Chicken Meatballs

I know what you’re thinking. Has he lost his mind? Is he selling out? In short, no. There are no intentions, on my part at least, to feature chicken meatballs with Sunday Gravy and pasta. Today we’re thinking out of the box, or in this case, the ball. Stay with me on this…

I’ve heard a lot of people talking about chicken meatballs, and it’s always the same story. “They’re not bad, they tasted pretty good. But beef, pork and veal meatballs are much better with Sunday gravy.” Ground chicken, much like ground turkey, is lean and does not render fatty flavor like a traditional beef, pork and veal meatball mixture would. You can season up the turkey and chicken to taste well, but they’re not going to release any natural juices or flavors to enhance a Sunday gravy.

While thinking of how I could prepare and serve chicken meatballs, I immediately thought of our friends who made these incredible turkey burgers. They played up on the turkey concept, using traditional poultry seasoning for flavor, stuffing mixture instead of breadcrumbs for texture, and a slice of cranberry sauce instead of usual condiments like ketchup and mustard. Not only were these burgers off the hook, but you really got to appreciate and enjoy the whole turkey vibe. So that’s what I decided to do with my chicken meatballs – play up on the chicken!

The seasonings that I have listed below are what I traditionally use to season chicken. Penzey’s Bavarian spice mix is one of my favorites to use for seasoning poultry. You can use whatever seasoning that you prefer on your chicken.

How to server the chicken meatballs?

Of course, you can serve chicken meatballs with your Sunday gravy. For those who are looking to serve healthier dishes, chicken meatballs are a good alternative. But again, it’s not for me. Instead, I came up with a few ideas incorporating the flavors of traditional chicken dishes into the chicken meatballs.

I find that the best way to prepare chicken meatballs is to bake them. About 5-10 minutes before they are completely baked, try brushing the meatballs with a bit of barbecue sauce. This will add a nice, tangly glaze to the meatballs. You can also serve them with a side of honey mustard for dipping.

Chicken meatballs are the perfect addition to a chicken broth-based soup. Try adding them to a stracciatella soup with some grated parmesan!

And finally, there is no better dish that comes to mind that would work with chicken meatballs than Grandmom Dora’s Meatball Stew. What better compliment to chicken can you ask for than peas, carrots and potatoes!

I’m sure there are many more combinations that would work well with chicken meatballs. The ball is (literally) in your court….run with it and be sure to let us know what you come up with!

Chicken Meatballs

1lb ground chicken
1 egg, beaten
1 tspn poultry seasoning
1 tspn oregano
1 tspn garlic powder
1 tspn onion powder
1 tspn thyme
1 tspn parsley
1/2 cup stuffing mix
1/2 cup pamesan cheese

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. Shape into balls, place on a baking dish, spray with cooking spray, bake uncovered at 375º for 35-40 minutes until golden brown.

Chicken Tortellini Soup

Comfort Foods Part 2: Soups

This week I thought it would be a good time to post some soups to help get us through these dog days of winter.

First up is Italian Wedding Soup. This is an abbreviated version of Escarole Soup (Scuddole to you purists!). The first time I heard it referred to as Italian Wedding Soup was at a non-Italian event. I didn’t know what to expect. When it was served, I said, “oh…scuddole!” I only call my quick version Italian Wedding because I use spinach instead of escarole. No need to be misleading. While not as hearty as my mom’s Thanksgiving Scuddole, this version is very tasty and makes for a great meal.

Next up is Tomato Basil Soup, suggested by my friend Jackie. If you like the taste of fresh, sweet basil, this soup is a must. Goes great with a gooey grilled cheese sandwich on a cold, dreary day.

Last up is Snert (aka Dutch Pea Soup), suggested by my friend Jay (originally posted by Holly Moore in a Philadelphia City Paper column, circa 1991). I have not personally tried this recipe yet, but Jay knows his stuff. He makes this soup every year when the weather gets wintry. I’ll be trying this one out real soon!

Enjoy and stay warm.

ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP
20-25 mini meatballs, fully cooked (half as big as regular)
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups beef broth
1 package frozen crinkle cut carrots
1 10oz. package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained
1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese to taste

Place broths and meatballs in soup pot. Simmer 10 minutes, add spinach and carrots. Bring to boil,
add pasta and simmer 10-15 minutes. Season to taste, ladle into bowls and garnish liberally with cheese.

TOMATO BASIL SOUP
2 teaspoons olive oil 

3 garlic cloves, minced 

3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 

3/4 teaspoon salt 

3 (14.5-ounce) cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained 

2 cups fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

Basil leaves (optional)

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in the broth, salt, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes. Stir in basil.
Place half of the soup in a blender; process until smooth. Pour pureed soup into a bowl, and repeat procedure with remaining soup. Garnish with basil leaves, if desired.

SNERT (aka Dutch Pea Soup)
Holly Moore, City Paper, circa 1991
Melt some butter in a heavy stock pot, add two diced onions, two chopped celery stalks and four minced cloves of garlic. Saute until soft, about five minutes, and toss in the split peas. Cook for another five minutes. Then add a pound of smoked ham hocks, 6 cups of water and 2 cups of chicken broth along with a few bay leaves, salt and a hearty sprinkling of coarsely ground pepper, lots of pepper.

Simmer away, covered, for a couple of hours. Then remove the ham hocks and salvage the ham from the bones.

Now comes the fun part. Shun your Cuisinart or blender in favor of a wire mesh sieve. Pour some of the soup into the sieve and using the back of a spoon and a spatula, force it through the wire mesh into a bowl. Keep going until it’s all pureed. Repeat the process a second time – much quicker and easier – from the bowl back into the soup kettle. If you insist, you can use a food processor or blender – works just as well and is much easier. Too mechanically soulless for me, though.

Add the meat from the ham hocks, to the pot. Bring everything back to a simmer.

I use closer to 2 pounds of ham hocks, and add about a pound of diced kielbasa after the soup is done. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Soup

Looking for a hearty, seasonal soup to serve as your first course for Thanksgiving dinner? This Pumpkin Soup has a fantastic flavor and aroma, and is very simple to make. You can also serve it as a hearty winter meal by adding small pasta, such as elbow macaroni or small shells.

PUMPKIN SOUP
2 tbsp. butter
1 onion, diced
2 stalks chopped celery
2 carrots, chopped
2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. pepper
4 c. clear chicken broth
1 c. pumpkin (puree)
1 tsp. sugar

Saute onion, celery and carrots in butter in soup pot. Add flour, broth, pumpkin, pepper, sugar. Simmer for 1/2 hour.