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Tuesday, November 15, 2022
Moroccan
meatballs
featuring cinnamon and cumin
BY LINDA GASSENHEIMER
Tribune News Service
I
added cinnamon and cumin to meat-
balls for a Moroccan take on my fam-
ily favorite of meatballs and pasta. To
speed up the preparation, I used frozen
diced onion and minced garlic for the rec-
ipe. The meatballs need to be turned over
during cooking; the best way to do this is
by using two spatulas, one underneath the
meatballs and one on top to help guide
them over.
The cilantro couscous is made with
pearl (sometimes called Israeli) couscous.
It’s a larger version of regular couscous.
Strictly speaking, true Israeli couscous is
slightly smaller than pearl couscous. Ei-
ther works for this recipe.
(14-ounce) low-sodium diced tomatoes,
1 can tomato paste, 1 package pearl cous-
cous and 1 bunch cilantro.
Staples: canola oil, egg, salt, and black
peppercorns.
MOROCCAN
MEATBALLS
Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
3/4 pound 95% lean ground sirloin
1 cup frozen chopped onion
1 egg
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 14-ounce can low-sodium diced tomatoes
with sauce (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Add ground sirloin, onion, egg, cinnamon,
cumin and salt and pepper to taste to a
large bowl. Mix all the ingredients together.
Roll mixture into meatballs about 2 inches
in diameter to make 8 meatballs. Heat
canola oil in a medium-size nonstick skillet
over medium-high heat. When the oil is
very hot, add the meatballs. Brown them
for 2 minutes. While meatballs brown, mix
the diced tomatoes with the tomato paste
and minced garlic in a small bowl. Gently
turn meatballs over and continue to cook 2
minutes. Add the tomato mixture, lower the
heat to medium low and simmer 5 minutes.
Helpful Hints
• You can use fresh chopped onion in-
stead of frozen.
• You can use four crushed garlic cloves
instead of minced garlic.
• Firmly press the meatballs together.
• Make sure the oil is hot in the skillet
before adding the meatballs to help them
brown.
Yield 2 servings.
Per serving: 465 calories (47% from fat),
24.5 g fat (8 g saturated, 11.4 g monounsat-
urated), 206 mg cholesterol, 39.6 g protein,
20.4 g carbohydrates, 7 g fi ber, 180 mg
sodium.
CILANTRO
COUSCOUS
Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup pearled couscous
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bring water to a boil in a medium-size
saucepan and add couscous, reduce to a sim-
mer and cover with a lid. Cook 8 minutes or
until couscous is soft. Remove from heat and
let stand 5 minutes. All the water should be
absorbed. When ready, add canola oil, cilantro
and salt and pepper to taste. Fluff up with a
fork and divide between the two plates.
Yield 2 servings.
Countdown
• Start the couscous.
• While the couscous cooks, prepare
the meatballs.
• Finish the couscous and set aside.
• Make the meatballs.
Shopping List
To buy: 3/4 pound 95% lean ground
sirloin, 1 bag frozen chopped onion, 1
container minced garlic, 1 bottle ground
cinnamon, 1 bottle ground cumin, 1 can
A meat thermometer should read 135
degrees Fahrenheit.
Per serving: 201 calories (25% from fat),
5.5 g fat (0.5 g saturated, 3 g monounsatu-
rated), no cholesterol, 5.9 g protein, 31.7 g
carbohydrates, 1.9 g fi ber, 3 mg sodium.
█
Linda Gassenheimer-TNS
Moroccan meatballs with cilantro couscous.
Linda Gassenheimer is the author of over 30
cookbooks, including her newest, “The 12-Week
Diabetes Cookbook.” Listen to Linda on www.
WDNA.org and all major podcast sites. Email her
at Linda@DinnerInMinutes.com.
Finishing our long walk through downtown La Grande
GINNY
MAMMEN
OUT AND ABOUT
As we come to the end of our walk
down Adams Avenue in downtown
La Grande we come to the northwest
corner of Adams and Greenwood. It
is now undeveloped and being used
as a truck lot by Goss Motors.
As early as 1899 it was the location
of a two-story dwelling which in 1903
was serving as a boarding house. In
1956 there appeared in The Observer
an ad for two apartments for rent at
this address, one on the first floor
and one on the second floor, with ga-
rages available for both. In 1962 Karl
and Winifred Layton were living on
this corner at 1433 Adams. Later this
building was razed and it appears that
there was never another structure
constructed on this lot.
Over the past few years we have ex-
plored together the Historic District of
La Grande. We covered both sides of
Adams Avenue from Fourth Street to
Greenwood visiting the first buildings
that were constructed there and others
that replaced them. In doing so we ex-
plored various types of materials, con-
struction, and styles of the time and
the people who made it happen.
I hope you have enjoyed as much
as I have, the journey through time
and our visits with the people who
were the founders and builders of La
Grande. For those of us who have
lived in La Grande for many years
there have been reminders of mem-
ories of friends and experiences long
tucked away. For newcomers I hope
there has developed an appreciation
of those who had the vision and de-
termination to grow a town.
This journey for me has been a
wonderful opportunity to visit with
old friends and meet new ones and
to hear of their memories. After a
time of renewal and change of pace
perhaps we will meet again on other
streets of La Grande to explore the
history and mystery of what was.
In the meantime — Keep looking
up! Enjoy!
█
Ginny Mammen has lived in La Grande for more
than 50 years and enjoys sharing her interest in
the history of people, places and buildings.
Fred Hill Collection
Looking west on Adams Avenue around 1960-61.