ALBONDIGAS - Mexican Meatball Soup

This is the second time I am making this Mexican flavored soup. The first time I made it, I was blown away at how incredibly delicious it was and how robust the Mexican notes of the dish played out. The flavors of the cilantro, cumin and medium-hot salsa melded beautifully together; and the rice and tender meatballs gave the soup a thick, creamy texture that was wonderfully satisfying. I vowed I would definitely make this soup again. This time I used brown long grain rice instead of the white variety as directed in the recipe, and prepared the rice separately instead of cooking it in the soup. I also used ground beef that the recipe called for, instead of ground turkey.

Though the second time around the results were equally delicious, there were notable differences in the two versions. Cooking the rice separately and then adding it to the finished soup made a more 'brothy' dish, as opposed to the creamier, thicker version when it was cooked in the soup.  Using ground beef also made firmer, meatier tasting meatballs, while the ground turkey ones were considerably more tender and mellow in taste. Fortunately, both of those changes, for the most part, impacted the overall texture of the soup, and not the taste. Either way, the soup hits the spot on a cold evening and is a great weekend soup. 

The recipe comes from the December, 2000 issue of Bon Appetit  magazine. The recipe is written as directed in the magazine. I added the jalapeno pepper to add a bit more heat to the soup.  Don't skimp on the cumin or cilantro, especially if using the ground beef for the meatballs. And, if you like your dishes spicy hot, use hot salsa instead of the medium-hot version. Next time, I plan to replace the regular tomatoes with the Mexican version, which contain chili peppers and a bit of heat, and eliminate the jalapeno pepper and salsa from the recipe. 
 


Albondigas - Mexican Meatball Soup

Meatballs:
1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
1/4 pound pork sausage
1 c. finely chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
6 T. yellow cornmeal
1/4 c. whole milk (don't need is using turkey)
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. black pepper







 

Soup:
2 T. olive oil
1 3/4 c. chopped onions, medium dice
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 small bay leaves
5  14 1/2 oz. cans beef broth
28 oz. diced tomatoes with juices
1/2 c. chunky medium-hot salsa
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
1/2 c. long-grain white rice 





 

Heat oil in a large, heavy pot. Add 1 3/4 c. chopped onions, chopped jalapeno pepper, 2 minced garlic cloves, and bay leaves; and saute for 5 minutes.  

Add the beef broth, tomatoes with juices, salsa and 1/4 c. cilantro. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. 

 Meanwhile, combine the ground beef (or turkey), pork sausage, cornmeal, milk (don't need for turkey meatballs), egg, salt, pepper, cumin, 1 c. finely chopped onions, 1/4 c. cilantro and 2 finely minced garlic cloves in a medium bowl. Mix well together. Shape meat mixture into 1 to 1-1/4 inch meatballs. 

Add uncooked rice and raw meatballs into soup and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice and meatballs are cooked, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper (extra cumin and cilantro too, if needed). Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and chopped green onions.


Makes 6 - 8 generous servings.

Pumpkin Spice Cake w/ Honey Cream Cheese Frosting

I had a hankering for pumpkin bars this weekend. I made a batch about a year or so ago for a Bunko party that were simply delicious - moist, spicy, topped with a cream cheese frosting. While searching for that recipe I happened upon this one -- Pumpkin Spice Cake -- that sounded equally delicious and surprisingly simple to make. The ingredients are essentially the same, but instead of slicing into bars, you serve it as a slice of cake. What I also liked about the recipe was that you could mix up all the ingredients in a bowl with a whisk or wooden spoon. No need to pull out the Kitchen Aid or hand beater. Not that those appliances couldn't be used, but why add more items to wash unnecessarily.

The recipe comes from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food. I made the recipe as written, but added some golden raisins, which provided tiny bits of sweetness from an otherwise not overly sweet cake.  The cake is quite moist, but a bit more dense than I would have liked (in hindsight, perhaps the Kitchen Aid would have helped in that area). Flavor-wise, it was really good, delivering that full-bodied, warm, spicy flavor that so characterizes the season.

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 T. pumpkin pie spice

2 large eggs

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 can (15 oz) solid-pack pumpkin puree

for the Honey Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, very soft

1 bar (8 oz.) regular cream cheese, very soft

1/4 c. mild honey (like clover)
1/4 c. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice.

 In a large bowl, whisk eggs, pumpkin and sugar.

 Gradually add cooled melted butter and mix till combined. 

Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture, one half the amount at a time, and mix till just combined. Fold in the raisins. 

Turn batter into the prepared pan, and smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 45-50 minutes.  Cool cake 10 minutes in pan, then turn out of pan and cool completely, right side up, on a rack. 

Make the frosting. In a medium bowl, whisk butter, cream cheese, honey and powdered sugar until smooth. Spread on cooled cake and serve. 

 

Pumpkin Rice Pudding

I love cooking this time of year. In fact I would have to say it is probably my most favorite time of year to cook. I am especially fond of the foods that characterize the season - winter squash, the wide variety of apples and pears and citrus, oh my! At the top of the list is my love of everything pumpkin. An American original, pumpkins are high in fiber, Vitamin A, beta-carotene and low in fat (that is, before you add it to pies and breads). 

I try to incorporate pumpkin in as many dishes, both savory and sweet, as I can. I once cut up a small jack-o-lantern and put it in a chicken stew. It was so yummy and different, my husband still talks about it. I also like to saute diced pieces of pumpkin with onions and peppers for a wonderfully different side dish. But of course, I like it best in desserts. I am the one who makes the pumpkin pies for our family's Thanksgiving dinner. I have yet to find a commercially prepared pie that can compare to a baked-from-scratch one.

So, as as part of my pumpkin fest this time of year, I have incorporated some pureed pumpkin (from the can) into a traditional rice pudding. Rice pudding is a very big hit in my family, especially my husbands family.  It has become a rather staple addition to our potluck family gatherings but, I am always looking for ways to change it up a bit. Adding pumpkin seemed like an easy way to give it a new flavor. 

When I make rice pudding, I always use my fathers recipe which calls for cooking the rice directly in a milk and sugar mixture. When the rice has fully cooked, eggs are than added to give the pudding an incredible richness and luscious texture.  Don't ask my why, but this time I elected to try a different approach. One that called for cooking the rice in water first, and then recooking it in the milk and sugar mixture with no eggs at all in the recipe. I choose to do it this way this time because so many reputable cookbooks prescribed this simple method. While the end product was good, it was not great, and I would never do it this way again. 

While the pictures illustrate the method I used this time, I have written the recipe to reflect the "cook in milk with eggs added" approach. A second disclaimer -- I broke my camera the other day. Well, actually it was my husband's camera. So, while I wait for it to be repaired, I have used a spare Kodak camera that, frankly, is simply not up to the task of taking good enough pictures for this blog. As a result, many of my photos illustrating the stages of cooking the pudding did not turn out.  Fortunately, making rice pudding is not rocket science. The process is pretty simple. It just requires some patience to wait for the rice to cook. Though this recipe did not meet my expectations, I would definitely recommend adding pumpkin to my standard rice pudding.

Reminder- don't need to cook in water first, no butter required

Pumpkin Rice Pudding

4 cups whole milk

1 c. long grain white rice

3/4 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. pureed plain pumpkin

1 tsp. orange zest

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 T. vanilla extract

3/4 c. golden raisins

Reminder - cook rice, salt and sugar in the milk first

Plump raisins in a small bowl of hot water. After 15 minutes, drain and squeeze out excess water and set aside. 

In a large saucepan bring to a simmer the rice, sugar, salt and milk. Cook at a medium to low simmer till rice is fully cooked and mixture begins to thicken, stirring frequently, about 40 minutes.  

Add the vanilla extract, eggs, raisins, pumpkin, orange zest and pumpkin pie spice and bring to a light boil. Cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.  Pour into a serving dish, dust with cinnamon and let cool. Can be served either warm or cold.

Vic's Award Winning Chili

 

It's chili season. At least that what many of the September and October issues of the food magazines have suggested. Clearly, as the cold weather sets in there is nothing more comforting than a bowl of hot chili with all the fixings and a side of corn bread. Throughout the fall and winter months my chili is a welcomed meal, which I make quite often.  My chili recipe is a traditional one, but in the interest of health, I use ground turkey instead of beef.  To compensate for the bland flavor of the turkey I add lots of veggies like celery, onions, garlic, green peppers and canned jalapeno peppers. Then I highly season it with lots of chili powder, cumin, some rubbed sage, a pinch of cinnamon and either a teaspoon of cocoa powder or instant coffee.


But, the best chili recipe I know is for my dad's chili. My father, Vic, who just celebrated his 98th birthday, was in the food business as a grocer and than a restauranteur until the ripe old age of 83. Though he has a treasure trove of mostly Italian recipes, (he emigrated to the U.S. from Calabria, Italy) his chili recipe was once rated among the best in the state by Michigan Living magazine.

Though a rather traditional chili, it has a robust, authentic chili flavor and is deliciously spicy, with just the right amount of heat. It is a hearty chili that leans more towards a soup, great for soaking up crackers or freshly made corn bread. It was a favorite item among his customers in his restaurant and a standard at my husband's hunting camp for many years. 

Dad's recipe makes a large, 2 gallon amount, enough to feed a hungry group of hunters for 2 nights straight. I have cut the recipe in half, for more practical applications. Even this, however, will both serve an average family while still providing plenty more for either the freezer or another day's meal. Though incredibly good all on its own, a garnish of cilantro, chopped green onion, a dollop of sour cream and grated cheddar or colby cheese elevates it to crazy good!

Vic's Award Winning Chili

1 lb. ground beef
1 medium green pepper, diced
2 medium onions, diced
28 oz. undrained whole tomatoes, broken up
16 oz. crushed tomatoes
16 oz. water
40 oz. can of mild chili beans
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
3 T. chili powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. garlic, granulated 
pinch ground anise seed
1 medium bay leaf
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt


For garnish:
chopped green onions
chopped fresh cilantro
grated cheddar or colby cheese
sour cream

Cook ground beef in a large dutch oven until no longer pink. Drain excess fat.  I ground my own beef from a chuck roast. I removed much of the surrounding fat so there was no need to drain any excess fat.  The meat was lean and tasty.

Add the onions and green peppers and cook until veggies begin to soften.  

Add all the remaining ingredients - tomatoes, water, and all the spices -  except the beans and simmer for 2 hours. This helps all the flavors blend together and the spices to fully penetrate the veggies and meat.

Add the beans and simmer until the mixture returns to a good simmer. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Serve with all the 'fixings' --  dollop of sour cream, topped with some chopped cilantro, grated cheese and  green onions - muy delicioso!

Spaghetti with Walnut & Bread Crumb Sauce

I am always on the lookout for ways to dress pasta other than with the traditional tomato sauce. A while back I watched Lidia Bastianich dress spaghetti with a sauce made of primarily bread crumbs. The dish looked both delicious and incredibly simple to make. Intrigued by that idea when I came upon this recipe which also includes a generous amount of walnuts, I was anxious to give it a try.

The recipe requires just a handful of ingredients: walnuts, good dry bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, olive oil and, of course, cooked spaghetti.  The bread crumbs, walnuts and garlic are simply sauteed in the olive oil, then added to the cooked pasta with the fresh parsley. The most time consuming task is chopping the nuts and garlic, and processing the bread crumbs.

Though quite tasty, I'm not sure I would serve it as an entree. This is more of a light lunch item, prima piatti course or a nice side dish to a grilled meat or fish. The recipe is written for enough sauce to coat a full pound of pasta. The photos illustrate me preparing a half-recipe, just enough for a half pound of spaghetti.

Spaghetti with Walnut & Bread Crumb Sauce

from Tuscany, The Beautiful Cookbook by Lorenza De' Medici

1/2 c. finely chopped walnuts

1/4 c. dry bread crumbs, about 1-2 slices of bread

1/2 c. good olive oil

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

salt and pepper to taste

3 T.  chopped fresh parsley

1 lb. spaghetti, cooked as directed on package

Prepare the walnuts and bread crumbs. Either finely chop by hand for more uniform pieces or chop the nuts in the food processor but do not chop too finely. I used a food processor to turn my bread into crumbs. I used a good multi-grain bread, which add a grainy texture and further enhances the nutty taste to the sauce. A good Italian bread will produce a creamier sauce.  

Prepare spaghetti according to package instructions. While pasta is cooking, heat half the olive oil in a medium size skillet. Add the bread crumbs, garlic and nuts, and saute till garlic is soft, but not burned, and the bread and nuts begin to crisp and turn light golden broown.  Season with salt and pepper. 

Add a few tablespoons of the pasta water to the sauce to loosen. Pour over the drained cooked spaghetti. Add the parsley and toss together to combine all ingredients. Serve as is or with a sprinkle of grated cheese.