Chicken Meatballs With Red Sauce Benin Food

CHICKEN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Combine chicken, egg, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic, olive oil, bread crumbs, basil, red pepper, garlic powder, salt, pepper, parsley, and oregano in a freezer-safe bowl and mix well. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes to make the mixture firmer and easier to handle.
• Use an ice cream scoop or cookie scoop to form the mixture into about 14 meatballs a little larger than a golf ball. Add a piece of mozzarella cheese to the center of each meatball, making sure cheese is covered by meat. Place meatballs on a nonstick baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until juices run clear, 20 to 25 minutes.

SPICY CHICKEN MEATBALLS WITH ARRABBIATA SAUCE

Steps:

• For the meatballs: Mix together the breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, oregano, tomato paste, cayenne, paprika, parsley, Parmesan and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl; add the chicken, milk and egg. Gently blend together with your fingertips, then form into 2-inch balls. Don't compact the meatballs too much or they'll be dense and dry.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add a few tablespoons of olive oil to coat. Add the meatballs and cook until a deep golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes on each of their 4 sides. It's OK if they're not fully cooked through, as they'll finish cooking in the sauce. (If you're not cooking them in the sauce, then cook the meatballs over medium heat until cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side.)
• For serving: Pour the hot Arrabbiata into the skillet with the meatballs. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and cook until the meatballs are fully cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Top with the red onions and Parmesan, then ladle over a handful of arugula in each serving bowl. Garnish with the basil and enjoy!
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the alcohol has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the basil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened.
• Blend the sauce with an immersion blender (or in 2 batches in a blender) until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Makes about 4 cups. Refrigerate any leftover sauce in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.

CHICKEN MEATBALLS WITH RED SAUCE (BENIN)

Steps:

• Take about half of the peanut butter and mix it with a little bit of hot water. It should still be a paste, but it should be just thin enough so you can stir it. Set aside.
• Take the remaining peanut butter, the chicken, the habanero, the green onions and salt and put them in a food processor. Pulse until smooth.
• Shape the mixture into meatballs.
• Chop the blanched tomatoes and the onions and toss them with the peanut butter/water paste.
• Melt the palm oil in a pan and fry the meatballs in the palm oil until they are nicely golden all over.
• Add the onion, tomato and peanut butter mixture. Cover the pan and reduce the temperature to low. Simmer for 15 minutes or so, then remove the lid and check the internal temperature of the meatballs (they should be at 165 degrees or higher).

BIG-BATCH MEATBALLS AND RED SAUCE

Steps:

• For the sauce: Swirl the oil and garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the garlic is just lightly browned and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 1 cup water, and bring to a high simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the basil and 2 teaspoons salt and simmer, uncovered, until thickened, 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
• For the meatballs: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Tear the bread into very small pieces and put it in a small bowl. Pour the milk over the bread, and let sit until the bread is soft, about 5 minutes.
• Combine the bread mixture with the beef, pork, Parmesan, eggs, onions, parsley, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and red pepper flakes in a large bowl, and thoroughly mix with your hands. Divide the mixture evenly into 36 mounds, and roll each into a ball.
• Brush 2 rimmed baking sheets generously with oil. Evenly divide the meatballs between the sheets, and roll them around to coat in oil. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, rotating the sheets halfway through if needed, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Transfer the meatballs to the warm sauce, and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat. Let the meatballs and sauce cool completely, divide evenly among four 1-quart containers and freeze for up to 1 month.
• To reheat: Let a container of the meatballs and sauce thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Transfer them to a microwave-safe container, and microwave in 2-minute increments, gently stirring after each, until the meatballs are heated through.

CHICKEN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the chicken in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Scrape into a bowl and add the breadcrumbs, egg, onion, parmesan, half the crushed garlic, and half the oregano. Season really well, and mix with clean hands until everything is evenly distributed. Shape into 20 meatballs, and put onto an oiled baking tray. Brush the meatballs with 1½ tbsp oil. Bake for 20 minutes until cooked through and golden brown.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining ½ tbsp oil in a deep frying pan. Fry the remaining garlic for 30 secs, then add the chopped tomatoes and reserved oregano. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar. Simmer for 10-15 mins stirring frequently, until the tomatoes break down and you get a thick sauce.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook for 10 mins until al dente.
• Add the cooked meatballs to the tomato sauce and gently stir through. Heat for a few minutes while you drain the spaghetti and spoon into warmed pasta bowls. Serve the meatballs and sauce on top. Drizzle over a little olive oil and a grating of more parmesan, if you wish.

OLD-FASHIONED MEATBALLS IN RED SAUCE

Steps:

• Remove ground round and sausage from refrigerator 30 to 60 minutes before cooking, if possible. Place bread crumbs in large bowl and stir in 1/3 cup water. When absorbed, blend together with eggs, garlic, 1/4 cup grated Romano, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Add meats to bread crumb mixture and combine well with fork. Form into 12 even balls. Lay in 1 layer in 8 x 14-inch baking dish so each is separated by about 1 inch.
• Stir 1/4 cup water into crushed tomatoes and season with 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Pour tomatoes over and around meatballs. Sprinkle tops with remaining 1 1/3 tablespoons grated Romano. Bake in center of oven until meatballs are just cooked through, about 18 minutes. Serve hot.

RED SAUCE FROM BENIN

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions and fry for a minute then add the tomatoes, garlic and chillies. Fry for 5 minutes then pour over water and add the vegetable boullion cube(or use veg. stock). Cover and allow to boil for about 20 minutes until all the ingredients have blended together and the tomatoes have broken down. Season with black pepper and serve.
• In addition to the basic sauce given above you can also add 3 more Scotch Bonnet chillies to make it hotter. You can also add 500g cubed meat or 4 whole fish cut into steaks.

BAKED CHICKEN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, combine the first 9 ingredients. Add chicken; mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into 1-1/2-in. balls. Place meatballs on a greased rack in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake until cooked through, 20-25 minutes. If desired, top with additional chopped fresh parsley.