Albondigas!!!!

This coming week's soup is the Mexican meatball potion Albondigas! This is one of the first soups I ever made years ago. Our daughter Shawna loved Albondigas soup when she was little, especially when we visited our favorite Mexican restaurant in Pomona, Xochimilco's on Indian Hill. Bertie's Mom, Maria, also made Albondigas on a regular basis for the Saturday get-togethers at her house for their huge family.

I never got Maria's recipe for her Albondigas but the one I have is pretty good. I got it from allrecipes.com. I add more pork sausage than originally called for and use our own green salsa instead of store bought. This time I added chorizo to the meatballs so we'll see how they taste.

Making the meatballs is always fun especially if you've got kids around, be sure you plan far enough ahead so you have a chance to chill the meat because it is much easier to work with when cold versus room temperature.

Here's the recipe as I've modified it except for the chorizo twist:
Broth Base
84 oz. of beef broth (I recommend Pacific Natural Foods broths)
10 oz. of green chili salsa (recipe below)
1 onion, chopped
2 14.5oz. cans of diced tomatoes (I recommend Muir Glen brand)
1/2 teaspoon of dried basil
1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup of white rice

Meatballs
1 pound of lean ground beef
1 pound of pork sausage
1 onion, chopped
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup of corn meal
1/2 cup of white rice

Green Salsa
1 lb of tomatoes (any type) with stems and cores removed
3-4 yellow chills, 3 if they are large or 4 if they are smaller
1 tablespoon of salt
1 teaspoon of garlic powder

1. Boil the tomatoes and chilis for 40 minutes
2. Remove the tomatoes and chilis with a slotted spoon and place in a blender, reserve the water
3. Add the salt and garlic powder to the blender mixture
4. Blend until the mix is smooth
5. Taste and adjust spices accordingly
6. If the salsa is too spicy use the reserved water to dilute until the taste is to your liking

Soup Directions

1. Mix together beef broth, salsa, 1 onion, tomatoes, dried basil, dried oregano, and pepper. Bring to a boil and keep at a low simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Combine the ground beef, pork sausage, 1 onion, egg, salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, garlic powder, milk, fresh basil and cornmeal in a large oversized bowl. Mix by hand very well. Grab bunches of the meatball mixture and squeeze through your fingers until the mixture is thoroughly combined.
3. Cover the meatball mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, overnight is fine.
4. Form the chilled meat into meatballs by grabbing about a tablespoon's worth of meat mixture and roll into meatballs. You can vary the size of the meatballs from smaller ones to the large ones you get with a tablespoon's worth of meat.
5. Add the meatballs and rice to the broth. Simmer covered very slowly for 1 to 1.5 hours. Test the meatballs for doneness.

Leek, Apple & Thyme

This week's soup comes from a recipe I came across in the Food section of the LA Times. I grew up reading the LA Times in So. Cal. and still read it online several times a week. Granted I am focused on the Sports section but at least once a week I browse their Food section. They have a cool regular feature where readers write in asking for recipes from their favorite LA area restaurants. The Food writers somehow get the restaurants to give their recipes over and share with everyone. I like the concept of sharing recipes for free. Some might feel you're giving away trade secrets but my thinking is that sharing good recipes only enhances one's standing and reputation and draws more business. Granted some folks might stay home and eat the results of the recipes but I believe most folks enjoy going out and having the dining experience just as much. I am also much more inclined to give my business to a restaurant that shares all aspects of the dining experience which includes the preparation of the food. Those are my thoughts on the subject.

Here's Wednesday's Soup:

Leek, Apple & Thyme

7 Leeks, divided into a group of 4 and a group of 3

3 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons of olive oil, divided

1 large onion thinly sliced

2-3 large garlic cloves, pressed

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced

1 Red Delicious apple, peeled, cored and diced

2 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced

1 quart of vegetable stock

1 quart of water

3 bay leaves

3 sprigs of cilantro

1.5 tablespoons of fresh thyme leaves roughly chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh grated nutmeg to taste

1. Remove the roots and tough outer layers of 4 of the leeks, slice them lengthwise and rinse thoroughly. There's lots of dirt in the inner layers of the first couple of leafs so be sure you work these well. Slice thinly. In a heavy bottom pot, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat and cook the leeks and onions until they soften. Add the garlic and cook for only one more minute, stirring the whole time.
2. Stir in the chopped apples, potatoes, water and vegetable broth. Stir in the bay leaves, cilantro and thyme leaves. Bring the mix to a boil and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 45 minutes to an hour.
3. Remove the bay leaves. Add the thyme and cilantro to the soup and stir. Puree the soup with an immersion blender or use a blender/food processor.
4. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
5. To make the garnish, heat an oven to 400 degrees. Clean and slice the remaining 3 leeks as was done in step 1. Toss the sliced leeks in a bowl with the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil, salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake, stirring every few minutes, until the leeks are crisp, about 10 minutes.
6. Serve the soup in bowls with the crispy leeks sprinkled on top.