Spaghetti and Meatballs

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Who doesn’t love a big pile of spaghetti and meatballs? It’s always been a favorite in our home, and for good reason. It’s a comfort food meal that can be prepared in less than an hour, and there’s usually always leftovers which make for great submarine sandwiches later in the week. It’s pretty much your standard meatball recipe…well, except for the addition of powdered gelatin.

I know what you’re probably thinking – gelatin? In ground beef? No thanks! But, hear me out. I don’t like using ground pork or veal in my meatballs, and that’s where the gelatin comes in. It mimics the natural gelatinous goodness that is usually found in veal; giving it that smooth, velvety quality – without, you know, eating infant cows. I use it in my meatloaf too. A tip I picked up from Cook’s Illustrated years ago. Just love them!

Spaghetti and Meatballs

For the meatballs:
1.5 pounds ground sirloin
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 slices of bread, pulsed to crumbs in food processor
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon powdered gelatin
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
vegetable oil, for pan frying

For the sauce and pasta:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves , minced
Table salt
Ground black pepper
1 pound spaghetti
Parmesan cheese fresh, grated

In a large bowl, combine the egg and milk. Sprinkle the powdered gelatin on top, and let sit (or “bloom”) for 5 minutes. Add in remaining ingredients and mix gently with your hands until combined. Working with about 2 tablespoons at a time (I use a small cookie scoop), roll meat into 1″ balls and set aside.

Pour vegetable oil into 10- or 11-inch sauté pan to depth of ¼ inch. Turn flame to medium-high. After several minutes, test oil with edge of meatball. When oil sizzles, add meatballs in single layer. Fry, turning several times, until nicely browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Regulate heat as needed to keep oil sizzling but not smoking. Transfer browned meatballs to plate lined with paper towels and set aside.

Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in large pot for pasta.

For the sauce, discard oil in pan, leaving behind any browned bits. Add olive oil along with garlic; sauté, scraping up any browned bits, just until garlic is golden, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, bring to boil, and simmer gently until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Stir in basil; add salt and pepper to taste. Add meatballs and simmer, turning them occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Keep warm over low flame.

Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta to boiling water. Cook until al dente, drain, and return to pot. Ladle several large spoonfuls of tomato sauce (without meatballs) over spaghetti and toss until noodles are well coated. Divide pasta among individual bowls and top each with a little more tomato sauce and 2 to 3 meatballs. Serve immediately with grated cheese passed separately.

Adapted from: Cook’s Illustrated, January 1998

Poblano Burgers with Chipotle Cream

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A couple weekends ago, my girlfriend and I ventured out to the local flea market. I was hoping to find some unique vintage plates, flatware, linens, etc. to use as props. I’m happy to report that I did, flea markets and yard sales are a great source for stuff like that. There’s also a produce cart there, that a very nice Hispanic lady runs. Most of what she had to offer were things that one would use in Mexican food – chiles, tomatillos, dried beans, cactus (!!), garlic, onions. Everything was gorgeous too. I’m not stretching the truth when I say that it was the most gorgeous spread of produce that I’ve seen around here. I will definitely be going back!

At any rate, I bought a basket of 6 gorgeous, big, dark green poblano peppers for the small sum of $2. I knew I wanted to make chile rellanos for dinner, but we weren’t going to eat that many of them. I sat down to browse my favorite cookbooks and food sites when Courtney from Cook Like A Champion mentioned on the site’s Facebook feed that they were having these burgers for dinner. It was a sign, and I was sold. They were relatively quick to bring together, and absolutely hit the spot. Jon died and went to Heaven. We just had them last week, and he’s already asking for them again.

Poblanos are a relatively mild pepper, so I was worried the flavor would get lost in translation. But, it doesn’t! The flavor of the pepper shined right through the beef. And, the chipotle cream on top is just the perfect complement. Ant leftovers make a delicious dipping sauce for fries! I went full on pig style – and added a slice of Pepperjack cheese. But, eh, you hardly knew it was there. Next time I probably won’t bother. With all this gorgeous weather everyone’s been having, I know you’ve got to be itching to fire up the grill. These burgers are the perfect way to kick start the grilling season!

Poblano Burgers with Chipotle Cream

2 poblano peppers
1 tablespoon milk
1 slice white bread, crusts removed, and torn into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground sirloin
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1 chipotle chile, finely chopped
2 teaspoons adobo sauce
Cooking spray
4 hamburger buns, toasted on the grill
Lettuce, onions, etc. for serving

Directions:
Preheat broiler to high. Place poblanos on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil about 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until blackened. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Alternately, place in a plastic bag and seal. Let stand for 15 minutes. Remove skin and discard seeds and ribs. Finely chop peepers and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine milk and bread pieces. Mash with a fork until a smooth paste is formed. Add poblanos, half of cilantro, cumin, coriander, paprika, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper and beef. Gently toss to combine, taking care not to overwork the meat. Divide into 4 equal portions and shape into a 1/2-inch thick patty. Press gently in the center of each to form a small indention. Cover and refrigerate until ready to grill.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat or prepare coals. Meanwhile, make chipotle cream by combining the sour cream with the remaining cilantro, salt and pepper. Stir in shallots, lime juice, chipotle and adobo sauce. Set aside.

Coat the grill rack with cooking spray and place the patties on top. Grill for 3 minutes or until grill marks appear. Turn and continue cooking an additional 3 minutes or until burgers reach desired stage of doneness. Serve with chipotle cream sauce, lettuce and any other desired toppings.

Source: adapted from Cooking Light, via Cook Like A Champion

Taco Stuffed Peppers

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I don’t know about your neck of the woods, but here in Maryland, it’s been in the 70’s all week long. The boys and I have pretty much been living outside the past few days, and its been wonderful. On Wednesday, we had dinner plans with our local kids play group. But as luck with 2 small children would have it, those plans fell through. First thought was to just order a pizza, but we try not to order out too often. We had  some leftover taco meat from earlier on in the week, and a few bell peppers I’d picked up but not used. So, I thought why not a Tex-Mex twist on stuffed peppers?

We really enjoyed them. It was a light enough dinner that I didn’t feel weighed down by it, yet substantial enough that I was completely full and satisfied with one pepper. I used ground sirloin, but ground turkey is always wonderful in an application such as this. I loved the addition of the black beans and corn, I felt it really added a surprising twist that you wouldn’t be expecting in a stuffed pepper. I had made a batch of Spanish rice to go alongside, so I just added some of that to the stuffing mixture. Topped off with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt, it really was a great dinner. Would be an awesome vegetarian dish too, just bump up the amounts of beans and corn. A great way to segue into the lighter, fresher meals of spring that I know we’re all jonesin’ for. Fingers crossed that this beautiful weather holds out through the weekend!

Taco Stuffed Peppers

4 medium bell peppers (I used red, green and yellow)
3/4 pound ground beef (I used leftover taco meat)
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup Spanish rice
2 Tbs olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 (14oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn kernels
kosher salt
black pepper
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare peppers by washing, slicing tops off, and removing seeds and ribs with a spoon. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Boil whole peppers for about 3-4 minutes, until they begin to soften. Remove from water with tongs and set aside to cool.

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook until well browned, about 7 minutes. Drain any grease from the pan. Add onions and garlic, and cook until softened. Add taco seasoning and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add corn, black beans, and diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes, then add rice to the mixture and combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place peppers, right side up, in a baking dish. Evenly divide mixture between peppers. Top peppers with shredded cheese.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 for about 30 minutes. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

French Dip Sandwiches

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The French Dip. I think that it is, quite possibly, the best sandwich ever. Crusty bread, thinly sliced beef, melted cheese, beefy broth. It’s a meal I’ll turn to often when I want to pull something together quickly. If I have leftover roast beef, that’s great. Or, a good quality roast beef from the deli counter is another feasible option. It’s instances like this in which I wish I had a deli slicer at home. I’ve seen them for around $100, but I don’t know – they seem…cheap. I use a good slicing knife, but it’s hard to get super thin slices. I’ll  get a few good ones, but then my wrists start to get tired and the slices get thicker. No matter, still delicious. A great way to use up your leftover roast beef from Christmas dinner.

I like to use Campbell’s canned beef broth for my dipping jus. If I have any pan drippings left over from the beef, I’ll add them to the broth as well. Also, while I’m generally not a fan of seasoning packets – McCormick does make a really good beef jus mix. I’ve used that in a pinch as well.  Serve alongside some crispy oven fries (that are also delicious dipped in au jus – just sayin’), this is a delicious, easy to put together meal.

French Dip Sandwiches

1 small onion, sliced and separated into rings
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 oz) can beef broth
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 lb thinly sliced roast beef
1/4 lb sliced provolone cheese
4 french rolls, split

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat butter in small saucepan over medium-high heat until melted. Add onion and garlic, and saute until softened. Add in beef broth,rosemary, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add the sliced beef to the broth and let simmer for 3 minutes.

Arrange the meat on the rolls and top each roll with 2 slices of provolone. Toast the sandwiches in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, or until the cheese just begins to melt. Serve the sandwiches with small bowls of the warm broth for dipping.