Meatloaf Meatballs

Ever since my hands could roll, they’ve been rolling meatballs. They are the first food that I ever learned to make. When I was a little girl, my mom would pull a stool up to the counter and I would help her to roll the meatballs for Sunday dinner’s sauce. One by one, I would follow her lead and try to make them as perfect as I could. As we would line the meatballs up on the counter, she would tell me that I was doing a good job and I would feel proud.

Those are some of my first memories in the kitchen. Perhaps it was then, that a little seed was subconsciously planted inside of me. A teeny tiny little baby speck of a meatball seed that would someday grow into the desire to become a chef and nourish the drive to eventually help me flower into one. You never can tell how these things happen. Maybe it really is because of meatballs.

Meatballs are the theme for the 5 Star Makeover cooking group for this month. The challenge is to create an interesting type of meatball. I went for interesting, yet practical, which seems to be the direction I always tend to lean. Using good old ground beef, I combined two dinner classics, wrapped ‘em up in bacon and stuffed them with cheese to make meatloaf meatballs.

The bacon melts onto the flavorfully seasoned  meat, incorporating a delicious saltiness on the outside that only a slice of pork belly can do so well. One thing I particularly enjoy about meatloaf is the ketchup glaze. Half way through cooking, the meatballs are basted with a simple, no-cook ketchup glaze made with maple syrup and Worcestershire sauce.They are coated with another thick layer when they come out of the oven.

These have the portability of a meatball with the flavor of a meatloaf, and they come with a nice surprise inside—a melted hunk of mozzarella. Serve over rice and enjoy! To see all the other meatball creations that the group came up with, click the link below:

hosted by 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro Cooks!

Meatloaf Meatballs:

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Yield: 10-12 Meatballs

- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 pounds ground sirloin
- 1 cup panko breadcrumb
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dry thyme
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, divided
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 egg
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 cup mozzarella, cut into cubes
- 5-6 slices of bacon, cut in half
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2) Heat the olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant.
3) In a large bowl, combine the cooked onion and garlic with the meat, breadcrumb, garlic powder, thyme, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, cumin and the egg. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Mix until all of the ingredients are well incorporated.
4) To prepare the glaze, mix together the remaining Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, maple syrup and hot sauce in a medium bowl.
5) Form the meat mixture into balls a little larger than the size of golf ball; insert a cube of mozzarella into each, forming the meat completely around the cheese. Wrap each meatball in a slice of bacon and place seam-side down on a broiler pan.
6) Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes, and then baste with half the glaze. Bake 15 minutes more until the meat and bacon are fully cooked. Brush on the remaining glaze and serve immediately.

Tapping into Tapas

A few years ago, I purchased a tapas cookbook that I found on sale at the book store; it wasn’t a New York Times best seller and it didn’t carry the name of any big time chef or television personality, but it stood out to me (though they tell me I shouldn’t, I can’t help but to judge (actual) books by their covers—especially when there is a pretty picture of food on the cover). Boring story, I know. But as random as it was, that last-minute, cheap impulse buy turned out to be one of my favorite cookbooks and one that I always look to for inspiration.

It is no wonder I am drawn to tapas, the small appetizer and snacks served in the bars of Spain. I am one who would rather get full on tasting a bunch of little things than one big meal any day. I think I could live off of the crostini, marinated vegetables, cheeses, olives, croquettes and other various fried things which tapas menus are made of; in just one or two satisfyingly delectable bites, they are just enough and more than you could ask for all at once.

I was recently flipping through the pages of my trusty cookbook, when a recipe for empandillas caught my eye. Empandillas are a smaller version of the baked or fried turnovers, empanadas. What I enjoyed most about the recipe was that it used frozen puff pastry dough. To make, you simply thaw the dough, roll it out, cut out circles, prepare and add the filling, fold into a crescent and crimp the edges to seal; 15 minutes in the oven, and done. How ridiculously easy is that? I love it. Plus, there’s definitely something therapeutic about folding and crimping those miniature pockets of deliciousness.

You can stuff the empandillas with any creative filling of your choice. My version includes goat cheese, diced prosciutto and caramelized onions. I think I found a new “go-to” recipe and hope that I introduced one for you too. Make frozen puff pastry a freezer staple (always handy to have anyway) and prepare this whenever you need a quick appetizer or snack for guests. I served them on the side with the feast that I cooked up for Christmas. They are best warm and crispy straight from the oven.

Empandillas with Goat Cheese & Prosciutto
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Yield: 16-18 empandillas
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ medium onion, thinly sliced
- 8 ounces goat cheese
- 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, diced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1box (2 sheets) prepared frozen puff pastry, thawed
- All-purpose flour, for dusting
- 1 egg, beaten
• Heat the olive oil in a small sauce pan. Add the onion and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 30-40 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray 3 baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the caramelized onion, goat cheese and prosciutto until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the thawed puff pastry dough. Using a medium-large round cookie cutter or the rim of a glass, cut out circles. Add a teaspoon of goat cheese filling to the center of each circle. Dampen half of the circles with a little bit of water, then fold the dough over the filling to form a crescent; pinch the edges to seal, then press with the tines of a fork to secure. Transfer to the prepared baking sheets.
• Using a sharp knife, make a small slit in the top of each pastry. Brush with the beaten egg to glaze. Bake until risen and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Men

Decked with friendly smiles and swirls of snowy royal icing, gingerbread men are an iconic symbol of the holiday season. The deep molasses flavor of gingerbread is warm and festive in itself, but the spiced aroma of a freshly baked batch, and the familiar sugary designs on the doll-like cookie cutouts are what truly make it feel like Christmas.

Though it always looks so appealing, the problem with gingerbread is that it is often break-your-teeth-status, hard as rocks. I don’t know about you, but when I’m presented with a delicious little man cookie that smells like cinnamon and sugar, I’m tempted to bite the head off of it. And when I can’t? What a tease! A lot of recipes are designed to make the cookies sturdy enough to be used as tree ornaments and decorations, which is perfect if that is what you want to do. However, if eating the cookies is what you’re after, soft & chewy is the way to go.

In search of a cookie that fit the right criteria, I came across this blog featuring the recipe for Thick and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies by Baking/Cook’s Illustrated. With the description of “the perfect man,” I could not resist. As I am often very careful when it comes to baking, I followed the recipe exactly, and the cookies turned out awesome! Just look at them. They’re adorable and best of all, soft and chewy; the texture makes it so easy to savor all the deliciousness that gingerbread has to offer.

I decorated my gingerbread men simply and traditionally with standard royal icing made of confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and egg whites. Because of the stigma attached to eating raw egg and getting salmonella, most royal icing recipes these days will call for meringue powder or egg white powder instead—both pricier alternatives that require a trip to a craft or specialty store. I’ve seen so many recipes like this, that I actually questioned myself for wanting to use real egg whites. Listen, people have been making royal icing with egg whites for years. The chance of getting salmonella from pasteurized eggs is already incredibly low; factor in the ratio of sugar to egg whites, and your risk is even lower.

You won’t be able to hang these soft gingerbread cookies on your tree, but they are too good to be used as decorations anyway. For many, the gingerbread man is the personification of sweet holiday memories. Baking them is a fun project to share with the ones you love, and they make thoughtful gifts as well. They are just the kind of cookies that are sure to put a smile on Santa’s face!

A gingerbread man once said, that you can take anything from him, just “not the buttons; not my gumdrop buttons!” Ladies and gentleman, the inspiration to all of my gingerbread aspirations, Gingy! :

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays, Everyone!

Here is the recipe. It is not mine, just one that I recommend. :-)

Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
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Recipe edited. Obtained from sweetpeaskitchen.com; Thick and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies, Baking Illustrated
Yield: About 20 Cookies
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened slightly
- 3/4 cup molasses
- 2 tablespoons milk
- Royal icing for decorating
• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, process flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and baking soda until combined, about 10 seconds. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture and process until mixture is sandy and resembles very fine meal, about 15 seconds. With food processor running, add molasses and milk; process until dough is evenly moistened and forms a soft mass, about 10 seconds. (This step can also be done in an electric stand mixer; mix the dry ingredients, cut the dough into the flour mixture by hand, and then mix in the wet ingredients).
• Divide dough in half and roll into ¼ inch thickness between two sheets of parchment paper. Place in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes, until firm.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Once the dough is firm, cut out cookies using a gingerbread man cookie cutter. Place on prepared baking sheets spacing cookies 1 inch apart. Bake until centers are just set and dough barely retains imprint when touched very gently with fingertip, 8 to 11 minutes. Gather scraps; repeat rolling, cutting, and baking until all dough is used.
• Cool the cookies on the baking sheets about 2 minutes. Using a wide metal spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Decorate as desired with royal icing.

40 Clove Garlic Chicken

I know what you’re probably thinking. “Forty cloves of garlic? That’s a lot of garlic!”

Yes, forty whole cloves. Seems like a whole lot of bad breath, a whole lot of peeling, and a whole lot of time trying to get the smell off your hands. At least, that was my first reaction. The sound of having so much of this one particularly pungent ingredient could either turn you on or off. At first glance, it seems that forty cloves just might be pushing the limits of aromatic enticement, even for the smelliest of garlic lovers.

Turns out, this dish is not nearly as intense or as in-your-face garlicky as the name might first imply. And that’s a good thing. That’s because after the cloves are evenly browned in the pan, they are braised along with a seared, whole cut up chicken, reducing them to rich, slightly nutty, sweet versions of themselves that melt into a tasty paste, similar to roasted garlic. You can eat the whole cloves and not even get garlic breath.

So did I peel every clove? Psht. No. Why would I do that, when the grocery store sells whole pints of em’ already peeled? Unlike the chopped garlic in the jar, which has a funny, unnatural smell/taste to it, it is still fresh garlic. I don’t care what kind of culinary purist you are, whether or not you sat there and peeled each clove will not be evident, nor will it make a difference in the dish. There is a trick to quickly blanching the garlic in boiling water to make peeling easier (see original recipe link with recipe), but I personally don’t want to do that either. Save some time and use pre-peeled.

Speaking of the original recipe link, I referenced Ina Garten’s well-reviewed Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic recipe for this dish. She’s not my favorite, but her food is good. Plus, it’s always fun to impersonate her while cooking. “Yeess, I’m going to be bringing to this to a faahbulous picnic in the Hamptons. My wonderful husband Jeffrey’s gonna love it.”

I wanted to alter the recipe more, but it seemed so good on its own. I especially love the addition of Cognac. The main difference in my recipe is that I used cloudy apple cider instead of white wine. Not that I have anything against white wine—apple cider was just more convenient at the time and it worked out deliciously. The chicken came out so tender; it was amazing with the rich garlic clove sauce (made by thickening the cooking liquid). It was great the first time with mashed potatoes, and the leftovers with couscous were even better. I bet you Jeffrey loved this one!

40 Clove Garlic Chicken
Derived from Food Network, Ina Garten, “Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic”
Yield: 4 servings
- 40 cloves of garlic, peeled ( I purchased pre-peeled ones from the grocery store)
- 1, 3-4 pound chicken, cut into pieces
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons good olive oil
- 3 tablespoons Cognac, divided
- 1 ½ cups cloudy apple cider
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• Clean and thoroughly dry the chicken. Season the pieces liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the butter and oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sauté the chicken in batches, skin side down first, until nicely browned on both sides, about 3-5 minutes. If the fat is burning, turn the heat down to medium. Transfer the chicken to a plate and reserve.
• Add the garlic to the pot. Lower the heat and sauté 5-10 minutes, turning often, until evenly browned. Add 2 tablespoons of the Cognac and the apple cider. Bring to a boil, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pot with the juices and sprinkle with the thyme. Cover and simmer on the lowest heat for about 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
• Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup of the sauce and the flour, then whisk back into the sauce in the pot. Raise the heat; add the remaining cognac and the cream. Boil for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the garlic over the chicken and serve hot.

Soup's Still On; Mexican Meatball Soup

Two weeks of soup for you. I guess it’s a testament to just how much of it I’ve been eating. It is that time of year, and I just can’t help myself. Not only have I been making a lot of soup lately, but it seems to be a reoccurring lunch theme as well. A nice cup of soup warms me up, pretty much satisfies my hunger for the rest of the day, and it’s cheap!

I heard Dr. Oz saying on the radio the other day that eating soup is one of the best things for you because it’s loaded with nutrients, is often packed with veggies, and fills you up so that you don’t overeat. And who questions Dr. Oz? Obviously, I don’t think he’s talking about rich creamy soups, but hearty vegetable and squash purees and low-sodium broths are great choices for the above reasons. I’m thinking that there are also bonus points if it’s homemade. If health is what you’re after, there’s no better way to control what you’re eating than by making it yourself.

This week I made Mexican Meatball or Albondigas soup. It was an idea that I came up with for a recipe variation at work, and it sounded so good that I was inspired to make it myself. It is not as traditional as most of the recipes that I found; for example, I left mint out which seems like a key ingredient in some of the more customary versions. But this is mine.

In this recipe, small half beef/half chorizo meatballs swim in a flavorful tomato-based broth with white rice. The soup is spiked with a little lime juice and jalapeno for extra depth and spice, and is seasoned with garlic, paprika, cumin, and fresh cilantro. It is a full meal in itself and is perfect served with tortillas or bread to soak up all the tastiness.

P.S. I hope that everyone has a great Thanksgiving! Check out my Thanksgiving sides post from last year with ideas and recipes for dishes such as cranberry relish, buttermilk biscuits, homemade apple sauce, sourdough and chestnut stuffing, and more!

Mexican Meatball Soup
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Yield: 8 servings
Meatballs:
- ½ pound ground beef
- 12 ounces chorizo sausage, removed from casing
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
Soup:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- ½ cup chopped carrots
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 jalapeno, seeded & minced
- 1/3 cup lime juice (about 3 limes)
- 1, 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 2 ½ quarts chicken broth
- ½ cup uncooked rice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
• In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, chorizo, egg, salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder & cilantro until well incorporated. Form into ping pong-sized balls and refrigerate.
• In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Sweat the onions and carrots, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeno, cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add the lime juice, tomato sauce, and chicken broth to the vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce to a simmer and season the broth with the salt, pepper, paprika and cumin. Add the rice and the meatballs one at a time. Simmer the soup, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes until the rice and the meatballs are cooked through.
• Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Add the cilantro right before serving.