Meatballs are fun and easy to make and are usually a big hit with kids. But often they can be boring, especially when they're always made the same way: with the typical tomato sauce and served over pasta. I mean, that can be good, but it can get old if that's the only way you ever serve them.
Making really good meatballs isn't rocket science. It's really as easy as just spicing them up the way you like them. That's what makes them so great - their versatility. You can take them into any sort of direction. I also prefer making my own because I know exactly what's in them. Most store-bought meatballs contain breadcrumbs and yeast extracts, which I'd like to avoid. We're also on a low-carb eating plan, so these are perfect.
I've been experimenting with curried meatballs and find them really good. We had them for dinner again last night. You can make a curry sauce to go over them, but I served them with curried ketchup on the side. I found a bottle of it at Fresh & Easy (see photo at right), but you can certainly make your own by taking regular ketchup and adding a bit of curry powder to it. Adds a little zing!
Last night I wanted some caramelized onions with my meatballs, so I started making those first because they take about 45 minutes. Simply cook a sliced onion in a little oil and butter, on low, until the onion is reduced down considerably and is a lovely shade of golden brown. Do NOT burn them!
While your onions are cooking, make your meatballs. Some meatball recipes add an egg to bind everything together. I don't find I need that. Maybe it's if you add the breadcrumbs that you need to add the egg, I'm not sure, but if you want to add it, by all means, do.
Curried Meatballs
1-1/2 lbs. ground beef or turkey (include the dark meat so they stay moist and flavorful)
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. chili powder*
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (or more)
salt and pepper (I used white pepper for a little more kick)
Mix all the ingredients together with your hands, really working the spices into the meat. Form into balls (the bigger they are, the longer they take to cook).
Heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a wide sauté pan and add your meatballs when the oil is hot. Brown them on all sides, then cover and cook another 5 minutes. Cut one in half to check if it's cooked all the way through. If not, continue cooking a few more minutes over low heat.
Serve with your caramelized onions and curry ketchup.
* If you have a curry powder blend on hand, then substitute that for the coriander through chili powder.
What do you do with Jerusalem Artichokes? This was recently my dilemma. I had been given a bag of home-grown "sunchokes" by a friend and hadn't the foggiest clue what to do with them, having never had them before.
It wasn't so much a dilemma as it was a challenge, really. I was intrigued - something new to play with. I turned to my trusted cookbooks, but unfortunately found them to be of little help. I emailed friends. They didn't know either.
What was I gonna do next, but turn to the Internet for help?! And lo and behold, a video came forth and gave me soup. Palastine Soup, to be exact. It sounded good. So I made it last night. Very tasty!
Despite their name, Jerusalem artichokes have nothing to do with Jerusalem and aren't even a type of artichoke! Italian settlers in America called the plant girasole, the Italian word for sunflower, because of its resemblance to the garden sunflower (note: both the sunflower and the sunchoke are part of the same genus: Helianthus). Maybe over time the name girasole may have been changed to Jerusalem.
They are knobby little root vegetables that look very similar to ginger. The tubers are sometimes used as a substitute for potatoes. They have a similar consistency and in their raw form have a similar texture, but a sweeter, nuttier flavor. Eaten raw and sliced thinly, they are fit for a salad, as they are typically prepared in the Middle East. Better than boiling them, steaming helps retain their texture. One great way of making them is in soup. Wash and peel your tubers before cutting.
Palastine Soup
1 Tbsp. butter
1 onion, chopped
Enough Jerusalem artichokes to make several cups worth of peeled chopped veg
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt and white pepper, to taste
Melt butter in a soup pot. Add chopped onion and stir. Add your peeled and chopped artichokes and sweat together with the onion for 5 minutes (do not allow the vegetables to brown). Add broth and simmer for about 20 minutes. Use an immersion blender or whirl in a blender to puree the soup. Return to soup pot, and add 1/4 cup or so of cream. Then add seasonings to taste.
By the time I remembered to take this photo, half the soup had already been consumed.
Sometimes cauliflower bores me.
It can be hard to get down on its own so
I'm often on the lookout for new and exciting ways to eat it.
Here is one way.
Cauliflower with Shallot Herb Butter
Steam cauliflower for 10 -12 minutes, depending on how tender you like it.
Meanwhile, make the butter:
1 Tbsp. minced shallot
1 Tbsp. minced fresh chives
2 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. (or more) warm melted butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Mix the herbs and butter together in a bowl, and add the steamed cauliflower. Toss. Sprinkle cheese on top while warm. Serve immediately.
I've been experimenting with curried meatballs and find them really good. We had them for dinner again last night. You can make a curry sauce to go over them, but I served them with curried ketchup on the side. I found a bottle of it at Fresh & Easy (see photo at right), but you can certainly make your own by taking regular ketchup and adding a bit of curry powder to it. Adds a little zing!
