PALEO ITALIAN MEATBALLS AND ZUCCHINI NOODLES

Veggie-Packed Italian Meatballs and Zucchini Noodles:

serves 6

Meatballs:

1 stalk celery, minced

1 small carrot, minced

1/2 small onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 pound each:

       ground hot italian sausage

       ground veal

       ground grass-fed beef

2 Tablespoons minced fresh basil

2 Tablespoons minced fresh oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 egg, whisked

Sauce and noodles:

1 Tablespoon fat (I used beef tallow)

1 large eggplant, cubed

1/2 cup water or beef broth

1 (24 ounce) jar organic marinara sauce

2 medium zucchini, spiralized

1 yellow squash, spiralized

salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat your oven to 400º and line a sheet tray with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mash the meatball ingredients together with a potato masher. If you don't have one, combine the ingredients gently with your hands. Roll the mixture into evenly sized balls and lay on the sheet tray. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. 



Meanwhile, melt beef tallow a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring constantly, about a minute. Add the water or beef stock and cover. Let cook 10 minutes, until soft. Add the marinara sauce, zucchini and squash noodles. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook 5 more minutes. 


By this time, your meatballs should be out of the oven and cooling. They may have some residual fat pooled around them. Thats okay. Just roll them around in some paper towels before adding them to the noodles and sauce. Toss them in and serve! If you want, add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little zip at the end. 

*If you are trying to disguise the veggies in the meatballs, chop them really fine and sautée them in a little coconut oil before mixing them into the meat. My son figured out what I was up to a while ago, so I don't bother trying to hide it anymore.

Let's talk about the noodles. I have been dying for a spiral slicer ever since I tried Danielle Walker's Creamy Pesto Pasta at PaleoFX conference in 2013. Unfortunatley the one most people use is gigantic, cumbersome and hard to clean. I've been waiting around for someone to invent a compact one that I could stick in a drawer. A foodie only has so much room in her kitchen for big ass gadgets. Alas, I found one. I first saw this thing at  "Mommy's favorite store," Serve Gourmet in downtown Austin. They always have really cool kitchen gadgets, demos, samples and even classes! 

So then I contacted the Briefton's, the creator of this little wonder gadget and they agreed to let me give one away on my blog! Now, I came up with this recipe, but when you get a spiral slicer of your own, they send you an ebook with tons more recipes you can make with it. I profess that this thing works amazingly. The texture was more like the old noodles than spaghetti squash ever could claim to be! I wonder if I'll ever go back... 

I mean, really, look how beautiful this is! You can eat spaghetti again after all! Rejoice! 

So you want the Briefton's Spiral Slicer? I feel like hearing a joke. Leave me a comment below with your favorite joke

 and your email address.  

For example: What do you call a bear with no teeth? A gummy bear! brittanie36 (at) gmail (dot) com

I'll select one winner at random in one week, Wednesday, May 14, 2014. Good luck! 

We have a WINNER! My favorite joke was submitted on Instagram from Tamara, who also happens to blog at http://www.twofourfivedesigns.blogspot.com

Here it is: A mushroom walks into a bar. The bartender says, "We don't serve your kind here." The mushroom says, "Why not? I'm a fun-guy!"

LOL.