"Spaghetti" and (my very own first original recipe) Portabella Mushroom, Onion, Sun Dried Tomato Meat Balls Stuffed with Goat Cheese

Whats on the menu? "Spaghetti" and (my very own first original recipe) Portabella Mushroom, Onion, Sun Dried Tomato Meat Balls Stuffed with Goat Cheese

How easy was it to make?  I have to say I was terrified! I have never in my life made meat balls... and I never make up recipes, I am a recipe following girl. Not this time! I really wanted to make meat balls and "spaghetti" and the only way to find exactly what I wanted in a meat ball was to do it myself!

So, I stopped at Hannaford (my usual Friday night shopping location) and confused the hell out of our friend J who was shopping at the same time. He was confused that he may have been in some parallel universe as he has never seen me at the grocery store. Clearly the "wrong" Cormier was shopping!! I assured him that everything was alright and I was just there to get things to make my ONE dinner of the week!

I headed home with the following:
1lb of Grass Fed Beef
2 Portabello Mushroom Caps
1 Small White Onion
Chopped Sun Dried Tomatos in Oil
Goat Cheese
Organic Tomato and Basil Sauce

Things I used that already had at home:
1 Egg
Almond Flour
Minced Garlic
Parsley/Oregano/Salt/Pepper
Spaghetti Squash

I chopped the onion, added that with the garlic, to a pan on medium heat and let it cook a bit than added the mushrooms and sun dried tomato (about half the jar with as little oil as possible and let it go till everything "looked" cooked... I am so bad at this.

After that I tossed it all into the food processor, thinking that might make it a little "smaller" for the meat balls. I added some parsley, oregano, salt and pepper to another bowl, than an egg, than the meat and against everything I ever want to do... squished it around with my hands (totally grossing myself out). I added the veggies and squished some more, than added some almond flour because it was a little wet from the oil of the veggies.

When that was all mixed I started making balls. I stuffed each one with a little piece of goat cheese and sealed the ball around it. They were pretty big. Definitely bigger than a golf ball... but hey, who dosent like big balls?! Meat balls people... get your mind out of the gutter!

After I was done I washed my hands 500 times (because really, the whole squishing raw beef iggs me the eff out) and put them in the oven at 400 degrees... for 30 minutes.

I had already cooked the spaghetti squash so it was cooling while I made these. I heated up the sauce and when Hubs got home he has his very first "Sarah Original" dinner! I was pretty proud of me!

So... how was it? Patting myself on the back here. It was fantastic. I mean come on, meat, sundried tomato, garlic and goat cheese... how could I have gone wrong! Unless of course I killed us with undercooked beef. 

Will I make it again? I have permission from Hubs... as he ate the leftovers the next day, YES, I will certainly make these again!

Pre Sauce

Post Sauce

Baked Chicken with Artichoke Sundried Tomato Tapenade and Sweet Potato Banana Mashed

Whats on the menu? Baked Chicken with Artichoke Sundried Tomato Tapenade (find it HERE) and Sweet Potato Banana Mashed (find it HERE)

How easy was it to make? Well, I have to say, I am afraid of chicken. I dont like to make it because I am scared that I am going to under cook it.  This was quite an adventure for me. So I started to mix up the tapenade ingredients as they are listed in the recipe and I wasnt really happy. The quantities of the ingredients were hard to understand (because I didnt know if it was before or after chopping them up or whatever) so I just started to eyeball it. I mixed everything in the food processor first except for the artichoke, than added that slowly. I tasted it than added things I thought it needed more of. Than I followed the rest of the recipe for the salt, pepper and garlic on the chicken... than the tapenade... than in the oven with olive oil.

The sweet potato was easy peasy... mostly because we had some already mashed in the fridge. I just popped the bananas in the convection oven for 15 minute at 400 with holes poked in (as it instructed) than mashed them into the sweet potatos as I heated them up.

Hubs came home and everything was timed out right. It was done.

Going in the Oven

So... how was it? I am sure hubs will give his honest opinion as well, but I thought overall it was pretty good! The chicken had sort of a weird consistency I think because it was baked in the oil. I am so used to crock pot chicken that has been in the fridge a few days so that could be it too. It was really "moist" (damn I hate that word). The tapenade had great flavor... the only thing that could have made it better was cheese, but I didnt use any. The sweet potato... all I have to say is YUM! I thought they were great and it was really nice to have something a little different from the normal sweet potato that I have all week.

Will I make it again? I think this one can go it the "yes" pile on both accounts. The chicken and the sweet potato!

Get in my Belly!