There is one dish that I quickly scan the menu for whenever we find ourselves at a nice Italian restaurant. Eggplant Parmesan. Served on a quaint little patio under the moonlight with a nice glass of Malbec or Cabernet and I'm in heaven. Chicken Parmesan is one of my husbands favorite dishes and spaghetti and meatballs, the kiddos favorite. This quick dish satisfies even the pickiest of eaters, trust me, I have one. In fact, all of my kiddos are in the other room doing the happy dance after I announced we were having spaghetti and meatballs for diner.
I'm happy because well, my sweet darlings are happy of course, but also because this was a super easy and very healthy meal to serve. No whining at the dinner table and more time for me to enjoy my dinner without fighting or bargaining with one of for mentioned darlings to eat what's on their plate.
Bread crumbs are a thing of the past in this house. Quinoa is my new go to when it comes to adding to meatballs of any variety. You don't even need to cook them! Since these chicken Parmesan balls are quickly roasted in the oven and then slowly cooked in a marinara sauce there is no need to pre cook the quinoa! These turned out perfectly moist and wonderful.
Quickly brown the chicken meatballs in the oven rather than on the stove for an even healthier meal. I don't have to use any oil at all when I use my stone baking dish which cooks them evenly and browns them up nicely for the sauce pot. I just love this pan. It's naturally non stick and you just quickly scrape off any brown bits left under hot water. If your interested in one please purchase it form
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Choose regular ground chicken instead of chicken breast for these meatballs. Chicken breast is too low in fat and you will end up with dry, dense meatballs. The dark meat is good for you anyway and has more flavor. All in moderation.
Throw the browned (not fully cooked) into the warm marinara and eggplant mixture. Cook covered over low heat 15- 20 minutes or until cooked through.
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recipe adapted from Annies Eats Ingredients 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken (preferably dark meat) 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa (millet will work too) 1 large egg 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for topping 1 medium size eggplant, peeled and chopped into 1/2 once cubes 1 small shallot, minced 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon salt cracked pepper to taste 2 tablespoons olive oil 6 cups Marinara Sauce (lower in sugar than most spaghetti sauces) 1 cup grated mozzarella Parmesan cheese for garnish Curly parsley for garnish Cooked Rigatoni according to package directions. (I ate my meatballs with raw broccoli and a salad instead of pasta) Preheat oven to 450F In a large bowl combine ground chicken, quinoa, egg, Parmesan, shallot, spices and salt and pepper. Stir to combine thoroughly. Using your hands, shape meatballs into golf ball size balls. They will be very moist don't panic! Place balls 1/2 inch apart on stone baking dish (if not using a stone pan, use either parchment paper or lightly grease your pan). Bake at 450F for 12-15 minutes until slightly browned all over. Don't over cook. They will continue to cook in the sauce. Heat oil in a large ceramic coated dutch oven over medium-high heat on your stove top. Meanwhile, peel and chop eggplant into 1/2 inch cubes. Throw eggplant and minced shallot into heated dutch oven. Lightly salt. Stir to coat with oil and let brown for 5 minutes stirring only occasionally so as not to burn, lower heat if necessary. Add marinara to Dutch oven and lower heat to LOW. Cover. Remove meatballs from oven and transfer to the Dutch oven. Using a large spoon, carefully cover all the meatballs with the sauce. Cover and simmer on low for 15-20 minutes until meatballs are cooked through. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Garnish with parsley. Serve with a salad or on top of pasta. |
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