Perfect after fast food! - Meatball Soup

Thanks for the "get well comments" I am still surrounded by "Kleenex" and coughing but I DO feel better ;) Thank you very much! It is very encouraging to see your comments! You have no idea. Ok... now to my post...

Unfortunately for some reason I couldn't cook lunch for hubby the other day... You know? I always prepare it ahead of time and then just leave it ready for him in containers so he can take it to work and enjoy his food at lunch... he loves it! And hates having to eat "fast food" (although he loves having a Bic Mac once in a while by choice not because he "has to" ... BTW I hate Bic Macs) - ok moving on to my topic -... so... He had to eat fast food  and came home still feeling "yucky" from eating that... I knew he would! So... to make it up to him I cooked something I knew screams "I am homemade and the person who made it LOVES YOU!" is one of those "Mexican Meals" that you just love because is something "a mommy" would cook to make you feel better or special" ... Hubby loves the "Mexican Meatballs" I usually make with chipotle... for my recipe click here but this time I wanted to make something different and without chipotle so it would be tender to his stomach.... So I decided to try Leslie's "Caldo de Albondigas" (Mexican Meatball Soup) from La Cocina De Leslie just making some variations of my own and my amazing Red Rice (Recipe will be posted tomorrow) and he was in heaven! He kept making "I love this" noises while eating it! and I felt very happy!

So here it is:

 

Now the recipe...

Caldo de Albondigas
Adapted from La Cocina de Leslie

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1/4 cup  long-grain rice (uncooked)
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup finely chopped tomato
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 large egg
• 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano (crushed)
• 4 medium potatoes (cut in large chunks)
• 4 carrots (peeled and sliced in large chunks)
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 1/2 cubes chicken bouillion (I use Knorr)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the ground beef, rice, bread crumbs, tomato, onion, egg and oregano.  Season with salt and pepper (about 2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper).  Mix until well combined.

Using a 1/8-cup measuring cup as a reference to get the "size" of the meatballs, shape the meat mixture into balls.  Place in a 4-quart stockpot with 8 cups of water.  Add the vegetables and season soup with chicken bouillion and garlic. Cover stockpot and cook over medium heat until vegetable are tender (about 35 mins). Taste and season with more salt if needed.

Join us tomorrow for the recipe to make Red Rice.

Enjoy!

© Paloma K.

Garlic Lovers' Pot Roast

First of all... did you enter my giveaway? I see that not many have entered yet... So there are lots of opportunities to win! Sometimes I want to give this gift to myself! LOL! ... I am giving away a $25.00 Starbucks Gift Card so click here to enter!

Yesterday I was surfing the web trying to find a "different way" to slow cook the Beef Chuck Roast I bought! I like buying this cut of meat because it is cheaper and you can still make wonderful things with it! I try to be very frugal when cooking and I also try to make healthy things! I know! You see lots of desserts posted here and sugary stuff... but the truth is that even when I love desserts I don't eat them (I used to but not any more.. or not as much as I did... don't take me wrong... I'd LOVE TO! but you can't eat all those delicious treats without your  body paying the price) Hubby, on the other hand, loves all desserts (not so much the fruity ones) and since I enjoy baking he is pretty much in paradise! Plus, he doesn't gain any weight, I envy him so much! I am so happy for him! So he eats as much as he wants! Anyway... here at home, the rest of us (my 2 girls and I) don't really eat much sugar... Natalia loves chocolate, but that's it, and just eats a little bit of chocolate occasionally... Karina, she doesn't eat any sugar or dessert, but they love LOVE vegetables! That's what they see as a "snack" you'll see Natalia asking for celery in the middle of the day! And I am all backwards! I almost have to say "eat your dessert or I won't give you any vegetables!" (LOL! j/k) So... that's pretty much us in this household! I have to be constantly buying vegetables! They just don't last! Even my omelette I eat for breakfast in the morning has green bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, onions and sometimes chopped tomato!

So I was looking for a recipe and I came across an idea! I saw Chef Emeril encrusting GARLIC CLOVES in a 3.5 lb. cut of Beef Chuck Roast! I immediately knew I would love it! I thought it was too much garlic (even for my taste) but I decided to give it a try! And Am I happy I did? It was perfect! So I thought I would share MY VERSION of the original recipe by Chef Emeril with you!

See the Encrusted Garlic Cloves? This worked really great!

Garlic Lovers' Pot Roast 

Ingredients

• 1 (3-pound) boneless beef chuck roast
• 10  cloves of garlic, peeled and halved lengthwise
•  About 2 teaspoons coarse salt (I use Kosher)
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 chopped white onion
• 3 peeled and chopped carrots
• 2-3 stalks of chopped celery
• 2/3 cup of low sodium chicken stock, I recommend Swanson! If you don't have low sodium chicken stock then use 1/2 Stock 1/2 water.
• 1 cup of red or white wine (I used white, you don't have to use wine, you can just use more chicken stock but wine really brings it to another level)

Directions

1. Using the tip of a sharp paring knife, make 20 small evenly spaced slits about 1 1/2 inches deep all over the pot roast. Using your fingers, insert the garlic cloves as deep into the slits as possible. Season both sides of your roast with salt and pepper.
2. In a Dutch-oven (or big/heavy pot with tight lid), heat oil over high heat. Carefully add meat and sear on all sides until very well browned, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Add onion, carrots, celery, and 2/3 cup chicken stock and wine. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low; cook until roast is very tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours, turning about 2 to 3 times. Add more water or wine, if desired, as needed so that there is always a little liquid in bottom of Dutch-oven. (If done in the oven, the temperature should be 300 degrees, and the roast should cook for 3 to 3 1/2 hours until tender.)
3. Transfer meat to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes. Slice meat (or shred if preferred) and serve drizzled with pan juices.

Serve with a side of mashed potatoes and Enjoy!

© Paloma King