MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - GREEK MEATBALL BOWL WITH TZATZIKI, RICE AND FRESH VEGGIES - 4 SERVINGS

This came from a food blog called Umami Recipes. I found the original here. I have been very interested in similar meals. My dear other half, when I showed him the ingredients, said he would give it a try. 

Greek Meatball Bowl with Tzatziki, Rice & Fresh Veggies

4 servings

For the Greek Meatballs:

500g (about l pound 2 ounces) ground beef or lamb, or a mix of both (we used ground turkey)

1/4 cup breadcrumbs (or almond flour for gluten free)

1 egg

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped)

1 tablespoon fresh dill (chopped)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

For the Tzatziki Sauce:

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1/4 cup cucumber (grated and it is important to squeeze out all the excess water)

1 garlic clove (minced)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh dill (chopped)

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

For the Bowl Base:

2 cups cooked fresh Jasmine, basmati or cauliflower rice

For the Fresh Veggies:

1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)

1 cup cucumbers (sliced)

1/2 cup red onion (thinly sliced)

For Garnish (Optional)

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil drizzle

Lemon wedges for serving

Make the meatballs: 

In a large bowl, combine ground meat, breadcrumbs, egg, minced garlic, red onion, parsley, dill, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Mix well until evenly combined. Roll into small meatballs (about 1-1/2 inches in diameter.

Cook the meatballs:

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Cook the meatballs for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides and fully cooked through. 

Alternatively, bake them at 400°F (200°C), flipping halfway through.

Prepare the Tzatziki Sauce:

In a small bowl mix Greek yogurt, grated cucumber, minced garlic, olive oil, dill, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir well and chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

Assemble the Bowl:

Divide the cooked rice among 4 bowls. Top each with meatballs, cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices and red onion.

Drizzle and Garnish:

Drizzle with tzatziki sauce, sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with lemon wedges for an extra burst of flavor.

Notes: for a lighter option, swap rice with quinoa, farro or mixed greens. 

Add Kalamata olives or roasted bell peppers for more Mediterranean flavors.

Make it dairy-free by using a plant-based yogurt for the tzatziki.

What did we think? Gregg said he thought it was excellent, that he would definitely enjoy this again. A keeper! It was very good and was a refreshing meal for a hot, muggy day. I thought I would enjoy it but didn’t realize how much. 

There was enough for another meal and it tasted even better than the day before. The flavors probably had a chance to become even more flavorful. It also helped that we were able to enjoy the meal with very little effort.

It was hubby's idea to add the pieces of fresh pineapple to the bowl. Being pineapple lovers, I thought it was a great addition. 

Tzatziki is a favorite of ours.

We forgot the feta cheese, olive oil and lemon wedges for the garnish, but we didn’t miss them. 

Below is the full address of the recipe's website, if you prefer to copy and paste rather than use the link at the beginning.

https://www.umami.recipes/recipe/6boZC0ApXBK1rrerpjyd

If you have any questions, please let me know in the comment section and I will do my best to answer.

Thanks for looking, have a great week and

Bon Appétit!

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - SLOW COOKER MONSTER MEATBALLS IN TOMATO SAUCE

I forgot to take photos so came up with the artwork. When this is made again, I will add my own photos. In the meantime, you can see what the meal looks like if you go to the original website.

It’s been a while since I put meatballs on the menu. When I found this recipe, both ingredients and slow cooker won the day. There was no browning the meatballs first, which made it even easier. I am happy to say we both gave it a 10 out of 10, really delicious! My thanks goes to Louisa Clements, host of Living Lou. The original recipe can be found here.  I made another of her recipes which I put on this blog, a Greek Orzo Salad. You can see it here. It's not a salad I would serve with this meal, but is a really good one.

Slow Cooker Meatballs in Tomato Sauce 

Serves: 6

Calories: approximately 422 per serving 

For tomato Sauce:

1 28 ounce can whole tomatoes, broken up with a spoon

1 5.5 ounce tomato paste

1 carrot, chopped 

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon chili flakes 

10 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced, for garnish

For Meatballs:

1 pound lean ground beef

1 pound ground pork

2 eggs

3/4 cup breadcrumbs 

1/3 cup milk

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley 

1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

1/2 teaspoon fennel, crushed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

In the slow cooker, add the tomatoes that you have broken up with a spoon, also tomato paste, onion, carrot, garlic, salt and hot pepper flakes. Mix until well combined.

In a large bowl, mix beef, pork, eggs, breadcrumbs, milk, garlic, parsley, Parmesan cheese, fennel seeds, salt and pepper until combined.

Shape in 12 large meatballs and arrange meatballs on top of tomato sauce in slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, until carrots are tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into meatballs read 160 degrees F. Skim off fat.

Serve sprinkled with basil. 

We made no changes  It is described as a traditional style meatball recipe. 

I was curious about using the fennel seeds as I don’t remember using this ingredient before. My super taster hubs could detect a faint taste of it but I couldn’t. All I know is that it was a delicious dish and as mentioned, we both easily gave it a 10 out of 10. 

We served it with Angel Hair Spaghetti and extra grated Parmesan sprinkled over the top, along with the thinly sliced basil leaves.

A nice mixed veggie salad would finish it off perfectly.

I checked after 6 hours and everything was cooked perfectly. You be the judge though as temperatures may differ from one slow cooker to another.  

There are leftovers which will taste even better the next day but…

we both said we would like more sauce and would double those ingredients next time  Not the meatballs though! Any sauce left over that we don’t finish, I will freeze it.  

The added ingredients might alter the length of cooking time, but I will allow for the 8 hours while checking after 6, for both carrot and meatball. Easy enough to check the carrot but will always use a thermometer to make sure the meatball is cooked all the way through. 

Another thing I wanted to add was that one of the commenters said her meatballs turned out softer than she likes. Louisa’s response was that they tend to be more tender than those made in a frying pan or in the oven as they are braised rather than roasted or fried.  I personally thought these were excellent both in texture and taste, but wanted to let you know just in case you wondered about them once served. I am looking forward to making this recipe again. 

That’s all I can remember for now but if you have any questions, write a comment and I will be happy to try and answer. I highly recommend visiting Louisa’s blog to look at the original recipe. 

Below is the full address if you prefer to copy and paste today’s recipe, as well as the salad,  rather than using the links above.

https://www.livinglou.com/slow-cooker-monster-meatballs-tomato-sauce/

and

https://www.livinglou.com/greek-orzo-salad

Thanks for looking and have a great week.