swedish meatballs

whenever i make marinara & meatballs, i almost always make turkey meatballs. not only because it's a healthier option, but really, it's more delicious! if you don't believe me, please try it for yourself. your friends and family might not even notice that it's turkey. it's that good.

so when i decided to make swedish meatballs, i of course used turkey. you can sub the turkey for meat or pork or a combo of both in this recipe but i highly suggest you use turkey!

mise en place - meatballs

swedish meatballs
makes about 25-30 meatballs
1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey (or meat, pork, or combo of both)
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 egg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

in a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and milk. set aside.

in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable (or other flavorless) oil and sautée the onions w/ a pinch of salt. when the onions just start to turn soft, add the garlic and continue to sautée untill everything is soft and transparent. remove from heat and let cool slightly.

in a large bowl, combine all ingredients - turkey, breadcrumb/milk mixture, egg, sauteed onions & garlic, salt & pepper. using your hands, mix all the ingredients until well combined but do not over mix. try to handle the meat as little as possible. form the mixture into 1 oz. sized balls. you should end up w/ about 25-30 meatballs.

in the same skillet that you sauteed the onions, heat 1 tablespoon butter w/ 1 tablespoon oil, over medium heat. cook the meatballs until nice and brown on all sides and cooked thru.

transfer the meatballs to a platter and cover to keep warm. now prepare the sauce.

mise en place - sauce

the sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup flour
4 cups beef broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt & pepper

in the same skillet where you cooked the meatballs, sautée the onions & garlic until just about soft and transparent, adding a little more oil if needed. push the onions to the side of the pan, creating a well in the middle. add the 2 tablespoons of butter. when melted add the flour and whisk together. whisk and cook until the flour turns brown. about 2-3 mins. it's ok to mix it all up w/ the onions. add in the beef broth slowly, constantly mixing to ensure the flour does not leave clumps. add the cream, mix and bring the sauce to a simmer until a desired consistency is reached. the longer you simmer, the thicker the sauce will get. taste of seasoning and add salt & pepper as needed.

add the meatballs back in, heat thru if needed and you're ready to serve.

serve w/ egg noodles, alone, or w/ rice!

bon appétit~!

vanilla semifreddo

for mother's day this year, we took the mom to Lucques for lunch. the meal was a delight as always and we finished it off with the semifreddo w/ acacia honey & berries. it was so good we were really close to licking the plate clean!

semifreddo a la Lucques...

if you're familiar with Suzanne Goin's cookbook, Sunday Suppers at Lucques, you know that she has her recipes categorized by season and then organized in menus. each menu offers a starter, 2 choices for a main w/ sides and a dessert. while i was looking up the Green Rice recipe the other day, i was pleasantly suprised to find her semifreddo recipe as part of the same menu.

semifreddo, an italian word, literally means "partially frozen." the whipped eggs make it light and the whipped cream prevents it from freezing completely. this semi-frozen dessert is like a frozen creamy custard. basically, it's like crazy bananas good!! it's a great alternative to making homemade ice cream if you don't have an ice cream maker.

mise en place

vanilla semifreddo
adapted from Sunday Suppers at Lucques
serves 6-8
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of vanilla powder or 1/2 vanilla bean
3 eggs separated

lightly oil a 9" loaf pan (or any mold of your choice) and line it with plastic wrap. try to smooth it out as much as you can and let the excess plastic drape over the sides.

whip the cream until stiff peaks form. cover and chill while you prepare the other parts.

whip together the egg yolks, vanilla powder (or seeds if using a bean), vanilla extract and half of the sugar, until the mixture is thick, pale and doubled in volume and set aside.

whip the egg whites until frothy. slowly add the remaining sugar and whip until stiff peaks form.

fold the whipped cream into the yolk mixture. once they are well combined, gently fold in the whipped egg whites, a third at a time. you want to do this as gently as possible yet as quick as possible until the mixture is all well combined.

pour the mixture into the mold and tap the pan on the counter 3 times to ensure the mixture is settled and even. place a pieces of plastic wrap over the pan, touching the mixture and smooth it out.

freeze for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. here's where your patience comes into play.

when its ready, it will be frozen yet soft enough to easily yield to a knife.
of course, you can just take a spoon and dig in...

...or invert the semifreddo onto a platter, slice it up and serve drizzled with honey and fresh berries!

bon appétit~!

garlic & herb "green" rice

after dining at Suzanne Goin's new restaurant, Tavern, jDub told me her favorite thing of the whole meal was the "green rice". when she also told me that the recipe was in Suzanne's book, Sunday Suppers at Lucques, i knew i had to try it.

i made the rice my own with a couple of changes. i didn't use fennel or fennel seeds and i added garlic. because i looove garlic. nonetheless, the rice turned out perfect and herb-a-liciously delicous! i'm not a huge mint fan and was weary of using it, but am glad i did. it doesn't overpower but adds to the combination of flavors. next time you need a side dish to accompany your meal, you must try this rice!

mise en place

garlic & herb "green" rice
inspired by the Green Rice recipe from Sunday Suppers at Lucques
serves 4 (generously) - 6
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup packed flat leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves
1/4 cup mint
2 tablespoons minced chives
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon sea or kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
1 tablespoon butter, unsalted

add 1 1/4 cups water to the chicken stock and bring to a boil and then turn off the heat.

place the parsley, cilantro, mint and chives in a blender. add 1 cup of the hot stock and purée. pour in the rest of the stock and purée on high until you have a very smooth and beautifully emerald green broth. about 2 minutes.


in a medium-large pot, heat the olive oil. add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt. cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the onions are soft and translucent. add the rice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. stir well to coat the rice with the oil and onions. sautee the rice until it just starts to turn lightly golden brown. add the herb broth and another 1/2 teaspoon salt.

bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. add the butter, mix it in then cover the pot and cook the rice for 15-20 mins, until tender. it's ok to lift the cover and check! turn off the heat and leave the rice covered for 5-10 mins. fluff the rice w/ a fork, taste for seasoning and serve!

bon appétit~!