The Feed Zone Service Course: Amgen Tour stage 6

Editor’s Note: During the Amgen Tour of California, VeloNews.com will present The Feed Zone Service Course, the official daily race menu of Levi Leipheimer’s Omega Pharma-Quick Step team, courtesy of Dr. Allen Lim, chef Biju Thomas and Skratch Labs.

Stage 6 — Friday May 18

Breakfast Menu

Biju’s Oatmeal with Toasted Nut Mix
Muesli
Beet Juice
Pasta and Eggs
Mixed Berries and Fruit with Yogurt
Soft Scrambled Eggs with Fresh Herbs

Ride Menu

Allen Lim’s Rice Cakes

Recovery Menu

Sweet Potato and Egg Burrito
Chicken Fried Rice

Dinner Menu

Meatballs and Red Wine Sauce
Mixed Greens
Steamed Rice
Pasta with Olives and Beets
Fresh Fruit and Yogurt with Toasted Nut Mix

Meatballs and Red Wine Sauce
SERVINGS> 6
TIME> 1½ hours

This is a one-pot dinner recipe to make you famous among your friends. Make sure your pot is large
enough. It’s really a three-step process: First make and brown the meatballs. Then, in the same pot,
make the sauce. Last, return the meatballs to the sauce to stew while you revel in your kitchen skills.

MEATBALLS
1 pound ground beef
1 pound spicy Italian bulk sausage
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
1 cup bread crumbs (see note below)
dry basil leaves and red pepper flakes
¼ cup olive oil

RED WINE SAUCE
½ cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
½ cup diced bell peppers
½ cup diced fresh tomato
1 small can (4 ounces) tomato paste
1 cup water
1 cup crushed tomatoes
½ cup red wine
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
chopped fresh parsley and basil

1. To make the meatballs: Place ingredients in a large bowl and blend together by hand, making sure that bread crumbs are worked evenly into mixture. Let rest in fridge for 30 minutes. Shape to be the size of golf balls.
2. Bring ¼ cup olive oil to medium-high heat in a large pot, then add a few meatballs and brown them on all sides. Remove them from the pot as they finish browning, adding more oil as needed. (The meatballs will finish cooking in the sauce.)
3. To make the sauce: Keeping the heat on medium, add the onions, garlic, peppers, and tomatoes to the pot and sauté until the onions are translucent.
4. Add the remaining ingredients in the order shown, thoroughly incorporating each item into the sauce before adding the next.
5. Keep scraping the bottom of the pan while the sauce cooks. Bring sauce to a low boil, then return the meatballs to the pot. Let simmer, covered, until cooked thoroughly, approximately 30–40 minutes. Adjust salt.

Makes 12 meatballs. Serve with your favorite pasta.

To make bread crumbs, pulse stale or hard bread in a food processor.

PER SERVING (2 meatballs & sauce) > Energy 449 cal • Fat 27 g • Sodium 748 mg • Carbs 15 g • Fiber 2 g • Protein 33 g

This recipe used with permission from “The Feed Zone Cookbook”