Pork Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 10 ounces ground pork shoulder
• 10 ounces sweet Italian sausage
• 2 ounces prosciutto or pancetta, minced (helps to put in freezer for 15 min first, before mincing, will make it easier to cut)
• 4 cups cubed white bread, crusts removed first.
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 2/3 cup ricotta cheese
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• Olive oil
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (high quality, either San Marzano or Muir Glen)
• 1/4 cup chiffonaded* fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

* if fresh is NOT available, you can substitute w/ 1 Tablespoon of dried basil...

 

Method 

In a large bowl, add the pork, Italian sausage, prosciutto or pancetta, bread cubes, parsley, oregano, fennel, red pepper flakes, and salt. Use your hands to mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Do not over-work.Whisk the beaten eggs and ricotta together in a separate bowl until there are no more large clumps of ricotta. Pour into the bowl of the meat mixture. Mix with your hands until just incorporated. Again, do not over-mix.

If you want, to test seasoning, you can take a small bit of the mix, form into a patty, and heat in a small skillet on the stovetop until cooked through. Depending on how this test patty tastes to you, add more herbs, chili, or salt to taste to the meat mixture. Keep meat mixture in refrigerator while doing this.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat the bottom of a large roasting pan with olive oil. Form meatballs in your hand, about 1 1/2-inches in diameter, using about 3 Tbsp of the mixture to form each meatball. Arrange in pan so there is some space between them. If too crowded they will steam and not brown.

Roast meatballs in the oven for about 30 minutes, turning the meatballs after about 20 minutes, until the meatballs are beginning to brown.

Remove pan from oven. Use a metal spatula to dislodge meatballs from being stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the crushed tomatoes to the pan. Carefully cover the pan with aluminum foil (carefully because the pan is still hot!) Return the pan to the oven. Lower the heat to 300°F. Cook for an additional hour to 1 1/2 hours.

Sprinkle basil into sauce before serving.



Makes about 24 meatballs. Top with grated Parmesan.

Delicious Grilled Onions

 

 

Ingredients

• 4 large onions
• 1/2 cup butter
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat grill for high heat.
2. Peel onions, and remove ends. Cut each onion into quarters. Place 2 quarters of onion in a 6 inch square piece of tin foil, inserting a slice of butter or margarine between the pieces. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Close foil around onion. Repeat with remaining onions.
3. Set foil packets on lower rack of a gas grill, or directly on top of hot coals. Cook for about 30 to 35 minutes.

Roasted Turkey Breast

Ingredients
nocoupons

• 1 whole bone-in turkey breast, 6 1/2 to 7 pounds
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cup dry white wine

 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the turkey breast, skin side up, on a rack in a roasting pan.
In a small bowl, combine the garlic, mustard, herbs, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice to make a paste. Loosen the skin from the meat gently with your fingers and smear half of the paste directly on the meat. Spread the remaining paste evenly on the skin. Pour the wine into the bottom of the roasting pan.
Roast the turkey for 1 3/4 to 2 hours, until the skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest and meatiest areas of the breast. (I test in several places.) If the skin is over-browning, cover the breast loosely with aluminum foil. When the turkey is done, cover with foil and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Slice and serve with the pan juices spooned over the turkey.

Courtesy of Ina Garten

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 3-4 chicken breasts
• 1 chicken bullion cube
• 1 medium red onion diced
  
• 15 white corn tortillas or flour tortillas (fajita size).. room temperature..
  
• 3 (10 ounce) cans red or green enchilada sauce (I use Old El Paso)
• 3-4 cups grated monterey jack pepper cheese (or for less spice, use 1 cup pepper jack and 2 cups of cheddar, or a fiesta blend Mexican cheese mix)
• sliced jalapenos optional..
• pico de gallo optional
  
• sour cream optional
  

Directions

1. Boil chicken with bullion cube until it falls apart, then shred.(I put it in the slow cooker many times, and save me he hassle...)
   
2. Mix 1/2 can of sauce, 2/3 or the diced onion and a little cheese with chicken. (can be added directly into slow cooker if desired)
   
3. Put other 1/2 can on bottom of 11x9 baking dish.
4. Preheat Oven 350 degrees.
5. Roll chicken mixture into tortillas. (if they aren't room temperature, you can microwave for a few seconds, but i find that THAT makes them too chewy)
   
6. Put in pan semi-tightly.
7. Cover with remaining 2 cans sauce, cheese, and a little onion for garnish.
   
8. Bake covered for 10 minutes then uncovered for another 10-15 more until cheese is fully melted (usually about 20-25 min total).
9. Brown top slightly or to preference.
10. serve with Sour cream, Guacamole, and Pico de Gallo... and dont forget the jalapenos for added heat..
    

Guacamole

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 2 avocados
• 1/2 Lime, juiced
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 minced clove of garlic
  

Directions

1. Cut the avocados into halves. Remove the seeds, and scoop out the pulp into a small bowl. Use a fork to mash the avocado. Stir in lemon juice, onion, garlic,salt, and olive oil. Cover the bowl, and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.