Picture from Eat the Love website and was taken by Irvin Lin
A few weeks ago, I came across this recipe on Pinterest and like the combination of ingredients but I need to adapt it to our current diet restrictions and also remove some of the spices that Michael does not like. So, after a few tweaks here my variations on Irvin Lin recipe from the “Eat the Love” website. I have listed the link below to the site.
http://www.eatthelove.com
ingredients
Meatballs
1 lb. fresh ground chicken
½ lb. fresh ground turkey 1 cup of fresh bread crumbs
1 cup of homemade chicken stock
½ cup of almond flour
¼ cup fresh Italian Parsley, chopped
¼ cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
¼ cup of fresh scallions, chopped, greens only – save the whites for the sauce 2 large egg, whisked
2 shallots, minced 6 roasted garlic cloves, smashed, minced
1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon of freshly grated turmeric 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground mustard seeds 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground mace 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Sauce 3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium red bell peppers, roasted, then chopped 2 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped 6 medium garlic cloves, minced 6 oz. tomato paste 2 1-inch cinnamon sticks
1 Iranian Lime, dried, pierced
1 tablespoon of smoked paprika pinch of saffron, crumbled in your fingers 3 1/2 cups homemade chicken broth
1 cup of a dry red wine salt and pepper to taste
Couscous 2 cups Israel couscous
1 inch of freshly grated turmeric 1/2 cup golden raisins 2 tablespoon olive oil
Homemade Chicken stock salt and pepper to taste
Directions Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Let’s make the sauce first so that it has time for the flavors to develop. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle it with olive oil. Once the oil starts to shimmer add onions and sauté until soft. Next add the tomato paste, paprika, and garlic, stir for a minute. Then add the balance of the ingredients, bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer, cover, but have the lid cracked just a bit. Stir every so often.
Okay for the meatballs, I like to whisk together all the dry ingredients and the herbs first, then set aside.
In a large bowl, place the ground meats and with your hands combine. Create a well in the center add garlic, ginger, shallots, and eggs, using your hands combine. Now here is how my grandmother uses to make meatballs, add ¼ of the chicken stock at a time to the dry ingredients, using your hands combine, add the next ¼ of the stock, repeat until it starts to form a ball. You may need to use all the stock or just half, it all depends on the day.
Now add to the meat mixture and combine well, let stand for 10 minutes before rolling out the meatballs. Roll out about 1-inch size meatballs, place on the baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, the meatballs should start to brown, you do not want to overcook, they will dry out, just want them to set. Remove and add to the sauce, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove skillet from heat let stand for 10 minutes before transferring to a serving bowl. I remove the Lime and the cinnamon sticks at this time, Garnish with herbs.
Make the Couscous as directed on the package but instead of water use chicken stock and add some freshly grated turmeric and black pepper to the couscous as it cooking. While chocking, soak raisins in hot water, until they plump up, then drain and add to finished couscous. Place in a serving bowl and garnish with fresh herbs.
Serve with some fresh-baked flatbread and some Hummus –
Enjoy Cooking