Baked Chicken Meatballs

I’ve wanted to develop a recipe for chicken meatballs for sometime now.  The ideas and the flavors have been rolling around inside of my head since the first time I made Zucchini Fettuccini so when I logged on to my Facebook the other day and saw what a friend was having for dinner I knew it was time.

A quick search of the internet lead me to one of my favorite food bloggers, the lovely and talented Deb of Smitten Kitchen.  Now Deb has absolutely zero clue who I am, but I’ve been “smitten” with her for going on 3 years now.  Her photos, her food and her adorable baby Jacob have me looking forward to each new post that pops up on my feed burner.  So when I stumbled upon her recipe for Baked Chicken Meatballs I knew I could put my own spin on them, Primal style.

I think what I love most about cooking is that there are no rules when it comes to recipes.  That’s probably why I’m not much of a baker.  When I look at a recipe I think of what I have on hand that could make it work, not about what I have to run to the store and get in order to make it.  That’s the beauty of it, taking someone else’s creation and making it your own to suit your personal taste or budget.  I haven’t tried Deb’s version, but if mine came out this good I can only imagine how amazing hers are!

Baked Chicken Meatballs
Serves 4

1 lb ground free range chicken, or 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips and pulsed in a food processor until ground

1 small yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 strips bacon, diced
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons homemade tomato sauce
3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

Preheat your oven to 400º and place a rack in the upper third of your oven.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, add the diced bacon and cook until a good amount of fat has been rendered out, about 1 tablespoon or so.  Add the diced onion and the garlic and cook until the onion is translucent and the bacon is crispy.  Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

Combine the ground chicken, egg yolk, 1 tablespoon of tomato sauce, parsley and the bacon, onion and garlic in a large bowl.  Season with salt and pepper and mix well.  Form meatballs and roll into little balls, about 1 tablespoon of mixture per ball.  Place the formed meatballs into a large baking dish about one inch apart. 

Combine 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of tomato sauce together in a small bowl and brush on top of each meatball.  Pop into your preheated oven, and bake for 15 minutes.

These can be served as an appetizer or alongside your favorite pasta.  I decided to serve mine on top of my new favorite noodles, zucchini fettuccini with a healthy dose of homemade tomato sauce.  Needless to say they are delicious, and as is the case with most dishes, even better the next day.  The boy decided to make his into a meatball hoagie topped with crumbled goat cheese; I drooled while watching him inhale it ;)

Homemade Tomato Soup

I know it’s a little weird, posting up a soup recipe at the beginning of summer.  I mean heck, here in FL my temperature gauge read 90º at 830am this morning!  But for me summer means two important things…mainly it’s time to begin sipping ice cold beverages while listening to Marley on a sun drenched beach, but it also means its tomato time :)

How many of you, like me, love this fruit like no other?  I remember eating them like apples when I was a kid and even today one of my favorite snacks is sliced tomato wedges with a sprinkling of sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil.  Sadly my growing experience has been quite unsuccessful so I tend to rely on my local farmers market for the freshest beauties I can get my hands on.  And in a pinch, when you need to whip up dinner fast I always have a couple cans of organic, chopped tomatoes in my pantry.

Monday night the boy was feeling a little blah and I was trying to muster up the energy to do anything after my new workout, so I whipped up an old comfort food staple…Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup.  Well, Grilled Cheese for the boy and more like Tomato Soup and cheese slices for me.

This recipe is quick, darn tasty and simply tastes of summer.  It contains ingredients most cooks always have on hand and is on the table in 20 minutes or less.  So next time you’re feeling a little under the weather, or just not wanting to exert a lot of energy in the kitchen, give this spin on an old comfort staple a try.

Homemade Tomato Soup

Serves 4

1 14oz can of organic chopped tomatoes, drained and juices reserved

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons plus ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup homemade chicken stock

¼ cup fresh chopped basil leaves

¼ cup half and half

Preheat your oven to 450º and line a small baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Open a can of tomatoes and drain, reserving the juices.  Place the drained tomatoes on the foil lined baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.  Toss into your preheated oven and roast for 15 minutes. 

While the tomatoes are roasting, in a large saucepan over medium low heat, add the ¼ cup of olive oil, diced onion and garlic cloves.  Cook for 10 minutes or until the onion becomes translucent.  Remove the tomatoes from the oven and transfer them to the pot with the onions and garlic.  Make sure you get as much of the charred bits and as much of the juices into the pan as possible.  Add the chicken stock and the reserved tomato juices and cook for another 5 minutes. 

Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped basil and ¼ cup of half and half.  Using a hand held immersion blender, food processor or plain old blender puree the mixture until it becomes a soup like consistency.  You can also take this a step further and pass the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, but I prefer mine with little bits of tomato and basil.  Return the pureed soup to the pot and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top and alongside your favorite melted cheese creation for dunking.

Sriracha Bacon Cheeseburgers

It never seems to fail, some of the best meals that come out of my kitchen are those that are a brief thought that occurs on my drive home from work and involve the smallest amount of ingredients possible.  Such is the case with these Sriracha Bacon Cheeseburgers.

After picking up a bottle of Thailand’s most prized condiment, I began thinking about how I can use it in different ways.  Sure it’s amazing tossed in a stir fry, makes some killer chicken wings and elevates your scrambled eggs to a whole other level but what about using it as a marinade or to add some kick to your favorite cheeseburger?

While Sriracha technically isn’t Primal, I live by the 80 / 20 principle and 1 tablespoon isn’t going to stop me from making one of the best burgers I’ve ever had.

Sriracha Bacon Cheeseburgers

Makes 4

1.5 pounds of grass fed organic ground chuck

1.5 tablespoons of Sriracha hot sauce or Rooster sauce, found in the ethnic section of almost all grocery stores
1.5 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
½ tablespoon olive oil
1 package of bacon, about 2 strips per burger, fried and drained of excess fat
4 slices of your favorite cheese, 1 per burger
Your favorite burger bar fixings…lettuce, tomato, onion, mustard, mayo, etc.

Heat your favorite cast iron grill pan over medium high heat for about 7 minutes.  Combine the ground chuck, Sriracha and soy sauce together in a bowl.  Mix together until just combined and do not over mix.  Too much handling of the meat will result in a tough burger.  Divide the mixture into quarters and form into patties.  Using your thumb, indent the center of each patty, this will ensure the burgers stay flat while cooking.

Sprinkle the top of each burger with salt and pepper and lightly drizzle with a little olive oil.  Place seasoned side down on your preheated grill pan.  Season the other side with salt and pepper and another drizzle of oil.  Allow the patties to cook for 3-5 minutes.  After 3 minutes test the burgers to see if they easily release from the pan, if not continue cooking for another 2 minutes.  The meat will release itself from the pan do not force it, and whatever you do, don’t squish your burgers!  Flattening the burgers causes all those yummy juices to release from the patty and you don’t want that…that’s the flavor people!  Flip the patties and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or to your desired level of doneness.  I prefer mine medium, so the burgers still have some give to them when you press them with your finger.  Cut the heat, add the cheese and cover so the cheese melts evenly.

Serve as is with your favorite burger bar toppings, or carb lovers can serve a top their favorite toasted bun.  Alongside a nice big green salad this is a perfectly balanced and delicious meal you will be sure to make time and time again.  I can already see sliders in our future!!

Zucchini Fettuccini with Goat Cheese and Sundried Tomatoes

As I’ve mentioned on here before, the one thing I miss the most since going Primal is carbs.  Sugar and I have never been that close, I mean I’ve never been one of those ‘coke a day’ people and I’m completely satisfied with having sweets only once in a blue moon.  But carbs, honey let me tell you, I would have some sort of potato, rice or pasta with almost every single meal…and I miss it, BIG TIME!

Since making the transition I’ve come a long way.  I’ve convinced myself that cauliflower tastes no different then potatoes when mashed up with garlic and half and half, and that when it’s chopped up extra fine and steamed it can easily trick someone into believing its rice.  Recently I discovered that even very thin strips of zucchini can take the place of lasagna noodles.  But nothing could come close to satisfying my craving for creamy linguini or pasta carbonara…that is until now!

Who would have thought that certain vegetables could be so versatile?  Up until recently the only time I’d ever eaten zucchini was steamed with salt and pepper or roasted on a grill.  Who would have thought that it would become my go to staple for replacing my beloved pasta? 

In this recipe, zucchini is transformed into long fettuccini-like noodles then combined with sundried tomatoes, goat cheese and fresh basil to give you a rich and creamy pasta-like dish chock full of vitamins and nutrients with practically no guilt factor.  Trust me, you MUST make this soon.

Zucchini Fettuccini with Goat Cheese and Sundried Tomatoes
Serves 4

3 large zucchini, julienned into ¼” wide strips

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
½ medium onion, chopped
1 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 cup finely chopped pre-cooked sweet Italian chicken sausage (optional)
2 tablespoons Fox Point Seasoning blend (available online from Penzey’s and SO tasty!)
½ cup half and half
4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup basil, finely chopped

Using my new favorite kitchen tool fit your mandoline with a ¼ julienne blade.  Lop off the tops of each zucchini and pass over the blade until you have long ¼” wide ribbons.  This can also be done with a hand held julienne vegetable peeler.  In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and chopped onion and sauté until translucent.  Toss in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant.  Add the sundried tomatoes and sausage, if using, and heat through.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Toss in the zucchini noodles and add the Fox Point Seasoning blend.  If you don’t have that on hand (go and buy it immediately) just season with salt and pepper and continue cooking 3-5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low and add in the half and half and crumbled goat cheese.  Stir until the cheese has melted through then toss in the chopped basil.  Serve in a big old bowl and watch your family be amazed at the fact that there is no pasta in this dish