Albondigas (Mexican Meatball Soup)

Decided to make this soup for one of our friends because he said that growing up, this was his absolute favorite and he was having a problem getting the broth to taste just right.  I haven't actually had it before, so I didn't have much to go on.  I think I may have had it one time a long time ago, but anyway.....I didn't know what I was doing. Lol.  When this soup was done, I could NOT believe how amazing it tasted.  It has so many layers of flavor and just the right amount of spiciness. 

Albondigas (Mexican Meatball Soup)

For the Meatballs:

12 oz chorizo (the loose sausage that you can find by all the sausages in the grocery store)

1 lb ground beef

2 tbsp finely diced onion

2 eggs

1 1/2 Tbsp chopped cilantro

1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint

1/2cup panko bread crumbs

1 cup cooked white rice

For the Soup:

4 large carrots cut into bite sized pieces or 2 cups baby carrots

3 chayote (Mexican squash) peeled and cut into bite sized pieces

1.5 lb bag fingerling potatoes
3 stalks celery, sliced

2-49oz cans chicken broth (The Swanson giant cans)

3 cups beef broth
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 white onion, diced finely
3 cloves garlic, minced

2 jalapeños , cut in half and seeded

This is what a chayote squash looks like.

Mix all the ingredients for the meatballs, but don't overmix or they will be tough.  Just make sure everything is equally distributed. Form into 1-inch meatballs. Bake for 15 minutes in a 400 degree oven. (The first time I made this, I dropped the raw meatballs into the soup and let them boil to cook. I've now realized that baking them helps them stay together better. You can do it whichever way you prefer.)

The Meatballs...yum!

In a largepot, add chicken broth, beef broth, chayote, carrots, potatoes and jalapeno. Bring to a simmer. Add the meatballs and continue to simmer for at least an hour. I let it cook for a few hours on low heat.  

Serve and enjoy!

Delicious Marinara Sauce

This sauce is so delicious on its own.....but could also be used as a base for any type of sauce you want....while we were eating dinner, we were all talking about what else it would be good on....we decided this weekend will be a chance to try it on some meatball sandwiches...maybe add some fresh basil....there are so many options with this sauce....I couldn't believe how delicious and easy it was! Please try it out and let me know what you think!

Delicious Marinara Sauce

2-28oz cans San Marzano tomatoes

1 white onion, peeled and quartered

1 stick butter

6 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon italian seasoning
6 fresh basil leaves, chopped slightly
2 sprigs fresh rosemary

I opened the cans of tomatoes, squeezed them into the saucepan....just wanted them to be squished, not diced...... added the onion and the butter.......simmered for 30-45 minutes........I added the garlic, fresh herbs and italian seasonings after the sauce had simmered....and simmered another 10 minutes.  I used an immersion blender to puree the sauce.......that's it! So easy and so delicious!! I served it on corn spaghetti with freshly grated romano cheese....it was yummy!

Update:  The second time I made it, I didn't use the immersion blender...I left it chunky. I think I liked it like that even better. I served it with my mozzarella stuffed meatballs....we made meatball sandwiches! Topped with sliced provolone cheese.......absolutely delicious.

Gluten Free Brown Butter Pasta

This is a gluten free version of my Brown Butter Pasta.......I am Italian, so the idea of never having pasta again because I am now choosing to stick to a gluten free diet was devastating. I made this version and will never feel like I am missing my pasta again! I tried brown rice pasta, but I prefer the texture of the corn pasta much more. If you are trying to eat gluten free, this is a great way to get your pasta! :)

Gluten Free Brown Butter Pasta

1 pkg corn spaghetti (I found mine at Trader Joe's, but they have it at most large grocery stores)
1 cube (1/2 cup) butter

1 cup Parmesan/Romano cheese(or more...you can't have too much cheese, in my opinion)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp oil

1 Tbsp salt

salt and pepper to taste

a couple tablespoons chopped basil(about 6 leaves)

cherry tomatoes (halved, optional)

Bring water to a boil. Add 1 tbsp salt, oil and garlic to the water. Add pasta and boil 8 minutes.

While pasta is cooking, put butter into a small saucepan over medium heat.  The solids will separate from the oil in the butter. (At this point, the oil is clarified butter, but you want to keep going). Continue to heat, watching until all the solids have separated and the oil turns carmel in color.

 Remove from heat until all solids sink to the bottom of the saucepan.  You can try to pour out only the oil (the browned butter) or you can use a coffee filter to separate the solids from the oil (that's what I did and it was much easier).

Drain pasta and rinse with hot water for about 10 seconds. Transfer back into the warm pan that you boiled it in.

Pour browned butter over the pasta and toss until pasta is completely coated.  Add cheese, basil, salt and pepper.

Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately.

My "Haole" Paniolo Breakfast

When I lived in Hawaii, one of my favorite breakfast dishes was at McDonalds....I know, Mc Donalds...lol....but it was delicious! It was called the "Paniolo Breakfast"....Portuguese sausage, eggs and rice....you could also get Spam with it if you wanted, which I never did...because I'm not really sure how I feel about Spam...lol....So, when I moved back, I began to make my "Haole" version...(for those of you who don't know, haole is a word used to describe "non-Hawaiians")..... with Turkey Sausage instead of Portuguese sausage...My family loves it and every time I serve it to friends, they are always pleasantly surprised! It's quick and easy! We make it for dinner a lot, also because the kids LOVE it!

My "Haole" Paniolo Breakfast

8 eggs, beaten
4 cups cooked rice (2 cups dry rice/4 cups water)
1 Link gluten free turkey sausage
Tamari to taste.....we have also used Bragg's Liquid Amino Acids, but prefer the Tamari.....I used to use soy sauce, but because soy sauce is not gluten free, I had to change it up.




Put 2 cups of rice into the rice cooker with 4 cups water. Or cook rice in a saucepan as directed.

Cut turkey sausage into small pieces and saute until warm.

 Add beaten eggs and cook like you would cook scrambled eggs.

When egg and sausage mixture is completely cooked, add rice into the saucepan.  Mix all ingredients and add tamari to taste.

                                                This is the Tamari I used....

Brown Butter Romano Pasta

I had Spaghetti Factory's Mizithra Pasta last year for the first time. It was so incredibly delicious. I wanted to make it, but because Mizithra cheese is hard to find, I decided to make it with parmesan/romano cheese.  The result was not disappointing! It is the browned butter that gives it the nutty flavor and the parmesan/romano is a great choice! I have now made it with both cheeses and prefer the Parmesan/Romano to the Mizithra. I think everyone needs to try this recipe to really understand what I mean when I say that this pasta kicks some serious @$$!

Brown Butter Romano Pasta

1 pkg spaghetti noodles

1 cube (1/2 cup) butter

1/2 cup Parmesan/Romano cheese(or more...you can't have too much cheese, in my opinion)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp oil

1 Tbsp salt

salt and pepper to taste

a couple tablespoons chopped basil

cherry tomatoes (halved, optional)

Bring water to a boil. Add 1 tbsp salt, oil and garlic to the water. Add pasta and boil until pasta is cooked al dente...(about 10 minutes)

While pasta is cooking, put butter into a small saucepan over medium heat.  The solids will separate from the oil in the butter. (At this point, the oil is clarified butter, but you want to keep going). Continue to heat, watching until all the solids have separated and the oil turns carmel in color.

 Remove from heat until all solids sink to the bottom of the saucepan.  You can try to pour out only the oil (the browned butter) or you can use a coffee filter to separate the solids from the oil (that's what I did and it was much easier).

Drain pasta and transfer back into the warm pan that you boiled it in.

Pour browned butter over the pasta and toss until pasta is completely coated.  Add cheese, salt and pepper.

Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately.

Garnish with chopped basil and tomatoes if you prefer.

I hope you all try this and tell me what you think!  Happy Cooking! :)

The "Famous" Beans (Gluten Free!)

These are my "famous" beans....if you've ever come to my house for our carne asada nights, you've had these beans. They are super easy to make and always a big hit. They also freeze really well. This makes a big batch, so there's always leftovers and they taste even better the next day. I love refried beans, too, but these are the beans I usually make to go with Carnitas and Carne Asada.....they are delicious by themselves with some sour cream...mmmmm....or in a burrito...really, I've seen my friends eat them in some very creative ways...lol

The "Famous" Beans

1 white onion, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 pound bacon, cut into small pieces
2-14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
1 giant can pinto beans (108 oz. Teasdale Brand is my favorite, but you can use any canned pinto beans) If you can't find the giant can, get 6-16oz cans of beans)
1-4oz can diced green chiles (HOT)
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp garlic powder

Saute onion and garlic about 5 minutes. Add bacon and saute until completely cooked.

Add remaining ingredients. Let simmer at least 30 minutes, but the longer, the better.  Yesterday, I made these and I brought it to a light simmer for the first 30 minutes, then I turned it on low until we were ready to serve, which was about 5 hours....they just get better!

Gluten Free AuGratin Potatoes with Ham

I made these for our family Easter get together. I didn't want to make plain ol' scalloped potatoes, so I decided to try a different cheese combination and also added ham and green onions. I think they came out super duper delicious!

Gluten Free AuGratin Potatoes with Ham

10 medium russet potatoes sliced thin...(I used a mandolin to make sure they were all the same thickness)

2 1/2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, grated

1/2 cup diced green onions

1 cup diced ham

1 stick butter

8 Tbsp gluten free flour

3 cups milk

Peel and slice the potatoes. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt butter. Add gf flour and mix with a whisk to make a roux. Cook until it's light brown, about 3-4 minutes. Don't burn it! Add the milk and stir with whisk until the mixture thickens. 2 cups cheddar and 1 cup gruyere cheese to the milk mixture.  This will be your cheese sauce.

Put one layer of the potatoes into a large baking dish. Add a little of the remaining cheese, some of the ham and some green onions. Add another layer of potatoes and to that layer, add some more cheese, ham and onions. Keep layering until you run out of room...it depends on the size of your dish. I used a large casserole dish and made 3 layers, but it took 2 hours to cook.

  If you use a 9x13 baking dish, you will probably only be able to make 2 layers. Just divide it equally.  You can also forget about the layering and add all the cheese, onions and ham to the milk mixture and just pour it over the entire dish. It's totally up to you. It all ends up mixed together anyway....

Bake at 375 degrees for about an hour and a half. I covered it for the first hour, then let it cook without the cover the remainder of the time. 

These are definitely not low fat, but totally worth the calories!!! And the hardest part is slicing the potatoes, so if you can invest in a mandolin, which can be as cheap as $20, it will save your sanity...lol.