Are you ready to keep it simple in the kitchen? Yasmin Fahr, author of Keeping it Simple will inspire and encourage you on today’s Kitchen Chat. Yasmin is a food writer and recipe developer featured in Serious Eats, The Kitchn, Epicurious, Taste, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine and The Los Angeles Times.

Her new book will build your culinary foundation and will provide a more organized approach for cooking. Yasmin has curated over 60 easy weeknight one-pot recipes. These “one-pot wonders” will provide less stress and less mess in your kitchen. How does charred corn, avocado and feta salad with pan-seared fish and mushrooms and ricotta toast sound?

Come into my kitchen and join Yasmin and me for a delicious plate of inspiration.

Recipes excerpted with permission from Keeping It Simple by
Yasmin Fahr, published by Hardie Grant Books February 2020, RRP $24.99
Flexibound.
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Keeping-Simple-Weeknight-One-pot-Recipes/dp/1784882828

BAKED CHICKEN AND RICOTTA MEATBALLS
I like my broccoli charred and crispy, so that’s where this recipe takes you. It is important to make the meatballs uniform, round and slightly smaller than golf balls so that they cook evenly. Even if they’re not perfect, they will still taste delicious, and, as we all hopefully know, looks don’t really matter.
Efficiency moves: Prep the broccoli and lemon, then set up the ingredients for the meatballs.
Serves 2, 4 for sharing
Prep 15 minutes
Total 35 minutes
Makes 20 meatballs
400 g (14 oz) Tenderstem broccoli (broccolini), rough stems trimmed and thick pieces
cut lengthwise
1 organic lemon, ends trimmed and thinly sliced
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes, or more, if desired
1 large egg
2 garlic cloves, grated or minced
180 g (6 ½ oz/ ¾ cup) ricotta, drained and lightly salted
15 g ( ½ oz/ ½ cup) parsley leaves and fine stems, roughly chopped
30 g (1 oz/ ¾ cup) panko breadcrumbs
450 g (1 lb) chicken mince (ground chicken), preferably dark meat
juice from 1 lemon
grated Parmesan, for sprinkling (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220ºC (425ºF/Gas 8) with a rack in the middle of the oven.
2. On a baking tray (sheet pan), toss the broccoli and lemon slices with 3 tablespoons of
   the olive oil, salt, pepper and chilli flakes. Spread evenly on the baking tray and set
   aside while you make the meatballs.
3. Beat the egg in a mixing bowl, then add garlic and ricotta with 1 teaspoon of salt,
   parsley, pepper, the rest of the oil, breadcrumbs and meat, and use your hands to
   gently combine it (too much mushing will make them tough and dry). You should still
   see pieces of the meat through the seasonings. Lightly wet your hands with water or oil
   and roll the meat into twenty loose – not tightly packed – rounds, slightly smaller than
   golf balls, using a gentle rolling motion between your hands (the water is important
   otherwise they will stick to your hands). Set on large pieces of baking parchment on the
   counter to make for an easier clean up.
4. Nestle the meatballs in between the broccoli and lemon. Bake until the meatballs are
   browned and cooked through and the broccoli is crispy, about 15–20 minutes, shaking
   the baking tray to move the meatballs and turning the tray around halfway to ensure
   even cooking. Use this time to clean up and set the table. Have a glass of wine if this
   stressed you out in anyway at all.
5. Remove from the oven, squeeze lemon juice on top, divide between plates, making
   sure to eat the lemon rinds too, and finish with grated Parmesan, if using.
   Note: Panko aka Japanese breadcrumbs have an airier texture than other breadcrumbs.
   Leftover notes: Throw any leftover meatballs in a broth with greens at the end for a quick soup.

Savor the day!

What are your favorite ways for keeping it simple in the kitchen?