Tag: meatballs

Sangria & Spanish Tapas

Posted on by LFFL

Spanish omelet

Spanish Omelet made with potato and onion with red pepper aioli.

Another happy hour out with another girlfriend.  I just can’t get enough of those girls’ nights.  We decided to meet up at a Spanish tapas restaurant.  And who doesn’t love happy hour?!  Happy hour equates to “discount” and my eyes invariably light up.

Tapas are basically Spanish appetizers—and since you don’t have a full course meal in front of your face, the focus is meant to be more on the conversation among friends while snacking on these delights.

And happy hour is the best time to go!  Half-price sangrias, half-price tapas—let’s just get one of everything, shall we?

Salsa with goat cheese and garlic crostinis.
Sangria
Meatballs with spicy garlic cream sauce.

We ordered a Tortilla Espanola which was a Spanish omelet made of potato and onion and had a red pepper aioli on top of it—so good.

We also had Queso de Cabra Al Horno which was goat cheese that was baked in a tomato fresco and served with crunchy crostinis.

Then we tried the Albondigas Caseras which were meatballs in a yummy spicy garlic cream sauce.

And, of course, if Sangrias are half-price—why order a glass when you can order a whole pitcher full at that price?!

So, if you have nothing else to do today, try a Spanish tapas restaurant with friends and family.

Take-Away Life Lesson:  The small portions of tapas allow you to try pretty much one of everything—which is always fun to do.

Meatballs To Love

Posted on by LFFL

Meatballs

Meatballs with marinara, Parmesan, & basil.

I love when I get a chance to hang out with any one of my girlfriends.  It doesn’t happen as often as I would like it to, but when it does—we have a good time.  There’s nothing like having good food while catching up on the latest gossip.

I wasn’t very hungry by the time we met up at this restaurant so I order this dish of three meatballs for an appetizer while my friend ate a salad.  The meatballs were divine, I must say, and they were just enough to satisfy me.

And, ohhh, the things you can find out during a gossip session.   But I’ll never tell.

So, if you have nothing else to do today, meet up with a friend for some good food, drinks, and chit-chat.  Sometimes you need time with your friends to escape the mundane ins and outs of every day life.

Take-Away Life Lesson:  Sometimes three meatballs is all you really need for a good chit-chat with a friend.

Italian Turkey Meatballs

Posted on by LFFL

Turkey Meatballs

Made with breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, fresh basil, fresh parsley, milk, ketchup, tomato paste, salt & pepper, eggs, minced garlic cloves, onion, ground dark turkey meat, Italian turkey sausage, and extra-virgin olive oil.

Sauce made with extra-virgin olive oil, smashed garlic cloves, onion, salt & pepper, fresh basil, ground fennel seeds, dried oregano, and crushed tomatoes.

It was a meatball dinner night! And, ohhhhh, how I could taste the fennel and oregano in the sauce mixture.  So spot on.

Chop some fresh basil.
Sautee the onions & garlic with ground fennel & oregano.
Throw in crushed tomatoes.
Roll the meatballs.

I believe a good-sized meatball should be no smaller than the size of a baseball—but if you must go smaller, no smaller than a golf ball.

I imagine these meatballs would be good loaded on top of some spaghetti just the same as straight for dinner by themselves.  The recipe did not call for making a pasta dish, so straight down my pipe they went as is.

Recipe for—Italian Turkey Meatballs

So, if you have nothing else to do today, make some good time meatballs for dinner anyway you like them.

Take-Away Life Lesson:  No need to make tiny-sized meatballs when you can make them the size of a bowling ball from the onset.