Spaghetti and Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

Spaghetti and Meatballs makes it on to our weekly menu fairly often. Who knew the addition of a little string cheese would make such a tasty difference. Gorgonzola also makes for a delicious stuffing for meatballs, but here I figured Mozzarella was in order!

Spaghetti and Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs (from foodnetwork.com)

Ingredients
Meatballs:
1/4 cup milk
2 slice white bread, cut into cubes
1 pound 80 percent lean ground beef
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 egg
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 sticks mozzarella string cheese, cut into small cubes or 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
Nonstick cooking spray

Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium onion diced
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes (I used San Marzano Tomatoes)
2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (16-ounce) box spaghetti

Directions
For Meatballs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl combine the milk and bread. Let the bread absorb the milk. Add remaining meatball ingredients except the cheese. Using your hands, gently combine all the ingredients until they are thoroughly mixed. Take about 3 tablespoons of the meat mixture and roll into a ball and press into a patty. Place a mozzarella cube or 1 tablespoon shredded cheese onto the patty and bring up the sides around the cheese and roll between hands to form a ball. Place onto a nonstick baking sheet or a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Repeat process with remaining meat and cheese. Place the meatballs into the oven and cook for 12 minutes. Remove baking sheet from the oven and set aside.

For Sauce:

In a medium pot heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and saute for 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes. Gently stir in the meatballs and any pan drippings from baking sheet and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Spaghetti:

Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and place the pasta on a large serving platter. Place the meatballs over the spaghetti, pour the sauce on top and serve immediately.


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Banderillas

So I believe that this is post number 74 I think and realized I had never truly mentioned why I chose to name this blog The Olive Bar. Sure its kind of a cute or maybe unique or interesting name, but there is sort of a story behind it. One day at my favorite grocery store there were samples out as usual, and this place does samples right, one day they had a grill going outside and they were sampling steaks and their dry rub, they always some cheese from the cheese counter that they are trying that day (which makes for a great way to learn about various cheeses.)

Anyway, last summer they were sampling appetizer ideas for parties. I will try most things, but until then I really didn't care for olives and mushrooms, and fish. Other than that I'll try whatever, but you'll notice that very rarely will a recipe I put up ever have mushrooms in it. It's a texture thing, I like the flavors though.

I must have been feeling semi-daring that day, because the appetizer the grocery store was sampling had olives in it from the olive bar. Well I am glad I broadened my horizons because I would have never known the tastiness known as the olive bar. It turns out the only kind of olives I had tried were the canned or jarred versions, the kind that generally goes on pizzas and taco salads. Those olives were much different than a marinated and stuffed olive-they were real olives.

Well coming full circle I wasn't certain that I would enjoy blogging, similar to how I wasn't certain I would like the olives-but I love them both and enjoy both of them weekly :) However, in 74 blog posts, this is my first one with olives, as well as it's the very same appetizer recipe that introduced me to The Olive Bar.

Banderillas are tapas, where the ingredients can very greatly. Some recipes call for shrimp, some call for vegetables, some very the cheese used, but the version shown is both quick and easy. Everything you need is in the deli/cheese/olive area of the grocery store. Banderillas are also the decorated barbed darts that are thrust into the bull's neck or shoulder muscles by a banderillero in a bullfight.

Hmm-tasty. The common thread is that all versions are served on a skewer, or a decorated barbed dart.



Banderillas (from Lunds and Byerlys)

8 Olives-varietal of your choosing (non pitted)
8 peppedew peppers (from the olive bar)
8 cubes of good cheese, I like a sheep's milk cheese, something mild and kind of nutty.
8 skewers/longer toothpicks

As pictured, skewer an olive, then skewer a peppadew pepper, then skewer a piece of cheese. Finished, make as many skewers as you have guests. Refrigerate if making day before.

Quick Sesame Ginger Chicken

This may be cheating, but when you are busy-you're busy! I will volunteer to take advantage of any quick shortcuts I can take, and if the Lotus Restaurant makes such tasty and delicious sauces for purchase for home use, I'll take their help also. While you may not have the Lotus Restaurant brand sauces at your grocery store, you might-I don't know how wide their distribution is, but there are a plethora of sauces like this one out there-just pick your favorite!

This isn't rocket science, it's not even really that original, however it is tasty and a good way to get some healthy proteins and vegetables. This was great the next day at work also.

Quick Sesame Ginger Chicken

2-3 chicken breasts, sliced into random sized pieces
Stir Fry Veggies of your choice, good options include peppers, pea pods, carrots
prepared brown or white rice
1 tsp. chopped fresh ginger
Ginger sauce (or other sauce of your liking)

Saute Chicken breasts in a little bit of olive oil until opaque and cooked through at 165 degrees if you use a thermometer. Remove chicken from pan and add veggies and ginger and saute quickly (adding a dash of olive oil if needed,) make sure not to overcook. The vegetables should be bright in color and crisp, they will continue to cook a bit when the chicken is returned to the pan.

Return the chicken to the pan and toss to combine. Add the sauce of your choosing, as mentioned I chose a sweet ginger sauce. If you like a little sauce, use a little. If you like more, use more. This is an easy and flexible dish that can be tailored to your liking.

Serve over prepared rice and garnish with sesame seeds.

Sloppy Joes

Hi my name is Rachel, I like Sloppy Joes. This was my first try making them in how long. It was very easy, and very quick. Instead of solely using ground beef, I used what is labeled as 'meatloaf mix' from the meat dept at the grocery store. Meatloaf mix consists of ground beef, veal, and pork. I felt this lightened up the recipe a bit, and I suppose you could use ground turkey to lighten it up a bit more, but I don't like the taste of ground turkey on it's own. This recipe also utilizes a lot of pantry staples, so this is a great go-to recipe in a pinch!

Sloppy Joes (From My Kitchen Cafe adapted from Dave Lieberman)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 ½ pounds ground beef (or meatloaf mix as I used-beef, pork, veal)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2/3 cup smoky BBQ sauce (or whatever BBQ sauce is in your fridge)
½ cup ketchup
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
8 to 12 sandwich rolls

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until they start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the beef and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat, until it is finely crumbled, the liquid boils off and the meat begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, and keep stirring until the meat is coated. Add the BBQ sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire, soy sauce, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Cook until the sauce is slightly thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. You can make the sloppy joe up to 2 days in advance and reheat it over low heat or in the microwave.