Ricotta Meatballs – Gluten Free

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Ricotta Meatballs (Gluten Free)

by Nanny Bubby

During the COVID shut down in April 2020, it was my sister’s birthday. My dad, who has been in the restaurant business most of his life, has had a marvelous woman, Pat Rost, working for him for the last 45 years. She is Italian and makes the best food. The four of us got together to celebrate my sister’s birthday and Pat cooked. We were all excited because she makes fantastic meatballs. But she surprised us and said she had made a different kind of meatball. We were disappointed when we heard this until we bit into it! It was the most delicious meatball I have ever tasted. Thankfully, she shared the recipe with me. Here it is, Enjoy!

Total Time:

1 hour 30 minutes

Serves:

11

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. ground beef 85%-15% meat to fat ratio
  • 30 oz. whole-milk ricotta cheese rested in sieve in fridge for 2 hours to release some of the juices
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley minced
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh mint minced
  • 12 leaves fresh basil cut into chiffonade
  • ¼ c. grated parmesan
  • 3 large eggs room temperature lightly beaten
  • 2 Tbsp. Kosher salt
  • 1 24 oz. jar marinara sauce Rao’s brand preferred

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Combine ground beef, garlic, parsley, mint, eggs, ricotta, parmesan and ricotta cheese and lightly mix with fork.
  • Let mixture sit in the fridge for one hour.
  • Use an ice cream scoop to make perfect shaped and consistent sized meatballs. This will help to ensure all meatballs cook evenly.
  • Place meatballs on a sheet pan and place into the oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
  • Once cooked immerse in warm marinara sauce for about 7 minutes and serve. Enjoy!

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Marinated Flank Steak or Beef Tenderloin

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Marinated Flank Steak

by Nanny Bubby

This recipe of mine is so very old. It came from a friend in Scottsdale and it is my go-to recipe when I entertain. The key is freezing this for two days. I have no idea why, but it works! In fact, for my best friends 40th birthday in St. Louis, I prepared a marinated frozen flank steak from Costco. It was huge. I froze it for two days, and then I carried it on the plane in my carry on for 3.5 hours from Las Vegas to St. Louis. When we arrived at her home, I slipped it into her refrigerator. The next afternoon we prepared the most beautiful birthday dinner for her and the marinated steak was a huge hit! I told the story over a bottle of wine, about how I carried that meat in a carry-on, frozen all the way from Las Vegas. We laughed for days.

Total Time:

35 minutes

Serves:

7

Ingredients

  • 3 to 5 lbs. flank steak
  • 2 Tbsp. sugar
  • ½ tsp. ground ginger
  • 2 Tbsp. white vinegar
  • 2/3 c. soy sauce
  • ½ tsp. garlic powder

Directions

  • Place the meat into a Ziploc bag.
  • Mix the ingredients above in a bowl with a whisk and pour into the bag.
  • Massage the meat with the marinade and let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
  • Place the meat in the bag and evenly surround it with the marinade. Then, lay it flat into the freezer.
  • After about two hours, before it is fully frozen and just icy, flip the meat over. Keep frozen for at least two days.
  • Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and take it out to thoroughly defrost on the counter for about one hour the next morning.
  • Return to the refrigerator until ready to cook. For flank steak, grill five minutes per side. For beef tenderloin grill on low for 10 minutes per side for medium rare.

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Green Smoothie For Kids

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Green Smoothie for Kids

by Nanny Bubby

My daughter and son-in-law started my granddaughter (my little “Doll Face”) on green smoothies when she first started to eat lots of vegetables. I couldn’t believe it, but with no judgment about green vegetables at one-year old, she loved it. This is my daughter’s recipe, which I have also used for myself. You can change up the ingredients to your liking.

Total Time:

7 minutes

Serves:

1

Ingredients

  • 1 handful of chopped kale with the spine removed
  • 1 handful of spinach
  • ½ frozen banana
  • 1 apple cored with skin on
  • 1/2 avocado
  • 1 ½ to 2 c. almond milk or coconut water
  • Optional: 5 ice cubes if banana is not frozen

Directions

  • Place all ingredients into a high-speed blender (I use a Vitamix) and blend till smooth. Pour into a cup with a straw and tight screw on top to avoid unnecessary spills.
  • Tip: Keep this one in the kitchen. From experience, this one is hard to clean off the family room couch!

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Fruit Roll Ups

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Fruit Roll-ups

by Nanny Bubby

Total Time:

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ lbs. about 5 C. any fruit of choice, especially stone fruit, all of it pitted.
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ c. honey
  • Pre-heat oven to 170 degrees or dehydrate in the sun.

Directions

  • Line a half sheet baking pan with either a Silpat or parchment paper.
  • In a blender or food processor add the fruit and begin to puree. While pureeing add the lemon juice and honey through the food tube.
  • Pour the pureed fruit onto the baking sheet and evenly cover the entire pan.
  • At this point, you can place the pan into the oven for 5 to 6 hours, rotating the pan halfway through the drying process. You will know to remove the pan from the oven when the mixture is no longer sticky.
  • Tip: If you wish to dry in the sun, place a piece of parchment and then a towel over the pan to avoid bugs. Leave in the sun for 5 to 6 hours or until the fruit leather is no longer sticky.
  • Allow the pan to cool completely. If you used a Silpat, peel it away from the baking mat and place the fruit leather on a large piece of wax paper. Cut in long strips with a pizza cutter and roll up with the wax paper still attached to the bottom. Eat and enjoy!

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Creamy One-Pot Mac N’ Cheese

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Creamy One-Pot Mac N’ Cheese

by Nanny Bubby

I feel like my favorite and my kids’ favorite Mac N’ Cheese was always Velveeta, but I stopped giving it to them as soon as I learned Velveeta wasn’t really cheese and it may not even be food at all! For years I tried to duplicate that taste and texture and failed. I tried putting cheese into traditional white sauce recipe, cheese and milk, baking cheese and butter into the pasta, the list goes on. I could never get there. Then one day I realized that Italian chefs use pasta water to make pasta creamier and smoother. One day I just gave it a try and I got close. So, after a lot of experimentation I got there, perfectly. It’s so easy and it is real cheese, real food! Tip: At first this can be quite watery. You can add your favorite vegetable like steamed broccoli or any other vegetables you have on hand, and a little extra milk and serve immediately as a broccoli cheese soup with macaroni. If serving as Mac N’ Cheese, be sure to cover and let sit for 10 minutes so the pasta can absorb the liquid and be the perfect texture. Enjoy!

Total Time:

15 minutes

Serves:

4

Ingredients

  • 2 2/3 c. water
  • 2 2/3 c. milk
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • ½ tsp. Kosher salt
  • 1 ½ c. sharp cheddar cheese grated
  • ½ c. grated Pecorino Romano if you do not care for this taste or your kids don’t, just add an extra ½ cup of the cheddar or parmesan
  • ¼ tsp. smoked paprika
  • 16 oz. bag of organic elbow macaroni noodles

Directions

  • Slowly bring the water, milk, butter and kosher salt to a rolling boil.
  • Add full bag of pasta, stirring until the liquid comes to a boil again.
  • Adjust the heat to keep a slow steady boil and cook the pasta for one minute more than indicated on the box. Do not drain the pasta.
  • Turn off the heat and stir in the cheeses and paprika. Taste to adjust the salt and pepper to your families liking. The Mac N’ Cheese will be very liquidly, this is normal. Let stand with the top on for at least 10 minutes so the pasta can absorb all the liquid before serving.

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