Korean BBQ-ish meatballs

My number one favorite takeout restaurant in Charlottesville is Doma which serves delicious Korean bbq short ribs and fried chicken wings. I can’t get enough of the sauces and pickles that they serve with everything and I couldn’t even begin to reproduce their recipes. That being said, I had a jar of Gochujang sitting in the pantry and I thought I would do my best to use that in a healthy family meal that everyone would enjoy. The girls loved these meatballs, they aren’t too spicy but they are just a little pungent, sweet, and savory. Sneaking in a little grated zucchini is a good way to add moisture to the meatballs and get extra veggies into the kids. They had no idea!

What you need:

For the Meatballs:

1 1/2 lbs of ground beef, turkey, or chicken

1/2 a cup of shredded zucchini (use the cheese grater to shred and save the rest for something else)

1/2 a small yellow onion grated with the cheese grater (my kids don’t like to see the chunks of onions, it makes for a smoother meatball and helps them from drying out)

2 garlic cloves minced

1 tbsp minced fresh ginger

2 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground white pepper

1 tbsp soy sauce

3/4 cup crushed cracker crumbs or bread crumbs

1 egg, lightly beaten

For the glaze:

1/3 cup apricot preserves

2 tbsp gochujang

1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar

1-2 tbsp soy sauce

Mix everything together and simmer in sauce pan until thickened (about 5 minutes).

*** This glaze is borrowed from https://www.culinaryhill.com/korean-barbecue-meatballs/

Serve with chopped scallions, toasted sesame seeds, kimchi, rice, and veggies

Mix everything together in a bowl, I usually use my hands but you can use a fork…just make sure it’s all very well blended. Form into roughly 1 1/2 inch rounds (slightly smaller than a golf ball) Bake at 350° for about 25-30 minutes. I usually flip the balls halfway through. You can use a meat thermometer to check the temperature or just do what I do and cut one in half to check the inside and then eat it : )

I typically will throw some broccoli into the oven to roast alongside the meatballs. You can dunk the meatballs into the sauce pan with the glaze to coat them with it or just drizzle it over top of each serving. Precooked frozen rice is a weeknight savior. The toasted sesame seeds on top are clutch. Enjoy!

End of Summer Risotto

I’m calling this End of Summer Risotto because it contains the remnants of our garden produce which will sadly not be here much longer. I love risotto and make it a lot even though it requires constant stirring and watching, its easy enough to make while helping P with her homework and its a gluten free starch which means everyone in the family can enjoy it. Also, its delicious! I love the texture and risotto absorbs so much flavor.

You can adapt this recipe easily depending on what veggies you have on hand. I used 2 slices of previously cooked bacon in this recipe, I had it for making sandwiches for the girls’ lunch. You could use pancetta as well. If you don’t have any already cooked, fry it up for a few minutes in the saute pan and then set aside to cool. Wipe the grease from the pan or just use it to flavor the rest of the dish : )

What you need:

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

2 small zuchhini or one large zucchini chopped into bite sized pieces

1 large shallot, diced finely

2 ears of fresh corn, removed from cob (substituting frozen and thawed kernels will work)

2 slices of previously cooked bacon

1 tsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp dried basil

1-2 cloves of garlic

1 cup of Arborio rice

1 quart of low sodium chicken broth

1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Begin by melting 1 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan and add the zucchini, shallots, and corn. Add a healthy pinch of salt and pepper. Soften the vegetables and scrape up brown bits while stirring occasionally. After about 5-7 minutes the veggies should have a bit of color but not be burned. Add the garlic and bacon and stir slowly for 1-2 minutes. Now move all the veggies to the outer circle of the pan and add the rice to the center. Let it toast for a minute undisturbed. Stir and let sit for another minute.

Now the rice is gently toasted mix everything together with a spoon and add about 1 cup of broth. Most risotto recipes call for warming the broth before adding. I have found its not really necessary when using a box of room temperature broth. If you were to pull broth from the fridge, I would definitely warm it up before adding to the pan so that the rice and veggies maintain a consisten simmer. Allow the broth to come to a simmer and stir so that everything is evenly distributed in the pan. As the liquid evaporates add about 1/2 cup more every few minutes so that it never dries out. The zucchini and corn will continue to release moisture into the dish so you may not need to use the entire quart of chicken broth. After adding about 3 -3.5 cups and roughly 20 minutes the rice should appear fluffy and most of the liquid should be absorbed. Take a spoonful out and let it cool for a moment before tasting to see if the rice is done. You want it to be toothsome but not crunchy. I think everyone has a personal preference about how al dente they like the rice. If its not soft enough add more broth and allow to cook for a few more minutes. When its finished stir in the Parmesan cheese and a little more salt and pepper if necessary. Enjoy!

Sardinian Herb Soup with Sausage

On rainy Sunday mornings I love to peruse my cookbook collection while sipping my coffee and search for inspiration before I venture off to the grocery store for the week. My sister in law gifted me the Milk Street Cookbook a few years ago and I turn to it often, its got beautiful photographs and SO many great recipes. Sardinian Herb Soup is the perfect transitional soup for this almost fall but not quite, the parsley and arugula keep it bright and lively.

I’m sure the original recipe from Milk Street is lovely but I added chicken sausage for extra protein, onions and celery for flavor, and red pepper flakes. I also subbed Pecorino Romano for the suggested Ricotta Salata cheese. I think Pecorino carries a bit more punch. I also omitted the suggested Tarragon because I can’t stand it. Please add a bit of Tarragon if you love it. The Milk Street recipe calls for Fregola which are little pastas similar in shape to Israeli couscous. Any small pasta shape would work well here but I omitted it because I didn’t think it was necessary. If you are trying to add bulk adding pasta or small diced potatoes would be great.

What you need:

2-3 tbsp olive oil

3-4 oz diced pancetta

1/2 lb Italian sausage, bulk or casings removed (turkey or chicken sausage suggested since the pancetta carries enough fat)

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

1 small stalk of celery with leaves, finely chopped

1 bunch of Italian parsley, stems mostly separated from the leaves (but keep the stems)

1/2 cup of dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio

2 quarts low sodium chicken broth

2 15.5 oz cans of white beans such as cannellini beans

3 medium garlic cloves sliced thinly

1/2 cup of crumbled Pecorino Romano plus a bit more for serving

6 cups of lightly packed arugula, roughly chopped

Freshly ground salt and pepper

Begin by putting the sausage and pancetta in a soup pot with the olive oil and sautéing over medium heat. When the sausage is starting to brown add the onions and celery and a pinch of salt and pepper. The onions should become fragrant and start to soften, stir around scraping up brown bits from the pancetta and sausage. After about 5-10 minutes the sausage should be cooked through so add the wine to deglaze the pan. Dice the reserved parsley stems and add them to the pot with another pinch of salt and pepper. Now add the garlic. When the garlic starts to smell really fragrant (a minute or two) add the chicken broth and bring to a boil then reduce to simmer.

Give the parsley leaves and arugula a rough chop. Drain and rinse the beans and add them to the pot. Taste the broth and see if you need to add another pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Add the arugula, parsley, and Pecorino. Turn off the heat and let the herbs gently wilt. Season with red pepper flakes, and a bit more pecorino if it needs more flavor. Serve with crumbled Pecorino, red pepper flakes, and another drizzle of olive oil if desired. Enjoy!