Italian Chicken Meatballs

So just in case you think I only bake... here's a savory meal for you ;) We've been eating a lot of standbys in the DeMaria house & this is one of them. If you cannot tell from all of the celebratory cake, it's been busy & that is not to mention the other things going on! I don't want to exhaust you by listing them so, here, read this tasty recipe instead! Happy Friday!!!

<3 Lishie
 

Italian Chicken Meatballs

• 1 1/4 lbs. ground chicken
• 1/2 c breadcrumbs
• 2 TBSp chopped onion
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 TBSp chopped parsley
• 1/2 c Parmesan cheese, grated
• s & p
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 egg, whisked
• zest of 1/2 a lemon
• 3 TBSp olive oil
• 29 oz canned tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 400°F, setting rack to top of oven. In a large bowl, using your hands, gently mix together first 11 ingredients. Shape into 3" size balls & place a few inches from each other on a foil-lined baking sheet. In a small bowl, mix one spoonful of your sauce with olive oil. Brush this mixture on top of each meatball. Bake for 15 minutes.

Remove meatballs from oven & add to your simmering sauce (below) for 5-10 minutes. Serve with pasta. And shredded fresh parmesan, yes, don't forget the parm!

Sauce- saute 1 small onion, chopped in olive oil w/ 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 TBsp tomato paste... Add the rest of the tomato sauce... Simmer on low...

Chicken in Tomatoes

Is anyone else still mourning summer? I know, I know. I love Autumn & the change it brings, the gorgeous hues & vegetable variety... the holidays & all. But I am still a summer lovin' girl. So when I was looking into my recipe clippings for ideas & came across something with the heading "Saving Summer", I stopped short. Yes, please, let's save it!!! It was a clipping from a 2 year old back issue of Everyday Food for Chicken in Tomatoes. The article had been about freezing some of the fresh produce of the season for the upcoming chillier months. And I saved it because we always have an abundance of fresh, Jersey tomatoes from my pop-in-law's garden. Well, until this year. Don't get me wrong, we had fresh Jersey tomatoes this past summer months from pop's garden but not as many as usual. Black thumb over here heard something about the high temps causing the problem as well as the sneaky squirrel who resides in our tree. So I went ahead with this yummy recipe using canned tomatoes & it was tasty! I served it with cavatappi pasta on the side & it was a hit!

<3 Lishie

Chicken in Tomatoes
originally printed in Everyday Food

• 32 oz can of tomatoes
• 1 TBSp olive oil
• 1-2 lbs skinless chicken breasts
• s & p
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tsp oregano
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed & peeled

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Coarsely pulse the tomatoes in a food processor. In an overproof skillet, heat oil over med-high. Season chicken pieces with s & p & brown on one side, about 7 minutes. Flip & cook about 1 minute. Transfer chicken to a plate, set aside. Reduce heat to med., add onion & cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add oregano, then garlic, stir for about a minute. Add tomatoes, more s & p, & bring to a boil.

Place the chicken pieces back into the skillet, darker side up. Transfer skillet to the oven & cook 25-30 minutes, until chicken is done.

Crockpot Lasagna

OK, this recipe is good if you really have no time to put together a traditional lasagna & want to eat it that night. Also, if you have no luck with lasagna noodles, this is your recipe! It was ok for me. It was filling, my hubby liked it enough but 2 bothersome things- the "crunch" on top of course is missing & al dente? Ha! The noodles are VERY well cooked. Still, if you want lasagna fast, without much prep, make this:
<3 Lishie

Crockpot Lasagna

• 1 lb.  ground beef
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large can (24 oz.) tomato sauce
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 container  (15 oz.) ricotta cheese
• 2c shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/4c  grated parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 egg
• 2 TBSp  chopped, fresh parsley
• 6 lasagna noodles, uncooked

Brown meat in large skillet until most of the pink is gone, then drain & return to stove. Add in onion & garlic. Stir in sauce & oregano. Simmer for 20 minutes.  Mix ricotta, 1-1/2 c mozzarella, 2 TBSp Parmesan, egg & parsley.
Layer into Crock-pot:  Meat sauce/noodles (broken to fit)/spread cheese mixture. Meat sauce/noodles (broken to fit)/spread cheese mixture. Meat sauce/noodles (broken to fit)/spread cheese mixture. Cover & cook on slow for 4 hours or until liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses & allow to melt before serving. 

French Bread Pizza

Sometimes, the simplest things can be the very best.

<3 Lishie

French Bread Pizza 

• 2 loaves of French Bread (can be a day old!)  
• 2 cups marinara 
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella 
• fresh basil, torn 
• toppings (optional~ hubby wanted bacon!)

the "Before"

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prep a pizza stone or line a baking sheet with lightly greased aluminum foil.

 

Slice the bread loaves in half length-wise & place on the prepped cooking sheet. Scoop out some of the softer bread inside to make room for the toppings. Ladle, directly in the middle, equal amounts of sauce on each slice.Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella generously over all four slices. Add the basil & any favorite toppings.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese is yummily melted. Enjoy!

Sunday Dinner

Is there something that you always make & always look forward to eating as a family? Something that you will never tire of having? We have a few “somethings” like this but I have to say, nothing else exists that comes close to a huge pot of sauce & homemade meatballs.  This is other-wise known as “Sunday Dinner”. And yes, I am Irish. Ha! But my hubby is Italian. His mom makes the most delicious sauce…  & when we have hers, well she adds in sausage & braciole (A thin slice of meat, usually wrapped around a stuffing & cooked in its own juices). Well, for this Irish-woman, I have to say, I make a prêt-tee GOOD sauce!!! And my meatballs… Heavenly spheres on a plate…

I changed my meatballs up a bit this Sunday. Oh they were the same, huge size… But I made them caprese-style… Just add pasta & good, crusty bread. Oh we love a dab of cold ricotta on the side too!

What is your Sunday tradition?

<3 Lishie

Caprese Meatballs

• 1lb. ground beef (80%)
• 1/2 c bread crumbs
• 1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 c shredded mozzarella
• 1 clove minced garlic (I microplane it)
• 2 TBSp fresh Basil
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c AP Flour, for dipping/dredging
• 2-3 TBSp olive oil *add more between batches if needed

Place the ground beef in a large bowl. Add the next 6 ingredients onto the top of the beef, ending with the egg. Using your hands, gently fold all of the ingredients into the beef, combining them but not overly mixing them. Shape into 8 good sized round mounds.

In a saute pan, heat the oil on medium-high.

One batch of raw meatballs.

On a separate plate, place the flour for dipping. Using tongs, dip each meatball into the flour, gently tapping off the excess (flour). Place into the heated pan, 4 meatballs only in the pan at a time. Now watch the meatballs carefully- do not let them brown too much or burn... roll each around to make sure they equally brown on all sides. This technique "seals" the meatballs together, keeps them intact once they hit the sauce & allows for a delicious, juicy interior!

After the first 4 meatballs are "sealed", add them into the simmering sauce, covering them in it. Then repeat with the last 4 meatballs. Once all 8 meatballs are in the sauce simmering away, stir. Then allow your sauce to simmer for a minimum of 3 hours!!! Stirring every 15 minutes if the stock pan is on the stove. If in the crock-pot, leave be & stir at the very end. I allowed this evening's to simmer for 8 hours.

Go here for the Sauce recipe.

& the OXO winner is...

Last night we enjoyed some yummy homemade calzones with marinara sauce. The OXO pop containers were perfect for the leftover sauce!

But enough of us/me, lol....

Without further adieu...
Congratulations to...

LeatherJacket!!!

Who said,

LeatherJacket May 2, 2012 01:17 PM

"I already like DeLish, of course! And I liked OXO and linked to you. The question is, what WOULDN'T you use these for? Leftover soups, taking homemade pudding to work, dragging ranch dressing to a picnic, storing leftovers of my nearly-famous, very excellent homemade potato soup... the list is pretty much endless. Plus, the little ones will fit in your purse! Medicine, candies, sweetener pouches..."

You win the Good Grip LockTop Containers !!! Please email me at lishiedemaria@googlemail.com with your shipping information!!!

<3 Lishie

Winner was chosen at random through random.org:

Stuffed Cabbage Meatloaf

I still had cabbage leftover from St. Patrick’s Day & had been hankering for stuffed cabbage. I just did.not.have.the.time to roll a whole bunch of little loafed-leaves… The word “loaf” resonated in my brain… Hmmmm how can I mimic the recipe while doing one large meatloaf? And this came about. It’s yummy & quicker than the traditional stuffed cabbage with the same charm. And if you ask a selection of Polish & Eastern European cooks how they make theirs… you will get so many different versions! The beauty of old traditions. I like to think of this as sort of my Italian-wife version…

<3 Lishie

Stuffed Cabbage Meatloaf

• 6 large, green cabbage leaves
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 c bread crumbs
• 1 large beaten egg
• 2 c marinara or tomato sauce
• 1/2 c finely chopped onion
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• s & p
• 2 TBSp olive oil
• 1 c water +more.

Place cabbage leaves in a pot of boiling water, cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook 4-5 minutes or until the leaves are soft. Drain & cool.

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, 1/2 c sauce, onion, garlic, oregano & s & p. Create a free formed “loaf” mound.  Wrap the mound in the cabbage leaves.

In an oven-proof skillet, heat the olive oil on medium. Add the rest of the tomato sauce. Stir… Place the cabbage-wrapped mound in the center of the skillet. Allow to simmer, then lower the heat… Add water slowly, as needed, as the liquid thickens for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven. After the meatloaf has steamed for 20 minutes, spray the top with cooking spray & place the skillet in the oven for another 30 minutes or until done. Serve sliced, topped with the sauce.

Arugula Rollatini

I love arugula. I love it because of its peppery-ness. It’s also rich in vitamin C & potassium, both very much needed during the winter months, I might add! Spinach is delightful, but many times, for more flavor, I’ll sub arugula. Baby arugula is amazing as salad. Mix it with fresh parmesan & a little good olive oil & there is so much taste! Of course, that is simple but speaks wonders for the punch of this tiny green.

With all of the meatless days in Lent, I look for nutritious & delicious ideas to get out of the, “OK, pizza again!” rut. This is a new one I came up with & it’s a winner…
Arugula Rollatini

   

Rollatini is a completely made up word. No, really, it is not Italian. Really. But I absolutely love it. It usually refers to thin slices of eggplant rolled up with filling but I’ve inserted it here for my lasagna rolls, my “tinis”.

<3 Lishie

Arugula Rollatini

• 1 lb box of lasagna noodles
• 2 c baby arugula
• 2 c marinara sauce, divided
• 1 c ricotta cheese
• 1/2 c shredded cheese mixture (I used mozzarella, provolone, parmesan, fontina, romano & asiago)
• fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cook the lasagna noodles till al dente, separating the noodles as they cook. Keep them in one piece, be careful! Remove from the water & lay them either over the edge of a large colander or on paper towels to dry. Add the arugula leaves to the still boiling water for 2 minutes, remove from water & drain well (you will also want to squeeze out any excess water).

In a medium bowl, combine the cheeses, cooked arugula & the parsley; This is the filling. Set Aside.

Prep a baking dish with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the prepped dish with 1 cup pasta sauce.

Lay out one lasagna noodle. Lightly spread the filling over the noodle. Taking one end of the pasta, carefully begin rolling the noodle, while tucking back in any escaping filling. Place the rolled lasagna “tini” opening-side down onto the the baking dish.

Repeat with all of the remaining noodles.

After all of the tinis are in the baking dish, top with the last cup of sauce & sprinkle with a little cheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is browned & the sauce & tini filling is bubbling.

Skillet Sausage Lasagna

I was so excited for this one! I really wish I was a better picture taker because boy do I stink! Sorry! But it was yummy just the same. This was smaller & easier than my usual lasagna & that is always a good thing. I made my homemade sauce BUT you can certainly use jarred. AND you can most certainly use no boil noodles. I think I would bake it longer with them though.

When we went on our shopping excursion this week, I meant to buy ground beef for this. But it was expensive & I saw the sweet Italian sausage was on sale for a great price. It looked great but it was not a brand I have had before. Lo & behold, it was tremendously salty. The salt permeated the entire dish. So be careful with ingredients! This is why on Top Chef, the chefs are expected to make their own sausage from scratch. Thank goodness little 'ol me is just a home cook, huh? ;) It tasted ok all the same...

Enjoy!
<3 Lishie

Skillet Lasagna

inspired by: Generation Y Foodie

• 1lb Italian sweet sausage, casings removed
• 1 box lasagna noodles 
• 6 cups pasta sauce, about
• 8 oz part skim ricotta cheese
• 1-2 cups mozzarella, shredded
• 4 tbsp grated parmesan, divided
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Saute sausage (casing having been removed) in olive oil on medium heat until browned. Drain cooked sausage & set aside.

Boil the lasagna strips until al dente then set aside to slightly cool (enough to be hand-held).


Lasagna Layering/Set-up:
Begin with a thin layer of sauce at the bottom of the skillet. I used my 10" cast iron skillet. Make sure it the skillet you use is oven-safe.


Line the lasagna noodles over the sauce layer. Tear the noodles to fit. It does not have to be perfect!

Layer 1/2 the sausage on top of the noodles. 

Sprinkle with some shredded mozzarella & some grated parmesan.


Layer with sauce.

Again, layer with the noodles. 

Layer last 1/2 of the sausage crumbles.

Sprinkle with some shredded mozzarella & some grated parmesan.

Layer with sauce.

Sprinkle remaining parmesan on the top

Dollop large spoonfuls of ricotta equally across the top of the lasagna

Cover with foil & bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the foil & bake until browned on top.

Serve sprinkled with parsley

Oh & Happy Presidents Day!!!

Pomodoro

Pasta always hits the spot... paired with a beautiful sauce & it makes for the perfect meal. Pomodoro is literally translated to "golden apple," pomodoro is Italian for "tomato" (the first tomatoes in Italy were a yellowish color). But my pomodoro sauce is a sumptuous & thick red. If you have the right texture & flavor, along with acidity (taste the sauce as it simmers every 15 minutes to see if you need to add sugar or salt...) the tomato does not need many additions...

Enjoy!

<3 Lishie

Pomodoro Sauce

• 2 TBSp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes; Put them in a food processor or a blender until they're the consistency you like (We like pureed, for a creamier sauce.)
• 1 tsp sugar
• Kosher salt or sea salt
• pinch of dried parsley
• fresh basil

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a saucepan.  Add the tomato puree, allow to heat through, then add the minced garlic & parsley, stir.

Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. 

Cook approximately 30 - 60 minutes, until the sauce slightly thickens. Stir & check it occasionally. Add sugar & salt according to taste during simmering...

Add freshly-chopped basil right before serving

Ziti for Two made with Bolognese

& this is how "she" does it... I am so often asked, "How?! How do you work full time & get home, enjoy your child AND cook dinner?" Well, like I say time, & again, prep! I have this wonderful All-Clad Stainless Cassoulet with Lid & it really makes things easy for those nights when you just want to toss something prepped into the oven. In this case, from leftover sauce & pasta, I prepped a small ziti on Sunday in the cassoulet, burrowed it in the refrigerator & it made for a quick weeknight dinner/side. 

Enjoy! (We did :) ) 

(& Don't forget to enter my

Ella's Kitchen Giveaway &/or 

Sabra's Giveaway!!!)

<3 Lishie

Ziti for Two

• 1/2 lb. Ziti, cooked to al dente (see box directions)
• 1 & 1/2 cups Bolognese (see below)
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 & 1/2 cups mozzarella,shredded
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a bowl, mix the bolognese, ricotta, approximately half the parmesan & 1 cup of the mozzarella. Toss with the ziti. Place in small baking dish or casserole dish. Top with remaining mozzarella & parmesan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted & browning.

Bolognese

• 2 TBSp olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 TBSp tomato paste
• Splash of dry, white wine
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1-2 garlic cloves, whole but smashed
• 2 TBSp fresh basil, chiffonade
• S & P

Saute the onion in the olive oil on medium-high until translucent. Add the ground beef & stirring occasionally, brown it. Add the oregano & the tomato paste. Stirring, cook for another minute. Add the wine, stirring. Add the tomato sauce & garlic. Bring to a simmer & lower the heat to medium. Allow to simmer on medium for another 20-25 minutes (or longer since the longer, the better). Add in the basil & S & P, to taste.

Stuffed Shells

One of my favorite, favorite, favorite Italian pasta dishes is stuffed shells. They're adorable little packages of goodness~ cheesie goodness. I'm not sure why I do not make them more often but when I do I am so happy. And I like to stick to traditional cheese, only because that makes me happy too.

And I am jumping for joy because the tiny basil seeds my tot & I planted in April? Well, it sprouted so big, I will have fresh basil all winter long. Hmmm, maybe my thumb is a teeny bit green, hmmm  :) Or Gabriel's is, more like it!

Stuffed Shells

• 1 package of x-large Shell Pasta
• 1 (16-ounce) container ricotta cheese (I used Skim, cannot tell the difference here)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 egg, whisked
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp fresh basil, chiffonade
• S & P
• 3+ cups Tomato Sauce

Cook the pasta shells just pre-al dente. (The shells will finish cooking later in the oven & you do not want mush!) Cool off the pasta so that you can pick each up by hand. (Really, listen to me here- it is hot!!! Take it from someone who yelled ouch a couple of times tonight.)

Mix 1 cup mozzarella & the other 2 cheeses, egg, basil & S&P together in a medium bowl. Preheat the oven to 375.

Spray a rectangular 13X9" baking dish with olive oil spray.

Evenly layer the bottom of the baking dish with one cup of the sauce. Then, one-by-one, take a cooled & cooked shell carefully in one hand &
using a small spoon, spoon the cheese mixture into the shell, then place the filled pasta into the sauce. Continue with all of the shells, lining them side-by-side.
Cover all of the stuffed shells with the remaining 2 cups of prepared sauce. Sprinkle the 2nd cup of shredded mozzarella evenly over the prepped shells.

Bake for 30 minutes until the cheese is browned & sauce is bubbling. Serve topped with some fresh basil & grated parmesan.

Mangia & enjoy &...

Don't forget to enter my Giveaway! 

<3 Lishie

Come to the NYU Bookstore, 726 Broadway, NYC, NY 10003 on 10/6/11 @11a.m. for a free reading of Llama Llama Red Pajama to help break Jumpstart's Read for the Record

Lasagna with Roasted Red Pepper Meat Sauce

Sunday went as planned, Church, then some shopping chores including the supermarket & home to food prep for the whole week & cook Sunday night dinner. I'm exhausted just typing all that. Sure weekends are suppose to be for resting, ha! What is that?!? Being a full-time working mom, I have to get chores done on the weekend & in order to get food on the table by 5/5:30, prep, prep, prep. So the prep begins with a meal plan as I writing my grocery list. I try to reuse ingredients at least twice... sauce & cheese on Sunday, then use some another day... etc. Then shop... get home & organize the food... clean the fruits & veg... And while making Sunday dinner, put together another for at least one other day. This would be that meal. 

Lasagna with Roasted Red Pepper Meat Sauce

• 1 TBSp Olive Oil
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 small Onion, chopped
• 3 cups Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
• 1 & 1/2 cups sauce
• 15 oz. Ricotta Cheese
• 1 egg, whisked
• 1 tsp dried Basil
• 1 package of OVEN-ready Lasagna Noodles 
• 3 & 1/2 cups shredded Italian Cheese mix  (provolone/mozzarella/asiago/parmesan/ romano)



Before

• Grated Parmesan
• 1 TBSp fresh Basil

Prep: Spray a 13"x9"x2" baking pan & set it aside. In a large sauce pan, saute the onion in the olive oil & add the meat. Cook until browned, then drain the mixture of all liquid. Stir in both sauces & the dry basil. 

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, egg & fresh basil. 

After

Putting it all together:

1.

Take the prepped baking pan & spread 1 cup of the meat sauce along the bottom. 

2.

Place 3 pieces of uncooked lasagna over the sauce, being careful not to overlap at all (they will expand!). Spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture evenly over the noodles. Spread 1 cup of meat sauce over the ricotta, then top the sauce with 1 cup shredded cheese...

3.

Place 3 pieces of uncooked lasagna over the sauce, being careful not to overlap at all. Spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture evenly over the noodles. Spread 1 cup of meat sauce over the ricotta, then top the sauce with 1 cup shredded cheese...

4.

Place 3 pieces of uncooked lasagna over the sauce, being careful not to overlap at all Spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture evenly over the noodles. Spread 1 cup of meat sauce over the ricotta, then top the sauce with 1 cup shredded cheese...

5.

Place the LAST 3 slices of uncooked lasagna noodles on top. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup of meat sauce over the top of these noodles. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese & some parmesan. Top with fresh basil.

6.

*If prepping for another day, tightly cover the pan in plastic wrap & refrigerate.

Once ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. <<< This direction is for my hubby ;) ~ Remove Plastic Wrap>>> 

Cover with aluminum foil & bake for 30 minutes. Take off the foil & bake for another 20-30 minutes, until the cheese is hot & bubbly.

For a Sunday night dinner, I won't use the "Oven Ready" Lasagna pizza because it does not taste fresh enough for me. But, for a prepared meal that will sit in the refrigerator for a weekday I will. I've found that is the best method for this oven ready pasta noodle variety. Why? Well, the pasta absorbs the moisture over night from the sauce. YUM! 

<3 Lishie

Sauce & Mini-Cheesy Meatballs

Sundays are always hectic & this past one was pret-ty busy! Between church & some chores including the market, time slipped though my hands. I had promised pasta, sauce & meatballs, only to get home around 4pm-ish. Uh oh. Well, well there's a will, there's a way... I ended up making sauce with mini-meatballs (as opposed to my gigantic, "normal" ones) & prepared a dinner for Monday (work begins to be extremely hectic this week), as well as some normal week prep within an hour! How? I twitched my nose, of course! Well really, this is how:

Sauce & Mini-Cheesy Meatballs

Prep the sauce first...

Sauce:

• 1 TBsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped & diced very small
• 1 clove garlic, kept whole, smashed
• 1 TBsp tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 large cans tomato sauce
• S & P
• 1 bay leaf (take out at end)
• Fresh Basil

Heat olive oil on medium & add the onions. Saute until they are translucent but not browned. Add in the garlic for a moment, stir. Incorporate the tomato paste into the onion garlic mixture & cook for another minute. Add in the basil & oregano, stir. Change the burner heat to low. Add in the bay leaf & tomato sauce... Stir in the sugar. Allow sauce to simmer on low while you prep the meatballs...

Mini-Meatballs:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese mix (provolone/mozzarella/asiago/parmesan/ romano)
• 1 clove minced garlic 
• 2 TBSp fresh Basil, chiffonade
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup AP Flour
• 2-3 TBSp olive oil

Place the ground beef in a large bowl. add the next 6 ingredients onto the top of the beef, ending with the egg. Using your hands, gently fold all of the ingredients into the beef, combining them but not overly mixing them. Shape into 24 tiny  round mounds.

In a saute pan, heat the oil on medium-high.

On a separate plate, place the flour for dipping. Using tongs, dip each meatball into the flour, gently tapping off the excess (flour). Place as many into the heated pan as you can. Now watch the meatballs carefully- do not let them brown too much or burn... roll each around to make sure they equally brown on all sides. This technique "seals" the meatballs together, keeps them intact once they hit the sauce & allows for a delicious, juicy interior!

After the first meatballs are "sealed", add them into the simmering sauce, covering them in it.  Once all the meatballs are in the sauce simmering away, stir. Then allow your sauce to simmer for an hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Make your favorite pasta & enjoy!!!! 

<3 Lishie