Braised Meatballs With Artichokes And Fennel Food

BAKED CAVATAPPI WITH ARTICHOKES AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the cavatappi until very al dente, 2 to 3 minutes less than the label directs; drain.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic is golden. Crush the plum tomatoes into the skillet with your hands; rinse out each can with 1/2 cup water and add the water to the skillet. Add the basil; simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes. Discard the basil; season the sauce with salt. (Alternatively, heat 4 cups prepared tomato sauce.)
• Stir the ricotta into the sauce, then add the artichoke hearts and fennel.
• Brush a 3-to-4-quart baking dish with olive oil. Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce and half of each cheese. Spread in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the pasta. Bake, uncovered, until browned, about 15 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.

BRAISED MEATBALLS WITH ARTICHOKES AND FENNEL

Steps:

• 1. Mix the ground meat, egg white, bread crumbs, shallots, oregano, dill, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper in a medium bowl until uniform-that is, until the spices are spread evenly throughout; the bread crumbs, too; and the egg white is no longer visible as a scummy film. Form this mixture into 12 golf balls.
• 2. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Meanwhile, spread the flour on a plate. Swirl the oil into the pot, then roll half the balls in the flour. Put them in the pot and brown on all sides. (OK, geometry teachers, balls don't have sides. But you know what I mean.) About 7 minutes will do it. Transfer them to a plate and repeat with the remaining balls.
• 3. Dump the onion, fennel, tomato, and artichokes into the pot. Stir over the heat until the onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes.
• 4. Pour in the broth; stir in the tomato paste, lemon juice, cinnamon, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper. As the mixture begins to simmer, make sure you scrape up any browned bits in the pot. Then tuck the meatballs into the simmering sauce and pour any juices on their plate over everything. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer slowly for 1 hour.

ROASTED FENNEL AND ARTICHOKE HEARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange fennel and artichokes on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables until caramelized on both sides, about 35 minutes, tossing after 20 minutes.
• Drizzle with remaining oil and the lemon juice. Add parsley, and toss to combine. Garnish with fennel fronds.

VEAL MEATBALLS WITH BRAISED VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Heat 1/2 cup broth until warm, then add matzo meal and soak 10 minutes.
• While matzo soaks, chop enough olives to measure 1/3 cup, then quarter remainder and set aside. Pulse soaked matzo and chopped olives in a food processor along with garlic, egg, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until olives and garlic are finely chopped and egg is incorporated. Add 1/4 cup parsley and pulse until parsley is finely chopped.
• Transfer matzo mixture to a bowl and add veal, mixing gently with your hands until combined. Chill, covered, 30 minutes.
• Preheat broiler. Line a 15- by 10-inch shallow baking pan or baking sheet with foil, and brush foil with oil. Using wet hands, form veal mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls, arranging in 1 layer as formed in baking pan.
• Broil meatballs 4 to 6 inches from heat, turning once with a spatula and tongs, until browned, about 10 minutes total.
• While meatballs are broiling, heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet (2 to 3 inches deep) over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Brown fennel in 2 batches, turning occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate, then brown carrots in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in skillet, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Return fennel to skillet and add meatballs, remaining 2 cups chicken broth, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
• Whisk together water and potato starch in a small bowl. Stir into meatball mixture and boil, uncovered, until sauce is thickened slightly, about 2 minutes (sauce will continue to thicken off the heat). Remove from heat and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and quartered olives. Season with salt.

GREEK MEATBALLS WITH ARTICHOKES AND LEMON SAUCE

Steps:

• Drain artichokes and reserve marinade.
• Slice lemon.
• In a large skillet, warm 1 tbsp reserved marinade over medium heat.
• Saute onion in marinade.
• In a large bowl, beat egg whites lightly with fork.
• Add onions, breadcrumbs, milk, salt, pepper, oregano, eggs, mint and ground beef. Mix well.
• Shape into meatballs. Roll each meatball in flour.
• In a large skillet, over medium heat, saute meatballs in the remaining artichoke marinade.
• Remove meatballs as they brown.
• Add water and bouillon cubes to skillet. Mash bouillon cubes into water. Stir until smooth and thick.
• Stir in lemon juice and lemon slices. Return meatballs to pan. Cover and cook over low heat about 10 minutes.
• Add artichoke hearts. Cook 2 more minutes.
• Remove meatballs and artichokes to serving platter, leaving sauce in pan.
• Beat egg yolks. Stir 1 tbsp sauce in pan into yolks (to temper) and combine with remaining sauce.
• Serve over meatballs.

BRAISED FENNEL AND ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large, straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and chile and cook until garlic is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add fennel, artichokes, lemon peel, thyme, and wine to skillet; stir to combine. Bring to mixture to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fennel is tender, about 25 minutes. It may be necessary to add water if liquid evaporates too quickly.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer solids to a bowl; set aside. Increase heat to high and reduce liquid by half. Pour reduced liquid over the fennel and artichoke mixture. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.