Italian Mushroom Stuffed Meat Balls in Tangy Tomato Sauce
By Jocelyn Iyog
This authentic Italian dish will surely tickle your palate with its
interesting mix of flavors. The Tangy Tomato Sauce adds more zest to the
dish.
Ingredients:
24 small fresh button mushrooms
3 cups red wine
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 pound Italian sausage
1 pound lean hamburger
1/2 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
1/2 medium-sized bell pepper, finely chopped
3 gloves medium-sized garlic, minced in salt
1 cup Italian-style croutons, crushed
2 eggs, beaten well
1/2 can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons basil (chopped)
2 tablespoons oregano (chopped)
1 tablespoon rosemary (chopped)
2 tablespoons coarse ground black pepper
salt to taste
Procedure:
Prepare button mushrooms a day before making the meatballs. Wash, drain,
and dry mushrooms. Soak them in a glass jar filled almost to the brim
with red wine mixed with 1 tablespoon of garlic powder. Cover the lid
with aluminum foil or plastic wrap secured tightly with rubber band or
all-purpose tape to prevent air from coming in. The next day, dry off
the mushrooms in blotting napkins, and set aside. Then, in a large bowl,
mix the hamburger and sausage thoroughly, preferably using your clean
hands. Make sure they blend evenly. Flatten the mixture on wax paper to
1/2 inch. Arrange the rest of the ingredients on top of the flattened
mixture. Fold it in half while pushing all ingredients into the meat.
Then transfer the mixture from the wax paper into a plastic sack. Knead
the mixture to mix all the ingredients. When done, spread the meat on
the wax paper again. Divide the mixture into 24 equal portions. Place
one meatball portion in your hand, take one mushroom, and press in into
the center of the meat. Shape the meat around into a nice ball until
mushroom in completely covered. Arrange your meatballs in a cookie sheet
and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour at 350°F, or until juice dripping is
clear, not pink. Set aside
Tangy Tomato Sauce
Ingredients:
14 ounce can red whole tomatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
150 grams mozzarella cheese, grated
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and black pepper to taste
Procedure:
Heat stainless steel sauce pan under medium flame. Pour in olive oil.
Sauté chopped onion and crushed garlic until onion is translucent and
garlic is golden brown. Cover pan and lower flame to let the mixture
sweat. Slice the canned tomatoes and add everything, including the
juice, to the onion mixture. Add sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. In
low heat, simmer tomatoes for 30 to 40 minutes or until tomato softens.
Stir the mixture occasional to prevent burning at the bottom of the pan.
Note that you can also used fresh tomatoes for that added tangy flavor.
Pick ripe red tomatoes, blanch them, peel off skin, remove the seeds,
and pop into cold water before cooking.
Put meatballs in ovenproof dish with Tangy Tomato Sauce and mozzarella
cheese on top. Place under preheated grill or bake in a 350°F oven until
cheese has melted. Serve hot with bread, rice, or your favorite pasta.
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