Every year I work as an election poll inspector. An election poll inspector is basically in charge of checking ID's for the people who come to vote. It's a loooong and boring day (5am to 9:30pm). The pay is pretty good and the check comes right before Christmas perfect for all those extra expenses. This year the NYC Board of Elections are getting all new machines - no more levers! You can vote on a machine similar to an ATM. After a day of classes and tests on the new machines, I decided it was the perfect time to check out the new and one and only Target in Manhattan. Why? Every New Yorker knows how hard it can be to shop in "normal" stores. I went around to five stores before I could find an inexpensive kitchen clock. But that's neither here nor there. The main reason was because the 2 train was not in service and I had to take the crosstown bus home anyways. Target is located on 116th and Pleasant avenue. The training just happened to be on 116th street, and Lenox. It was fate.
I was hoping Target would have a lovely produce section as their fliers boasted but instead I found a small refrigerated section with some ready to eat lettuce. I was a bit disappointed. The meat section however made me happy. Ground beef was on sale for $2.99 a pound. I buy 7% or less fat meat so $2.99 was a pretty good price for NYC. To give you some perspective, you have to realize that the DAG (supermarket)downtown charges $8.99. It came in nice little one pound blocks which is handy for me, cooking only for one. I grabbed the last three packs. When I came home I was looking at all the ground beef wondering what to do with it. It than dawned on me, why try to make some fancy dish? I need to learn how to make the basics really well. Since I never made meatballs, I decided to give it a go. I used this recipe from the New York Times.
I was pleased with the way the meatballs came out. There was a light herb flavor but not too strong. I didn't chop the parsley that fine and ended up with some of it sticking out while cooking, but that didn't affect the taste. I fried the meatballs but thought the texture and health value would be better if you baked them in the oven. This dish is somewhat high in points at six per four ball serving. You can either eat this with pasta for a 10 point dinner or opt for salad or low point bread (sand which) if you are trying to be watch your figure. Sometimes there is nothing like the classics. I was happy after all my years of cooking, I finally made meatballs.
Ingredients: Serves Four
1 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh basil1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs
Method:
- In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except olive oil by hand, using a light touch. Take a portion of meat in hand, and roll between palms to form a ball that is firmly packed but not compressed. Repeat, making each meatball about 2 inches in diameter.
- Bake meatballs at 350 for about 30 minutes.
Cost: $4.00 total, $1.00 per serving (4 meatballs)
Time: 15 minutes active, 40 minutes inactive
Nutrition Facts: Amount Per Serving Calories 246.0Total Fat 9.7 gSaturated Fat 4.4 gPolyunsaturated Fat 0.4 gMonounsaturated Fat 0.7 gCholesterol 70.1 mgSodium 450.2 mgPotassium 41.3 mgTotal Carbohydrate 10.5 gDietary Fiber 0.7 gSugars 0.9 gProtein 28.7 g Weight Watcher Points: 6 per four ball serving