For years I had a kid who was not fond of sauces or spreads
of any kind. This made things a little
challenging when invited to dinner parties, but actually made things pretty
simple at home. While my friends were
coaxing their kids to eat vegetables by slathering them in cheese or were
looking for ways to “hide” them in other dishes, all I had to do was produce a
bowl of cooked fresh broccoli and some lemon juice, green beans with a little
sea salt, or spinach with balsamic vinegar, and there was no coaxing required!
(Note: balsamic vinegar is a staple in my kitchen and has never been turned
down by my no-sauce kid.) Pair my
non-sauce eating diner with a very lactose intolerant husband, and my cooking
was transformed into the mostly whole food, produce-rich, simple presentations
that I'm known for today. Fast-forward a
few years and I now have a kid who eats sauces & spreads, but my cooking
hasn’t changed that much. This simple
preparation of meatballs with pasta & pine nuts is a sauce-free dish that is easy to put together on
short notice and everyone leaves the table satisfied.
Oven Baked Meatballs
- 1 pound extra lean ground beef
- 1 egg
- ½ cup whole wheat bread crumbs
- 2 T chopped Italian parsley
- 1 sm clove garlic, minced
- 2 T chopped red onion
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 2 T Worcestershire Sauce
Mix ingredients together using your hands. Form into 1 inch balls and place on
foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25
minutes in oven pre-heated to 350 degrees.
Balsamic Pine Nut Pasta Toss
- Cooked thin spaghetti
- Pine Nuts
- Freshly shredded asiago or parmesan cheese
- Fresh Italian parsley
- Balsamic vinegar
- Meatballs
While meatballs are in the oven, cook pasta according to package instructions. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp (or more) each of pine nuts and cheese on pasta. Add parsley to taste. When meatballs are cooked through, add to pasta dish and drizzle with balsamic. Enjoy!
