It seems meatballs are having their moment in the sun. Or should I say in the oven, or on our plates? Much like the fatigued cupcake has proven, you know when New Yorkers start lining up in droves for something, it’s a thing. Big or small. Swedish, Greek, or Italian. Nestled next to a heap of starch in the form of creamy potatoes or on top of old smoky all covered with cheese. Beef, turkey, pork, or lamb. We want to eat them. We will line up for them. Sadly for me, unlike my New York City counterpart, lining up at the Meatball Shop is not an option when little balls of perfectly seasoned meat are required. So to the kitchen I go.

Spaghetti and meatballs make regular appearances at our dinner table, as do little Greek lamb keftedes with fresh tzaziki, but Sweden had not made its way into the international ball rotation yet. That is until I received my September 2011 issue of Bon Appétit. A recipe for Swedish meatballs from NYC’s Smörgås Chef, combining beef, pork, and yes, bacon, made Sweden a tough competitor in my kitchen meatball Olympics. Perfectly seasoned with the nutty aroma of nutmeg and allspice, and bathed in a rich and creamy gravy, these little meat treats are perfect next to a heap of mashed potatoes. In my kitchen, proper mashed potatoes means put through a ricer, and mixed with plenty of melted butter and warm cream. With some buttered fresh peas on the side, and of course the essential IKEA lingonberry jam, Sweden is winning gold as of late. Like they weren’t already stylish and fabulous enough. I recommend enjoying with a side of Jens Lekman.

Swedish Meatball (from www.bonappetit.com)
Serves 6-8

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 1/3 cups low-salt beef stock, divided
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 cup minced onion
2 thick slices bacon, minced
1 pound ground beef
3/4 pound ground pork
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sour cream, whisked

Mix breadcrumbs and 1/3 cup stock in a small bowl. Set aside. Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer onion to a large bowl.

Wipe out pan and return to medium heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to bowl with onion. (Reserve bacon fat.) Add next 8 ingredients to bowl with onion mixture, mixing with your hands to blend. Fold in breadcrumb mixture. Using a 1 Tbsp. measure, roll meat mixture into balls; transfer to a rimmed baking sheet.

Melt 1 Tbsp. butter with reserved bacon fat in a large heavy pot over medium-low heat. Working in 3 batches and adding 1 Tbsp. butter between batches, brown meatballs on all sides, about 6-8 minutes per batch. Transfer meatballs to a plate. Drain all but 2 Tbsp. drippings from pot. Whisk in flour until smooth paste forms. Stir in 2 cups stock; bring to a simmer, whisking often. Return meatballs to pot. Cover; simmer until meatballs are cooked, 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat, whisk in sour cream, and stir to coat meatballs.

One of my first far away adventures was to Chile. Just after final exams wrapped in my third year of university, I flew standby with my two besties to go visit our other bestie in Santiago. Of all the sacrilegious crimes, I was a vegetarian when I went. Yes. To the meat capital of the world. No completo hotdogs, no chacareros, no meat empanadas. I need a re-do. Luckily my meat aversion is well behind me, and some years ago at a little long gone Edmonton restaurant called Churros King, I met the Lomito sandwich. Tender pork, sauerkraut, avocado, mayonnaise, tomato. Piled on a tender Chilean bun, it really is a perfect sandwich.

This week when my sweet uncle showed up at my door with a dozen (still warm) buns from the Chilean owned Latin Bakery, I could not get the Lomito out of my head. With a bit of “Lomito” googling and a quick call to my Chilean bestie who is happily back in Edmonton, I was set. I opted for slow roasting the pork and it really turned out gorgeous. Falling apart beautiful. As a bonus, the pan fried pork leftovers made a yummy companion to soft scrambled eggs the next morning. I can hardly wait to make these sandwiches again. For friends.

Lomito Sandwiches
serves 2 1/2

1 pork tenderloin
2 cloves of garlic
2 avocados
1 tomato
olive oil
sauerkraut
mayonnaise
Chilean buns (or ciabatta buns would be an appropriate substitute)

For the pork:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place whole pork tenderloin in a covered roaster or dutch oven. Fill water to almost cover. Add a few generous pinches of salt, freshly ground pepper, and the 2 whole garlic cloves. Slow roast the pork with the lid on for 2 hours or more. Remove from the roaster and shred. If you wish you can smash the soft roasted garlic and add it to the mix with a little of the remaining pan juices.

For the fillings:
Smash the avocados and add a squeeze of citrus if you plan to let them sit to prevent browning.
Thinly slice the tomato and sprinkle them with kosher salt and a drizzle of olive oil.
Warm the sauerkraut.
Warm the buns in the oven.

To assemble:
Pile the warm shredded pork on the warm bun. Top with sauerkraut, tomato, avocado, and loads of mayonnaise.

Oh, and don’t forget a stack of napkins.

To meat! Cin cin.

Okay, let’s get the disclaimer out of the way. I know she’s easy to hate. That her new cookbook, My Father’s Daughter, has been the butt of a joke or two. The famed foodie mash up twitter star Ruth Bourdain wrote “I just got Gwyneth Paltrow’s new cookbook, and I have to say it’s very illuminating. That’s because I set it on fire.”

Hold the matches. I received Miss Paltrow’s cookbook as a Mother’s Day gift from my sister-in-love. I’m not a GP hater, in fact I must confess that I like her, and her blog, and her big appetite, and her ability to speak Spanish so beautifully. And I wouldn’t say no to raiding her closet. AND I like her recipes. I’ve made my way through a couple now, all with great results. This Vietnamese prawn sandwich has been my favourite so far. One that I will make again. And again. Crusty grilled baquette, prawns, cilantro, basil, and pickled carrot. Fresh. Delicious. I think even the haters would like it.

Vietnamese Prawn Sandwiches
(from Gwyneth Paltrow’s My Father’s Daughter)

Ingredients
1 lb large shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 tbsp soy sauce
1½ tbsp canola oil
½ tbsp toasted sesame seeds, ground
1 tsp peeled and finely chopped ginger
1 large carrot, peeled and coarsely grated
½ tsp coarse salt
½ tsp granulated sugar
¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
½ cup mayonnaise
Sriracha to taste
juice of one lime
1 baguette
½ English cucumber, peeled, and cut into matchsticks
handful fresh cilantro
handful fresh basil

Directions
1. Put the shrimp in a small bowl and toss with soy sauce, oil, sesame seeds and ginger. Cover and set aside in the fridge to marinate for an hour. Meanwhile, soak 8 bamboo skewers in water.

2. Combine carrots and vinegar in another bowl, cover and set aside for an hour. In a third bowl, combine mayonnaise and sriracha and lime juice. Cover and set aside for an hour.

3. Fire up the bbq. While it’s heating, thread shrimp onto skewers. Grill for about 2 minutes a side, or until pink and no longer translucent.

4. Grill the baguette. Assemble sandwich layering carrots, cucumber, herbs, sriracha mayonnaise and prawns.

Enjoy with a side of Cee Lo Green in a turkey costume. Wink.

It seems unlikely that I have made it through three plus decades without ever having tried a pork chop. Growing up pork tenderloin was on repeat in our family kitchen, and lamb chops made regular appearances, but the pork chop was a no show. It’s only this year that I’ve learned to love the pork chop with the help of the lovely and buxom Nigella Lawson.

It all started with a recipe from Nigella Express and some delicious, local, pork chops from Eat Local First. This very simple and easy dish is made delicious with grainy mustard, cream, the sweet browning of pan fried meat, and some garlic and shallots. My version has changed from the original simply because I do not always have cider on hand and don’t stock garlic oil. Happily I think mine tastes just as good as Nigella’s version. Paired with some simple salt, pepper, olive oil tossed and roasted cauliflower and asparagus, I feel less guilty about this cream laden weekday meal. The sauce is worthy of licking the plate clean. I won’t tell.

Pork Chops in Mustard Cream (adapted from Nigella Express)
serves 2 (and a 1/2)

2 pork chops
2 tsp olive oil
2 crushed garlic cloves
2 finely diced shallots or 1 small onion
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp grainy mustard
1/3 cup whipping cream

Cut the fat or rind off the chops, and then bash them briefly but brutally with a rolling pin between two pieces of clingfilm to make them thinner. Salt and pepper the meat on both sides to taste.

Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan and cook the chops over a moderately high heat for about 5 minutes a side until they have nice colour on each side. Remove them to a warmed plate.

If required, add a touch more olive oil to the pan and saute the garlic and shallots until soft, 2-3 minutes. Pour the chicken stock into the pan, still over the heat, to de-glaze the pan. Let it bubble away for a minute or so, then add the mustard and stir in the cream.

Let the sauce continue cooking for a few minutes and add your pork chops back to the pan to coat in the sauce before serving.

I was going to write about some meat, but somehow the ever enduring guilty Catholic in me couldn’t bring myself to post about a slab of flesh on “meat free” Good Friday. Remnants of my youth. So poisson it is!

This beautiful golden crusted fish is one I turn to often. With halibut fillets on hand in my freezer at most times, panko in my cupboard, and parmigiano in the icebox at all times, this is a perfect end of the week, time to go grocery shopping meal that is always on our menu. With creamy mashed potatoes on the side, and something green of course, it is a satisfying meal that almost always ends in some sort of  Erik B. and Rakim “fish which is my favourite dish” Paid In Full singsong. Soooooo good!

Crispy fish and old school rap. What could be better? Happy Good Friday.

Parmesan Crusted Halibut
2 halibut fillets

1/2 cup panko crumbs

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely shredded

1/2 cup flour

2 eggs

salt and pepper

4 tbsp grapeseed or canola oil

Season flour with salt and freshly ground pepper. In another bowl lightly beat eggs. And in a third bowl combine panko crumbs and parmesan. First dredge halibut fillets through the flour mixture to lightly coat. Next dip in the egg mixture. Lastly roll in panko and parmesan mixture to coat.

Add oil to a heavy skillet or cast iron pan and preheat well on high heat. Gently place fish into the hot pan and cook to golden brown, 3-4 minutes on each side depending on the thickness of the fish. Note that for particularly thick pieces of fish, you can get a nice golden brown crust and finish the cooking in the oven at 350 degrees for another 5 minutes or more to ensure the fish in cooked through.

I like meatballs. I like spaghetti and meatballs. Most of all, I like dinners that I can put some time and effort into once, and enjoy a few times. On weeknights I try to be ambitious with dinner, but there are few things I love more than having a tasty, homemade, fall back plan. This is it. Dead simple.

So on an evening when I have a bit of time on my hands, and some Food Network to keep me company as I cook, I make a big batch of meatballs, freeze most, and steal a few for our evening feast. The sauce is the last step, and is shockingly easy and tasty for such minimal effort. You may question the outcome when I tell you how easy it is. Trust me and try it. The result is a fresh, delicious, perfectly seasoned, simple tomato sauce. And did I mention only one dish to dirty for cooking both the sauce and the meatballs? Three cheers!

Turkey Meatballs
(makes approximately 20-25 meatballs depending on size)

2 lbs ground turkey (I often mix half white meat and half dark, but either will work)
1 onion, very finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup fine breadcrumbs
1 cup parmigiano reggiano, finely grated
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp kosher salt
generous amount of freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl until well combined. Use hands to form approximately 2 inch meatballs and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If you plan to use some for dinner immediately, set them aside for the next step. For the rest, cover them with parchment and place the tray in the freezer. Once frozen, these can be stored in serving portions in freezer bags. We usually serve two meatballs per person for dinner.

Simple Tomato Sauce
Serves 2 (and 1/2)

1 large (28 fl oz) can of San Marzano tomatoes, hand crushed
8 whole basil leaves
1 clove of garlic, crushed
tbsp extra virgin olive oil
pinch of oregano
generous pinch of kosher salt
generous crank of freshly ground pepper
pinch of chili flakes (optional if you like a little heat)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all ingredients in an oven safe porcelain baking dish with a lid and gently mix. Once mixed, place fresh or frozen meatballs directly into the sauce so that they are covered. With the lid on, bake for 45 minutes to an hour (depending on whether you are cooking them from fresh or frozen). Alternately, these can be done stove top by placing the sauce and meatballs into a covered deep sauce pan or dutch oven and slowly simmering them until they are cooked through.

Serve on perfectly cooked al dente spaghetti with a generous helping of freshly grated parmigiano reggiano, or pecorino romano.

Now just imagine a lazy evening where all you have to do is throw together a can of tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, seasoning, and some meatballs from the freezer, into a dish that gets tossed into the oven and comes out done like dinner. You’re welcome.

I bought a crock pot. Somehow if it wasn’t already official that I’m a mom, I feel that this makes it so. I hate the words…crock pot. Yuck. Somehow though in all its humdrum-ness, it’s hard to deny that the slow cooked rendering of meat is delicious in its many incarnations. I figured butter chicken was as good a cause as any to break in the crock pot and I’m happy to report that I’m already on to making it a second time, with a few modifications to the original recipe. We really preferred the second batch with these adjustments (see modified recipe below)…a little less tomato heavy and a little creamier.

Tender chicken, rich flavourful sauce worthy of being lapped up by the accompanying and essential naan, and top notch left overs. Check, check, check! The house filled with the aroma of cardamom and tandoori masala was just an added bonus that made me anticipate dinner all the more. With some frozen Vij’s in the form of coconut and ginger green beans on the side, which are happily now available at Planet Organic in Edmonton, it made for a pretty lovely and simple week night meal AND my little ginger cub couldn’t get enough of it.

Butter Chicken (adapted from Meal Planning 101)
Serves 4+

2-3 boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp oil

Stir fry chicken, onion and garlic in frying pan on medium heat until the chicken has some color and the onion is translucent. Then pour entire contents of pan into crock pot. Then add:

15 green cardamom pods (tied in a cheesecloth for easy removal at the end)
2 tsp curry powder
1 tbsp curry paste (I used Patak’s mild curry paste*)
1 tsp cayenne powder (optional for a little heat)
2 tsp tandoori masala*
1 tsp garam masala*
1 can coconut milk
1 cup plain yogurt
1/3 cup of tomato paste
1 cup diced tomatoes, canned or fresh
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Salt to taste

Mix gently and cook on high heat 4-6 hours or low heat 6-8 hours. Add 1/4 cup of whipping cream just before serving.

*If you live in Canada you can find these ingredients at Superstore in the Asian Foods aisle. Note that the Patak’s Curry paste is not in the Asian Foods aisle with the other Indian spices, but is located with other sauces in a separate aisle.

Serve with basmati rice and warm buttered naan bread.

My new life with baby means that many hours are spent snuggling with her sleeping peacefully on my lap, which equals many hours of iPhone entertainment in form of celeb trash gossip, fashion and design blogs, and my favorite food blogs. David Lebovitz is at the top of my foodie reading list. Through him, I increase my appetite and inspiration for good eating and simultaneously indulge in Parisian travel fantasies…le sigh.

When I encountered his post on peanut sauce with cold noodles, cucumber, cilantro, and pulled chicken, I was instantly smitten, and despite the chilly Edmonton winter temperatures outside that would usually call for indulging in something hot and hearty, I instantly added it to the week’s menu. Thank goodness.

This is the most perfect peanut sauce I’ve ever tasted. Perfectly balanced. Subtly spicy. Fresh with cilantro, ginger, and garlic. Rich with roasted peanuts and toasted sesame oil. One of those things that once made, I could hardly believe came from my own kitchen. Never again will another recipe for peanut sauce be glanced at. Perfection. And even better, David himself suggests freezing it. Now these days, there are few things that make me happier than cooking once and eating twice. Hooray! AND as a side note, this simple and efficient method for poaching chicken opens up endless possibilities for pastas, pulled chicken sandwiches, salads, and all things poultry that will free my need for the grocery store rotisserie chicken that I have been dependent upon until now. Brilliant.

Happy eating and good luck getting any of that leftover peanut sauce to the freezer. I’m pretty sure it would make cardboard taste divine.

I am cooking again. Every night. Meal planning. Grocery list making. Eat Local First Good Food Box ordering. Racing. Now to get back to writing before this blog loses the sugar to its cream! Life with my sweet baby is joyously busy, and cooking good quick meals has never been more important. So as meals get quicker, so must my posts. Dinners for Two and a Half. The solution.

Lovely Cream paid us a visit in the fall and with her visit, the Vij’s At Home cookbook entered our lives. Now I can hardly express in words the delights of everything Vij. The restaurant, his neighbouring Rangoli, and his cookbooks, are filled with exquisite, addictive, dream worthy Indian food. Every trip to Vancouver involves a freezer bag in my suitcase, a pit stop at Rangoli en route to the airport, and extra weight in my luggage due to as much frozen curry as one girl can pack. No joke. Since the prepared goods are a little more than a hop, skip, and a jump away, the ability to make the goods at home is a treat. The Vij’s cookbook is my go to for Indian when I have some leisure cooking time, but the Vij’s At Home version has simple, fast, and delicious alternatives to its more elaborate counterpart.

Vij’s Kitchen Staff Zucchini Soup is one of the easy, delicate, delicious recipes that will be on repeat in my kitchen for good. Thirty minutes, vibrant colour, tender vegetables, hearty warm soup, and the aroma of exotic spices. More please.

I can hardly wait for the little miss to start sharing meals with us instead of watching intently as we shovel food into our faces. She has just enjoyed her first bites this week. Six months old today. It’s all about bananas. She already wants to hold the spoon and get into the action. Next stop, avocado. She’ll be blogging in no time…

Vij’s Kitchen Staff Zucchini Soup (from Vij’s at Home)

serves 4 to 6

1/3 cup cooking oil

1 Tbsp cumin seeds

2 cups finely chopped onion

2 Tbsp finely chopped garlic

2 Tbsp finely chopped ginger

1 Tbsp finely chopped jalapeno

1 1/2 tsp garam masala

1 Tbsp salt

1 tsp turmeric

2 lbs zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch dice

1/2 cup water

2 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 chopped cilantro

In a medium pot, heat oil on medium-high for 1 minute. Add cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle for 30 to 45 seconds or until they darken. Stir in onion and saute for 10 minutes until quite browned but not burned. Add garlic and saute for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden, then stir in ginger, jalapeno, garam masala, salt, and turmeric. Saute spices for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring regularly, then add zucchini and water and stir well. Cook zucchini for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it is almost cooked to the texture you prefer. Add milk, stir and bring to a light boil. As soon the milk begins to boil lightly, turn off the heat. Stir in cilantro and serve.