Meat Balls

I made meatballs, pasta and tomato sauce for dinner last night. The meatballs were yummy and versatile. Everyone in the family loved them. They were made with extra lean beef so they were fairly healthy, but to up the health ante you could use ground turkey instead. Add to a sub, pasta, pizza, etc.

If you are in a rush skip sauteing the onions and spices first. If you have an extra 4 minutes sauteing them brings out the flavour. Depending on how health conscious you are you can either cook them in a bit of oil until they are fully cooked or do as I did and just cook them in a little oil to brown them and set the shape, then bake them.

Meatballs

• 1 medium onions, diced
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp garlic powder (or 2 garlic cloves minced)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 egg (optional)

* mix all ingredients except beef and eggs
* saute in olive oil till onions soften slightly , stir frequently to avoid spices burning
* let cool for 5 minutes in a bowl, reserving oil in pan
* mix beef, (egg) and spices
If browning the outsides then baking
* heat oil used for spices on med- high, add more oil if necessary
* brown the meatballs on the outside
* place on a baking sheet and cook for 10-15 minutes on 400
* break one in half to ensure it is fully cooked
If cooking in the oil completely
* heat oil on medium
* cook 10-15 minutes, keep turning to avoid burning
* check middle to see when done