Video(s): Green Chicken Meatballs & Flourless Blondies

In the interest of catching you up with the most recent videos we’ve shot for mom.me, one of which is kosher for Passover, I’m giving you the elusive two-recipes-in-one blog post. 

First up are these chicken meatballs. Or as Teddy casually explains in the video, “me malls.” (Click HERE to go to video.)

I recommend you making them as soon as possible and then, if you’re like us, adding them to your semi-regular rotation of weeknight dinners. Only semi-regular because they do take longer to make than your average weeknight dinner, but they really are so worth it. And they’re entirely kid-friendly.

Second up are these flourless blondies. (Click HERE for the video, which, by the way, is probably my favorite one that we’ve done for mom.me to date as it really captures what it’s like to cook with a two-year-old.) I first made them when Isaac was just three weeks old and have since made them at least three more times.

Also, until very recently, Isaac was mercifully content to sleep through the majority of our shoots. However, as he’s rapidly growing it’s becoming clear that there will be more Isaac in them in the very near future. I mean, eventually, the show is going to have to be called “In the Kitchen with Amelia and Teddy and Isaac.” Right? Or perhaps: “In the Kitchen with Amelia and Teddy and Isaac and a Babysitter.” That has a nice ring to it.

Point being, make the blondies! They’re insane and kosher for Passover! Which is exactly how Matt and I usually feel while trying to shoot these videos (insane and kosher for Passover)!

Green Chicken Meatballs adapted from The New York Times

1 pound boneless chicken thighs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan or about 1-2 ounces from a Parmesan wedge
1 cup loosely-packed, chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 small onion or 1/2 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
a few grinds of fresh black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
All-purpose flour for dredging
Store-bought tomato sauce
Dried spaghetti

Cut the chicken thighs into one- to two-inch chunks and place them in the freezer for a half-hour or so.

Pulse the Parmesan, parsley and onion in a food processor until everything is finely chopped. Add the egg, chicken, salt and pepper, and continue to pulse until the chicken is coarsely ground — almost as fine as ground chicken but not quite. Shape into one-inch meatballs.

Put the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. One by one, dredge the meatballs in the flour and add to the oil. Cook, turning as necessary, until nicely browned all over, 15 to 20 minutes.

When the meatballs are halfway cooked, heat up the tomato sauce in another large skillet and begin boiling the spaghetti according to the package directions.

Drain the spaghetti and toss it in the skillet of tomato sauce. Plate the spaghetti and top with a few meatballs and some more grated Parmesan.

Flourless Blondies adapted from My New Roots
Makes about 20 blondies

2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup almond butter, or another nut butter of your choosing
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. fine grain sea salt
3.5oz dark chocolate, roughly chopped
a pinch of salt, preferably sea salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 325°F.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla extract together. Set aside. In another bowl, combine the sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and baking soda.

Measure out the nut butter and place in a large bowl. Add the egg mixture to it and stir thoroughly to combine. Add the sugar mixture and fold together. The dough will be very thick. Add about half of the chopped chocolate, using your hands if necessary to incorporate.

Press the dough into a parchment-lined 8×8 inch baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate over the top and press slightly into the dough. Sprinkle all over with a pinch of salt and place in the oven.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until the blondies are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan completely before cutting.