Now thatsa meatball!

These meatballs were UNBELIEVABLE! Best yet! When Tyler Florence called these the ultimate,  I have to agree! I rolled the meatballs in fresh bread crumbs. There's always burger and hot dog buns left over, so I whizz them in the food processor and then throw them in a ziploc bag and freeze it, no waste. I always have fresh crumbs handy. Frying the meatballs with the crumbs gave it a nice crust. Then I threw them in the pot with the sauce. I used perlini (little pearls) mozzarella balls. They're really cute, very teeny, tiny balls of fresh mozzarella in water.  The family is not big on cheese, so the recipe called for Buffalo mozzarella. Telling them the cheese comes from Buffalo wouldn't work, they wouldn't go for cheese from a Water Buffalo. I would. It's very good! But my cheese wimps can be picky, so I didn't chance it.

Perlini (little pearls) mozzarella balls

 

Mozzarella-stuffed Meatballs

Meatballs (Polpette Napoletane)
Source: Tyler's Ultimate, Food Network and Cooking Channel - recipe courtesy Baroness Cecilia Bellelli
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

3 slices stale bread, crusts removed
1 cup milk
1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground beef, you can use a mix of pork and beef
3 eggs
2 ounces pecorino, grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 buffalo mozzarella, drained and chopped into little pieces (I used pearlini , little round tiny pieces of fresh mozzarella in water!)
Unseasoned bread crumbs
Extra-virgin olive oil, for frying
Tomato sauce, jar or homemade

Put the bread in a small mixing bowl, cover with milk, and leave to soak.

Chop the parsley and garlic together. Put meat into a large mixing bowl. Squeeze the milk out of the bread and add to meat. Add parsley and garlic. Use your hands to mix the ingredients. Break eggs into the mixture to bind it. Keep mixing. Add the pecorino. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Shape meatballs by hand, make a hole in the top and insert a small piece of mozzarella. Cover it up and pat meatball into shape. Roll them in bread crumbs. Pour olive oil into a frying pan and when it's really hot, fry the meatballs for 5 minutes, or until they have formed a crust. Then turn over. When golden brown and crusty on both sides remove the meatballs from the pan and drain on paper towels.

Add the meatballs to the tomato sauce, cover and simmer on low heat for about an hour or more.

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Joining Debbie from Dining with Debbie for What's On the Menu Wednesday!

and joining Extreme Personal Measures for What's Cookin' Wednesdays!

 

 

AND 

 Food on Friday at Carole's Chatter 

 

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Wordless Wednesday: Teeny, tiny...

 
More Wordless Wednesday can be found here!

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Catalina Dressing

Catalina Salad Dressing. A little spicy, a little sweet!

There are some bottled dressings I wouldn't do without. And sometimes a vinaigrette just won't do. This Catalina has a little spice and a little sweet to it, you can make it as spicy or as sweet as you like. It's a nice change from the usual!

Catalina Dressing
adapted There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
dash paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
grated onion to taste
1/2 cup vinegar
2/3 cup ketchup
1 cup vegetable oil

Place all ingredients into blender and mix. Pour into a jar and store in the refrigerator.

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Joining Mary at the Little Red House for Mosaic Monday. Stop by the Little Red House to see more mosaics!

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Weekend Cooking: Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca

Good thing Suzy at Kitchen Bouquet started the magazine Challenge for March. I still have some on the pile left from February! Getting through February and March and now April magazines are starting to come in and pile up! and I'm joining Beth for some Weekend Cooking!

This one was really good. The prosciutto was sliced so thin, it kept tearing. But I managed. I used thin cutlets and they cook quickly so the prosciutto didn't get crispy, which I think I would have preferred, but we enjoyed this one. It has a lot of flavor and I would definitely make it again. Makes a nice presentation on the plate because you can see the sage leaves through the prosciutto. In our house sage is definitely under-rated and under-used, but I liked it, so I think it'll start showing up more often. I may just have to get a sage plant for the garden!

Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca
Source: Cooking Light, January-February 2011
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

4 (4-ounce) chicken cutlets
1/8 teaspoon salt
12 fresh sage leaves
2 ounces very thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 8 thin strips
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 large lemons!)
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
lemon wedges (optional)

Sprinkle the chicken evenly with salt. Place 3 sage leaves on each cutlet; wrap 2 prosciutto slices around each cutlet, securing sage leaves in place. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add chicken to pan; cook for 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Combine broth, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until smooth. Add cornstarch mixture and the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil to pan;bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook for 1 minute or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly with a whisk. Spoon sauce over chicken. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

Joining Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share!

Check out The Great Cooking Magazine Challenge at Kitchen Bouquet, the March 2011 edition!

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Pasta Timballo with Ricotta

While I'm slowly getting through my pile of magazines, there are still plenty of cookbooks to go through, because I read them like novels. Post-it notes mark the pages where I see recipes that I must try one of these days. I finally got to The Heart of an Artichoke and Other Kitchen Journeys by David Tanis, and I loved it. There are quite a few more recipes bookmarked, and I hope to get to them. This one was very easy, very simple and so good.

This reminded me a little of baked ziti, but no mozzarella. The ricotta made the sauce very creamy. The recipe said fresh ricotta, which I don't know how to make. Yet. I have to look into it, but I used a good store bought ricotta cheese and the dish was delicious. Next time I'd add a little more crushed red pepper. The fresh basil was perfect. and I used plenty of Pecorino. I also used a jarred sauce this time. But would definitely make the tomato sauce next time, once the good tomatoes are in season again! 

The recipe called for Annelli, but I ran out, it's a fun shaped pasta. Rings! Like pasta Cheerio's! You can see them here. Instead this time I used a different mini pasta, a bag of pennette. Definitely making this again!

Pasta Timballo with Ricotta
Source: The Heart of an Artichoke and Other Kitchen Journeys by David Tanis
You can find the full recipe here!
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

1 pound anelli pasta (a dried ring-shaped pasta) - I used pennette, small penne shaped pasta
olive oil
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes
4 cups tomato sauce (recipe follows) - I used a good jarred sauce
1 pound fresh ricotta, at room temperature
grated pecorino
a handful of basil leaves, roughly chopped

Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Boil the pasta according to directions on package; it should be firmly al dente. Drain the pasta and put it in a large bowl. Drizzle with a little fruity olive oil, and season to taste with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Meanwhile, heat the tomato sauce. Have a large, deep ovenproof dish ready.

Spoon about half the sauce into the dish and stir half of the ricotta into the sauce, leaving it somewhat lumpy. Spoon the pasta on top of the sauce, and pour the rest of the sauce on top of the pasta. Top with dollops of the remaining ricotta and sprinkle with grated pecorino. Put the dish in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, to heat through completely.

Sprinkle with the basil, and serve more pecorino on the side.
 

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Wordless Wednesday: Berries for dessert

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Simplest Chicken and Leek Stew

Joining I Heart Cooking Clubs for a Jamie Oliver Potluck,  What's On the Menu with Debbie from Dining with Debbie and Suzy's Magazine Challenge for March! I found a couple recipes we've really enjoyed. This one from Food and Wine was so simple, and so easy and so good. And I still screwed up. Just a little. Who knew two TABLESPOONS instead of two TEASPOONS of Dijon could be so noticeable? The Griller thought so, and so did Miss Picky. I liked it a lot, and the big kid and his friends, home from Spring Break and so-so college food, liked it as well! But I would definitely cut back on the mustard next time for the sake of the other two with the sensitive palette! It did have a strong mustard taste. So much for paying attention. I could swear while I was rushing around the kitchen that it said tablespoons. Good thing I wasn't thinking cups! Anyway, I'd definitely make this again, it was easy, it was quick and it really was good. Don't listen to those two :)

Simplest Chicken and Leek Stew
Source: Food and Wine March 2011, recipe by Jamie Oliver
Adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium leeks, white and tender green parts only, thinly sliced
1 pound cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 2-inch pieces
all-purpose flour, for dusting
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the leeks and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are tender, about 4 minutes. Remove the leeks and mushrooms onto a plate.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and lightly dust with flour, shaking off any excess. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet. Add the chicken and cook over moderate heat until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Stir in the mushroom and leek mixture. Add the chicken stock and thyme and simmer over moderate heat about a minute or two. Add the stock and simmer over medium-high heat until the stock is reduced a bit, for about 2 or 3 minutes.

In a small bowl, blend the sour cream with the mustard and stir into the stew. Remove the skillet from the heat. Season the stew with salt and pepper and serve with steamed rice.

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 Check out The Great Cooking Magazine Challenge at Suzy's Kitchen Bouquet, the March 2011 edition!

and joining Debbie from Dining with Debbie for What's On the Menu Wednesday!

and joining in the Jamie Oliver Potluck party going on at I Heart Cooking Clubs. Stop by and join the fun!

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Mosaic Monday: Spring herbs!

You can definitely tell it's getting to be spring around here. There's growth in the herb garden. I can't believe they survived this past winter! I can't believe I survived this past winter! So much snow. But what a nice sight to finally see! The thyme, tarragon and chives are starting to show. Soon enough they'll be big, beautiful and lush, and I can find lots of recipes to for them. This was an outstanding recipe for the chives and tarragon, Chicken Louisa. I've posted it before and it was so good, it's definitely worthy of a do over!

Thyme               Tarragon                Chives

Chicken Louisa
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Source: Gourmet - June 2000, recipe by Peter Micheli
Printable Recipe

4 chicken cutlets, pounded thin
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium shallot, sliced thin
1/2 cup dry vermouth (or use dry white wine)
3/4 cup heavy cream
4 or 5 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 extra-large chicken-bouillon cube, crumbled

Garnish: chopped fresh chives

Season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil and butter in a large heavy skillet over moderately high heat until the foam subsides. Brown chicken on both sides in 2 batches, about 3 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken to a plate and keep warm.

Add shallot to skillet and saute, stirring, until tender, about a minute. Add the vermouth and boil over high heat, scraping up brown bits, until reduced by half. Stir in cream, tomatoes, tarragon, and bouillon cube, then simmer, stirring, until tomatoes are softened and sauce begins to thicken, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Return chicken, with any juices accumulated on plate, to skillet and simmer until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

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Joining Mary at the Little Red House for Mosaic Monday. Stop by the Little Red House to see more mosaics!

and joining Debbie from Dining with Debbie for What's On the Menu Wednesday!

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