French Family Farm: beef

February 10, 2012

Meatballs with Marinara Bow-tie Pasta

Meatballs with Marinara Bow-tie Pasta!

(HEALTHIFIED! I know that's not a word...but it's MY WORD!)

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR STOPPING BY! I AM TRULY HAPPY THAT YOU ARE HERE!

I am SO BLOWN AWAY at how successful this blog is becoming...and who would have thought that I'd be a blogger? hmmmmm :)

Welcome to my blog and welcome back if you are a returning visitor! I'd LOVE if you would stay awhile and click on 'follow' to become a follower!

So this is MY healthy version of a meatball...FILLED with taste but FULL of nutrients and HEALTHY ingredients. I saw a recipe on a cooking show...then started twisting it and changing it and even sent out a little different version of it to friends and family a couple months ago. But this, I think WE GOT IT RIGHT! ;)

I let my 5 year old son pick out the pasta...he picked BOW-TIE!

Nutritional Info Per Serving: About 450 calories with pasta and the sauce
Preparation Time: About 15 minutes
Servings: About 6 (2-3 meatballs per person)

1/2 - pound of 99% Fat Free Extra Lean Foster Farms Ground Turkey
1/2 - pound of 96/4% Fat Free Extra Lean Hamburger
1/2 - small onion, grated (I use a cheese grater so the kids don't taste chunks!)
3 - garlic cloves, grated (I use a small zester to make it almost like a mush that mixes flavor into the meat)
1 - large egg
1/4 - cup Italian dried bread crumbs (keep it in the freezer! stays fresh longer!)
2 - tablespoons fresh basil, chopped (you could use 1 tablespoon of dried if you don't have fresh)
2 - tablespoons baby spinach, finely chopped
1/4 - cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 1/2 - teaspoons sea salt
1/2 - teaspoon ground pepper, freshly ground if you can.....
12 - oz of Bow-Tie Pasta (we use whole wheat)
26.5 - oz can of Hunt's Organic Traditional Pasta Sauce
1 - 2 - tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Start by heating up your Extra Virgin Olive Oil in your large skillet over medium heat. (I only use a small amount at the bottom of the pan - this oil is GOOD for you but ONLY in moderation.

Play it by ear...but use as little as you think you can.)

Next, start your water boiling for your pasta.

Now comes the FUN part. Add the first ELEVEN ingredients to a large mixing bowl and USE YOUR HANDS to mix it all up! Make sure you mix it really really good!

(TIP: Take off any rings...it will get into EVERYTHING if you don't)

Now....ADD your PASTA to the water and cook Al Diente! Should be about 10 minutes but read your package. :)

Then when it is all mixed through...kick up the heat on your skillet to medium high heat. Start forming small meatballs and putting them in your hot oil. (Bigger than a cookie ball, but smaller than a snow ball...LOL) I don't know how to gage this! But there isn't any exact science...you have all seen a MEATBALL before, right??? :)

Then brown them on all sides. Make sure they get brown and cooked on the outside turning them pretty consistently. It will cook for about 5-8 minutes or so.

Your pasta should be just about done now too....toss it into the skillet with your meatballs and add your sauce. Toss it altogether and WAAAAA LA! Perfecto Italiano!!!

(My 5 year old son even ATE it with the green things in it because it was BOW-TIE's)

So THANK YOU once again. WE hope you enjoy your dinner!

And I LOVE LOVE LOVE comments so be sure and leave us one! See you tomorrow!

I linked up this recipe and wine review at....

Happy Go Lucky
House of Hepworths
A Glimpse Inside
Everyday Tastes
Paisly Passions

May 01, 2011

Award Winning BBQ Ribs

Award Winning BBQ Ribs!

Yes...that's right...I actually entered these up against another rib recipe with several judges.......and WON!

HANDS DOWN! And they are SUPER easy!

Welcome to my blog and welcome back if you are a returning visitor! I'd LOVE if you would stay awhile and click on 'follow' to become a follower!

UFC FIGHT NIGHT!

So my husband had a group of his firefighter friends over last night to watch the UFC fight. I had to figure out what to make....and my Award Winning BBQ Ribs is what my husband requested!

This ribs recipe comes from a fourth of July many years ago. We went to a friend of my husband's parents house and his Dad made the most AMAZING ribs I had ever had. He made it with 'his' favorite BBQ sauce but the basic principle is there. Now we don't make ribs ANY other way!

THEY FALL OFF THE BONE.....TENDER!

Nutritional Info Per Serving: About 200 calories in each 3 oz serving
Preparation Time: About 30 minutes
Cook Time: About 4 hours and 30 minutes
Servings: Varies according to your meat rack purchase
Pairing: I served it with my Cheesy Bacon Scalloped Potatoes and a BIG Caesar Salad!

1 - Rack of baby back pork ribs (you can use beef if you prefer)
1 - bottle of Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce
Salt
Pam Cooking Spray

Heat water to boiling...about half full in a LARGE pot!

Cut your ribs into sets of TWO. If you cut them into singles they will FALL APART in the water.

Add about a teaspoon of salt or so to your boiling water and then add your ribs.

I had two pots going because we had 3 racks of ribs cooking for FIGHT NIGHT! So fun! Set your timer and boil for 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Line a cooking sheet with tin foil and spray heavily with Pam Cooking Spray. (HELPS WITH CLEAN UP)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Put your bottle of BBQ sauce in a large bowl.

Then turn off your burners and remove the ribs from your water. NOW.....cut into SINGLES
... dip your singles into your BBQ sauce.

BE GENTLE...THEY ALREADY ARE ABOUT TO FALL APART!

Place your BBQ coated single ribs onto your prepared cooking sheet. Bake for 2 hours at 250 degrees.

THIS is a CROWD pleaser FOR sure! Everyone loves ribs and EVERYONE loves THESE ribs! Your done! Your kitchen will be swarmed and they will be gone in minutes FLAT!