Meatballs with Orzo & Zucchini

This is a quick, simple recipes for those days you need to throw together something for dinner.  The key is having frozen cooked meatballs.  You can use the store bought kind or you can use your own.  Meatballs are perfect to use in many recipes, including soups, stews, and skillet dishes. 

When you have more time, just prepare a big batch of meatballs.  Cook them and freeze them in Ziploc bags.  I would put about 1/2 pound of meatballs per bag. Then you're ready to pull them out of the freezer and use them in a quick recipe like this.

The recipe calls for orzo, tomatoes, and zucchini, but you can adapt the recipe to suit your taste.  I didn't have zucchini on hand the day I prepared it, but the dish was fine without it.  You might also want to add some seasonings if you like a little more flavor.

MEATBALLS WITH ZUCCHINI AND ORZO
Ingredients:
16 frozen cooked meatballs
14 ounces low sodium beef broth
1 can low sodium diced Italian tomatoes  (I just had a can of regular tomatoes, so I added Italian seasonings to the tomatoes)
1 medium zucchini, julienned

Preparation:
Place frozen meatballs and broth in skillet and boil.  Stir in pasta and reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer 12 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes and zucchini.  Cook about 5 minutes, until zucchini is tender.

Low Sodium Spaghetti and Meatballs

One of the easiest meals to make is spaghetti and meatballs.  Trying to adhere to a low sodium diet causes this meal to be slightly more difficult, but still totally worth the effort (in my opinion).

After I was diagnosed with high blood pressure, I was told to reduce my sodium intake to less than 2,000 mg per day.  That seems like a lot until you start reading labels and websites with nutrition information.  You could easily consume 1,800 mg in one meal if you're not careful. 

Jarred spaghetti sauce often has high sodium content (over 400 mg per 1/2 cup).  Pasta normally has little or no sodium, so no problem there.  Then you have to be careful how you prepare the meatballs.  The recipe that I use calls for Italian bread crumbs; again over 400 mg sodium per 1/2 cup.  I substitute Matzo Meal with Italian seasonings for the Italian bread crumbs.

The spaghetti sauce can be prepared ahead of time... the night before or earlier.  Sauce freezes well, so you can prepare a batch and pour it into a Ziploc bag and freeze it.  Thaw it the night before, and you can simply heat it like you would the jarred sauce.

Here are the recipes:

SPAGHETTI SAUCE

Ingredients:
1 can (6 oz) low sodium tomato paste
1 can (14 oz) low sodium diced tomatoes, drained
2 cans (8 oz) low sodium tomato sauce
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 packet of low sodium beef bouillon/ broth
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon thyme

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in large pot and bring to boil.


ITALIAN MEATBALLS

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef (or meat of your choice)
1 egg
1/2 cup Matzo Meal (or corn meal)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon thyme

Preparation:
Combine Matzo Meal and spices in small bowl.  In large bowl, combine meat, egg, and Matzo Meal mixture.  Roll meat into balls and set aside. 

Gently place meatballs into boiling spaghetti sauce and reduce to low. 

Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil 1 pound of spaghetti.  Pour meatballs and sauce over spaghetti and top with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.