enough of sheet pan meals

Scallion Meatbballs with Soy-Ginger Glaze

Oreccchette wth Asparagus and Peas

After completing my last blog, I think I need to step away from one pot|pan|skillet meals and focus on other types of cooking. With that in mind, I found two delicious recipes that are easy to prepare and are family friendly.

The first recipe is Scallion Meatballs with Soy-Ginger Glaze from NYT Cooking, adapted by Julia Moskin. In the recipe’s introduction, Ms. Moskin created this dish as an appetizer, however, it makes for a wonderful supper. 

​Starting with the sauce, you’ll need dark brown sugar, soy sauce, mirin sweet rice wine, fresh ginger, ground coriander and whole black peppercorns. The ingredient list includes ground turkey, scallions, cilantro, an egg, sesame oil, soy sauce, fresh ground black pepper and vegetable oil. I’m not a fan of cilantro, so I substituted fresh parsley. I shaped the meat into 2-inch round balls. They were fried until browned all over. I fried in two batches, keeping the first batch warm.

To serve, I made white rice as an accompaniment. A drizzle of the soy-ginger glaze on the meatballs, garnish of fresh, chopped parsley and done.  These meatballs were terrific. The combination of ingredients made them flavorful and the glaze brought all the flavors together. Not one ingredient overpowered the other and the meat was moist and tasty. Whether you’re looking for a party appetizer or family meal, this recipe will be well received.

It’s asparagus season and prices have been very reasonable. Last week, I was listening to a radio interview when the guest mentioned how he was preparing asparagus. That prompted me to find a recipe for supper. At the website lidiasitaly.com, I found Orecchiette with Asparagus and Peas. Fortunately, I had orecchiette in my pantry and just purchased the asparagus. You’ll also need extra-virgin olive oil, kosher salt, fresh garlic cloves, frozen or fresh peas, scallions fresh Italian parsley and grated Grana Padano or Parmesan cheese. I also had in my freezer some smoked ham left from Easter that I cubed to add to the dish. Lidia suggests adding sautéed shrimp or lobster meat for a heartier meal.

Olive oil is heated in a large skillet (big enough for the vegetables and pasta) along with garlic to infuse the oil. The asparagus is sautéed in the oil for approximately 5 minutes, then covered and heat turned low.

Meanwhile, have your pasta water going. When the pasta is added to the water, uncover the skillet, add the peas; toss 2-3 minutes. Next, scallions and pasta water are added to the skillet to create a sauce. At this point, I added my cubed ham. When the pasta is al dente, using my large spider, I transferred the pasta to the skillet. Next fresh chopped parsley went in, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and lastly a little tossing to incorporate all the ingredients. Lidia always says to add the grated cheese off the heat.

Oh my goodness, was this dish mouthwatering! My husband said it was something a restaurant would serve. High praise indeed! By cooking seasonally and using the best ingredients available, a simple meal can exceed your expectations.

As a side note, four years ago my daughter created this website for me naming it Donna’s Daily Dish, over time, life has evolved and blogging every day presents a challenge. Perhaps I should update to Donna’s Weekly Dish, Donna’s Dishes, or as someone suggested Donna’s Delish. Weigh in with your thoughts. 

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​Scallion Meatballs with Soy-Ginger Glaze
Recipe from Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer
Adapted by Julia Moskin
The New York Times
 
Featured in: Along an Old Canal, Artful Neglect Finds A Home, December 1, 209
 
 
 
Yield: about 2 dozen meatballs
Time: 1 hour
 
INGREDIENTS
 
FOR THE SAUCE
½ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup soy sauce, preferably Japanese or reduced sodium
½ cup mirin sweet rice wine, or 1/2 cup sake with 1/4 cup sugar
¼ cup chopped peeled ginger
1 teaspoon ground coriander
4 whole black peppercorns
 
FOR THE MEATBALLS
1 pound ground turkey
4 large or 6 small scallions, finely chopped
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped about 1 cup
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
 Freshly ground black pepper
 Vegetable oil
 

1. Make sauce: Bring sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar melts completely. Reduce heat to medium-low and add soy sauce, mirin, ginger, coriander and peppercorns. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Strain through a sieve. (Can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated.)
2. Make meatballs: mix turkey, scallions, cilantro, egg, sesame oil, soy sauce and several grindings of pepper in a bowl. Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls.
3. In a skillet over medium-high heat, generously cover bottom of pan with vegetable oil. Working in batches to avoid crowding, place meatballs in pan and cook, turning, until browned all over and cooked inside, about 8 minutes per batch. Arrange on a heated platter, spoon a little sauce over each meatball, and serve with toothpicks. If desired, keep warm in a 200-degree oven until ready to serve. Garnish with sliced scallions, if desired.

 

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​ORECCHIETTE WITH ASPARAGUS AND PEAS
Orecchiette con Asparagi e Piselli
By Lidia Bastianich
 
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
 
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 large gunch medium-thick asparagus (about 1 pound), peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound orecchiette
One 10-ounce box, frozen peas, thawed (if using fresh peas, cook 3-4 minutes longer)
1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, chopped (about 1 cup)
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 cup grated Grana Padano Cheese (I substituted Parmesan Reggiano)
 
*You can add sauteed shrimp or lobster meat. Diced smoked ham worked nicely too.
 
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, and let it sizzle a minute. Add the asparagus, and toss to coat it in the oil. Cook and toss until the asparagus just begins to soften, about 5 minutes. (Add a splash of pasta water if the garlic is in danger of burning.) Cover with a lid.
 
Uncover the asparagus, and at the same time add the orecchiette to the pasta water. Add the peas to the asparagus, and season with the salt. Toss to combine, and cook about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the scallions, stir, and add 1½ cups pasta water. Bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by about half, about 3 to 4 minutes.
 
When the pasta is al dente, remove with a spider directly to the sauce. Add the parsley, drizzle with some olive oil, and toss to coat the pasta in the sauce, adding a little pasta water if it seems dry. Remove the skillet from the heat, sprinkle with the grated cheese, toss, and serve.

orecchiette_with_asparagus_and_peas.pdf
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