Meatballs n Sauce!

What a way to start the week! Here in New Jersey it was what most would call a dreary day filled with rain clouds.  To me I would say it was a great day! - I have always enjoyed rainy days. There's a sort of comfort that eminates from them. I enjoy a sunny day just as much as the next girl but with rainy days they just make me want to listen to Sinatra and smile. Rainy days take me to my happy place :) I couldn't wait to get home today to climb into Jason's big sweatshirt and cuddle on the couch- which is right where I am now!

A rainy day and a sunny day arn't positive and negative- they are only what we make them. Instead of thinking of rainy days as sad or depressing look for the positive in them.

When I was planning my menu for the week yesterday I decided to make a batch of my tomato sauce so I could make more than one meal this week using it! And WOW did it come out good!  On Sundays I love to try new recipes or experiment with old ones- it's the perfect time to just get lost in my thoughts in the kitchen.  To start off my menu I made homemade tomato sauce and meatballs served with hot Italian sausage for Sundays dinner.  It was magnificent! Even though we are eating low carb we don't sacrifice flavor. The only thing we sacrifice is garlic bread and pasta *sad face* - but it is still such a yummy dinner!

I started out making the sauce.  I added olive oil to a stock pot and browned up onions and garlic until they were translucent and wafting beautiful smells throughout my kitchen- I don't know if there is a better smell than that of onions and garlic sautéing - call me crazy... to that I add in some red wine to flavor the onions.  I used old trusty Cabernet.  I let that cook down a lil before I add in the chicken stock.  Bring that to a simmer and reduce it by half. This takes about 5 minutes.

Next I add in 3 cans of tomatoes. You can use any combination of crushed and diced tomatoes. I especially like the canned tomatoes that include other spices.  I have combined them in a tons of different ways and the sauce always comes out perfect.

*Olive Oil Story*
We were out to eat on Saturday and at the restaurant we were at they had a little sign saying they sold olive oil from Greece- we asked the bartender and found out the owner was greek and has family in Greece that made olive oil and they shipped some here to sell at their restaurant! $5 a jar and if you bring the jar back they refill it for $4- not a bad deal at all and lovely olive oil!!
Keep your eyes open you never know what you will find!

Today I used 2 cans of crushed and 1 can of diced tomatoes. To counteract the tomato's acid I add in 2 packets of Truvia.  Stir this well.

I am a Hart so of course I need heart measuring spoons!

Next I added some additional seasonings. Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, a bay leaf, Romano cheese and Parmesan cheese. If you don't have the cheeses do not worry- they were in my fridge so I added them just for an extra salty bite.  If you want a spicier sauce here is where I add in crushed red pepper. I added in 2 tsp and it is perfectly spicy.  This mixture gets brought back up to a simmer and cooked for an hour.

Now at this point I usually just let it sit on the stove and hang out until it's ready to be gobbled up but into the kitchen walks my hubby and he stirs the sauce and says he feels like really smooth sauce instead of chunky so all I did was take out the bay leaf and used my emersion blender and blended it until it was really smooth.  If I would have known I could have just used all crushed tomato instead of chunky but it all worked out in the end! You can adapt this sauce recipe to your liking as well whether you want a chunky sauce or a smooth sauce, spicy or mild, etc. And if you change your mind in the middle just blend it together ha!

Blended sauce Mmmm!!

Now on to the meatballs!  I went back to the stove and into my cast iron skillet I sautéed onion and garlic in butter until it was soft and translucent. Then I added it to my meatball-mixing-bowl to cool.  I am not going to clean the pan I just used because I am going to cook my meatballs in the skillet to brown the outside before finishing them in the oven- just to give them that extra bit of flavor.

Once the onions and garlic have cooled a little I added in Italian seasoning, 1 pound of ground beef, 2 eggs, panko bread crumbs, whole wheat bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic salt, and pepper.  I add in the ground beef last and mix all of the other ingredients well together so that when I add in the meat I don't have to over mix it to get all of the ingredients combined.

Then I heat up the cast iron skillet again and form the meatballs into balls and cook on as many sides as I can brown before adding them into the oven to finish cooking- I can usually get 3 sides browned.  At this point I also cooked the sausage in the oven too making sure to poke a few holes into each link.

Side 1

Flip for side 2

The infamous side 3 I was talking about!

Into the oven they go!

While the meatballs and sausage are finishing cooking in the oven and the sauce is simmering away on the stove I make my "pasta" aka spaghetti squash.  I can't say enough good things about spaghetti squash and how it satisfies my pasta craving!  I poke a bunch of knife holes in it- being really careful of course- and then pop it into the microwave.  For a medium sized spaghetti squash I will do 4 minutes on high then flip it over and microwave another 4 minutes. Once its done I remove it with oven mitts on each hand and keep them on while I cut it open and scoop out the seeds- or you could be a normal person and let it cool down- at this point I'm too hungry to wait!  Then using a fork its really easy to rake out the flesh to resemble noodles!  I plop it right onto the plate and add the sauce right on top- never would miss the pasta!

SAUCE:
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
7 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
3 Tbsp red wine
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
3- 28oz cans crushed or diced tomato
2 packets of truvia 
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Romano cheese

Heat up a stock pot over medium heat, add butter and olive oil and sauté the garlic and onions about 4 minutes until soft and translucent.  Add in the red wine to deglaze and flavor the onion and garlic.  Let reduce down for about 2 minutes.  Then add the chicken stock and bring back up to a simmer and reduce this down for about 5 minutes. Add in the cans of tomato and stir well to combine.  Next add in the spices and the Truvia and stir again.  The cheese as well as the crushed red pepper are optional but will add spice and give a nice cheesy flavor- if you are using them add now!  If you have a parmesan rind that also flavors sauce well!  Once all ingredients are combined simmer for at least an hour stirring occasionally.  After the ingredients start to simmer I usually lower the heat so it is just at a low bubble. Otherwise it splatters everywhere - for me at least!

MEATBALLS:
1-2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, diced small
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground beef
2 eggs
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 cup panko 
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Sauté the onion and garlic in about 2 tbsp butter on medium heat. Cook about 5 minutes until onions are soft.  Put into bowl that will be used for mixing meatballs. Do not clean skillet- meatballs will cook in it very soon.  Once the onion and garlic mixture has cooled slightly mix in the Italian seasoning, garlic salt, and pepper. Next add in the 2 eggs.  Mix well so all ingredients are combined. Add in the Parmesan and bread crumbs. This should look like a thin paste- this helps so when we add in the meat you don't have to over mix- so add in the meat and get in there with clean hands and mix until combined.  Put skillet back on the stove on medium-medium high heat.  Add in about 2 Tbsp olive oil and form the meatballs and drop them right into the hot skillet.  Turn them once and then if theres a 3rd side you can balance the meatball on then brown that side too. Once all sides are brown stick them into the oven and cook another 10-15 minutes. This is for medium sized meatballs. Golf ball sized if you will- if yours are smaller or bigger the cooking time will need to be adjusted. 

Once they are ready add them to the top of the glorious spaghetti squash pile and cover in plenty of tomato sauce :)  I also baked hot Italian sausage with this meal and it was fantastic!  Cover in parmesan cheese or if you're like my husband serve cottage cheese along side topped with a little sauce---- I've never heard of it either but he has to have cottage cheese every time we eat anything with tomato sauce- too cute.

Now that Sunday dinner has come and gone I am left with the rest of the dinners for the week:

• Teriyaki chicken and broccoli stir fry served with Sriracha cauliflower
• Garlic and rosemary marinated pork tenderloin served with lemon and pepper asparagus spears
• Asiago mushroom chicken breasts served with zucchini gratin (yes I am making it again lol)
• Meatloaf served with lemon parsley cauliflower
• Chicken parmesan roll ups served with sautéed eggplant and homemade tomato sauce

More recipes to share! And more great food to look forward to this week!