 jar Marinara Sauce

In a large bowl, stir together bread crumbs, parsley, eggs, milk, 1/2 cups of the cheese, and the salt and pepper. Add the turkey gently and stir to combine. Shape the meat mixture into bite size balls.

Pour the marinara sauce into a large pot over low flame.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Working in batches, add the meatballs and cook without moving or turning until brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Turn the meatballs over and brown the other side, about 3 minutes longer. Continue to cook until all the sides are golden brown.

Transfer each meatball to the simmering marinara sauce, and simmer for at least 15 minutes.

Serve with pasta, in a sandwich, or alone. Top with grated parmesan or mozzarella.

Weekend Away

This weekend my husband and I are going to SunRiver, Oregon with my parents. I am so excited for this trip. I am in charge of all food for the weekend, except for eating out. This morning I had some serious culinary therapy in the kitchen: in 3 hours I made the following:

-pita chips

-Fat Free Chocolate Muffins

-Peanut butter cups

-Banana Bread

-Beer Bread

-Chicken Parmesan

I will post the recipes when I return next week.

Ok here are some of the recipes:

Chicken Parmesan
Adapted from Rocco’s Italian American
The key to chicken parmesan is to cut the breasts in half to make them thin, then pound them out.

Canola Oil for frying
1 c. all purpose flour
4 eggs beaten
2 c. plain white bread crumbs
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
6 T. diced parsley
1 lb. mozzarella, shredded
24 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breasts, in cutlets 1/4 in thick and pounded
Salt and pepper
3 cups marinara

Heat oil in a large, heavy pot

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Meanwhile, place the flour, eggs, and bread crumbs in separate shallow dishes and arrange in that order. Mix parmesan cheese and parsley with the breadcrumbs.

Dredge each slice of chicken in the flour, then in the eggs, then in the bread crumb parmesian mixture, then carefully place in the hot oil. Fry the chicken until golden brown. Remove the chicken from the oil and place on paper towels to drain any excess oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.

Spoon a layer of marinana on the bottom of a glass dish. Place the chicken pieces on the sauce. Top with parmesan and grated mozzarella. Bake for 5 minutes to melt the cheese.

Serve with pasta or in a hoagie.

Good-bye, faithful grill pan

There is no question as to what my favorite kitchen item is. I love my grill pan. It is two sided, fits on the stove over two burners, and makes those perfect grill lines on food. I use the grill pan almost every night, for chicken, turkey burgers, veggies and grilled fruit. The problem with the grill pan is that it sets the smoke alarm off every time I use it. We hear the smoke alarm so often, “The Daily Smoke Alarm” was the original name of this blog.Today, I said good-bye to the large grill pan, and bought a new, smaller grill pan at Crate and Barrel. Hopefully, it will control the smoke and heat output a little better. ***UPDATE 05 january 08***Grill Pan #2 has been replaced, due to extreme ammounts of smoke, weight and difficulty to clean. The new grill pan is going to be a keeper. It is light, non-stick, and produces perfect grill lines. This grill pan is from IKEA.  Here is my recipe for a grilled veggie sandwich:Grilled Vegetable Sandwich1 green squash1 yellow summer squash1 portobello mushroom1 roma tomato1/4 white onion, sliced thin1 roasted red pepperolive oilsalt and pepper1/3 c. goat cheese or ricotta1 loaf cibatta, focaccia, or baguetteSlice veggies at an angle, 1/2 inch thick. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Heat grill pan on high, try to avoid setting of the smoke alarm. Place each piece on the grill pan. Do not move, we want the grill lines to show on each piece. Grill on both sides until slightly charred and just cooked through. Remove with tongs.Slice ciabatta bread in half. Over a preheated hot grill or under broiler, using tongs, grill bread until grill marks appear about 2 to 4 minutes. Spread goat cheese or ricotta on the inside of the bread. Add a layer of each veggie. Place bread on top. Serve warm.