Super Party Recipe: Italian Rice Balls with Marinara Sauce

I have to tell the story of this recipe. My cast mate, Michele Ragussis from Food Network Star made this for us one night for dinner when we were working on the show... and then I got a chance to make it on the show a few days later. She gave me her blessing:) Mine's a bit different than hers AND hers has been perfected from her mom Phyllis' recipe... sooo good!!

These are the perfect party food. If  you just use ground beef they are inexpensive to make, you can easily double the recipe and you can even make them in advance and freeze them- just thaw and fry just before guests arrive. You will love these! Everyone raved about them during our Food Court Challange on the show. I even had a marriage proposal and one Italian guy said my marinara was better than his mother's! These are cheesy and delicious. Try them and let me know!

Italian Rice Balls (Arancini)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, diced small

5cloves garlic, minced

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground veal
1 cup Italian flat leaf parsley minced
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 ½ cups tomato sauce

2 cups grated Parmesan cheese grated

2 cups cooked and cooled Arborio rice (cooked until just done, not overcooked)

5 eggs

3 cups breadcrumbs with Italian seasoning

Canola oil for frying

3 tablespoons minced fresh basil

Marinara Sauce (see recipe below or use store-bought)

Special equipment: #10 (small-medium) ice cream scoop

Instructions:

Cook the rice according to package directions but you want the rice to be sticky so I cook a bit longer than I should and don't add butter or olive oil to the water. You don't want it to be mushy. Set aside.  

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté onions and garlic for 2 minutes until softened. Add meat and cook until browned, breaking up large pieces as it cooks. Strain off excess fat from the pan. Add parsley and cook 3 minutes. Add thyme, oregano, and pepper, and salt, cayenne, red pepper flakes. Taste and add more seasoning if needed.

Keep in mind that rice and cheese contain salt so be careful not to over salt the meat mixture. Let the meat mixture cool a bit. Add the tomato sauce. Combine rice with cheese but be careful not to mash the rice. Add the rice mixture to meat mixture and stir gently to combine. Check the seasoning. Add additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use ice cream scoop to shape the balls so they are a consistent size, then hand roll the balls as tightly as you can.

Pour enough canola oil into a deep skillet or Dutch oven to reach 5”. Heat oil over medium heat to 350-degrees.Use a thermometer to check the oil temperature.

Whisk eggs in a small baking dish. Place breadcrumbs in another baking dish. Roll rice balls lightly in the eggs then immediately roll in breadcrumbs to form a coating. Shake off the excess breadcrumbs. Place them on the baking sheet and refrigerate or freeze until you are ready to fry.

To fry:

Carefully drop rice balls into the hot oil a few at a time, taking care not to overcrowd and lower the oil temperature. Cook until golden brown, about 2-4 minutes per batch. Bring oil back up to 350-degrees before cooking each batch. Drain rice balls on paper towels before serving.

Serve with homemade or store-bought marinara for dipping. Garnish with the basil leaves.

Me and Justin frying it up on FNS 2012Marinara Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 large cans (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, including liquid

1 cup fresh basil leaves

½ cup fresh thyme leaves

½ cup fresh oregano leaves

2 teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

Heat olive oil in the bottom of a large pot. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes until translucent and softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Use some of the liquid from the tomatoes to deglaze the pan, and then add the remaining ingredients. Use an immersion blender to puree, taking care to leave the tomatoes slightly chunky. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can add everything to a blender or food processor)

Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to keep from burning on the bottom. Reduce heat to low and cook for 1 hour or longer so that the marinara thickens as some of the liquid cooks out. Check seasoning prior to serving. Add salt as necessary.

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Perfect Party Food: Charred 3 Onion Dip and Baked Pita Chips

To me, there’s nothing that says party like potato chips and dip. Take the typical chips and dip to a new level with smoky baked pita chips and my charred three onion dip. Also creamy and delicious on veggie sticks if you are trying to cut back on calories. Better make a double batch!

BAKED PITA CHIPS WITH THREE ONION DIP

3 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon kosher salt-divided

¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

8 pita bread rounds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Combine all of the ingredients except ½ tablespoon of the salt in a small bowl. Whisk together. Brush on the first pita, stack the next one and repeat until you have 4 pitas. Repeat, making a second stack. Use a knife to cut the stack into eight wedges. Repeat with the second stack. Arrange the chips in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes; turn and bake another 5 minutes or until golden and toasted.

Sprinkle the chips with the remaining salt as soon as you remove them from the oven.

CHARRED THREE ONION DIP

1 small red onion

6 scallions

1 cup Mascarpone cheese

2 cups sour cream

1 teaspoon chives

½  teaspoon onion powder

¼ tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ tablespoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 tablespoon Worcestershire

Dash Tabasco

Slice the onion into 4 wedges. Heat a grill pan. Cook the onions and scallions until they are softened and the outside is charred. Chop the scallions and slice the onion very thin. Put in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix together. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving. 

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Fast and Delicious Appetizer Recipes: Easy Goat Cheese Truffles and Stuffed Endive Leaves

These are two of my favorite fast party recipes because they are easy, I always have the ingredients on hand, and guests love love love them. They both start with the same basic ingredients: goat cheese blended with cream cheese and a little heavy cream. You can add more/different herbs to totally change the recipe for both of these... Be creative and add fruit and toasted nuts or ingredients in your fridge: raspberries, strawberries with a balsamic vinegar reduction drizzle, some Greek yogurt, honey and toasted almonds.... the possibilities are almost endless!

GOAT CHEESE TRUFFLES

You can also make these with gorgonzola, blue, or feta cheese but I really like the goat cheese version the best. Plus I always have Belle Chevre goat cheese in the fridge! These are pretty lined up on a serving dish or even as goat cheese "lollipops" served on a white candy stick you get in the baking and candy making section of the store.

6 ounces (3/4 cup) goat cheese, softened

2 ounces (1/4 cup) cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon fresh chives, finely chopped fine

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped fine

1 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped fine

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup toasted pecans or walnuts, finely chopped

Mix all of the ingredients except the whipping cream nuts in a bowl. Add the whipping cream a little at a time, using a fork to whip the mixture until it is smooth. Form into bite size truffles. Don't let the mixture get too creamy or the truffles will not hold together well. Roll in the toasted nuts and chill until serving time.

Variation:

Omit the herbs and reduce the whipping cream by half. Add a tablespoon of your favorite liqueur- I like Grand Marnier. Roll the truffle and roll in pecans. Drizzle with melted chocolate or shave chocolate over them at serving time. Sooo good!

CHOCOLATE AND CHEVRE TRUFFLES

A sweet spin on the recipe above, you can use your favorite liqueur and chocolate to create a quick and delicious dessert.

4 ounces (3/4 cup) goat cheese, softened

4 ounces (1/4 cup) cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons Confectioner's sugar

2 tablespoons Amaretto (or your favorite) liqueur

1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated semi-sweet chocolate plus 1/4 cup plus more for garnish

1/4 cup toasted almond slices, chopped fine

Use a fork to mix all of the ingredients except the almond and the chocolate together. Use a microplane to grate in the chocolate. Use a small ice cream scoop or a spoon to form into bite size truffles. If the mixture is too stiff, you can add a little more heavy cream or liqueur. Mix the almonds and 1/4 cup grated chocolate (you can sub cocoa powder) and spread a thin layer on a piece of plastic or a cookie sheet. Roll the truffles into the mixture to coat. Chill until time to serve. Grate or drizzle chocolate over the truffles just before serving.

BELGIAN ENDIVE LEAVES STUFFED WITH GOAT CHEESE AND TOASTED WALNUTS

Endive is a leaf vegetable in the lettuce family. If you can’t find it, you can substitute another lettuce or almost any other vegetable. The goat cheese spread can be spread on toasted bread or served with crackers also if you don't have or cannot find Endive.

Two or three heads Endive (Target always has it in the produce section)

6 ounces (3/4 cup) goat cheese, softened

2 ounces (1/4 cup) cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon fresh chives, finely chopped fine

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped fine

1 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped fine

Salt and pepper to taste

Toppings:

Toasted nuts of your choice: almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc... toast them for about 4-5 minutes at 350 but watch them because nuts burn so easily!

Fruit: Orange, raspberries, strawberries, fig, etc all taste great with goat cheese

Mix all ingredients together except the endive and the toppings with a fork, stirring until fluffy. You can use a mixer to whip it up if you want it extra fluffy. Spread on the base of the endive leaves. Top with fruit and toasted chopped nuts. Yum.

">My friend Tasia Malakasis creates award-winning Belle Chever goat cheeseLIKE GOAT CHEESE? LIKE TO SUPPORT LOCAL GROWERS AND PRODUCERS? WANT TO HELP A GROWING BUSINESS AND CREATE JOBS? Who does not believe in all of these things? You can be a part of something really special when you help my friend Tasia Malakasis of Belle Chevre Creamery- a producer of fine, award winning goat cheese crafted in the classical French style- build a new home for her business. Like many young businesses, Tasia and Belle are facing growing pains. Through an initiative called Kickstarter, Tasia is helping herself since resources are limited. Watch her videoand become inspired to help her continue. Your support will not only help create jobs- it will also enable you to get this fine product at a discount plus other great freebies! Help us get land for Belle's new home. Hey, you can even get a goat named after you! Every dollar helps!

Perfect Summer Recipe: Pickled Citrus Shrimp

Pickled Citrus Shrimp is the easiest summer party recipe. You can make it a day ahead and it is ready to go when you are. Plus, this recipe can feed a lot of folks. If you are on a budget, get the smaller shrimp or opt to clean and devein them yourself. You can even use frozen raw shrimp for this dish if you don't live in an area where you have easy access to raw shrimp. Either way, everyone loves this dish and every guest will ask you for the recipe! It easily doubles or triples for a big crowd.

Citrus Pickled ShrimpPickled Citrus Shrimp

2 pounds fresh medium sized shrimp, peeled and deveined (16-20 count with tails on)

2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning

1 t. Kosher salt

1/2 t. ground black pepper

Olive oil

For the marinade:

1/2 cup lemon juice

4 large cloves garlic, grated

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 white wine vinegar

2 small Spanish (yellow) onions, cut into thin rings

2 lemons, cut into very thin circles, be sure to remove the seeds

1 tablespoon Kosher salt

1/4  teaspoon white pepper

1 t. mustard seeds

1 t. coriander seeds

1 1/2 t. celery seeds

1 t. fennel seeds

6 large bay leaves or 12 small ones

3 Arbol chilies (dried red chili or you can substitute 1/2 t. red pepper flakes or a large pinch of Cayenne)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a dry pan, lightly toast the seeds. Let cool. In a large glass heatproof bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, peppers, and all of the seeds. Add the onion and the lemon slices. Toss gently to coat. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the Old Bay, salt, and pepper. Place the shrimp in one layer on a sheet pan. Do not overlap. You will need to do several batches. Drizzle the shrimp with olive oil. Toss well. Sprinkle with the Old Bay mixture. Roast for 7or 8 minutes for the medium 16-20 count shrimp. You may need a longer or shorter cooking time depending on the size of your shrimp but do not overcook- they will be tough. When they curl up and turn pink, they are done. Remove immediately and transfer the hot shrimp and the juice on the pan into the bowl with the marinade. Toss to coat. Add red chilies and bay leaves. Allow the mixture to cool and then refrigerate for at least 8 and up to 24 hours before serving. 

To serve: remove the chilies. Check the seasoning. You can add a dash or two of Tabasco if you like. Serve in a large chilled glass bowl...it is delicious served room temperature in colder weather but on a hot day, I prefer to serve chilled.

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