Super Bowl Balls!

Meatballs use bread crumbs to help give them body, but slave thought some cooked quinoa could also fit the bill and add an extra protein punch while we’re at it. Turns out, the quinoa works like a charm and the texture, while different from an Italian grandmother’s, is quite wonderful in its own right. 

 
So with this Super Bowl has some super meat balls for a super healthy appetizer. Remember that quinoa contains every essential amino acid. Those play central roles both as building blocks of proteins and as intermediates in metabolism. So these are not only terrific tasting, they are packed with power!
“Omaha, Omaha, Omaha”! Oops, slave means: “KEEN-wah, KEEN-wah, KEEN-wah)

 


Ingredients:

1 onion minced

1 pound lean ground beef ½ cup cooked quinoa ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese 1 egg

1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence

½ teaspoon salt ====================== Cooking the quinoa: ½ cup quinoa to 1 cup beef broth: You can use water, but slave wanted the extra beefy flavor this gives. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and let cook for between 10 to 12 minutes. When done, fluff with a fork and let COOL!

Preheat the oven to 425 ºF.
Heat oil in a small skillet over medium low heat. Add the onion and sweat, (That's cooking at less than frying temps), about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to let it cool. 

 
In a large mixing bowl, combine the beef, quinoa, Parmesan, egg, seasoning, salt, pepper, and cooled onions. Stir with a short wooden spoon until a good mixture is made. DO NOT OVERWORK! 

This goes for any time you use ground beef, wither for hamburgers, meatloaf or meatballs: less is better!

Have a large bowl of water handy for your hands! It is easier to roll this meat mixture with wet hands!
And have an aluminum foil lined baking sheet ready.
Roll the meat mixture into 2-inch balls and set them in rows on the sheet.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until nicely browned but still soft to the touch.

Now when done, let them sit on the pan for 5 minutes, please! Then stick them on toothpicks and arrange on a platter with a couple of your favorite dipping sauces, or just heat up some caned beef gravy and let them dip in that! Simple ALWAYS works, when complicated can trip you up!



Another easy finger food that you can make ahead of time is cheese crackers. Slave uses those notorious round ones, with bits of smoked gouda cheese. Very easy:

Dot each cracker with just barely enough margarine to hold the piece of cheese on there. Then use one slice for every 6 crackers. Stack the slices, cut in half, then cut that half into three pie shaped wedges, trust slave on this it fits much easier than any other way it has tried.

Fill a paper plate with a single layer, cover with plastic wrap, and do another! When finished stack them in the refrigerator over night and pull them out when needed. The slightly unexpected taste of the smoked gouda will be a welcome addition to your snacks.



Remember if you wish to put out old fashioned potato chips, heat them in the oven for about 3 – 5 minutes first. Especially use this trick if you have bought a bag of those pre-made snack mixes! You might even spread these on a sheet and sprinkle a touch of Worcestershire sauce and a shake of garlic powder over it – JUST have a light touch, OK?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New food trends you will see this year: More and more supermarkets are featuring special “Gluten Free” isles. We will see much more than single shelves with pasta made of quinoa. Perhaps even bread products, rolls, and pie crusts!

Whatever comes our way, slave is so very happy serving its Master Indy!



socialslave

To satisfy and restore.

To nourish, support and maintain.

To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,

to nurture, assist, and sustain

…..I cook!