Random Bites-- Meatballs and Fish (not on the same night)

Meatballs and Fish... what a combo!

I'm at the tail end of cleaning out my freezer. I found a package of ground pork and ground beef that I wanted to use, before it expired. I remembered watching one of my favorite (new) Food Network chefs (Anne Burrell, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef) making a recipe for meatballs. That must've been months ago, but I decided this would be the best way to use these meats.

I have to tell you, that this really is an excellent recipe for meatballs. Those of you who have been following my blog (and I sure appreciate all of you) know that I like to show how I make things-- me, being highly visual myself in how I learn.

Let's just say that something happened on the way home from the office and I felt cranky... downright ornery. Many of you foodies understand the therapy that goes with chopping and being in "the zone". It's that forcefield that I put up that my husband interprets as "don't come in the kitchen...don't talk to me and don't ask me when dinner's going to be ready". He quietly read a book and I got to work...and I worked...and then I realized that this recipe should be made on a lazy Sunday. Too late! I was on a mission to finish this recipe but the natural light was fading (and I try not to do flash photography).

I abandoned focusing on photography, because I didn't want eat late. I sure hustled on this meal. My photos do not do justice to how delicious this meal turned out to be.

I got 24 meatballs... a little bigger than a golfball...



I browned these in 3 batches and then roasted in the oven for 15 more minutes.

As for marinara sauce-- why post a recipe? So many of you have your own way. Me? I keep San Marzano (ready the label to make sure they don't say "San Marzano style") crushed tomatoes on hand as a staple. You know the drill-- onion, garlic, basil, oregano and some improvisation-- I had a wonderful sauce to dunk these meatballs in. I stopped buying bottled spaghetti sauce years ago-- though I love Trader Joe's Tuscan style marinara sauce for quick dinners.



My son claimed that these meatballs were the very best he's ever eaten. That's a huge compliment. I have to say, that the combination of ground pork, beef (and I bought 1/2 pound of ground veal), the parmesan-romano blend (all I had), eggs, cooked onion and garlic and freshly cut flat-leaf parsley was really good.

I ended up freezing half of this meal for one of those nights when I just don't have the energy to cook.


What about the fish? I'm really trying to eat healthier. I've been enjoying a lot of comfort foods, this winter. It's time for me to eat less heavy cream sauces, and to eat more fish.

I dragged myself home, tonight. I was really tired. I had a cauliflower that needed attention-- olive oil, salt & pepper and herbs de provence in the oven at 450F for about 15 minutes. I found some baby carrots that "somebody" (not me) left opened...and they were looking dry. Those became my candied carrot recipe. As for the fresh tilapia-- I made tilapia picatta.

In way less than 30 minutes, dinner was ready.

That's the only reason I can blog tonight. The boys cleaned up the kitchen and I'm enjoying a little "me time".

I'm counting the days until July 1st rolls around. That's when my school job shuts down for a month-- this is a great perk in working at a school.

I plan to swim every day and learn some new things-- canning, for one. Yep, that's my summer project. I want to learn how to can fruits and make homemade jam.

Two more months to go...