Baked Chicken Meatballs

I know I've been sporadic at posting over the last year or two. (I blame pregnancy, baby, moving, etc. etc.) But lately I've been motivated to get back here more frequently and put more effort into this space of mine. I started this recipe journal 4 1/2 years ago. 600 recipes later I'm still here and still loving it. I think it's ready for some improvements though. I've started the process of moving over to Wordpress (which I currently know nothing about so I have some homework to do). I'm planning to revamp the recipe archives and add print features. And I have a few other exciting ideas! So if I seem absent for a week or two you'll know why. I'm working hard behind the scenes.

To tide you over until then, I made some meatballs. Mmmmm. With chicken and bacon (or pancetta if you're feeling fancy). I made them with the pancetta (and I've never paid so much $$$ for such a tiny slice of meat before). And they turned out wonderful but I think bacon would do the trick. My only plea is that you don't use ground chicken breast. It's just too lean and won't result in these impossibly succulent and juicy little gifts. They would be awesome over a bowl of pasta or on a toasted baguette. We devoured them with garlic mashed cauliflower (recipe coming soon) and roasted asparagus spears.

Baked Chicken Meatballs

INGREDIENTS
3 slices Italian bread, torn into small pieces (1 cup) (I used whole wheat bread)
1/3 cup milk
3 oz. pancetta or bacon, finely diced
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large egg
1 lb. ground chicken (I used ground chicken thigh)
2 Tbsp. tomato paste, divided
3 Tbsp. fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

2. Soak bread in milk in a small bowl until softened, about four minutes. Squeeze bread to remove excess milk; discard milk.

3. Cook pancetta (or bacon), onion, garlic, 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper in 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat until the onion is softened and the pancetta has rendered some of its fat, about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.

4. In a large bowl, lightly beat the egg and combine it with the ground chicken, 1 Tbsp. tomato paste, parsley, bread, and pancetta mixture. Form into about 15 meatballs and arrange on the prepared baking pan.

5. Combine the remaining Tbsp. tomato paste with a drizzle of olive oil and brush over top of the meatballs.

6. Bake in the preheated oven until the meatballs are just cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Makes about 15 meatballs, serves 4.

(Adapted from Gourmet via Smitten Kitchen)

Roasted Vegetable Frittata

Every time I make a frittata Dustin complains that he wishes it had a crust. In other words, he wants a quiche. I get it. A flakey butter crust would improve just about anything. But the whole point of a frittata is that it's quicker (no pastry production required) and lighter (less post-breakfast regret). And I like its crust-less-ness. This one is filled with roasted vegetables (summer squash, bell peppers, mushrooms, and onion), garlic, and cheese. I added a little extra cheese. I used milk instead of half and half so I deserved the extra calories.

This makes a massive frittata. If you're only feeding 3 (I'm counting Clara as a whole person now- she eats an impressive amount for a 13-month-old), this'll probably last you a few days. But I wouldn't consider having a healthy delicious breakfast already prepared a problem exactly. Plus, I thought it tasted even better on the second (and third) day.

Roasted Vegetable Frittata

INGREDIENTS
1 small zucchini, diced
1 small yellow squash, diced
1 small red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, chopped
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup green onions or chives, thinly sliced
12 large eggs
1 cup half and half or whole milk (I used milk)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2/3 cup Gruyere or sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS
1. To roast vegetables (this can be done ahead of time), preheat oven to 400 F. Line two large baking sheets with aluminum foil and lightly coat with cooking spray. Toss vegetables (zucchini through mushrooms) with enough olive oil to coat and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Arrange in an even layer on the prepared baking sheets. Roast in the preheated oven, turning occasionally, 20-30 minutes, until tender and caramelized. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

2. Preheat oven to 350 F.

3. Melt butter in a large 12-inch (preferably nonstick) skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute for a minute. Add the roasted vegetables (should be about 3 cups) and cook for a minute to heat through.

4. In a large bowl, whisk to combine the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and Parmesan. Pour into the skillet with the vegetables and cook for 2 minutes over medium-low heat without stirring. Sprinkle half of the remaining cheese (Gruyere or Cheddar) over the top of the eggs.

5. Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until puffed and set in the center. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and cook for several more minutes until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly before serving.

Makes a 12-inch frittata, serves 6-8.

(Adapted from Food Network)

Pesto, Chicken, and Red Grape Pizza

Coming to you from a new kitchen. A cute new kitchen. With ample counter space and sunlight streaming in. And a big pretty fridge. Still not enough cupboard space. (But that's probably my problem. When you move and the majority of your boxes are labeled "kitchen", you have too many serving platters and cooking gadgets.) Despite the lack of space and similar inconveniences we've come to accept with city life, we're happy in our new place.

Naturally, pizza was the first thing I made. This unusual spin on chicken pesto pizza includes grapes! Sounds crazy but tastes amazing. It's garlicky and cheesy (fresh mozzarella oozing all over the place) and sweet. I used my own pesto recipe but feel free to buy it prepared. I didn't include amounts for the toppings because when I'm throwing them on a pizza, I rarely measure. Plus it all depends on how big your crust is and how much you want to pile on top. It's pizza. So it's hard to go wrong.

Pesto, Chicken, and Red Grape Pizza

INGREDIENTS
1 recipe pizza dough
prepared basil pesto (purchased or make your own)
seedless red grapes, halved
shredded boneless skinless rotisserie chicken
fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
freshly ground black pepper
green onions, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare dough according to recipe directions.

2. Preheat oven and pizza stone to 450 F.

3. Top prepared crust with a thin layer of basil pesto. Top with grapes, chicken, garlic, and mozzarella. Sprinkle with Parmesan or Romano cheese, freshly ground black pepper, and green onions (reserve some to add after baking).

4. Bake on preheated pizza stone for 8-10 minutes until the crust is puffed and golden brown and the cheese is bubbling. Sprinkle with reserved green onions; slice, and serve.

Makes 1 large pizza.

(Adapted from Cooking Light)