It’s happening, I’m being ever so gently sucked into fall cooking and it’s starting with these BBQ Chicken and Apple Meatballs.
What makes them fall-ish? A little bit of grated apple. They are a little sweet, a little tangy and very very good.
I served them with roasted broccoli, quinoa and a simple arugula and (more) apple salad with crumbled blue cheese and toasted hazelnuts and for a small moment felt at peace with the shorter, cooler days to come.
My next Zoom cooking class will be Wednesday, June 15 from 4-5pm ET. Cooks of all skill levels are welcome and our menu is vegetarian-friendly (though this time not vegan). $40 per Zoomer.
The class will be short and sweet but leave you with a delicious dinner to enjoy with family or friends that night *and* an extra meal to stick in your freezer for the coming weeks/months.
*MENU*
Now or Later Turkey (or Lentil) Meatballs
Roasted Tomato and Corn Pasta with Arugula and Ricotta
Pasta and meatballs…. what’s not to love?
This is one of those menus that I find myself making on repeat. It comes together quickly, tastes as good room temperature (or cold from the fridge) as it does hot, is enjoyed by toddlers and adults alike, and leaves me with plenty of lunchbox leftovers and even a second meal in the freezer.
The Roasted Tomato and Corn Pasta with Arugula and Ricotta is summer in a bowl. It is made with the pasta:veg ratio I love, which is about 50:50. That way it serves double duty as the meal’s “salad.” You can toss the noodles with the ricotta so they are all equally coated with the milky cheese or leave it like I do with big, billowy pockets. The dish is so hearty that I oftentimes serve it as dinner all on its own.
But I want to make meatballs with you, so let’s do that! In my opinion, meatballs are an essential recipe that everyone should have memorized. If you have a basic template (which I of course will be giving you) you can make endless variations to suit your tastes. The turkey (or lentil) meatballs we’re making are a basic Italian-style ball flavored with garlic, more ricotta, salty parmesan cheese and tomato paste. We’ll prepare some to serve with the pasta and freeze leftovers in your favorite jarred sauce. In my opinion, meatball recipes should always be doubled. It’s far less than twice the work, they freeze like a dream and it feels so good knowing you have them on hand when you could use the short cut later on.
Register for the class here. I will approve your registration, and send you an invoice and more information about the class including a grocery list, our recipes and answers to common questions. If you can’t make it live, the recording will be made available to all registrants after the class. If you miss this entirely or catch this post after the fact, send me a message directly and I’ll get everything to you.
HOPE I SEE YOU THERE!
xx
Consider this a roadmap to a flavorful broth and then vary your add-ins based on what you have. The essentials are coconut milk, a broth of any kind, some sort of allium (garlic, onions, scallions, etc.) and ginger. The protein, vegetables and starch are all flexible. For instance, leave out the meatballs and/or chickpeas entirely, or use in cubed tofu instead. Substitute cabbage or spinach for kale, or sugar snap peas for the broccoli. Serve this ladled over a bed of rice instead of rice noodles. Any way you make it, you’ll be in for a fragrant, cozy meal.
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