There are times when I have to take a break from only making veggies. These times are usually the result of me taking pity on my husband and thinking to myself, “Perhaps I can whip something meat related that will not send him running to get a hoagie comprised of approximately five million calories of processed Italian meat.” Or, as he refers to it as, delicious.
Also, I still have an egregious amount of meat in my freezer leftover from my “partaking in meat before I knew THAT’S what was making me feel like ass” days. I can’t exactly donate it to a food pantry (even though I’d like to) because of its perishable status, so instead I go into Tasmanian Devil-like cooking whirlwinds and just try to get some of that meatiness out of my freezer and into my husband’s belly.
Here was the result:
Yes, Virginia, apparently it is possible for chickens to have balls.
Oh, that’s not pretty enough for you Foodie McFoodbloggiefooderson? How about…
That’s how chicken meatballs roll. See what I did there?
…NOW?
BOOM. That’s what I thought.
To be fair, neither of these are best, most appetizing pictures of my food, ever. However, they are the only pictures I could get of these little guys before they were inhaled by my husband. Deal with it. Then make them.
SERIOUS POULTRY CAJONES
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, raw, approximately 6 oz each
1-2 boneless skinless turkey thighs, raw, approximately 8 oz total
1 large red bell pepper, finely diced
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp celery salt
salt & pepper to taste
EASIEST. PREP. EVER.
Grind your poultry meat. Don’t have a grinder? Noooo problem. Cut the meat into chunks and grind it in your food processor. Voila: poor man’s process(or)*. FYI, if you don’t want to go through the painstakingly knifework of doing a great fine dice (and lord knows I’m one of those lazy people), you can drop quartered pieces (minus stems and seeds. ALWAYS MINUS STEMS AND SEEDS) into the processor separately from the meat, and a few quick pulses will make short work of that bell pepper. Just make sure to thoroughly wring the juice out in a paper towel, or through a fine mesh strainer, otherwise your balls will be too soggy.
And nobody likes soggy balls.
In a large mixing bowl, dump all of your ingredients. Now, do me a favor, don’t be a pansy, and work all that goodness together with your hands. Sure, you could use a spoon or a spatula…if you want uneven pockets of flavor. Our fingers are good for so many things. This is one of them.
Balls should be about a 1/4 cup each. I have no idea if that’s accurate, but it sounds right – what I normally do is drop a smallish pinch in the palm of my hand and roll it until I can see if it’s slightly larger than a golf ball. If it is, hooray! If it’s smaller, add some meat. If it’s starting to feel heavy or doesn’t fit easily into the center of your palm, it’s too big. #stoptryingtocompensate
APPLICATION OF FIRE TO PRODUCT
Pre-heat oven to 375°.
Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet or on a flat griddle over medium heat. Brown meatballs (3-4 minutes per side), then transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove and rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
* Last night, I was rushed, so I just threw together a meatball sub for the Hubster, on a hoagie roll (buttered and garlic-fied, of course) and topped it with some leftover homemade marinara that I had in the freezer and a generous helping of mozzarella cheese. Apparently it worked out well because it disappeared within 10 minutes.
* Plain ol’ spaghetti & meatballs
* With red-pepper cream sauce (which I’ll post as soon as I figure it out)
* Use tiny versions (half the size of above) to add to Albondigas or Italian Wedding soup. Cooking times will be shorter, as it will not take as long to cook through.
* Have a delicious, messy, meatball fight
And soon, back to our regularly scheduled vegetarian programming…
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* Little joke for all my film production friends. Nerd, I am one. Yes.
Great Cooking With Everyday Ingredients 