Cooking Lessons for Dad

Cooking Lessons for Beginners

Easy Italian Meatballs

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Easy Italian Meatballs

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground meat (beef, turkey or chicken)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
  • 1 - 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
  • 2 - 3 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl.
  3. Shape mixture into 1 1/2 inch meatballs and place them on an ungreased baking sheet.
  4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the meatballs start to brown, there is no pink in the center and the juice is clear.
  5. Allow the meatballs to cool down before picking them up to prevent them from breaking apart. Serve.

Notes

Wetting your hands will make rolling the meatballs easier.

To make evenly sized 1 inch meatballs, spread the meatball mixture out on a piece of wax paper (1 inch thick). Cut 1 inch cubes and then roll each cube into a ball.

If you would like 2 inch meatballs, spread the mixture out in a 2 inch layer and cut 2 inch squares. Then roll each cube into a ball.

You can make your own bread crumbs by placing torn, firm bread into a blender or food processor. Blend on low or process to make fine bread crumbs.

These meatballs are delicious served with my Crockpot Italian Pasta sauce over pasta. You can find this recipe at Cookinglessonsfordad.com.

© Karen Breyer

 

Moroccan Fiesta Chicken

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Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Moroccan Fiesta Chicken

Ingredients

  • 1 - 2 pounds chicken, boneless, skinless, raw
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 3 cups salsa, chunky (mild or medium)
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 4 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons cumin, ground
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 - 1 cup pine nuts, toasted or almonds, toasted (sliced or chopped)
  • 6 cups couscous or brown rice, cooked

Instructions

  1. Add the following ingredients to the crockpot: garlic, salsa, water, raisins, honey, cumin, and cinnamon. Stir.
  2. Cut raw chicken into bite-sized pieces.
  3. Add chicken to crockpot. Stir.
  4. Cook on high for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
  5. Check the chicken to make sure it is cooked. It should be white throughout.
  6. Serve the Moroccan Fiesta Chicken over cooked rice or couscous. Top with toasted pine nuts or almonds.

Notes

This Moroccan Fiesta Chicken would be great served with a steamed vegetable and/or salad.

Try my favorite Moroccan Carrots recipe for a perfect accompaniment to this Moroccan Fiesta Chicken. The recipe for these amazing Moroccan Carrots can be found at Cookinglessonsfordad.com.

To make a vegetarian version of this Moroccan Fiesta Chicken recipe, replace the real chicken with a vegetable protein chicken substitute. This “fake” or “vegetarian” chicken has a similar texture and taste to real chicken. To use this “vegetarian” chicken, take it out of the can, cut it in bite-sized pieces and add it to the crockpot with the rest of the ingredients.

See a cooking demonstration of this Moroccan Fiesta Chicken on the Cooking Lessons for Dad YouTube channel.

© Karen Breyer

 

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