Beef And Rice Meatballs With Lemon Sauce: Recipes At My Table

Beef And Rice Meatballs With Lemon Sauce

Beef And Rice Meatballs With Lemon Sauce: Recipes At My Table

There are always so many ways to prepare meatballs and today I am combining the meat with the rice.  It is a filling that we use often in Italian cooking as a stuffing.  My Beef and Rice Meatballs with Lemon Sauce bring together my Calabrese and Sicilian heritage.  The table is fresh and lemony tonight. 

Changing the way we prepare supper

What I love most about my Italian friends is how supper is light and refreshing; it is never heavy or difficult to prepare.  My Beef and Rice Meatballs with Lemon Sauce come together in one pan and I serve them along some freshly sliced grilled zucchini.  We certainly try to eat lighter meals and night and this is a winner in every way. 

For another wonderful meatball recipe see https://recipesatmytable.com/agrodolce-tomato-basil-turkey-meatballs/

Ingredients Beef And Rice Meatballs With Lemon Sauce

  • 6 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion
  • 2 cloves garlic (divided)
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
  • 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
  • a pound lean ground beef
  • 1 cup cooked Arborio rice
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • juice and zest of half a lemon
  • 1 tbsp Limoncello liqueur 
  • 1 tbsp butter

PRocess

Boil the rice, drain and set aside to cool. Finely chop the 1 garlic clove and onion.  I use a mini food processor.  Add this to the beef.  Next put in the minced parsley and cooled rice.  Mix together.

Use a small ice cream scooper to make the meatballs.  

Place 3 tbsp of olive oil into a pan set on medium heat.  Brown the meatballs in batches and remove to a plate.  

Add the remaining 3 tbs of olive oil to the pan.  Sprinkle in the Italian Seasoning and add the whole garlic clove and warm-up these fragrant additions.  Now pour in the 1/2 cup broth and the lemon juice.  Scrap up any brown bits in the pan.  

Now return the meatballs to the pan.  Cover on low heat for 5 minutes.  Remove the meatballs and place on a platter keeping them warm.  Add the limoncello and butter to the sauce and reduce.

Pour the sauce over the meatballs and sprinkle with the lemon zest.  

We served it with grilled zucchini tonight.

Beef And Rice Meatballs With Lemon Sauce: Recipes At My Table
Liver Sausage And Polenta: Recipes At My Table

Liver Sausage and Polenta 

Liver Sausage And Polenta: Recipes At My Table

It takes a master to make a good liver sausage, which is done by mixing good pork and liver.  My Liver Sausage And Polenta uses a homemade product from Johnny Prosciutto located in Quebec.  Growing up, my nonno was the master of sausage making and I can still see him cutting the liver with two knives.  As the knives worked in harmony, they played a sweet rhythm that I am sure was passed on for many generations.  

Why Liver In Sausage

Known as the Salsiccia Nera, especially in Calabria, this sausage is part of the Cucina povera.  The farmers in Italy all raised a pig and that pig’s meat fed the family for the whole year.  Adding liver to some of the pig meat stretched the meat and added more sausage for preserving.  Meat was used sparingly at meals.  In Calabria my grandparents often served this liver sausage with rapini, but today I am enjoying it with Polenta.  I cook it the same way my nonna did using simple ingredients.  The big flavour is in the sausage and even if you don’t like liver this has a unique taste and I encourage you to try it.  

Ingredients For LIver Sausage and Polenta

  • 4 liver sausages
  • 1/2 cup cold water
  • 1 cup red or white wine
  • 2 cloves of garlic sliced
  • 1/4 cup good olive oil
  • 2 large onions finely sliced
  • fresh thyme for serving

For cooking Polenta see my blog https://recipesatmytable.com/baked-polenta/

Process

Put a skillet on the stove on medium heat and warm it up.  Add in the sausage and let it cook a minute on each side.  Now add in the water.

Cover the pan for about 5 minutes and let the water cook the sausage. Remove the lid and let the water evaporate. When the water evaporates add in the olive oil and the garlic.

Remove the sausage from the pan and keep it warm.  Add the onion to the pan and brown.  Return the sausage to the pan and add in the wine. Cover again with a lid and let the sausage soak in the wine.  Set on medium/low.

Meanwhile cook your polenta.  

Add your wine to the sausages in the pan and cover with a lid for one minute. Now remove the sausages to your serving platter and let the wine reduce.

Place Polenta on a large serving platter or board.  Place sausages and sauce on top and let everyone serve themselves. Sprinkle with fresh thyme for serving

Orange and Ginger Pork:Recipes at My Table

Orange and Ginger Pork

Orange and Ginger Pork:Recipes at My Table

There is something about Asian flavours and I can’t get enough. My Orange and Ginger Pork is simple enough to make for your family, but also fares well with company. It has a sweet and sour flavour; add a side of rice and stir fried vegetables and you don’t need takeout.

Asian Flavours

What I love most about Asian food is the new ingredients it brought to my Italian table. Growing up we had the made to please all takeout Chinese food. As I get older, my tastebuds have adapted to more daring tastes. I mix and match, using Vietnamese , Chinese, Japanese and Thai flavours. Also, I adjust the heat to suit my mood of mild, medium or hot. I should warn my husband to watch out for that; good thing he likes spicy food. It’s this fusion of cuisines that intrigues me. Traveling through Italy, there are many Asian style restaurants and so many innovative recipes.

Another favourite on my blog https://recipesatmytable.com/asian-chicken-and-noodles/

Ingredients for Orange and Ginger Pork

  • 6 fast fry pork chops
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic sliced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp freshly ground ginger sliced into matchsticks
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 small orange
  • 2 tbsp apricot/peach jam
  • 2 tsp cornstarch

Process

Place the olive oil and butter in a pan and fry the pork until golden in colour.

Remove the chops and brown the onion, garlic and ginger in the pan. Then return the chops to the pan. In a small bowl combine the sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper and soy sauce.

Pour over chops in pan.

Slice the orange and place one slice over each pork chop. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer on low for 10 minutes.

Then remove the pork chops from the pan and take your sauce and add the cornstarch slurry to it. Pour the sauce over the pork chops. I served the pork chops with a vegetable rice. It was a delicious meal.

Stuffed Apple Pork Chops: Recipes At My Table

Stuffed Apple Pork Chops

Stuffed Apple Pork Chops: Recipes At My Table

Apples and pork seem to go together. My Stuffed Apple Pork Chops will have your family asking for more and lick their plates clean. Not an italian dish, fruit has found its way from the end of the meal to being part of the main course in many of our homes. Fruit takes centre stage in many savoury dishes. If you have not tried adding fruit to savoury dishes, try it.  This one simple step will change the way you look at fruit. 

How to add more fruit to your savoury dishes

Always think outside of the box. If you like salads add pears, berries or apples to your favourite. One of my go-to is a simple pear salad with arugula and cheese. I dress it with a little olive oil and lemon juice. Another one of my favourite meats to add fruit to is chicken. It takes an array of fruit well and gives it wonderful exotic aromas. Of course, one of my favourite dishes to use fruit is in pasta salads.

It is like I always say: recipes are guides, mix them up and have fun.

A great citrus chicken recipe on my blog https://recipesatmytable.com/citrus-chicken-with-brussels-sprouts/

For some great recipes with fruit check this site out https://www.huffpost.com/entry/savory-summer-fruit-recipes_n_1739198

Ingredients For Stuffed Apple Pork Chops

  • 1 packet seasoned stuffing 
  • 1 large apple, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 cup celery (diced)
  • 1/3 cup cranberry raisins
  • 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cups white wine
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 2 centre cut pork rib chops
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/2 cu apple sauce
  • 1/4 cup water

Process

Preheat oven to 350°. Add the package of stuffing, diced apple, celery and raisins in a bowl.  Pour in the broth and stir. 

Make a slit in the side of  each pork chop by slicing horizontally to the bone. 

Place about 1/2 a cup of stuffing in each.  Generously salt and pepper the pork. Put the olive oil in a hot pan and sear each pork chop.

Place into a pan and pour the wine around the chops.  Cover with foil and place into the oven for 30 minutes.  

Stuffed Apple Pork Chops: Recipes At My Table

Uncover the pan and place any remaining stuffing into the pan. Bake uncovered for another 15 minutes. 

Now it is time to make the glaze.  Put the brown sugar, maple syrup and the apple sauce into a pan.  Thin it out with the 1/4 cup water.  Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium.  Let it simmer and reduce for about 5 minutes.  

Spread each pork chop with some of the glaze before serving. Serve the extra stuffing alongside the pork chop with your favourite vegetables. 

Stuffed Apple Pork Chops

Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

  • 1 packet seasoned stuffing
  • 1 large apple peeled and diced
  • 1/2 cup celery diced
  • 1/3 cup cranberry raisins
  • 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cups white wine
  • 1/4 cup butter melted
  • 2 centre cut pork rib chops
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/2 cu apple sauce
  • 1/4 cup water

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Add the package of stuffing, diced apple, celery and raisins in a bowl. Pour in the broth and stir.
  2. Make a slit in the side of each pork chop by slicing horizontally to the bone.
  3. Place about 1/2 a cup of stuffing in each. Generously salt and pepper the pork.
  4. Put the olive oil in a hot pan and sear each pork chop.
  5. Place into a pan and pour the wine around the hopes. Cover with foil and place into the oven for 30 minutes.
  6. Uncover the pan and place any remaining stuffing into the pan. Bake uncovered for another 15 minutes.
  7. Now it is time to make the glaze. Put the brown sugar, maple syrup and the apple sauce into a pan. Thin it out with the 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium. Let it simmer and reduce for about 5 minutes.
  8. Spread each pork chop with some of the glaze before serving.
  9. Serve the extra stuffing alongside the pork chop with your favourite vegetables.