North African Meatballs

I am doing more menu planning with I'm an Organizing Junkie and finding more deals at Pick N Save for $5 Dinners and putting them together with great recipes:-)

This is the week filled with activity for my youngest daughter. In recognition of her 6th birthday, at school she is going to reign as Student of the Week. I will be doing a presentation in the classroom about her, chaperoning a field trip to see a play, and volunteering in the classroom three times. This is in addition to picking up Girl Scout cookies and a doctor's appointment. It's all good so, I should survive:-)

It's a good thing Pick N Save is helping me out with my menu planning. They have ground beef on sale again for $1.99/lb. (normally $2.93/lb.) !! That helps because...

In addition, I am still playing along with I Blame My Mother on The Food Network Chefs Cooking Challenge (FNCCC). This week, the chef of choice is Melissa d'Arabian. I am making her North African Meatballs. Check out the recipe below and come back Wednesday for a picture and our review:-)

Here is everything that I am serving this week:

Sunday: North African Meatballs (Come back Wednesday for a picture and my review)

Monday: Spaghetti(Cleaning Day/Classroom Presentation)
Tuesday: Leftovers (Pick up Girl Scout Cookies)

Wednesday: Tomato Basil Chicken (Doctor's Appointment)

Thursday: Honey Dijon Pork Loin Roast (Field Trip)

Friday: Eat Out (Volunteering 3 times:-)

North African Meatballs
Ingredients:
For the North African Sauce:
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lemon, zested
1/2 cup pitted and chopped briny olives
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup chicken stock or broth
1 (14-ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes
1 tsp light brown sugar
1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
pinch ground cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Meatballs:
1 egg
2 Tbs tomato paste
3 Tbs finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 Tbs minced fresh ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
pinch ground cinnamon
3/4 lb ground beef
1/3 cup finely ground rolled oats or fine bread crumbs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 to 4 Tbs vegetable oil, for cooking
4 Tbs chopped fresh parsley leaves
Directions:
1. To make the North African Sauce:

2. In a large saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onion and garlic until soft but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the lemon zest and olives and cook for 1 more minute. Add the white wine, deglaze the pan, and let it reduce for a 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the stock, canned tomatoes, sugar, red pepper flakes, and cinnamon, and simmer to blend flavors, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

3. To make the Meatballs: In a medium bowl, add the egg and tomato paste and stir until smooth. Add the cilantro, ginger, cumin, and cinnamon and mix until well blended. Stir in the ground beef and oats, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and combine gently after each addition. Do not overmix. Rolling with your hands, make about 32 meatballs, about 1-inch in diameter.

4. In a large saute pan, heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium heat, and brown the meatballs in batches until golden on all sides. Add more oil, as needed. Transfer the meatballs to the pan with the sauce and let simmer for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh parsley

Servings: 4

Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour and 10 minutes

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/4 of a recipe (8 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients. 8 of the recipe's ingredients were not linked. These ingredients are not included in the recipe nutrition data.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 566.77
Calories From Fat (59%) 337.08
% Daily Value
Total Fat 37.34g 57%
Saturated Fat 9.32g 47%
Cholesterol 116.66mg 39%
Sodium 213.71mg 9%
Potassium 757.65mg 22%
Total Carbohydrates 34.84g 12%
Fiber 6.71g 27%
Sugar 5.17g
Protein 21.82g 44%

Recipe Type: Beef, Main Course

Source
Author: Melissa d'Arabian
Source: The Food Network
Web Page: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/north-african-meatballs-recipe/index.html

Menu Cost: $6.38 ($5.44 on sale)
Serving Cost: $1.60 ($1.36 on sale)

Also, check me out over at At Work, At Play or At Home All Day talking about girlie stuff:-)