A recipe is only one piece of the puzzle.
This time out I am presenting a variety of ideas and recipes staring with meatballs. Many of us think of meatballs and spaghetti as comfort food, and at the same time seem to roll those balls too tight, at least that's what I have heard from a number of regulars at my chef's station. One lady has even chastised me for not putting a recipe out here for the meatballs that she had tasted at the station.
Recipes for meatballs are as varied as
the mouths that open to eat them. I had the standard on one day with
one and half pounds of ground beef and half a pound ground pork. On
another occasion I had done chicken with pork for a lighter taste.
It seems what struck so many with the meatballs I made was that they
were soft and full of juice.
The secret? Well it's not a secret at
all. As you mix the desired meat with a little seasoning the most
important point to remember is to not overwork them. Once you've
decided on the size of the meatball and you have the meat in your
hands put it into the palm of your left hand. Now with your right
palm roll the meat into the shape of a ball gently using the thumb to
constantly turn the ball.
Think of it this way. You have your
wife, girlfriend, husband or whoever at the tips of your hands. Now
you want your partner to feel relaxed, your hands glide softly over
the skin, bringing on feelings and emotions that can lead you both
anywhere. Pleasure, discovery all await the one with the soft touch.
That meatball wants the soft touch so it can take your taste buds on
a journey of pleasure equally. If you think of the lipstick stain on
his shirt collar you'll only have a golf ball swimming in the
marinara sauce.
So there is no secret to uncover, simply
do not squeeze too hard on the meat when rolling as not to drain the
natural juice from the meat. First brown them well on all sides in a
pan with a little olive oil and then the playground is all yours to
choose.
These are just a couple of the recipes
that I had made at my chef's station which got a lot of attention.
Spaghetti & Meatballs: Italy's Gift to Comfort Food
For the Meatballs:
2 lb lean ground beef
3/4 lb lean ground pork
1 tbsp garlic salt
1/2 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
1 tsp Italian seasoning
salt & pepper to taste
1 egg
Combine all ingredients, roll into
meatballs.
Brown all around before finishing in the
oven.
For
the Sauce:
1 sweet onion, chopped
2 portabello mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp each fresh basil, sage & thyme
Combine these ingredients and saute till
onion and mushroom are softened.
Add 1 jar pasta sauce and bring to a
boil, reduce heat,
and add meatballs and simmer 15-20
minutes.
Serve up with Italian parsley and grated
montasio cheese or your choice of a good parmesan.
(Serves 6)
(Serves 6)
Turkey
Meatballs
For
the Meatballs:
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 egg
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
1 tsp fresh oregano
2 tbsp fresh basil, minced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper
For
the Sauce:
2 cups tomato sauce or your favourite
pasta sauce (marinara works too)
4-5 large basil leaves, chopped
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 cups of sliced mushrooms, optional
4-6 oz. burrata cheese, cut into large
pieces
Preheat oven to 400°
F.
In a large bowl, combine the turkey,
bread crumbs, egg, minced basil, garlic salt, oregano, cumin,
dijon mustard, black pepper, cayenne and
red pepper flakes.
Mix together and roll into 1 inch
meatballs.
You will end up with anywhere between
16-22 meatballs.
Bake meatballs for 15 minutes.
While the meatballs are baking, make the
sauce. Heat the large skillet on medium-low and add tomato sauce and
oregano. At this point you can add any herbs or additional
ingredients such as mushrooms or red pepper flakes if you desire.
Sauce will thicken.
Once meatballs are done baking, add them
to the skillet, spoon the tomato sauce generously over the meatballs
and add the basil.
Place the buratta cheese randomly in the
tomato sauce and/or over the meatballs, continue cooking on
medium-low for 5 more minutes or until the cheese has melted into the
sauce.
Serve meatballs over grain or pasta of
choice, it would also be great over spaghetti squash.
(Serves 6)
(Serves 6)
Now for something different. At my
chef's station I have often grilled a variety of meats, steak being
among the most popular. Marinating various meats such as chicken can
open the doors to a whole variety of flavours, but for steak I find a
dry rub adds more strength to both the aroma whilst grilling and to
the final taste. Here is a rub I had used only a couple of weeks ago
that found many licking their fingers long after the steak was
chewed.
Fragrant
Steak Rub
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
Combine the olive oil and spices well
then rub the steak pushing down on the meat, then drop the beef on
the grill. Now watch the neighbours smelling the air as the aroma
floats across the fence.
As much as any man I love the smell of
steak on the grill. OK, I have not ignored the fact that many of the
ladies will also not pass up a well seasoned and grilled to
perfection T-bone. Though summer brings families and friends
together enjoying a meal al fresco. Who would scoff at a juicy beef
burger atop a bun loaded with lettuce, onions and tomato. The tried
and true topping is often mustard or ketchup, but let's be
more daring and sample something new and different. No burger will ever be the same after you
try one of these toppings.
The
Californian
2 ripe avocados
1/4 cup mayo
1 crushed garlic clove
1 red hot pepper finely chopped
The
Hot Mama
1 cup mayo
1/2 sour cream
4 grilled onions, chopped
1 tbsp spiracha
1 tsp honey
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp sweet paprika
4-5 mushrooms grilled and chopped
The
Creamy Italian
6 oz softened cream cheese
3 tbsp pesto
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 jar bruschetta
1 tsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
Asian
Storm
1/3 cup Hoisin sauce
2 tbsp spiracha
1 cup grilled onion, chopped
1 cup grilled red bell pepper, chopped
Many of us feel a pinch when friends are
about to drop by and we have no new ideas of what to serve as a tasty
bite with a glass of wine and good conservation. Cranking up the
oven and banging pots and pans is not always a necessity. Last week
at my chef's station I threw out some freshly baked baguettes with a
delicious topping. In fact it was so delicious that over the
following few days more than one hundred copies of the recipe had
been picked up.
The whole thing is quite simple. Take a
freshly baked French baguette, slice it into rounds about half inch
thick. Then shred some parmigiano reggiano cheese, top the cheese
with a fig preserve and under the broiler it goes. Some 4-5 minutes
and the cheese begins to soften, don't have it melt and run away.
Now for the finishing touch, drizzle across the preserve a little
balsamic glaze. Lay these stunning and delicious slices on a
platter, pop a bottle of wine and let the conversation roll.
A
beret with a difference
1 french baguette sliced into 1/2 inch
rounds
parmigiano reggiano cheese, shredded
fig preserve, or any good fruit preserve
of your choice
balsamic glaze to drizzle
