05 December 2007

Sauerbraten Meatballs

Have you ever purchased some ground beef and then wondered what the heck to do with it? Here is one interesting idea. My mom has a brilliant meatball recipe that Tami and I improved upon last evening. We then tossed it with some sauerbraten sauce (German sweet and sour?) - another brilliant recipe of Mom's.

Meatballs
1 lb. lean ground beef
chopped onions (Mom says 1/4 c., I say more)
1/3 c. oats (or crushed corn chips if you want gluten-free)
1 egg
salt
pepper
dash of red wine
some fresh parsley or dried parsley flakes
garlic powder
a generous dash or two or three of Worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix by hand. Form into meatballs, place on cookie sheet or broiler pan and bake at 400 for 20 minutes. It might help to stir them partway through the cooking to ensure a rounder shape.

Sauerbraten Sauce
1 c. water
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar (or whatever vinegar you have lying around)
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp. cloves
6 ginger snaps, crumbled*
1 T. brown sugar
Salt
Pepper

*If you don't have gingersnaps--> sub some powdered ginger, a little more brown sugar, and some flour.

1. Combine all ingredients in small sauce pan. Bring to a boil to reduce a little bit. Simmer for 10-20 minutes over low heat.

2. Remove bay leaf and pour sauce over meatballs.

Best Asparagus Ever

This is Heather Gideon's roasted asparagus method. It is brilliant and I am never going back.

Asparagus, washed and ends snapped off
olive oil
kosher salt

1. Preheat oven to 500.

2. Arrange asparagus in single layer on cookie sheet.

3. Drizzle olive oil over the top and sprinkle with salt (and pepper if you want). Bake for 10-12 minutes.

YUM. I did this with just a bit of asparagus for Ken and me, in the toaster oven. Love it.