Slow Cooker Cranberry Barbecue Turkey Meatballs + Instant Pot #Giveaway

Tis the season for parties and get-togethers, and today I'm joining The Redhead Baker and a handful of other bloggers to help Coleen celebrate her 5th blogging anniversary. Along with sharing recipes fit for a party or celebration, we also have a great giveaway (an Instant Pot + $50 Amazon card) - just scroll down to the giveaway widget to enter.

Salmon Meatball Carbonara

I often mention that I am a huge fish and seafood lover, often teetering on the edge of being able to label myself a pescetarian. Seafood is so versatile, it cooks quickly, and it has tons of health benefits, it's available year-round—oh, and it tastes good. If you're unsure which way to turn when you're looking for seafood, a good place to start is by looking for the words Alaska seafood.

Alaska's cold waters and natural environment produce seafood with lean flesh, a firm texture, and superior flavor. Plus, those health benefits I mentioned earlier? Alaska seafood is full of high quality protein, vitamins, minerals and oils, plus it's one of the best sources of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. At the same time, it is low in saturated fat and sodium.

Did you know that just like produce, seafood has a season? You can find Alaska seafood year round either fresh, frozen, canned or smoked, but here's a look at when the certain varieties are harvested, so you can keep an eye out for your favorite fresh seafood at the market.

Alphabet Veggie Soup with Mini Chicken Meatballs

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Frozen Food Foundation. All opinions are 100% mine.

I have a confession to make. Sometimes I waste fruits and vegetables. I buy them with the best of intentions. Beautiful little potato orbs just begging to be made into some warm German potato salad wind up looking like a science experiment. Spindly hairs shoot from what were recently bold orange carrots clamoring to be roasted and pureed into some creamy hummus. Crunchy celery stalks once destined to become the log to some peanut butter and raisins now lie soft an limp and neglected at the bottom of my crisper. Cartons of berries that formerly held the promise of summer sunshine, only to wind up cloaked in a fuzzy blanket. Name-calling and insults fly; head-smacking ensues. It's not pretty.

If only nature had a pause button. Oh wait - it does! Freezing fruits and vegetables is a simple way to reduce spoilage and waste. It also saves money, because while I love a rich compost pile, I wouldn't intentionally buy a fresh load of fruits and veggies from the market or farm stand and deposit them directly into it. I wouldn't shred my dollar bills and throw them in. Yet, I sometimes feel like that's exactly what I'm doing.

So, while I'm guilty of these infractions sometimes, I'm not all the time. Because I actually do keep several bags of frozen fruit and veggies in my freezer at all times. Not only are they a convenient option, they're a healthy one since our bodies need the essential nutrients fruits and veggies add to our diet. Did you know that eating a diet rich in a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables is more important than ever (eat the rainbow) given the increase in chronic disease rates among age groups!? Sadly, that's because nearly 80 percent of American fail to actually consume the daily recommended amounts of fruit, that percentage rises to 90 when we're talking vegetables. Crazy!

Sticky Mango Mustard Glazed Duck Meatballs

I'm not usually one to hide an ingredients, or tell my family it's something other than it is. However, if I'm using something that I think they may turn their noses up at, I probably won't tell them what it is if they don't ask. Case-in-point, these meatballs. They're tender, lightly spiced duck meatballs in a sweet, spicy, sticky mango mustard glaze. Sounds good, right? My guess is that half of you said yes, the other half held back because they were made from duck. Why is that?

I think it's just because duck isn't a meat that everybody grows up eating (and is therefore accustomed to it). Duck is often dismissed as a special meal (read, holiday meal) meat. If you know me, you that's an assessment that I just don't agree with.  Duck doesn't have to be a roasted, laquered whole bird garnished festively—though that is a happy picture. Try working instead with something as simple as ground duck, and using it where you would normally use beef, pork, or turkey.

Now, just in case this is your first time here (or you weren't familiar with the fact), I am a Maple Leaf Farms (duck) Ambassador. I'm not paid to say good things about duck, my opinions are all my own. But lest you think I'm only saying good things about duck because I'm an ambassador, you can flip that around and say I'm only an ambassador because I like to say good things about duck.

Soutzoukakia {Cumin Meatballs in Tomato}

I think there is something so humble about the meatball.  Sure, you can dress it up, but it still comes across as unassuming.  You can find the meatball perched atop a big mound of pasta, swimming in a brothy bowl of soup, or snuggled inside a crusty bun.  There are teeny tiny meatballs and there are meatballs the size of a softball.  From the usual suspects made from beef or pork or veal to their paler cousins made from chicken and turkey to the buoyant balls of shrimp or fish, the meatball instills comfort in many forms.  

These particular balls resemble a football (not in size, but in form).  They emanate the earthy, primal scent of cumin and they are bathed in deep, red tomatoes.  Yet they are soft, moist, and almost delicate.  Whether eaten on a bed of chewy, nutty brown rice right away or gently reheated and tucked inside some thick, comforting bread to make a sandwich later, they are a comfort and a delight to the taste buds.  It's always the quiet ones that surprise you.  The  humble meatball.

Soutzoukakia

Cumin Meatballs in Tomato 

adapted slightly from Food from Many Greek Kitchens

serves 4-6

3½ oz. (~3 slices) crustless bread, torn up

¾ c. milk

13 oz. ground beef

12 oz. ground pork

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 Tbs. Italian parsley, chopped

3 garlic cloves (2 minced, 1 whole)

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

7 Tbs. olive oil, divided

2 (14 oz.) cans crushed tomatoes (or use whole and crush in your hands)

½ c. red wine

Place bread in a small bowl, cover with milk and let it sit for about 10 minutes to soak and soften.  In another bowl put ground meats, egg, cumin, parsley, and minced garlic.  Season with salt and pepper.  Squeeze excess milk out of bread and add it to the beef.  Mix everything very well using your hands.  Form into elongated meatballs, ~1¾ oz. each.  Line them up on a tray.

Heat 3 Tbs. of the oil in a nonstick pot, add the whole clove of garlic, and when it begins to smell good, add the tomatoes.  Season with salt and pepper, put the lid on and simmer for 10 minutes or so, pressing on any big chunks as well as you can.  

Heat remaining oil in a large nonstick skillet with a lid.  Add the soutzoukakia (the skillet should be big enough that they all just fit).  Cook until golden all over, gently turning with tongs or a thin spatula.  When they look gently browned, add the wine and cook until it reduces, 5-6 minutes.  Scrape the tomato sauce over the meatballs and bring to a gentle boil.  

Put on the lid, lower the heat and simmer for ~20 minutes.  Move the skillet around a few times to make sure nothing is sticking.  In the end, there should still be a good amount of sauce for spooning over the meatballs.

Serve with rice, mashed potatoes, or french fries.

Our theme at IHCC this week is Peasant Food.

I am also sharing this post with:

Italian Wedding Soup {Minestra Maritata}

So the other day I received an email asking me if I could make Italian Wedding Soup.  I'll let you in on a little secret.  I love getting requests!  It's like me and challenges- I have a hard time resisting.  Especially when it seems like kismet.  Meaning: I've been wanting to make and share this soup for a couple of years already (you know, the list is ever-growing), so it was just the push I needed.  So Kelly, thanks so much for giving me that push.  I hope you enjoy this as much as those around my kitchen table did!

Let's talk Wedding Soup, which is basically the translation of Minestra Maritata.  A tradition in Southern Italy that, like many traditional dishes, is argued to have its origin in several places from Naples to Rome.  Most of you probably already know that the "maritata" actually refers to the marriage of ingredients that go into the pot to form this soup.  The perfect marriage of flavors, if you will.  It doesn't actually stem from the fact that it is/was served at weddings.  Although, many ideas get lost in translation.  And I think many people do serve this at wedding or other special events nowadays.  

Traditionally this is made with escarole, a fairly bitter type of green, but I have seen spinach and other greens used in its place.  I decided that since kale is my favorite green and since it is always plentiful in the garden, I would use it.  Some people prefer to blanch the greens, chop them, then let them cool down a bit and add them to the soup in the very end.  Mainly because I'm a bit too lazy for that, I just cut out the bigger, tougher stems and chopped the kale, adding it raw directly into the soup.  I think blanching probably cuts down on some of the bitterness, so blanch away if you're not a big fan of the in-your-faceness of greens.  I've also seen all different types of ground meats used.  From all beef, pork, veal, turkey, or even chicken to a mixture of two or three.  I say go ahead and use what you have and/or what your family will eat.   Oh, also...pastina (those tiny little types/shapes of pasta) is not always used.  However, I really wanted to use it since I have a few different types sitting in my pantry begging for attention.  Go ahead and leave it out if you're "not feeling it".  I do hope that you'll make some version of Italian Wedding Soup, though.  And like all soups, it's even better the second day.

Italian Wedding Soup
from the kitchen of girlichef
yield: ~1 gallon (10-12 svgs.)

½ lb. ground beef
½ lb. ground pork
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 Tbs. grated onion (~¼ small onion)
1 tsp. fine sea salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
~2-2½ oz. freshly grated Parmesan &/or Romano (or a mix), grated + more for serving
¼ c. freshly chopped Italian parsley
1 tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. dried basil
2 eggs
½ c. fresh bread crumbs
~1 gallon rich beef stock or broth (or rich chicken stock/broth)
3 carrots, sliced or diced (or a couple handfuls baby carrots)
1 bunch (~6-8 oz.) kale, washed, thick stems removed, & chopped* (or use escarole or spinach)
3 oz. (~½ c.) melon seed pastina (or any kind of pastina)

Combine all the ingredients from the ground beef through the bread crumbs in a bowl and mix together with your hands.  Pinch off small bits to form ~100 mini meatballs.  Set them all on a lined tray.

Bring your stock to a boil and gently slide in the meatballs.  Cover partially and lower heat to a lazy bubble for ~5 minutes.  Add carrots, kale, and pastina; turn up heat and bring back to the boil.  Once it is boiling, reduce heat to a simmer, partially cover and continue to cook another 15 minutes or so.  Adjust seasoning to taste and serve with more freshly grated cheese over the top if you wish...and with some good bread for sopping up the juices.

*blanch greens first for ~10 minutes to reduce some of the bitterness, if you prefer.

I am sharing this post with:

Potato, Chickpea, & Radish Greens Curry w/ Lamb Sausage

Lamb sausage = tasty.  Hearty veg-laden green curry = magnificent.  Both combined = meh.

I thought this was going to be a brilliant combo.  Turns out I was incorrect. Ha!  I mean, it wasn't inedible or anything, but in my head, I pictures such dazzling results.  I imaged a meal that I'd be raving about for the rest of the day.  I'm not exactly sure "why"...but so goes life.  We decided to forge a little lamb sausage this month over at forging fromage and that is how these little sausage meatballs came to be.  I really wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my lamb sausage after I'd made it.  Links would have been ideal, but I didn't order any casings, so that was out of the question.  So, I thought perhaps patties placed atop the radish salad suggested in our forging fromage challenge.  But I'm not too fond of just radish greens raw and alone.  I suppose I could have combined it with other lettuces and green, but... I do however love any type of green once cooked.  And then I thought green curry and couldn't get it out of my head...so I thought...why not!?

Well, I thought the combo of the potatoes with the chickpeas and radish greens tasted brilliant, but the sausage didn't end up "fitting".  I will definitely eat this curry again, but next time I will bulk-up on all of the veggies.  Really, I'd eat the sausage again, as well...just in a different application.

Lamb Sausage

adapted from Live to Cook by Michael Symon

yield: 1 lb.

1 garlic clove, minced

 2 Tbs. shallot, minced

 olive oil

¾ lb. lamb shoulder

¼ lb. pork fatback

1 tsp. smoked paprika

 scant tsp. cayenne

½ tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. hatch chile powder

 ½ Tbs. kosher salt

 ¼ tsp. sugar

Sweat garlic & shallots in a little bit of olive oil in a pan over medium heat until translucent, ~2 minutes.  Cool completely.  Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.  Grind in a meat grinder, or pulse in batches in a food processor.  Chill for ~30 minutes.  Stuff into casings, or form into patties, etc.  Keeps, refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Potato, Chickpea, & Radish Greens Curry w/ Lamb Sausage

from the kitchen of girlichef

serves ~4-6

1 lb. lamb sausage, formed into ~32 mini-meatballs
(or make it a meatless curry and bulk up the veggies!)

1 sm. onion, sliced thinly

2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly

1 jalapeño, sliced thinly

2 heaping Tbs. green curry paste (I use Thai Kitchen brand)

2 small potatoes, diced small (peel if you wish)

1 c. cooked chickpeas

3 c. water (or use ½ coconut milk)
2-3 big handfuls radish greens (sub other greens, if you wish)

salt, to taste

radishes, sliced thin to garnish

cilantro, to garnish

yogurt, to garnish

Heat a little glug of olive oil in a large, deep-sided pan over medium-high heat.  Add meatballs and sauté until browned all the way around (at which time, they should also be cooked through), ~7-8 minutes.  Turn heat down to medium and add onion, garlic, & jalapeños.  Sauté another couple of minutes, stirring, until softened.

Stir in the curry paste, then add potatoes, chickpeas, and water (& coconut milk, if using).  Raise heat and bring to a boil.  Partially cover, reduce heat to a simmer and let bubble gently for 5 minutes.  Stir in radish greens, partially cover again and continue to bubble gently for another 10 minutes or so.  The sauce should have thickened at this point.  Remove from heat and taste then adjust seasoning with salt, if necessary.

Serve with radish slices, cilantro, and yogurt to garnish.

That's amóre Meatball Sub

When Sweet Thang says to me

"Mom, you make a mean Meatball Sub"

 that's amòre...

When Lyrical Teen vies for seconds

and eats 'til his belly's stuffed

that's amóre...

go with it people

When Drama Queen eats a meal

and not once jousts with her brothers

that's amóre...

When dear Mexi asks "what smells good"

then devours sans a chile

that's amóre...

are you singing along

When I draw inspiration from Giada

without fighting or even question

that's (simply gotta be) amóre!!!!

That's Amóre Meatball Sub

adapted sorta loosely from Everyday Italian by Giada de Laurentiis

makes ~40 meatballs (5-6 subs, depending on size of bread)

1 small red onion, grated on the large holes of a box grater

¼ c. parsley, chopped

1 large egg

3 Tbs. ketchup

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. sea salt

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2/3 c. freshly grated Parmesan

¼ c. fresh bread crumbs

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

18 oz. ground beef

olive oil, for frying

26 oz. marinara sauce

small Italian rolls, as needed

provolone cheese, optional

Whisk the red onion (with some of the juices it emitted during grating), parsley, egg, ketchup, garlic, salt and pepper together in a large bowl.  Stir in the Parmesan, bread crumbs, and Italian seasoning.  Add the ground beef and squish it all together with your hands.  

Line a sheet try with foil and scoop mixture out by the tablespoon.  Roll into ball with your hands and line them up on the lined tray.  Once they are all rolled, heat enough oil in a deep-sided pan to come about ¾ of the way up the side of a meatball.  Heat oil until it shimmers and ripples, then carefully lower as many meatballs into the pan that will fit comfortably.  Leave enough space between them so that they can move and be flipped and not lower the temperature of the oil too drastically. Cook until meatballs are golden all the way around, ~5 minutes.

In the meantime, have another large, deep pan on the stove over medium-low heat with your marinara sauce heating in it.  As each meatball is done, lift out of oil with a slotted spoon or strainer (or fish spat, like I use), let as much of the grease fall back into the pan as possible, then lower the meatball into the marinara sauce.  Repeat until all the meatballs are in the marinara.  

Lower heat and simmer very gently for 5-10 minutes.  Split your Italian rolls and nestle in as many meatballs as you like.  Top with a little provolone if you like.

If you want to make these in advance, simply assemble, then wrap in butcher paper or foil and refrigerate.  Reheat in a 350°F oven for ~15 minutes.

"When the moon hits your eye
Like a big-a pizza pie
That's amóre...
When the world seems to shine
Like you've had too much wine
That's amóre..."

Please 'scusi  my overly judicious use of "ó" throughout this post.  I cannot stressa enougha zi pronunciation en Italiano!  And please excuse that last sentence.  Obviously I do not know Italian.  But in my dreams...I do. Che il bel sandwich di polpetta di carne!

*I'm sharing this post with:

*Italian Fest @ Seaside Simplicity

Lamb mini-Meatball Pita

We're pretty much past the point where we "hide" ingredients from the kids.  I mean, they're pretty open-minded when it comes to food (like they have another choice)...but they are still kids.  Up until recently I'd never really had a source for lamb.  But since I stumbled across one, I can't get enough!  Lamb is really a delicious meat. I've always loved gyros...and lamb shanks...but they were always an every "once in a while" thing I'd order when I was out.  I rarely eat out.  My point being that I made mini meatballs the other night from lamb.  And didn't tell the kids that it was lamb they were eating.  Kids...my kids...are bound to conjure up sweet images in their heads of petting zoos and nursery rhymes...so I figured I'd just wait until they were done eating.  Then I just decided not to mention it at all.  Unless they asked.  They all LOVED the meatballs.  And it turns out that Sweet Thang is an complete lamb aficionado. Albeit, unbeknownst to him. Whoda thunk it? I almost hate pulling the wool over his eyes.  {Ba dum bum} Almost.  Oh sure...the fact that the kids adore lamb at least in mini-meatball form...will be thrown in their face revealed sooner or later, but until that  day comes, I say...Who's up for a mini meatball sammich!?

 Aromatic Lamb Meatballs

from Nigella Lawson

makes: ~80 mini meatballs

1 lb. ground lamb
¼ c. finely chopped scallions
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. salt
3 Tbs. semolina
1 egg 

coconut oil, for frying

Put the lamb into a bowl and add the scallions. Sprinkle over the spices, salt, and semolina, and then beat the egg adding to the bowl. Work everything together thoroughly with your hands, and then cover with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator for half an hour.

Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap and scoop out a scant teaspoon of the mixture. Roll in your hands to form the meatball and place on the lined baking sheet. Have a bowl of cold water beside you to dampen your hands with; this helps them not get too sticky for rolling the meatballs.

When you are ready to cook them, heat about ½" of oil in a frying pan. Line another baking sheet with paper towels, and when the oil is hot, fry the meatballs in batches (without overcrowding the pan). Cook them for about a minute a side, or until golden brown all over.

They were excellent stuffed into a grilled whole wheat pita with sliced red onion, baby spinach, cucumber, tomato, feta and then drizzled with Tzatziki sauce!  Um yes...I'm totally craving one now.  Right.  Now.

I made a killer Tzatziki to drizzle over the mini meatballs and veggies...and I even did it last minute!  Normally, you would drain some yogurt overnight in order to get rid of most of the liquid it contains, but since I spaced it until last minute, I simply used a thick greek yogurt un-strained...the resulting sauce was a bit more drizzleable...but no less addicting. If any whey has formed on top of the yogurt, simply pour it off before scooping what you need from the carton. If you want it quicker and plan ahead, then simple strain the yogurt overnight in a cheesecloth lined colander set over a bowl in the fridge.

Quick Tzatziki Sauce

makes~1½ c.

~1½ c. plain Greek yogurt

1 fat clove garlic, finely minced

~1/3 English Cucumber, grated

2 big pinches sea salt

~1 Tbs. dried dill weed

drizzle olive oil

drizzle red wine vinegar

freshly ground black pepper

Stir everything together and adjust seasoning to taste.

Once the meatballs are made, this makes a quick, flavor-packed meal that you can throw together at any time.  Just be sure to bury the wrapping that clearly states 'ground lamb' under the other things in the trash bin...lest your secret be revealed.