If you haven't know Tasty, it is another sub-site by BuzzFeed that specifically shares short videos on how to cook deliciously looking food that you never thought you can ever cook. Their speed up videos, even though mostly are only around one minute, are enough to make you change your mind on how you think you can cook.
Zmei and I came across this video, on how to cook Mozzarella-Stuffed Slow Cooker Meatballs, and decided to give it a try.
This is the original recipe by Tasty :
Low moisture mozzarella cheese (cut into 3/4 inch cubes)
1 lb ground beef
1 pound hot Italian sausage
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Tomato sauce
We adapted the recipe according to our family taste and what we found available in the kitchen. For some of the ingredients that I did not mention how much I have used, you will just have to agak-agak. This is because I did the same.
- There is this cheese poppers (7 pcs) we found in the fridge which can replace mozzarella. Only half of it is enough for each ball. If you like the way cheese stretches, it is better to stay with mozzarella.
- We substitute ground beef with chopped pork (RM5) for dad doesn't take beef. After chopping it, do tenderize it with cornstarch and store it in the fridge.
- The hot Italian sausage is changed to any sausages (3 pcs) that can be bought at the hypermarket. Finely chop it and store it in the fridge.
- We prefer to use fresh ingredients, if there is a choice, so garlic powder is swapped with finely chopped garlic.
- As for parsley, I mistakenly bought baby celery...teehee. Anyway, finely chop it too.
- Salt and black pepper to taste.
- I made my own bread crumbs! You just have to tear some bread, any bread will do, and toast it in an oven to harden it. Then, just blend it into powder.
- Parmesan cheese...emm...I just used cheddar cheese (2 slices)...any difference? I do not know.
- An egg.
- Powdered milk is used instead of whole milk since only very little is needed. I do not want to purposely buy the whole box of milk when only very little is needed.
- Lastly, Zmei made the tomato puree to be used as an alternative to tomato sauce... and it tasted just like spaghetti sauce sold in stores! She used 10 tomatoes. Boil all the tomatoes in water for a few minutes to soften the tomatoes as well as making the skin to be easier to peel off. Then, blend the tomatoes to make puree. After that, cook some garlic until fragrant before adding in the puree. Heat the puree to thicken it as you add in some spices that you like like basil or pre-prepared spaghetti spices. This is how it will look like.
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| Tomato puree |
Mix the ingredients from No. 2 to No. 10 in a large bowl with your hands...as this will improve the texture. Roll the mixture to form a ball size that you desire. Then, push a cheese, ingredient No.1, into the center of the rolled balls to cover it up. Dip the porkballs into the heating tomato puree to cook it.
I made a video too so that it will be easier for you and I do not have to explain so much:
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| Cheese-stuffed Porkballs with Stir-fry Spaghetti and Roasted Vege |
Tadahhh~~~ This is the end product. Since we're preparing this for lunch, we cooked some stir-fry spaghetti by using the remaining tomato puree to go with the porkballs. Button mushrooms and onion are cooked until an aromatic scent is smelled before adding in cooked spaghetti and followed by the tomato puree. Zmei made those roasted vege too!
Overall, this plate of dish is a great combo. The stir-fry spaghetti was way nicer compared to the usual spaghetti with sauce topped on it that we used to cooked. The roasted vege was good and healthy, only used black pepper, salt and virgin olive oil, even though it is kinda salty on first trial. More vege was added later to balance out the taste. The porkballs, on the other hand, is not what I expected. I think I put too much of cornstarch...it's too tender, or is it because of too much sausages.
Around 2 hrs are used to prepare ingredients and cook the dish. This serving is enough for 5 person.
Around 2 hrs are used to prepare ingredients and cook the dish. This serving is enough for 5 person.
Weights & Dresses,
