Saturday, March 31, 2018

Creamy Chicken Meatballs

You could actually eat the meatballs by themselves without the cream sauce...But where is the fun in that?

These creamy chicken meatballs in mushroom sauce are soft, juicy, full of flavour and tossed in a luscious sauce made up with lots of mushrooms. This is a delicious 30 minute dish that’s perfect for dinner with some noodles or pasta.

Don't Sweat The Technique (Tips)-

I usually include this part after the recipe, but I thought I'd add these tips first..

  • While making meatballs, the best way is to mix all your ingredients except the ground meat first. This way it’s much easier to combine your seasoning, binding agents and flavouring when you finally add the meat.
  • Don’t overmix. Seriously, just stop when you feel like you are 90% done. Overworking the meat can lead to denser meatballs.
  • To chop the mushrooms finely, just cut them in half and add them to a food processor. This will coarsely chop the mushrooms without you having to do any of that effort. Takes about 2.5 minutes.
  • Always sear the meatballs on high heat. This locks in the flavours and the sear helps them retain their shape when you add them back to the sauce.
  • Feel free to switch up chicken meatballs for vegetarian ones if you are a vegetarian. But retain the sauce. Because that sauce absolutely rocks!

 INGREDIENTS:


For the Meatballs:
  • ¾ cup Bread Crumbs
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 teaspoon Oregano
  • 1 teaspoon Paprika
  • 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan
  • 550 grams/ 1.25 pounds ground Chicken
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
For the Sauce:
  • 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1 tablespoon Butter
  • 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
  • ½ cup chopped Onions
  • 1 cup finely chopped Mushrooms
  • 2 tablespoons Flour
  • 1 ½ cups low sodium Chicken Broth
  • 1 teaspoon dried Rosemary
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried Parsley
  • ½ teaspoon Paprika
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • ½ cup Heavy Cream
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Make the meatballs: In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients except ground chicken and oil. Mix well and add the ground chicken. Mix till just combined. Form the mixture into approximately 18 meatballs. Set aside.
  2. Sear: Heat two tablespoons Olive Oil in a pan and add as many meatballs as will fit into the pan without overcrowding. You may have to do this in batches. On high heat, brown the meatballs on all sides and remove them on a plate.
  3. Sauce: Heat two tablespoons olive oil and a tablespoon of butter in the same pan. Add garlic and onions. Cook till the onions soften and become translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for another minute to get rid of the raw flour flavour. Slowly add the chicken broth and keep whisking continuously till the sauce thickens. Stir in the rosemary, parsley, paprika, salt, pepper and meatballs. Add a little more stock or water if the sauce is too thick. Simmer the meatballs for ten minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and switch off the flame. Serve hot with noodles, rice or mashed potatoes 
  4. To chop the mushrooms finely, just cut them in half and add them to a food processor. This will coarsely chop the mushrooms without you having to do any of that effort. Takes about 2.5 minutes
 ENJOY!!   Eat and Drink Well My Friends!
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Food Safety Tips
Protect yourself against food-borne illnesses.


1. Use a "refrigerator thermometer" to keep your food stored at a safe temperature (below 40 degrees fahrenheit).

Cold temperatures slow the growth of bacteria. Ensuring that your refrigerator temperature stays at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or colder is one of the most effective ways to reduce your risk of food-borne illness. You can buy a refrigerator/freezer thermometer at appliance stories, home centers (i.e. Home Depot), and kitchen stores including online ones, such as Cooking.com.

2. Defrost food in the refrigerator, the microwave, or in cold water... never on the counter!

Perishable foods should never be thawed on the counter for longer than two hours because, while the center of the food may remain frozen, the outer surface may enter the Danger Zone, the range of temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees fahrenheit, in which bacteria multiply rapidly. If you’re short on time, use the microwave or you can thaw meat and poultry in airtight packaging in cold water. Change the water every half-hour so it stays cold and use the thawed food immediately.

3. Always use separate cutting boards for raw meat/poultry/fish and cooked foods/fresh produce.

Bacteria from uncooked meat, poultry, and fish can contaminate cooked foods and fresh produce. An important way to reduce this risk is to use separate cutting boards for raw meat/poultry/ fish, and cooked foods/fresh produce.

4. Always cook meat to proper temperatures, using a calibrated instant-read thermometer to make sure.

One effective way to prevent illness is to use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat, poultry, and egg dishes. The USDA Recommended Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures are as follows:

* Beef, veal, and lamb (steaks and roasts), fish - 145 degrees fahrenheit

* Pork and ground beef - 160 degrees fahrenheit

* Poultry - 165 degrees fahrenheit.

Cook meats like roasts and steaks to lower temperatures, closer to medium-rare, so that they retain their moisture. It is recommended that those who are at high risk for developing food-borne illness (i.e. pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborns, young children, older adults, people with weakened immune systems, or certain chronic illnesses) should follow the USDA guidelines.

5. Avoid unpasteurized/raw milk and cheeses made from unpasteurized milk that are aged less than 60 days.

Raw milk is milk from cows, sheep, or goats that has not been pasteurized (heated to a very high temperature for a specific length of time) to kill harmful bacteria that may be present. These bacteria, which include salmonella, E. coli and listeria, can cause serious illness and sometimes even death. The bacteria in raw milk can be especially dangerous to pregnant women, children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems or chronic illnesses. Raw milk cheeses aged 60 days or longer are okay, since the salt and acidity of the cheese-making process make for a hostile environment to pathogens.

6. Never eat "runny" eggs or foods, such as cookie dough, that contain raw eggs.

Even eggs that have clean, intact shells may be contaminated with salmonella, so it’s important to cook eggs thoroughly until both the yolk and the white are firm. Casseroles and other dishes containing eggs should be cooked to 160 degrees fahrenheit and you can use an instant-read food thermometer to check. Eggs should always be cooked fully and those who are at high risk for developing foodborne illness (pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborns, young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems or certain chronic illnesses should follow the USDA guidelines. If you can’t resist runny eggs or sampling cookie batter, use pasteurized eggs. They’re found near other eggs in large supermarkets.

7. Always wash your hands in warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds before handling food and after touching raw meat, poultry, or eggs.

You can pick up a lot of bacteria out in the world, so it’s important to always wash your hands before you eat or prepare food. You should also wash your hands after touching any uncooked meat, poultry, fish, or eggs, as the bacteria from these foods can contaminate cooked foods and fresh produce. Use soap and warm water and wash thoroughly for at least 20 seconds.

8. Always heat leftover foods to 165 degrees fahrenheit.

The USDA recommends heating all cooked leftovers to 165 degrees fahrenheit in order to kill all potentially dangerous bacteria.

9. Never eat meat, poultry, eggs, or sliced fresh fruits and vegetables that have been left out for more than two hours or more than one hour in temperatures hotter than 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you leave perishable foods out of the refrigerator or freezer for more than two hours they may enter the Danger Zone—the unsafe temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, in which bacteria multiply rapidly.

10. Whenever there’s a food recall, check products stored at home to make sure they are safe.

You should discard any food that’s been recalled because it’s associated with the outbreak of a food-borne illness. But, according to a survey conducted by Rutgers University during the fall of 2008, only about 60% of Americans search their homes for foods that have been recalled because of contamination. For more information on food recalls, visit the website Recalls.gov






Cavier & Vodka
Courtesy of The Lady (Bug) of the Household