Tag: meatballs
Marsala Meatballs
Tender flavorful meatballs served in a Marsala wine and mushroom sauce!
So what inspired me to go come up with this recipe?
Well I’m a Marsala fanatic
Chicken marsala, veal marsala… heck even pork marsala and you can count me in!
In case you have never heard of it marsala is wine that can be dry or sweet and is used to create some of the best sauces you can imagine
True marsala is produced in the region surrounding the Italian city of Marsala in Sicily
I typically favor the sweet but you will have to decide that for yourself
Now even though Marsala cooking wine is easily found in most supermarkets I’m urging you to leave those on the shelf
Go to a wine store and by a true Italian Marsala
The difference in quality and the flavor of the finished dish will be night and day
Trust me you will never by grocery store Marsala again
I was craving a Marsala but felt like breaking away from the tradition
Then I had an idea
Meatballs!!!!
I mean what’s more versatile than meatballs?
They are the perfect vessel for most flavor combinations and thus the Marsala meatball was born!
A classic Marsala ingredient are mushrooms and I want these meatballs to embrace that
So we are going to start off with 3.5 ounces of shiitake mushrooms and 1 onion
Peel and chop the onion
Remove and discard the stems from the mushrooms and slice the caps
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and add in the onions
Sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt and ground black pepper
Cook 2-3 minutes or until the onions are lightly browned and translucent
Add in the mushrooms
Cook another 2-3 minutes or until the mushrooms soften and lightly brown
Remove from the heat and allow to cool
Place the onions and mushrooms in a food processor
Pulse until finely chopped, you want to avoid it becoming pureed
Next we will need 3 pounds of ground turkey
You can certainly use any ground meat you like, beef, veal, pork, chicken etc.
Add the onion and mushroom mixture to the ground meat
Next we will need 1 egg whisked, 1/2 cup of Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese, 3 grated garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley and 1 teaspoon each of kosher salt and ground black pepper
Add all of these ingredients to the meat
Using your hands gently fold the mixture together
Preheat your oven to 350 F
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper sprayed with cooking oil
Using a 1/4 cup measure start scooping the meat onto the pan
Roll them into balls
I found that dampening my palms with a bit of water makes rolling meatballs easier
We were able to get 24 meatballs out of this
Place them in the oven and cook 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned and firm
Remove them and set aside
Now let’s start working on the sauce
You can actually start this step while the meatballs are cooking in the oven
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat
Next we will need 2 garlic cloves sliced, 1 tablespoon of sliced sun dried tomatoes in their oil and 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
Sun dried tomatoes are my secret Marsala sauce weapon
They just add a wonderful flavor
Add them to the pan
Saute 2-3 minutes
Next we will need 12 ounces of baby bella mushrooms
Brush any excess dirt off of the mushrooms and slice them stem and all
Add them to the pan
Saute for 4-6 minutes
Next we will need 2 cups of Marsala wine
Add the wine to the pan
Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer 6-8 minutes to cook the alcohol off
Now we are going to make a roux to thicken the sauce
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan over low heat
Sprinkle in 1/4 cup of flour and more as needed
Whisk the butter and flour together until it forms a paste and lightly browns
You want to cook out the flour taste
Add a little of the roux in at a time to the sauce until you get the desired consistency
Remember you can alway add more but you can’t take it out
Once the sauce has thickened slightly add the meatballs to the pan tossing them around to coat
Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and heat the meatballs through
I like to finish the dish off with fresh herbs
In this case a handful of fresh parsley and basil will do
Pile the basil and parsley together and give them a fine chop
Sprinkle the herbs over the meatballs
Serve over noodles or with crusty bread and dig in!!!
Enjoy!!!
Simply Sundays! ~ Marsala Meatballs
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
1 onion
3.5 ounces of shiitake mushrooms
2 tablespoons of olive oil
3 pounds of ground turkey
1 egg whisked
1/2 cup of Pano (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 grated garlic cloves
1 tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley
1 teaspoon each of kosher salt and ground black pepper
For the sauce
2 tablespoons of olive oil
3 sliced garlic cloves
1 tablespoon of sliced sun dried tomatoes in their oil
1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
12 ounces of baby bella mushrooms sliced
2 cups of Marsala wine
2 tablespoons of butter
1/4 cup of flour (more if needed)
1 handful of fresh chopped parsley
1 handful of fresh chopped basil
Directions
For the meatballs
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Peel and chop 1 onion. Remove and discard the stems from 3.5 ounces of shiitake mushrooms and give them a slice. Add the onions to the pan and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt and ground black pepper
Cook 2-3 minutes or until the onions are lightly browned and translucent. Add in the mushrooms. Cook another 2-3 minutes or until the mushrooms soften and lightly brown. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Place the onions and mushrooms in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped
Place 3 pounds of ground turkey in a large bowl along with the mushroom onion mixture. Next add in 1 egg whisked, 1/2 cup of Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese, 3 grated garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley and 1 teaspoon each of kosher salt and ground black pepper
Using your hands gently fold the mixture together. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper sprayed with cooking oil. Using a 1/4 cup measure start scooping the meat onto the pan. Roll them into balls. Place them in the oven and cook 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned and firm. Remove and set aside
For the sauce
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. To the pan add 2 garlic cloves sliced, 1 tablespoon of sliced sun dried tomatoes in their oil and 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes. Saute 2-3 minutes
Brush any excess dirt off of 12 ounces of baby bella mushrooms and slice them stem and all. Add them to the pan. Saute for 4-6 minutes. Add in 2 cups of Marsala wine. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer 6-8 minutes to cook the alcohol off
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan over low heat. Sprinkle in 1/4 cup of flour and more as needed. Whisk the butter and flour together until it forms a paste and lightly browns. Add a little of the roux in at a time to the sauce until you get the desired consistency
Once the sauce has thickened slightly add the meatballs to the pan tossing them around to coat. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and heat the meatballs through
Pile a handful of fresh parsley on top of a handful of fresh basil. Give them a fine chop. Sprinkle the herbs over the meatballs. Serve over noodles or with crusty bread
Tools used to make this recipe
Architec Carving Board, Gripperwood
KitchenAid 3-Speed Hand Blender
NuWave Flex Precision Induction Cooktop
Cooks Standard Multi-Ply Clad Stainless Steel Tagine and Extra Glass Lid, 4.5-Quart
Wilton Recipe Right Non-stick Cookie Sheet Set, 2-Piece
OXO Good Grips Flat Wire Whisk
© Simply Sundays 2019
All rights reserved
Tsukune – Japanese Meatballs
Tsukune which is pronounced ‘sue-koon e’ is a form of Japanese meatball that gets a lot of flavor from ingredients such as shiitake mushrooms, ginger, garlic and soy
We are preparing this dish as an appetizer but these are so good they can definitely be a main
Make them a bit bigger and serve them with some steamed rice and salad and you have a full meal
You can use any protein that you want, beef, pork, even seafood but we are taking a more traditional approach and using ground chicken
So let’s start prepping
First off, we will need 4 ounces of shiitake mushrooms
Shiitake stems are woody so let’s twist them off and give the caps a slice
Discard the stems
Repeat until they are all sliced
Next we will need 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, 2 grated garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger and 2 tablespoons of dry sherry
Heat the sesame oil in a pan over medium heat
Add in the mushrooms, garlic and ginger
Cook stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes or until the mushrooms and garlic start to soften
Deglaze the pan with the sherry and cook another 2-3 minutes or until the sherry is mostly absorbed
Remove the mushrooms from the heat and allow to cool
Once cooled you will need 2 teaspoons of red miso which is a fermented soybean paste
Add the mushrooms and miso to a chopper or blender
Pulse until finely chopped
Time to start making some meatballs!
We will need 2 pounds of ground chicken
We’ll need the miso mushroom mixture, 3/4 cups of panko (Japanese bread crumbs), 2 scallions chopped, 1 egg white, 2 grated garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger and 2 teaspoons of cornstarch
Add all of these ingredients to the ground chicken
Sprinkle with kosher salt and ground black pepper
Using your hands, gently mix the ingredients all together
Since we are using these as starters, I’m going to use a 1/8 cup as a scoop, you can the increase the size of the scoop and change the size of the meatball
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and give it a light spray of oil
Start scooping the meat, we will come back and roll them later
Once they are all scooped, start rolling
I find that wetting my hands a bit makes rolling easier
We actually made a perfect 30 meatballs out of this mixture
Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow them to meld and solidify
You can also do these a day ahead
Preheat the oven to 350 F
You can also grill or pan fry these
Place in the oven and cook 18-20 minutes or until lightly brown and firm to the touch
While the meatballs are in the oven doing their thing, we are going to make a sauce
To start we will need 1/3 cup of mirin, 1/3 cup of soy, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar
Place these four ingredients into a sauce pan and whisk together
Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook 6-8 minutes or until slightly reduced and thickened
Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly
To finish the sauce we will need the juice and zest of 1 lime, 1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger and 1 serrano pepper sliced thinly
We will also need a tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds for a garnish
Add the lime, ginger and pepper to the sauce
Mix to combine
I believe in full transparency… I’m going to admit to a blog blooper
Remember those toasted sesame seeds from a couple pictures back?
The ones I labored to toast perfectly myself, the ones that would have added some extra flavor and texture to these meatballs?
Well, they remained in their bowl behind a roll of paper towels on my counter after we completed our photo shoot!
That’s right folks, I left a basket ingredient off the plate
I guess I’m chopped!
You, however, don’t have to be chopped so feel free to add some toasted sesame seeds as a garnish!
To serve, we are using flat skewers with 2 meatballs on each
Place the meatballs on a serving platter and spread the sauce over them
We also served this with extra serrano peppers and slices of lime!
Enjoy!!!
Simply Sundays! ~ Tsukune - Japanese Meatball
Ingredients
For the mushroom mixture
4 ounces of shiitake mushrooms
2 tablespoons of sesame oil
2 grated garlic cloves
1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons of dry sherry
2 teaspoons of red miso paste
For the meatballs
2 pounds of ground chicken
mushroom mixture (see above)
3/4 cup of panko (japanese bread crumb)
2 scallions chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger
2 grated garlic cloves
1 egg white
2 teaspoons of cornstarch
kosher salt
ground black pepper
For the sauce
1/3 cup of mirin
1/3 cup of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar
1 lime zested and juiced
1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger
1 thinly sliced serrano pepper
For garnish
1 lime sliced
sliced serrano
toasted sesame seeds (apparently optional, see above)
Directions
For the mushroom mixture
Remove the stems from 4 ounces of shiitake mushrooms and slice the caps. Heat 2 tablespoon of sesame oil over medium heat and add in the sliced mushroom caps along with 2 grated garlic cloves and 1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger
Cook stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes or until the mushrooms and garlic start to soften. Deglaze the pan with the sherry and cook another 2-3 minutes or until the sherry is mostly absorbed
Remove the mushrooms from the heat and allow to cool. Add the mushrooms and 2 teaspoons of miso to a chopper or blender. Pulse until finely chopped
For the meatballs
Place 2 pounds of ground chicken in a large mixing bowl. Add the miso mushroom mixture, 3/4 cups of panko (Japanese bread crumbs), 2 scallions chopped, 1 egg white, 2 grated garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger and 2 teaspoons of cornstarch, then sprinkle with kosher salt a ground black pepper
Using your hands gently mix the ingredients all together. Use 1/8 cup as a scoop for the meatballs. You can use larger scoops for larger meatballs
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and give it a light spray of oil. Start scooping the meat. Lightly wet the palms of your hands and start rolling the meatballs. I find that wetting my hands a bit makes rolling easier
We actually made a perfect 30 meatballs out of this mixture. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow them to meld and solidify. You can also do these a day ahead. Preheat your oven to 350 F. You can also grill or pan fry these. Place in the oven and cook 18-20 minutes or until lightly brown and firm to the touch
For the sauce
In a saucepan add 1/3 cup of mirin, 1/3 cup of soy, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar and whisk together
Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook 6-8 minutes or until slightly reduced and thickened. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly
To the sauce add the juice and zest of 1 lime, 1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger and 1 thinly sliced serrano pepper. Mix to combine
Serve the meatballs covered in the sauce and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Garnish with more serrano peppers and slices of lime
Tools used to make this recipe
Architec Carving Board, Gripperwood
NuWave Flex Precision Induction Cooktop
Reynolds Kitchens Parchment Paper
Royal Classique 10 Piece Stainless Steel Measuring Cups and Spoons Set with Silicone Handles
Wilton Recipe Right Non-stick Cookie Sheet Set, 2-Piece
ZELITE INFINITY Chef Knife 8 inch
© Simply Sundays 2019
All rights reserved
Italian Meatballs
Okay, I know, everyone loves their meatballs
Mom’s, nanna’s, nonnas, gramps, grams, pops, paps, cousin Vinny, etc, etc, yep I get it
There are so many different variations out there and bragging rights fly around like pollen in spring
I absolutely respect all of it
I have had about 1 gazillion meatballs and I have taken the best of what I have enjoyed and put it all together
So let me share my Italian meatballs with you and you can be the judge!
We normally can’t make these fast enough. They are gone as soon as we turn our backs
I mean literally!
I’m making a big batch using 3 pounds of ground turkey (you can use whatever ground meat you like), I find the turkey stays super moist and picks up a lot of flavor
Next, we will need 1 cup of plain breadcrumbs, 6-8 ounces of grated romano cheese (you can use parmesan), 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and ground black pepper
My friend Dina’s mom had a rule… cook with romano and garnish with parmesan and she made fantastic Italian food so I have to agree with her
Add this to the bowl
Next, we will need 3 pieces of potato bread soaked in about 1/2 cup of milk and 4 whisked eggs
Add the eggs to the bowl
Break the bread into small pieces and add to the bowl as well
Finely chop 5-6 garlic cloves finely along with around 1/2 cup of fresh chopped parsley
Into the bowl they go
Now using your hands gently mix all the ingredients together being careful not to over work the meat which can make the meatballs dense
Preheat the oven to 350 F
Place a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan
My father in law uses a measuring cup to scoop out the meat which ensures they are even amounts
This is a great trick
Now you just have to figure out how big you want the meatballs to be
I use a 1/3 cup measure for these
Scoop the meat out onto the parchment
Don’t worry about the shape yet
Just keep scooping
Once they are scooped out come back and gently roll them between the palms of your hands to smooth them out
Now place them in the oven
Lets these cook for 25-30 minutes or until they are nicely browned and firm to the touch
I like to wipe some of the grease off with a paper towel
Remove and set aside to rest
I have to warn you though… don’t turn your back too long!
In my house these tend to disappear!
At this point, you can eat them as they are, or add you can add them into sauce, or learn to juggle
We had a sauce going so we added them in and simmered them for about 30 minutes to meld all the flavors
Click on our link to make Simple Tomato Sauce
We went very traditional here and served these over spaghetti with our delicious sauce!!
Enjoy!!!
Simply Sundays! ~ Italian Meatballs
Ingredients
3 pounds of ground turkey
1 cup of plain bread crumb (more may be needed to help bind the meat)
4 large eggs
3 pieces potato bread (soaked in a 1/2 cup of milk)
6-8 ounces of grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2 teaspoons of kosher salt
2 teaspoons of ground black pepper
5-6 garlic cloves finely chopped
1/2 cup of fresh parsley chopped
1 pound of spaghetti cooked and drained according to the boxes directions
Directions
Place the turkey meat into a large mixing bowl. Add 1 cup of plain bread crumb and 6-8 ounces of grated romano cheese along with 2 teaspoons each of kosher salt and ground black pepper
Soak 3 pieces of potato bread in about 1/2 cup of milk. Break this up into small pieces and add to the meat along with 4 whisked eggs. Add in 5-6 garlic cloves finely chopped along with a 1/2 cup of fresh chopped parsley
Using your hands gently mix all the ingredients together being careful not to over work the meat which can make the meatballs dense. Preheat oven to 350 F. Place a sheet of parchment paper into a sheet pan
Using a 1/3 measuring cup scoop out the meat mixture onto the parchment. Come back and gently roll the meatballs between the palms of your hands until smooth. Place the meatballs in the oven. Lets these cook for 25-30 minutes or until they are nicely browned and firm to the touch. Remove and set aside to rest
You can eat these as is or add to our Simple Tomato Sauce and let simmer for 25-30 minutes. Cook your favorite pasta according to the packages directions. Serve the meatballs over spaghetti with some sauce
Tools used to make this recipe
Architec Carving Board, Gripperwood
Pyrex Bakeware Scalloped Pie Plate
Royal Classique 10 Piece Stainless Steel Measuring Cups and Spoons Set with Silicone Handles
Wilton Recipe Right Non-stick Cookie Sheet Set, 2-Piece
© Simply Sundays 2019
All rights reserved
Asian Meatballs
Asian meatballs did he say?
Well yeah, it’s got a story
My kids are absolutely crazy for Chinese food and are always looking for an excuse to get some
I was working late and was on my way home when my kids requested Chinese food for dinner
It was already to late to order and the restaurant was not exactly on my way home
So it was time to start thinking
I knew we had ground turkey (a staple in my house) and a slew of Asian ingredients so I decided I was making Asian meatballs
Let me tell you we are all a big fan now
Let’s start off with the ground turkey. Feel free to substitute ground beef, pork, chicken, etc.
We used 3 pounds (With a 16 year old son who plays football, leftovers are essential)
When I think of Asian cuisine, I think of the freshness of flavor
We will need 3 scallions, 1 carrot, 3 garlic cloves, 3 eggs and some fresh ginger
Remove the very top part of the scallion as well as the bottom or root, discard and give the rest a chop
Peel the carrot and remove the top as well, then dice very finely
Peel and grate the ginger and garlic (you should end up with roughly a tablespoon of ginger, you can add or take away depending on your taste)
Whisk the eggs together
Add these ingredients to the meat
Now we are going to add more Asian flavors as well as bread crumbs to bind the mixture
We will need 1 cup of Panko (Japanese bread crumbs), 1 cup of plain bread crumbs, 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce and 2 tablespoons of duck sauce (or plum sauce)
Add these ingredients to the meat mixture
Time to get dirty
Using your hands gently fold all the ingredients together until well combined
Preheat your oven to 350 F
I like to use a measuring cup to scoop out the meat balls (something I picked up from my Father in law)
Here I’m using a 1/3 cup measure which will make fairly large meatballs (you can drop to 1/4 cup or really get crazy and use 1/2 cup)
Lay some parchment paper in a sheet pan
Time to scoop away!
Don’t worry what they look like
We will come back and roll them up properly using our hands
Place them in the oven and bake around 20 minutes (obviously you can fry these if you want, or juggle them, not recommended)
Now these already have an Asian flair going on
Do you think that’s enough?
Nope
How about a glaze!
We will need 4 tablespoons of hoisin sauce, 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 teaspoons of Sriracha sauce, 2 teaspoons of sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds
Place all of these ingredients into a bowl
Whisk them together
At the 20 minute mark, remove the meatballs from the oven
Start brushing them with the glaze
Looking good!
Place them back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes
We served this with some white rice and a scallion garnish!
Enjoy!!!
Simply Sundays! ~ Asian Meatballs
Ingredients
For the meatballs
3 pounds of ground turkey
3 scallions
1 carrot
3 garlic cloves
3 eggs
1 tablespoon of fresh ginger
1 cup of Panko (Japanese breadcrumb)
1 cup of plain bread crumb
1/4 cup of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons of duck sauce
For the glaze
4 tablespoons of hoisin sauce
4 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 teaspoons of sriracha sauce
2 teaspoons of sesame oil
1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds
Directions
For the meatballs
Add 3 pounds of ground turkey to a large bowl. Remove the very top part of 3 scallions as well as the bottom or root, discard and chop the rest. Peel 1 carrot and remove the top as well, then dice very finely. Peel and grate around 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger and 3 garlic cloves. Whisk the eggs together. Add to the ground meat
Next add into the bowl 1 cup of Panko (Japanese bread crumbs), 1 cup of plain bread crumbs, 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce and 2 tablespoons of duck sauce (or plum sauce). Using your hands gently fold all the ingredients together until well combined
Preheat your oven to 350 F. Using a 1/3 measuring cup, scoop out the meatballs onto a sheet pan covered in parchment paper. Roll them up properly using your hands. Place them in the oven and bake around 20 minutes
At the 20 minute mark remove the meatballs from the oven. Start brushing them with the glaze. Place them back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes
For the glaze
In a bowl whisk together 4 tablespoons of hoisin sauce, 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 teaspoons of Sriracha sauce, 2 teaspoons of sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds
Royal Classique Measuring Cups
Architec Gripperwood Cutting Board
Pyrex Prepware 4-Quart Rimmed Mixing Bowl, Clear
© Simply Sundays 2017
All rights reserved