Cookin' with Moxie

I was SUPER excited about my assigned blog for the Secret Recipe Club this month. Mele Cotte, aka Chris, is an amazing cook and baker with beautiful pictures to boot! I started scrolling through her recipes from the past 3 months and narrowed it down to 13 recipes that I had to choose from… but I had gotten myself into a predicament. I honestly wanted to make all 13 of them and keep looking for more but I restrained myself and let Shaun choose. Initially he wanted me to make her Oreo Cookie No-Bake Cheesecake but I have been traveling a lot on business and do not have time to eat desserts. His next choice was Lamb Meatball Skewers and that was the winner! I tried to mimic the same flavors but put my own twist on them. These will definitely be at the forefront of my mind when planning my next party.

OPA! (Greek Meatball Skewers):

• 1/2 lb ground chicken
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp oregano
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, plus additional feta chunks
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• Sabra Roasted Garlic Veggie Dip
• 6-8 cherry tomatoes, to dip in the veggie dip while you are waiting
• Pita bread, cut into squares

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine ground chicken and next 6 ingredients (through breadcrumbs). Mix thoroughly but be careful not to over mix or else your meatballs will be dense. Roll into 12-15 bite-size meatballs and place onto a baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Make sure to turn your pan and meatballs halfway through. To assemble your appetizers, thread a feta chunk, meatball and pita square onto a skewer or toothpick. Serve with a side of Sabra dip.

Mangia! (Italian Meatball Skewers):

• 1/2 lb ground chicken
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus additional shavings
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 6-8 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• Marinara Sauce
• Polenta, cut into squares

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine ground chicken and next 8 ingredients (through breadcrumbs). Mix thoroughly but be careful not to over mix or else your meatballs will be dense. Roll into 12-15 bite-size meatballs and place onto a baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Make sure to turn your pan and meatballs halfway through. To assemble your appetizers, thread a cherry tomato, meatball, Parmesan shaving and polenta square onto a skewer or toothpick. Serve with a side of marinara sauce.

They were both very tasty. The chicken acted as a blank canvas so the ingredients added to the meatballs really stood out. I usually add cheese to my meatballs because I like getting a burst of creaminess when I bite into them, so I’m glad I did that this time. The crushed fennel seed was a great addition to the Italian meatballs; they almost tasted like I added sausage to them. Nice touch.

If I had to pick which I liked better, I would vote for the Greek ones. Maybe it is because I do not typically cook Greek food and it appealed to my taste buds more? Could it be the fact that the Sabra Roasted Garlic Veggie Dip is the bomb? Perhaps it is because the “Italian” meatball I grew up eating tastes so different than this one? Regardless of my preference – you should try making both of these.

Tutti Mangia!

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