Meatballs, meatballs, meatballs

It's raining, again.  After a day of frenetic activity in the yard and garden we are once again trapped inside.

I thought about laundry - but it's caught up.  I thought about reading - but can't sit still.  I thought about cooking.  Yeah, let's fill the house with nice aromas and get something good for lunch as well.

I had picked up 2 pounds of ground chuck as a loss leader this week so my obvious choices were either meatloaf of meatballs.  Other things lured me as well, but meatballs have been on my mind. (and if that's Freudian I just don't want to know about it)
                     
           Lotsa Meatballs

2 pound  lean ground beef
3 cloves  garlic
2 large  eggs
1 cup  grated Parmesan cheese (I admit, there is a green can in my fridge)
1 1/2    tablespoons  chopped fresh Italian parsley
                        Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups  Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 cups  water -- room temperature
1/2  cup  olive oil

In a large bowl, combine beef, garlic (grate into mixture, throw ends into pan with olive oil). Add eggs, cheese, and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Continue mixing with your hand until well combined. Add bread crumbs and mix well. Add water, 1 cup at a time, and continue mixing until mixture is quite moist.  Cover and refrigerate for about an hour to allow everything to hydrate.

Shape mixture into 2-inch balls**. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Heat the olive oil with the garlic ends until fragrant, removing garlic before it browns. Working in batches, add meatballs to skillet. Cook until browned and cooked through, turning, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a baking tray and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

**Shape some into 1/2 inch balls for soup - about 24 balls make 1 batch of soup.  Bake these directly, without browning in oil, for 20 minutes.

Cool all the meatballs and Package according to serving desires.  Freeze or eat.  I am going to freeze these in bags of 4, which will make 1 meal for two with a meatball left over for lunch for someone.

As you can see, I ended up with 23 lovely, large, light and luscious meatballs as well as the 24 meatballs that I used for soup that day.  The impetus for the soup was half a clam shell of baby spinach that was too old for salad.  Did I ever mention that I hate to throw anything out.

Italian Wedding Soup

Serving Size  : 4    

24  small   (1/2 inch) Lotsa  Meatballs(Mine were too big because I used a 1 t. cookie scoop)
2  tablespoons  good olive oil    (EVOO)
1 cup  minced yellow onion
1/2 cup  diced carrots (1 carrots) -- cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup  diced celery (1 stalks) -- cut into 1/4 inch pieces
4 cups  chicken stock
1/2  cup  dry white wine (Chuck Shaw Sauvignon Blanc is my white cooking wine)
1/4 cup  orzo
1/4 teaspoon  dill weed -- dry or twice as much fresh
12 ounces  baby spinach -- washed and trimmed

Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.

  "Easy once you have the tiny meatballs"

NOTES :  "Baking the meatballs is optional.  They can be made small and cooked in the soup, which adds to the flavor.  But also adds to the fat."

Did I mention that the house smells scrumptious?