megan: sweet-and-spicy meatballs

happy spring!

(well, i for one am insisting on it being spring despite the cold day and snowflakes in the forecast.)

it has come to be routine, over the past three years, that when new year's eve hats are thrown out, empty champagne bottles are recycled and the last bits of crunchy evergreen are cast to the curb, a new running season commences! don't stop reading. i am certainly not one of those annoyingly athletic types, but i do run. and i like it -- quite a bit, actually.

this hasn't always been the case. it all started in october of 2008. i was tired of the routine gym workouts and so was my bank account. with the holidays looming before me, i had two choices 1. eat all that amazing food and get pudgy around the middle. or 2. eat all that amazing food and run. outside. in ny winter weather.

sigh...the scales were tipped, all puns intended. my fate had been decided. i would become a runner. my 2009 resolution was to run a half marathon by the end of the year (that's 13.1 miles for you non-runners). so, my first winter training began. to date, i happily have 3 half marathons and a myriad other, smaller triumphs under my brooks. currently, i am preparing for my 4th half marathon, taking place in two weeks!

how does this have anything to do with food? running, or more specifically, training, makes a runner incredibly, non-stop hungry! and when logging 20-30 miles a week, a girl needs to make sure she is getting enough protein for muscle rebuilding, not to mention plenty of carbs to fuel you up the harlem hills and down the hudson river. last week i went on a quest for meals that would do just that. i discovered (and slightly tweaked) this great sweet-and-spicy meatball recipe. it involves fresh pineapple, crunchy green veggies and really easy meatballs.

while you may not be registering for a half marathon anytime soon, this will keep you moving! stay tuned for next month's easter post!

ingredients:

1-1/2 pound ground beef

1/2 whole onion, diced very finely

1 whole egg

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 teaspoon kosher salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (more to taste)

1/4 cups all-purpose flour )

oil for frying

2 whole green bell peppers, seeded and chopped roughly

1-1/4 cup fresh pineapple chunks

2 cups beef stock or broth

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 cups sherry (or white vinegar)

1/3 cups sugar

1 tablespoon flour/cornstarch (or more to thicken to desirable consistency)

salt to taste

*serve over brown rice, noodles or quinoa

combine ground beef, diced onion, egg, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs, and crushed red pepper. mix with hands until combined. roll meat mixture into small balls (walnut sized) and place on a cookie sheet. freeze on the pan for 15 minutes to firm.

mix together beef stock, soy sauce, sherry (or vinegar), sugar, and flour. set aside.

heat canola oil over medium-high heat. roll meatballs in flour, then fry in two batches until nice and brown, about two minutes per batch.

remove meatballs and set aside on a separate plate.

pour off oil from pan and return pan to medium high heat. when pan is hot, throw in the chopped green peppers and cook for one minute. add pineapple to pan and cook for one minute, stirring gently. add snap peas to pan for one minute more.

pour in stock/soy sauce mixture, then add meatballs. stir gently to combine and allow to cook and bubble for a few minutes, or until sauce is thickened. add salt and crushed red peppers to taste -the more the better in my opinion!

serve over steamed brown rice or quinoa. enjoy!