CRAIG RICHARDS’ TUSCAN-INSPIRED MUSHROOM MEATBALLS

Richards, the executive chef at St. Cecilia in Buckhead, gave us this recipe for meatballs made with ground pork, ground beef and mushrooms — porcinis if you can get them. 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic,

minced 1/4 yellow onion (about 1/3

cup), diced fine 5 ounces of mushrooms (such as porcinis, portobellos, king trumpets, oyster mushrooms or white buttons), pulsed fine in

a food processor 1 1/2 teaspoon fresh

oregano, chopped fine 1 1/2 teaspoon fresh

thyme, chopped fine 1 1/2 teaspoon fresh

parsley, chopped fine 1/2 pound ground pork

(may use low fat) 1/2 pound ground beef (may use chuck or sirloin) 1 1/2 teaspoons tomato

paste 1 cup bread crumbs 2 eggs 1/2 teaspoon salt freshly ground black

pepper cooking spray Place canola oil in a medium saute pan or skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, onions and mushrooms, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in oregano, thyme and parsley. Remove from heat, and allow to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled mushroom mixture, ground pork, ground beef, tomato paste, bread crumbs, eggs, salt and a generous sprinkling (about 1/2 teaspoon) of freshly ground pepper. Use your hands to mix it well.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large baking tray with cooking spray.

Shape meat mixture into meatballs about the size of a golf ball (about 1 1/2 ounces each). Place on tray, and bake until the balls are done at the center and caramelized on the top, about 25 minutes, flipping them once half way through. (If you plan on serving the meatballs with a pasta sauce, you may pull them from the oven after about 15 minutes, then finish in the sauce, about 1520 minutes.) Makes: about 16-18 meatballs.

Per meatball, based on 16: 130 calories (percent of calories from fat, 61), 7 grams protein, 6 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 9 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 47 milligrams cholesterol, 156 milligrams sodium.