Saturday, March 7, 2009

Chicken Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Recipe from Everyday Food Magazine
Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen
Serves 4

The boneless, skinless chicken thighs at Lost River Market & Deli are handy for just this sort of dish. This is a better-for-you version of spaghetti and meatballs, but that doesn't mean it isn't yummy. This passed the husband test. My hubby and I both thought these meatballs tasted even better the next day. I adapted this recipe using ingredients I had in my pantry. I've listed the changes I made in bold font. I served these meatballs along side Spaghetti Squash with Garlic (recipe on this blog) instead of pasta, which made this dinner even healthier. If spaghetti squash isn't available, serve it over whole wheat pasta.

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks
1 slice white sandwich bread, crumbled (I used a slice of whole wheat bread.)
1/4 cup milk (Unless a recipe specifically calls for something else, I always use skim milk.)
1 large egg white (I used a whole egg because my refrigerator was full of eggs from my friends' chickens.)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I always use fresh, NOT that stuff from the can!)
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano (You can use any mixture of dried herbs normally used on pizza.)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes in puree (I used the "Local Folks" Spaghetti Sauce with Basil.)

Place chicken thighs in a food processor, and pulse until meat is coarsely ground.
Add bread, milk, egg, cheese, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; process until meat is finely ground.
With moistened hands, shape mixture into 12 meatballs. (I was able to make many more golf ball-size meatballs.) In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add meatballs, and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes and puree, breaking them up with your fingers; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer; cover, and cook 15 minutes. Uncover; simmer until meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes more.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

What do you cook everyday?
I see the market is a sponsor of the site. Could you provide prices along with the items you get there?
I may have a preconcieved notion that all the things you use are beyond a lot of folks means. Sound like interesting dishes , though, to try occasionally.

Alice said...

Thanks for giving me some input.
Since it's just my hubby and me, I don't usually cook every single
day. For instance:
Breakfast today was oatmeal in the crockpot for Jim and cold cereal for me.
I'm having lentil soup and fresh fruit from the deli for lunch. Jim
is having his usual whole wheat pasta with veggies that he makes
himself. (That, fried bluegill and the oatmeal equal his entire
cooking repertoire.)
Tonight, we'll have a snack of fruit and popcorn.
Tomorrow I plan to try the perch that's now available in the freezer
section at the store. It's on sale for $4.99 package. (The Ahi Tuna
is also on sale for the same price and there are 3 tuna steaks in each
package.) If the recipe I try is yummy, I'll put it up on the blog.
Lost River Market & Deli set up the website for me, but I'm just
volunteering (doing my "cooperative" part) by testing recipes that
look interesting to me using ingredients from the store. There are so
many cooking websites out there and sometimes it's hard to know which
ones will actually work, so that's why I call my blog
"husband-tested." I actually try the recipes. If they pass the
husband test, they are considered blog worthy and I put them on.
The Chicken Meatballs with Tomato Sauce recipe calls for boneless,
skinless chicken thighs. I served it over spaghetti squash that a
friend grew in her garden and gave to me. The recipe made plenty for
4 people (we ate it for 2 days). As you know, chicken can be
purchased on sale and kept in the freezer. If you're handy with a
chicken, you could save even more money by buying a whole chicken and
cutting it up yourself.
I will try to include some prices in the recipes, but I imagine the
prices of ingredients will fluctuate and may not always be accurate.
My husband and I feel that that any money we spend at Lost River
Market & Deli (a local food co-op) on nutritious fresh and organic
foods is well worth the investment. Not only for keeping our bodies
healthy, but also a local business in good health, which is also good
for the community.
I hope I've answered your questions. Your thoughts were appreciated!
Please let me know if you give any of the recipes a try.
Alice

Anonymous said...

Hi Alice, I love the sound of this recipe and i am going to try it out this weekend..yay a five day weekend!..I will be using chicken breasts and shredded cabbage since i dont eat pasta and we dont get spaghetti squash here. Thanks for the recipe.
regards..Marian in SA