meatballs | Adventures in Thyme

Meatballs with options for everyone at your party

March 7, 2016 by Dan Leave a Comment

Turkey Meatballs in a Cream Sauce

With summer gatherings on the horizon, we’re sharing an easy dish that lets your guests decide what they want to eat. Turkey meatballs, sides of pasta and rice, a few sauces and your guests can mix and match their way to foodie heaven.

We’ll start with the meatballs, but if you are making sauces from scratch, you will want to make those first and then cook the meatballs.

For the meatballs, you need:

1 cup Rolled Oats
2 sprigs Rosemary
2 sprigs Oregano
1 teaspoon Salt

2 pounds lean ground Turkey
1 Egg, lightly beaten

Olive oil

1 cup red wine
32 oz. Beef Stock

Combine the first 4 ingredients in your food processor and pulse until the oatmeal has the consistency of course corn meal and the herbs are finely chopped. Place the turkey in a large bowl, add the dry ingredients and then the beaten egg. Combine with a fork, but do not over work the meat. You want it tender, not dense.

Add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of your large skillet. Heat over medium heat until the skillet and oil are hot. Use a small scoop to make your meatballs. This will give you nice, even meatballs and they will be small enough to cook evenly. Place some meatballs in your hot skillet. Do not pack the meatballs into the skillet, give them a little room. Brown on 3 or 4 sides. Remove the browned meatballs from the pan and add another set. Don’t worry that they aren’t cooked through, we’ll take care of that once they are all browned.

Return all of your meatballs to your hot skillet. Add 1 cup of red wine and 4 cups of beef stock. Bring to a boil, turn down and simmer for 20 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.

Serve over noodles or rice with whatever sauces your guests enjoy. This makes 4 to 6 servings.

Here are a couple of ideas for sauces. You can also use the Teriyaki sauce we made here. If you are rushed for time, pick up some of your favorite sauces at the grocery store and doctor them to suit your taste. Your guests don’t need to know you didn’t slave over them for hours.

Simple, Quick Red Sauce

Quick red sauce

1 29 oz. can Tomato Sauce
1 14.5 oz. can diced Tomatoes
1 or 2 sprigs Rosemary
1 or 2 sprigs Oregano
1 tablespoon Honey
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
2 fresh Basil Leaves

Remove the leaves from the herbs and chop finely. Combine all the ingredients in a sauce pot, bring to a boil, turn down to low and let simmer at least half an hour.

To serve, place some noodles in a small skillet, add a few meatballs and a little sauce. Gently stir or toss to combine over medium low heat. Add a little sauce over the top after you plate the meatballs and noodles.

Easy “Cream” Sauce

1 1/2 cups of the liquid from the simmering meatballs
3/4 cup tofu based Sour Cream
1 or 2 teaspoons of Corn Starch
Herbs, salt and pepper to taste

This sauce goes together very quickly. Make it just before you are ready to serve the meatballs.

Take 1 1/2 cups of the liquid from your simmering meatballs and place it in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the tofu based sour cream (or if you want, real sour cream). Stir to combine. Take a little of this liquid and place it in a bowl. Add a teaspoon of corn starch and mix well. Return this mixture to your pan. Stir while it comes to a boil. If you want it thicker, repeat with another teaspoon of corn starch.

To serve, place the meatballs on a bed of noodles or rice and spoon some sauce over the top.

Feel free to add onion, garlic or whatever other spices and herbs you and your guests enjoy.

Turkey Meatballs in a Red Sauce

Sweet and Sour Pork Meatballs

February 4, 2015 by Dan Leave a Comment

Sweat and Sour Pork Meatballs

Here in America, much of the news lately has been consumed with coverage regarding deflated balls (NFL footballs). Few have been unable to resist the urge to take to social media or put their special touch on headlines decrying soft balls. So who are we to let the subject slip by without manhandling a ball or two, slathering sauce all over it and serving it up for din-din. This is a surprisingly simple recipe and much preferred over similar sweet and sour offerings from local takeouts. Enjoy!

Meatballs

1-1/4 lbs ground Pork
1 large Apple, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon grated Ginger
1/4 to 1/2 small Onion, finely chopped
2 to 3 oz Water Chestnuts, chopped
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon ground Pepper
1 Egg, lightly beaten

Sweet and Sour sauce

32 oz Chicken Stock
1 medium Onion, cut into wedges
1 cup White Vinegar
1/4 cup Honey
1 large Bell Pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
2 tablespoons Corn Starch
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste

Garnish

Green Onions sliced or slivered
Sesame Seeds

Directions

Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Mix with your hands until well combined. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to portion the meat and then roll into balls. This recipe makes approximately 14 meatballs. Heat a little olive oil over medium-high in a non-stick pan and brown the meatballs on all sides. Do not remove meatballs from pan when done.

Now add the Chicken Stock and bring to a boil, then turn down to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the onion and cook another 5 to 10 minutes.

In a small bowl combine the vinegar, honey and soy sauce. Add the corn starch to the vinegar mixture, mix in well. Turn the heat back up to medium-high and add the vinegar mixture and the bell pepper. You’ll want to bring this back up to a boil uncovered for about five minutes. This will thicken the sauce and soften the bell pepper. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over rice or noodles.

Pasta with Lamb

October 15, 2014 by Ginger Leave a Comment

Lamb Meatballs

Today’s dish was actually difficult to name. When one mentions “balls” these days, the conversation can quickly disintegrate into snickering akin to Beavis and Butthead, or be misinterpreted to a recipe involving lamb testicles, better known in Nevada as “lamb fries”. So we will simply say that this dish involves Pasta with Lamb (tho you are in fact making round balls, let’s be clear – and let the giggling begin). If you don’t like lamb, turkey would be a good substitute. Use your imagination! This is exactly what it’s for, and where our adventure begins…

Ingredients:

1lb ground lamb
1lb broccoli florets – cut into small “heads” or flowers
1 clove of garlic finely minced
1 small shallot finely minced
2 eggs
1/2 cup panko (or you could use breadcrumbs)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp basil
1/3 cup almond milk (or you could use cream)
1 cup shredded pecorino (or parmesan)
crumbled goat cheese
extra virgin olive oil
1 lb cooked pasta (we used gluten free rotini, but any small noodle will do)
Optional: red pepper flakes

To a large skilled add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the minced garlic and shallot, stirring continually until the shallot begins to be translucent (6-8 minutes). Remove from heat and empty the skillet into a large mixing bowl (save this skillet for later, you’ll use it again). While this mixture is cooling, add the salt, rosemary, thyme and basil. Stir well. Next add the lamb, one egg and panko to the bowl. With clean hands mix this well, incorporating all the ingredients together, then begin rolling your balls. Ours are slightly bigger than bite size, whatever size you prefer is what you should aim for. Smaller will cook faster, fyi. I roll the balls and place them back into my mixing bowl. Yes, I have a large bowl and prefer fewer dirty dishes to clean up!

This next phase will require some forethought and a bit of juggling. If you have larger balls, you’ll need to finish them off in a 450 degree oven for about 20 mins, if you have smaller balls, you won’t. Depending on how you answered that question, will determine when you should begin cooking your pasta! If you are going to use the oven, have your pot boiling when you place the balls into the oven; if you aren’t using the oven, time the cooking of the lamb, with the cooking pasta. Make sense? You want everything done at the same time. So cook your pasta when you’re good n’tooting ready!

Once your balls are ready to be cooked (and with clean hands), add a couple more tablespoons of olive oil to you skillet. When it’s hot (and the balls will sizzle) carefully add them to your pan. Depending on the size, you’ll need to turn them every 5-6 mins to get them uniformly brown. *If* you made larger balls, now it’s time to put them into the prepared oven, (450 degree oven for about 20 mins. I place mine into a parchment lined pan and cover with aluminum foil).

When the balls are done, return them to your original skillet (or just leave them in there) and add your broccoli. As the broccoli cooks it will turn a beautiful deep green. While this cooks whisk your egg and almond milk together in a small bowl. You don’t want to fry them crispy, just about 8 mins or so, if they begin to turn brown, it’s time to move on. Add your drained pasta, mix well remove from the heat; quickly add your egg mixture and mix constantly (yes, you will get some cooked eggie bits), then add the shredded cheese. Serve hot with crumbled goat cheese on the top and French bread with balsamic vinegar to dip in.

If you enjoy a little heat with your meal, sprinkle on red pepper flakes to taste.

Beefy Lamb Meatball Goodness

April 30, 2014 by Dan Leave a Comment

Meatballs with tomato sauce

Yep, another meatball recipe – they’re just so darn good! And perfectly sized to take to work the next day for lunch. So let’s get to it:

Meatballs

1 lb Ground Sirloin
1 lb Ground Lamb
2 cups Cooked Long Grain Rice (I used brown basmati rice)
2 Eggs
2 sprigs Rosemary, chopped
2 sprigs Oregano, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Cheese
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1 14.5oz can peeled, chopped Tomatoes

Sauce

5 8oz cans Tomato Sauce
1 sprig Rosemary, chopped
1 sprig Oregano, chopped
1 tablespoon good Balsamic Vinegar
4 tablespoons Honey
2 teaspoons baking soda
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. You’ll need two baking dishes (I used a 9” x 13” and a 9” x 9”)

Combine the ground meat, rice, eggs, chopped rosemary and oregano, grated cheese, canned tomatoes (with the juice) salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix together gently using your hands until the ingredients are well mixed.

Form the meat mixture into 2 to 2 ½ inch balls. You should end up with 12 to 14 meatballs. Place the meatballs into your baking dishes so they aren’t crammed together. Place in the oven and back for 30 minutes or until they start to brown on top.

While the meatballs are cooking, make your sauce. Combine the tomato sauce, chopped herbs, balsamic vinegar and honey in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add the baking soda a teaspoon at a time. (This will neutralize the acid in the tomato sauce.) Stir in gently. Once it has stopped foaming, add the second teaspoon and mix it in. Once the sauce is hot, taste and add salt and pepper. Turn down to low and let simmer.

Once the meatballs have started to brown, spoon about half your sauce over the meatballs and return them to the oven. Cook another 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat is 160 degrees.

Serve with the remaining sauce and side dishes of your choice. (We served ours with rice and a vegetable.)

Enjoy!

Balls fit for a King

January 8, 2014 by Ginger 2 Comments

Teriyaki Meatballs with fried Quinoa

Here’s a tasty little dish sure to please even the fussiest of eaters. How you might ask? A sweet little sauce called Teriyaki that will cast it’s spell upon even the humblest of meatballs or persnickety “royal” taste buds. Our recipe is quick and easy, so let’s get cookin’!

Set your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You’ll be placing this in the middle rack of your oven for even cooking.

For the Balls:

1lb Ground Beef (we use 10% lean)
1/2 cup Panko (we use finely smooshed Corn Flakes)
1/2 cup Water Chestnuts (finely chopped)
1 egg
2 Green onions (finely sliced)
2 Tablespoons teriyaki (recipe below)

Mix together well. I recommend using your hands – your going to be rolling balls so might as well get your pinkies in there from the get go! After you’ve mixed all the ingredients, start rolling approximately 2″ diameter meatballs and place evenly spaced on your baking sheet. These will bake in the oven about 30 mins. Take one out and cut in half, if it’s cooked thru remove the baking sheet, or add more time as needed.

Place the meatballs into a clean bowl and mix with some prepared teriyaki – enough to cover them in sweet glaze, perhaps 1/4 cups or so, add more as needed, and serve. For a spicier glaze you can also reserve some of the teriyaki in a smaller bowl and add Sriracha sauce. Mix well and use for dipping, if you dare…

For the ‘Yaki:

1 cup Soy Sauce
1 Cup Sake
1/2 Cup Mirin (found in the Asian product aisle of the grocery store)
1/8 Cup (4 Tablespoons) Sugar
1/8 Cup Honey
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/2 Teaspoon Granulated Garlic
1/2Teaspoon Granulated Onion
3 Tablespoons Corn Starch

In a small pot combine all ingredients and bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring often while heating and constantly as it boils, until it thickens. Remove from heat and cool. Store in your refrigerator.

So there you have it, dinner in about an hour and the only argument will be who has the most.

“Balls” cried the Queen, “If I had two, I would be King!”
And The King laughed because he had to!