Homemade Spaghetti Meatball Recipe

I used to love the meatballs in Ikea. However, the last time I ordered it, I was disappointed to discover that the meatball was processed and had the texture of the pork meatball you would normally find in the Chinese porkball noodles. What happened to the chunky mince??? Anyway, after that disappointment, I decided to cook my own meatball. Usually, this would require a lot of work but I found a recipe where instead of frying the meatball, you could bake the meatballs instead. So, there is no need to slave over the stove. Just pop it into the oven.

Meatballs:
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
3 slices bread, crumbled (toast lightly and blend in food processor)
1 kilogram minced beef (can substitute with pork)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped parsley (can substitute with other herbs - fresh herbs preferred but if not availble, can use dried herbs)
1 clove garlic, smashed, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

In a medium bowl, beat eggs lightly; add milk and bread and let stand for about 5 minutes. Add minced beef, onion, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper; mix gently until well blended. Shape into about 24 meatballs, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place meatballs in a generously greased large shallow baking pan. Bake meatballs at 220°C for 25 minutes.



If you wish to serve spaghetti with the meatball, you can whip up this classic tomato sauce to accompany the spaghetti. In my earlier days, I used to buy the spaghetti sauce in a jar. Then J & I "outgrew" the tomato-based sauce and moved on to olio. Since I discovered this simple recipe, we have re-discovered our taste for this classic sauce.

Tomato Sauce
1 kilogram ripe plum tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup snipped fresh basil, oregano, or parsley

Peel, seed, and finely chop the fresh plum tomatoes. Or, if you're lazy, like me, skip the first 2 steps. Heat oil over medium heat, sauté onion until tender. When it just begins to turn golden, add remaining sauce ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt, if necessary.

Spaghetti
Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain. Serve spaghetti topped with meatballs in sauce; sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.

Chinese Stir Fried Beef with Ginger and Spring Onion

It's been a while since I did a recipe post. Since Kess's blog had a post entitled Ginger and Beef (if you're wondering why a dog blog has this heading, click and check it out), this ties in nicely with that. This dish is comfort food for me. Simple and delicious.

Ingredients

• 400 gm beef steak
• 1 tsp light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp light soya
• 2 tsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tsp cornflour
• 2-3 stalks of spring onion (scallion)
• A few small pieces of ginger
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil

Method

1. Slice the beef into thin slices.


2. Marinate the beef with sugar, soy sauce, wine and corn flour for about 30 minutes.


3. Cut the spring onion into short sections. Slice the ginger into thin slices.


4. Heat the oil and stir fry the ginger until golden. Add the beef and stir fry until the colour changes.


5. Add the oyster sauce and spring onion. Blend well and serve.