For my demo I made the Chicken Meatballs recipe that I posted last week.  I had a blast cooking them for everyone, and am very thankful to everyone who took the time to watch the demonstration.  The best part of the class for me was to watch all the kids enjoy something that was made fresh, from scratch, and didn’t contain all the added sugars, preservatives and artificial flavors you see in most pre-packaged stuff.

For me I hope that was the the take away that most people got.  Taking the time to make something from scratch, were you know what it is exactly that is going into the food is the best first step you can take to start feeding your family healthier.  And that is something I care about and want to help with.  So please always feel free to ask questions about the recipes and ingredients you see on this site, either via the comments or twitter @tastefiv.  I will do my best to help you with whatever your question is.

This event was definitely a  great experience, and I hope I get the opportunity to take part in the even again.

I wanted to pick a single protein, that was readily available at the supermarket.  Something that a child would be familiar with and something he/she knew they would like.  So I went with ground chicken breast.  From there I wanted to mix in ingredients that would work to keep the meatball moist while adding to the nutritional value.  I wanted to get as much nutrients incorporated without making the ball taste like a vegetable ball or have any one flavor overpower the others.  This was my result and it seemed to be a winner with both kids and parents.

Directions

Place bread in a bowl, cover with stock, and allow to soak for 5 minutes.  Then squeeze out as much of the stock from the bread as you can.

Place the bread into a bowl and break it into small pieces.  To the bowl add the chicken, carrot, onion, parsley, cheese, egg, salt and pepper.  Gently mix to bring all the ingredients together.

Form the mixture into small balls (I used a 1.5 tablespoon scoop).  Heat the oil in a 12″ skillet and brown the meatballs on all sides.

Be carefull not to crowd the pan and work in batches if needed.  Leave the meatball alone in the pan, don’t try and turn until a good crust has formed.  It will naturally release from the pan.

Add tomato sauce to the pan, and cook the meatballs in the sauce for approx.  5-10 minutes until cooked through.  Top with parmigiano and chopped parsley to serve.

One thing you might see right away is that I label the onion as optional.  For me if this is a base I have in the fridge waiting to be added to, I might want to have a different dice, chop, or slice on the onion and possibly use different types of onion.  I also don’t want there to be just too much onion in the final sauce, if I am wanting to add a different onion to a sauce that already has onion.   I find that when served as-is with bread, fried calamari, or over spaghetti for a child’s plate the lack of onion is unnoticed.  So for me it is something that I find myself leaving out more often.

The most important thing to me about being able produce your own tomato sauce at home is the lack of added sugars or high fructose corn syrup.  To cut through the acidity of the tomato I instead rely on a quality tomato (I use D.O.P San Marzano tomatoes), and the shredded carrot.

Directions

1. In a 3-quart saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic and if using, the onion.  Cook until soften and a golden brown, approx.  10 minutes.
2. Add the carrot and the tomatoes.  Bring it to a boil, stirring often and breaking the tomatoes with your spoon.  Reduce to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens to the desired thickness, approx.  30-40 minutes.
3. Finish with the thyme and season with salt and pepper2.  If you used smashed garlic, remove the large pieces when serving.