Grandmother’s Italian Meatballs

This is both my mother and mother-in-laws recipe for their italian meatballs. The only difference between the two is one uses fresh Parsley and the other Basil!

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 pound ground pork
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs
1 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped Italian flat leaf parsley OR the other Grandmother....
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh Basil
salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 cups stale Italian bread, crumbled
1/2 cup milk
1 cup olive oil

Directions

Combine beef, veal, and pork in a large bowl. Add garlic, eggs, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper.

Combine the bread and milk in a small bowl, mashing with a fork, until a smooth paste forms. Add into meat mixture.

Shape into meatballs, using about 3 TBS of meat.

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a frying pan. Cook meatballs in a single layer in batches. When the meatballs are very brown and slightly crisp remove from the heat and drain on a paper towel.

*For a healthier preparation, cook them on a large sheet pan on 400 degrees, turning them occasionally to brown on all sides. Also, some meatball experts claim the best method is to drop them uncooked in their "Sunday sauce" or "Gravy". It's supposed to make the gravy all the more flavorful!

Turkey Sausage Lasagna by Barefoot Contessa

Barefoot Contessa’s Turkey Sausage Lasagna

From: Barefoot Contessa’s “Family Style”

Many lasagna recipes can be made without pre-cooking the noodles. The moisture and heat from the other ingredients will cook the noodles as the dish bakes. Cover and bake for 45 minutes, then remove the cover for another 20 minutes to let the sauce thicken.

Use a non-reactive glass or ceramic dish for baking to avoid a reaction with the acidic tomato sauce. You can assemble your lasagna ahead of time and store uncooked in the fridge overnight, or you can freeze it to cook later.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

2 teaspoons kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 pound lasagna noodles

15 ounces ricotta cheese

3 to 4 ounces creamy goat cheese, crumbled

1 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

Add the sausage and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a fork, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, for 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened.

Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water. Add the noodles and allow them to sit in the water for 20 minutes. Drain. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, 1 cup of Parmesan, the egg, the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish, spreading the sauce over the bottom of the dish. Then add the layers as follows: half the pasta, half the mozzarella, half the ricotta, and one 1/3 of the sauce. Add the rest of the pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, and finally, sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Bake for 30-45 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.

Corn Chowder

Recipe by: Jamie Oliver

Ingredients:

1 celery stalk
1 medium onion
1 ½ tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 cups 1% milk
1 medium Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cut into little cubes
3 scallions
2 cups frozen corn
¼ cup chopped fresh chives and/or parsley (optional)


Method:

1. Pull the leaves from the celery stalks and set them aside. Chop your celery and onion.

2. Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add the celery (not the leaves), onion, and thyme. Stir until the vegetables start to brown.

3. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir for a few more minutes. Pour in the milk, add the potato and bring to a boil, stirring the whole time so the soup doesn’t stick to the pot. Cook until the potatoes are tender, but not mushy – this will take around 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, chop the celery leaves, trim the ends off the scallions and slice them thinly. When the potatoes are tender, stir in the corn, scallions and celery leaves. Bring the soup back to the boil, then serve.