Recipe: Meatballs

So this recipe made about 20 small to medium sized meatballs.  This is not how many I actually intended to make. I meant to get a pound of ground meat so I'd have enough meatballs for the next 2 or 3 days, however, I was still jetlagged when I went to the grocery store... or at least that is the excuse I shall be using... And I accidently ordered a kilo which is more than twice the amount I wanted.
Luckily I adapt well and was able to adjust my recipe accordingly. But I did wind up with about 20 frozen meatballs which will take me some time to finish. Actually, it's quite nice because on nights when I get home from work late, I can just reheat some meatballs in a pan and make a little pasta and I'll be set to go, although it would be better if I made some sauce as well (oh, well, one step at a time).
I'm only one person, so this recipe is actually great if you're cooking for a family or friends.  They are great on their own or even in a tomato sauce and they're pretty healthy because they're baked. And if you want to make them even healthier use ground turkey or chicken as a substitute for the ground beef.

my meatballs served with some salad on the side

Ingredients:
1 kilo (2.5 lbs) fresh ground beef
between 1/2 and 1 cup of bread crumbs
2 eggs
basil
red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic crushed and minced finely
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350°.
Place the ground meat into a large bowl. Use your hands to mix the eggs into the meat one at a time, alternating with about a 1/4 cup of bread crumbs at a time. Mix well and add in your spices, about a tsp each. If you don't like a lot of heat, you can absolutely omit the red pepper flakes.
If the mixture is looking a little dry, you can add a little bit of olive oil or another egg.  The mixture should be moist but not sticky, so if you see it is too wet, add more bread crumbs about a table spoon at a time.
Then roll the mixture into balls about the size of a small golf ball.  I made them on the smaller side so they would cook faster but you can also make them larger, just keep them in the over longer.
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and then place the meatbals about an inch apart.
Bake turning the meatballs every 10 minutes or so, or as the sides begin to brown.
They should cook about 20-30 minutes.  Keep a close eye on them so they don't burn.
If you are also making sauce you can remove the meatballs as soon as they're browned on the outside and then you can finish cooking them in the sauce.

I have to say that these came out really well. They were packed with flavor and very moist. They were absolutely delicious and I'm quite glad I had so many leftovers.  I have my last 6 waiting to be eaten some time this week!!

Recipe: Spinach Pie

Growing up, spinach pie was absolutely one of my favorite things to eat. Yes, I admit it. I was a weird child. But what can I say? I just wanted to be like Popeye.
This recipe is a variation of the spinach pie my grandmother made. It's semi homemade (basically because I'm too lazy to make my own crust everytime I want to eat it).  I love how simple it is to make! Just be careful not to eat all of it at once!  Goodness know I have to be careful not to.

My Spinach Pie

1 premade pie crust
1000 grams frozen spinach
250 grams of ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Red Pepper flakes

Preheat the over to 350°.
In a large saucepan defrost the spinach over a very low heat with a little bit of salt.  Heat covered until most of the excess liquid has cooked off.  If necessary use a strainer to remove any other water.  Put aside to cool.
In a bowl, mix the ricotta, eggs, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes until well-blended.  When the spinach has cooled, add to the ricotta and stir well.
Place the pie crust into a pie pan and use a fork to make a few holes so the crust does not bubble.  Fill with the spinach mixture and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the crust has lightly browned.
This can be served warm or cold.


There are several other variations I make of spinach pie.  Sometimes I'll add a layer of thinly sliced pancetta to the crust before pouring in the spinach mixture.  On other occassions I have added a layer of mashed potatoes and spinach.  When making a simple pie sometimes I will add in a spoonful of honey and a dash of nutmeg for a slightly different feel.
Grandma's spinach pie used no ricotta, but instead utilized more eggs.

The possibilities are endless, so play around until you find your favorite version!

-Raspberry Truffle