Deer (Meat)balls...

It's a snowy day in Kansas City… normally when it's snowing or too cold (or too hot… for when I lived in Arizona), I make my Nonno Tony's sauce.  Yes, it's my Grandfather's recipe and not my Grandmother's and maybe some day I will share it all with you all but this post is dedicated to the little balls of glory that you place in the sauce to make it perfect… meatballs, made with the deer meat my husband so lovingly shot down in Montana this past fall.

Your best friends for this recipe are a food scale and a mini cupcake tin.  If you do not have these, no worries.  You can just eyeball the quantities.

Ingredients

• 12 oz ground venison (feel free to substitute with a ground pork or beef option, or better yet mix the two together for a more authentic italian ball)
• 1 oz pancetta, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped finely
• 3 TBSP bread crumbs (I used a gluten free variety)
• 2 oz ricotta (skim or non-fat)
• 2 TBSP egg substitute
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp basil
• salt to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients and mix well using a fork.  I say fork because it will keep the meat from compressing and thus becoming more tough during the cooking process.
3. Measure the meat out in 1oz portions and place in the mini cupcake tin (if you do not have a scale but have a mini cupcake tin, the meat will fit perfectly in the tin when formed in a ball).
4. Bake for 20 minutes
5. Remove from oven and drain the meatballs from the grease.  Add them to your favorite sauce and simmer for another 10-20 minutes.  Serve over pasta… or spaghetti squash… or in a grinder for a delicious sandwich

Butternut Squash Risotto… light but hearty

Craving risotto but not wanting all the calories?  Try this lightened up version of a fabulous fall staple.

Ingredients (serves 2-3)

• 1 small butternut squash
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• kosher salt (or sea salt) and black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter (I use Earth Balance soy-free butter)
• 1 ounce pancetta
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 cup arborio rice
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 tsp saffron or nutmeg
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (Go Veggie is a good dairy-free alternative)

Directions

1. preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2. chop butternut squash into 1/2 inch cubes and place in a ziplock bag
3. add olive oil to bag as well as salt/pepper to taste.  (close the bag) shake and then spread on a baking sheet.
4. bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until the cubes are fork tender
5. while the squash is baking, heat the stock over low heat in a sauce pan
6. in a dutch oven or cast-iron pot, melt butter on a medium-low heat and add the pancetta and garlic.  cook until the pancetta is crispy and the garlic turns opaque
7. add rice and coat with the pancetta mix, then add the wine and cook for 2-3 minutes
8. add a ladle (approximately one cup) of stock as well as the saffron (or nutmeg) and continue cooking, about 5 minutes (or until the rice becomes dry), then continue slowly adding ladles of chicken stock until the rice turns opaque. This should take about 30 minutes (about 5-10 minute intervals of adding the stock and simmering out)
9. when the butternut squash is done, transfer half of the cubs into a blender and puree.  then add the puree and remaining cubes to the squash mixture. 
10. Once the rice is done cooking, add parmesan cheese and mix completely.  Wait until the very last minute to add the parmesan because it dries out the rice! Then season with salt, pepper and serve (with the remaining white wine, of course)

Game Day Turkey Chili

This Christmas my mother-in-law gave me a nifty baking pan that forms bowls.  I had a super craving for chili and thought... jalapeño cornbread bowl... filled with yummy chili... genius!

Turkey Chili

Ingredients
1 pound ground turkey (I found ground breast meat to keep the "others" factor out of the meat)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 tbsp grapeseed oil
1 can reduced sodium black beans, drained
2 cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 red pepper, diced
2 tbsp cayenne pepper (omit or lessen if you do not like it spicy)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp kosher salt
black pepper to taste

Directions

• Add oil and garlic to large sautee pan and heat.
• Add onion and ground turkey to pan and brown. Drain any fat from the pan and place the turkey mix into a crock pot
• Add remaining ingredients to the pot and combine.
• Set crock pot on low to cook for 8 hours or on high for 4
• Enjoy!