Meatballs with a twist

Meatballs are delicious and fun to eat, everybody likes them, especially children. They can be a complete meal if you put in them the right ingredients. Also ground meat can help you stretch your buck. You can get a good cut of meat and ask the butcher to grind it for you (to make sure that you get the quality and fat content you want), or you can do it yourself. If you buy it already ground, try to get the one with less possible fat. If not, don't worry, I still have some tricks to help you get the best of this meat. I know it may seem difficult and labor intensive (at least for the effort needed to form the meatballs), but still, the result is worth the effort. So don't be like my husband who thinks that ground meat is no meat, don't be intimidated, and start making those meatballs. Today we are making two different kind of dishes, I call them meatballs with a twist, because as you'll see, they are not the usual meatballs, but two different dishes made with ground meat.

RICE MEATBALLS

One of the best memories of my childhood was when I woke up to the sound of a pestle grinding in the kitchen. I would run downstairs to the kitchen where I'd find my grandmother sitting in her favorite sunny spot, working hard on her shiny brass mortar. I knew I was in for a treat: she was making my favorite meatballs, the ones we only had when she came to visit, RICE MEATBALLS. By then she'd be already in an advanced stage of the long process. She would be pounding the meat already. Before that, and maybe at 6 o'clock in the morning, she had to pick the rice, rinse it several times, dry it and then crush it once or twice in her mortar. Then she would prepare the seasoning for the meat: finely chop onions, garlic, parsley and dill, mix it with the ground meat, and then with the crushed rice, and finally pound the whole thing once or twice to obtain a homogeneous mass that she would mold into balls and fingers.

The first time I made this dish, I followed her steps, but went for a short-cut: I allowed myself to use the coffee grinder to grind the rice, then the food processor to work the other ingredients. It was a rather long process, but it was worth it. I got my beloved meatballs and I discovered, to my surprise, that these were the only kind my husband likes. Then I discovered cream of rice !!It was a glorious moment, it cut the whole process in half, and now I can make as much as I want of these meatballs in a snap (sort of..).I have to tell you though that it's still a labor intensive dish, and it also needs frying. A friend of mine told me that she tried baking the meatballs, and they were OK. OK? Of course I refused, this is one recipe where I am not ready to accept any tweaking: the use of modern technology here is enough tweaking, the rest shall be as grandma said.  You'll need:

3 lb ground beef

1 onion

3 to 4 garlic cloves

1/2 bunch of flat leaf parsley

1/2 bunch of dill

2 cups of cream of rice (less if you prefer, about 1 1/2 cup)

1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce

2 tbsp tomato paste

Salt and pepper to taste

Vegetable oil for frying

In the food processor, work the onion and garlic until almost liquefied. Add the herbs and pulsate to get them all finely chopped. Add some meat and pulsate until it forms a ball. Remove to a big bowl. Continue working in the food processor, adding meat and some cream of rice until they are well incorporated and the whole quantity is done. Mix all the meat in the bowl together with salt and pepper. You'll know it's well mixed by the color. You had one first ball of meat with the veggies (green) and the others with the rice (light pink), now it should all be of one color. If you want to check the salt, just put a small piece on the tip of your tongue: make sure it's not very salty, because you can always adjust the seasoning in the last stage of cooking. Now start forming the meatballs: take an amount equivalent to a small ping pong ball, or less, work it between your hands applying some pressure on it to make sure that the meat is compact, then roll it to form a ball or a finger ( we usually make them both). When you are done, heat a deep pan with vegetable oil, and start frying the meatballs until they are lightly browned. Remove to a platter lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Continue until all are done. You can try one fried: you'll love them. You may keep some for a snack, trust me. Now in a large pan pour the can of tomato sauce, rinse it with 1/2 a can of water and add it to the pan. Add the tomato paste and stir until dissolved. Add the meatballs, stir, and cover. When it comes to a boil, lower the heat and let simmer for about 8 minutes. It will be done when the meatballs are plump and the sauce thickens.

TURKEY MANWICH
                                    

                                                       
                                                                                                                                                        

I call it manwich because it's a sandwich that all men around me can eat at any time. It is also very versatile, and can be served as a meal or as a simple sandwich. It is very easy to make, and you can add to it whatever you like to make it to your taste. You'll need:

1 lb ground turkey

2 tbsp frozen onion/garlic mixture

1 tsp olive oil

1 1/2 cup sliced white mushrooms

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp cumin

Shredded mozzarella

Salt and pepper to taste

In a non-stick skillet, heat the oil and add the onion/garlic mixture. When it becomes translucent, add the ground turkey and let it brown, stirring to make sure you don't have big chunks and that it browns on all sides. Add the mushrooms, stir. Add salt and pepper and the cumin, stir. Add the tomato paste and 2 tbsp of water to dissolve it. Mix well until the liquid is absorbed. Serve over a toasted bun topped with some mozzarella. The last time I made it, I didn't have any buns, so I served it with a side of mashed potatoes, like an open shepherd's pie. My husband preferred it on a toasted pita bread. If you really want to make it fancy, top your manwich with a fried egg.

Week-end meals.

I usually call these week-end meals simply because they need a little bit more time to prepare. They are not difficult, you just have to give them time, not the usual 30 or 40 minutes, to get the best results. Also you need the week-end because if you'll follow my example you'll need to start them on Friday night. In fact, before I close the kitchen on Friday night, I make sure I start to defrost the meat for the week-end. So tonight it's beef cubes and chicken. Out of the freezer and into a bowl in the refrigerator for the next day. Saturday we'll have beef stew, and Sunday Tandoori chicken. The beef is already cut, so you'll just have to marinate the chicken and leave it in the refrigerator for Sunday dinner.

BEEF STEW

                                                                 

This was a common dish while growing up. It's a no fuss no mess way to have a decent meat dish in your meal. It doesn't need an expensive cut of beef, on the contrary, any cut will do, even the cheapest one. The secret is in the way you cook it. And it's not a "dark" secret, it's simply time, just give it time to cook slowly.

We used to call it "kebab in a pot", from the meat cut in cubes and cooked in a pot, not in skewers on a grill. It was ubiquitous in every house, especially when you cook for family. The basic recipe is very simple and easy, but I noticed that I made it several times, but didn't like it as much as I used to, or as I remembered it. Something was not right. Maybe because I made it without adding fat? I remember my grandma putting a whole tablespoon (or more) of butter in it. But I cannot add that much. So I tried adding a little bit of butter. Still it wasn't the same. Then I remembered the golden rule: if you are going to omit something from the recipe, you have to compensate for it with other ingredients. So I did, and it came out perfect. You'll need:

2 lb beef cut into 2 inch cubes

1 tbsp flour

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp cajoun seasoning

2 tbsp frozen onion/garlic mixture

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the spices with the onion and garlic and add to the meat. Mix well to make sure that all the meat cubes are well coated. Let stand a while so that the meat will absorb the marinade. Sprinkle the flour over the meat, and mix to slightly coat it. (This process, and the spices are what I used to compensate for not using fat). In a non-stick pan, large enough to hold all the meat cubes in one layer, brown the beef on all sides on high heat. Don't panic if you notice that it is making some brown bits on the sides of the skillet, that's what will make the delicious sauce. It will need 7 to 10 minutes. When the meat is well browned on all sides, add some water and with a wooden spoon scrape off to release all the brown bits stuck on the sides and bottom of the skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and let simmer. Check after 15 minutes and add water, enough to make the sauce liquid again. Cover and let cook. You may need to repeat until the meat is fork tender and the liquid is almost all absorbed and you have a thick brown sauce. The whole process will take about 50 minutes depending on the cut of meat you're using (I use top round). Serve over pasta, no sauce, you'll use the meat sauce, or rice, or with bread to dip in the sauce, with some vegetables of your choice on the side. 

TANDOORI CHICKEN

You probably had this kind of chicken at an Indian restaurant. I simply tried to replicate it because it is a nice departure from the same old same old chicken dish, and also because this way I can control the spicyness of the dish. I am not a fan of very hot dishes, so I made it as mild as I can. Of course you can make it as hot as you want. You'll be amazed at how easy it is. You'll need:

1 whole chicken cut into 8 or 10 pieces (or the equivalent in pieces: drumsticks, thighs, breasts) all skinless

1 tsp each: curry, celery salt, cumin

1 tbsp garam masala

1/2 tsp each: coriander, ginger

1 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp plain yogurt

2 tbsp frozen onion/garlic mix

Salt to taste.

Mix all the spices together. Add the onion/garlic mixture, mix. Add to the chicken, sprinkle with the lime juice and mix well. Add the yogurt to the chicken and mix to coat. Make sure that the pieces of chicken are of almost the same size. If they are too big you can make a small cut with a sharp knife in the thickest part so that the marinade can go into every part of the chicken. If the breast is too big you can cut it in half. I use it with or without bone. Cover the chicken and refrigerate overnight. The next day, preheat the oven to 375 degrees, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, arrange the chicken pieces on it and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes. Discard the leftover marinade. You may have noticed that I added salt and not pepper. It's because with all the spices you don't need pepper, but you might need some salt (be cautious not to over do it). You may as I said add hot pepper flakes to your taste.

Serve with rice.

Catch of the day III

I learned from experience that the best recipes one can come up with are made from ingredients we have in the pantry, than the other way around. I grew up watching my grandmother whip up some delicious dishes (especially in cold winter nights, some extraordinary desserts) from scratch just from what we had in the pantry. Actually, it was a big room adjacent to the kitchen with a window and lots of shelves filled with goodies. So I never go to the store thinking I have to buy this or that for a recipe, because I am never sure that the ingredients I'm looking for are in the best shape that day. I always go shopping for the best and freshest ingredients I find, then I figure out how to use them and cook them. It is so much easier to shop this way, to keep a full pantry and refrigerator, and then pull things out and start cooking. One of my friends came by the other day with another friend around dinner time. They were embarrassed and wanted to leave, but my husband confidently insisted they stay. He knew that I will be able to cook something with what we had in the house. And I did. After dinner, my friend, who kept me company in the kitchen while I was cooking, had only one thing to say "I now know where to go in case of a catastrophe, here I'm sure I will be fed for at least two months!!"

And this is exactly what I did last Sunday. The day before, I had bought some beautiful tilapia fillets, and while organizing my pantry I discovered a can of black olives and a can of diced tomatoes that I had to use ASAP. So here is what I came up with:

TILAPIA WITH SALSA

                                                             

This is a very easy dish to make. Tilapia fillets are very versatile, mainly because on their own they are rather bland, so they absorb the marinade and sauce and give excellent results. Also they are not very expensive and available everywhere. I usually cook 1 slice for each person, and add one or two extra. Cutting the fillets lengthwise make them easier to handle and serve. You'll need:

5 or 6 tilapia fillets

1 (14.5 ounces) can of diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 red onion thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic smashed and minced as finely as possible

1/2 cup black olives quartered lengthwise

1 tbsp capers rinsed, drained

1 tsp dried oregano, crushed

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Chopped parsley for garnish

Cut each tilapia fillet in two to obtain 2 long slices from each fillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and the lime juice. Set aside while you prepare the other ingredients. In a large non-stick skillet that will hold all the fillets in one layer, heat the olive oil. Brown the fish on one side, about 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully turn the fillets to brown them on the other side. When golden brown, remove the fish to a platter. In the same pan cook the onions for 3 or 4 minutes, then add the garlic and keep cooking for another 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, the oregano and a pinch of salt and pepper. When it comes to a boil, return the fish to the pan and add the olives and capers. Let cook on lower heat until the sauce thickens and the liquid is absorbed. Serve topped with chopped parsley.

Leftovers? What leftovers??

My husband was spoiled as a child. His mother cooked every day, and he never ate anything that was not cooked the same day (maybe because refrigeration was not available in the countryside where he lived at the time?). I, on the other hand, grew up in a house where my mother worked and traveled a lot, and she had a cook who came twice a week, which means that for 5 days a week we were used to reheat our meals. The leftovers were usually the meal of the last day of the week, before the cook would come back with new and fresh meals for the following week. So when I first tried to reheat some leftovers, my husband looked at me almost in disbelief and without saying a word, reached for the cheese.

I had to learn then how to cook only the quantities we need, also which foods can be frozen, with no "side effects" or "after taste"; and most importantly how to "redraft" a previously cooked meal!! I had some setbacks of course, when he realized that this dish was on the table in another form, but all in all the success was undeniable. So here are some ideas.

CURRIED CHICKEN PASTA SALAD

                                                

I just came up with this recipe today! I had some boiled chicken from yesterday, and some small pasta that for some reason I cooked in excess, I needed only 2 cups, but somehow cooked more. So what should I do with them? I don't like to leave leftovers for a long time in the refrigerator, because they end up thrown away, and I really hate that. So I decided to combine them in a delicious salad, using some ingredients that I know my mother liked when we had the Moroccan style chicken three weeks ago, and whatever I had on hand in the kitchen. So, if you like the idea, here's what you'll need:

2 cooked half chicken breasts

2 cups cooked small pasta (I used elbows)

4 stalks of celery, thinly sliced

A handful of baby carrots, or 2 medium carrots

4 scallions thinly sliced, white part and a little green

1 cup mayo

2 tbsp mustard

1 tsp vinegar

1 tsp curry powder

2 tsp mango chutney

A handful of raisins

Salt and pepper to taste

Cut the chicken breasts in small cubes, thinly slice the scallions and the celery. Put everything in a large bowl with the cooked pasta. If you are using baby carrots chop them in the food processor and add them to the bowl. If you have regular carrots use a grater to grate them (watch you hands while doing so). In the food processor combine the mayo, mustard, the mango chutney and the vinegar. Pulsate to combine. Sprinkle the curry powder over the ingredients in the bowl, then fold in the sauce. Mix well to coat. Adjust seasoning by adding salt and pepper. Remember some of the ingredients have salt, so add the salt at the very end. Sprinkle the raisins and mix again. You can refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes so that it absorbs all the flavors. Serve with some tortilla chips.

 RICE WITH ALL THE WORKS

                                                     

How many times you had to throw away leftover Chinese rice? I know, I've been there and I hated it. I always ask the take out operator not to put too much rice, since we usually order some other dishes that can replace it, but to no avail. I keep the extra rice in the refrigerator hoping to be able to serve it somehow, but many times I am forced to throw it away. And this really hurts, especially that we live in a world where these cups of rice can make a huge difference in someone else's life. So I came up with a recipe that uses this unwanted rice. You'll need:

1 or more rice containers (if more than 1 1/2 you'll have to adjust the quantities of the other ingredients)

1 1/2 cups of sliced white button mushrooms

1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped

1/2 bunch dill, chopped

1 tbsp frozen onion/garlic mixture

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

In a non-stick skillet heat the oil, and cook the onion mixture until tender. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the chopped herbs, and stir. In a bowl separate the rice with your fingertips to make sure that you don't get a big lump of rice. When the veggies are fragrant, add the rice, lower the heat, and stir to mix and heat the rice throughout. Remember the rice is already cooked and it only needs to be incorporated in the mixture that you cooked and reheated. Serve as a side dish.