Dutch Style Meatballs

These meatballs, along with the hutspot recipe that follows, are based on various Dutch recipes I found online. They are probably not exactly the way the Dutch would make them, but we found them delicious and will definitely keep them in the rotation. Because we are big fans of gravy, I made one and a half times the gravy recipe for these. Also, that is a great way to stretch meat in a meal to make it more frugal.

I prepare the vegetables for the mash so they are boiling while I refrigerate the meatball mixture. This allows me to use the liquid from the boiled vegetables rather than plain water, which helps both season and thicken the gravy. Also, if you cannot have wheat or gluten, you can make a slurry of cornstarch and cold water, about 2 tablespoons each, leaving out the flour, and stir it into the boiling beef broth just before serving to thicken the gravy.

4 slices white bread crust removed
3/4 cup cream
2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, minced
2 eggs
1/4 cup prepared brown/grainy mustard
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper (plus more for the gravy)
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cup reserved liquid from boiling the potatoes and carrots (or water)
4 1/2 cups beef stock

In a large bowl, place the bread slices and cover with cream. When they are soaked, use your hands to break the bread up into smaller bits. Add the beef, onion, eggs, mustard, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to mix the ingredients until just combined. I like to refrigerate the mixture for at least an hour before forming the meatballs, but this is optional.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat while you roll the meat mixture into one inch balls. Put half the butter in the pan and add the meatballs in batches and brown on all sides. You will probably have to do this in two or three batches, removing them to a plate or platter as you brown them, adding more butter as necessary. When you finish browning the last batch of meatballs, sprinkle with the flour and stir into the butter. Add the remaining meatballs from the platter back to the pan, along with any juices that collected.

Pour in 1 1/2 cups liquid from boiling the vegetables, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Transfer the meatballs to a plate and add beef stock to the pan. Simmer until heated through, loosening up any pieces stuck to the bottom of the pan. Season with black pepper. I find that using the boiling liquid means I do not need to add any more salt. If you use plain water, you will want to taste for salt.

Serves 10 hungry people easily, with one or two servings for a lunch at work or school left.


Hutspot

This mash is delicious! I forget how many different root vegetables are suited to mashing and eating like potatoes, adding a little more color and nutrition to the meal. Because I am cooking for a friend who is allergic to nightshades, I have also included a way to make this without the potatoes, thus making the entire meal safe for her. If you use rutabagas, turnips, and/or parsnips in your mash, you may wish to cook them a little longer, and you may wish to use a stick blender to purée them if you prefer the mash to be more smooth.

I like to reserve all the water from boiling vegetables to use in soups/gravies/bread doughs. So, any excess liquid from this pot goes into a covered dish in my fridge to turn into something delicious.

Originally the recipes for this used about a third of the carrots, but I liked an equal amount better. Also, the recipes I saw had you boil chopped onions with the vegetables, but the idea of the texture of mashed, boiled onions didn't appeal to me, so I used onion granules instead. You could also sauté your chopped onions and mash them in that way.


5 pounds potatoes (or a mixture of rutabagas and turnips), peeled and cut into large chunks
5 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1 1/2 tablespoons onion granules
2 cups cream or milk
1 cup reserved boiling liquid
Salt and pepper to taste

Freshly chopped parsley for garnish

Place the vegetables into a large pot of salted water, enough to cover. Boil for 15 - 20 minutes, until they are fork tender. Turn off the heat underneath the pot.

Drain, reserving at least 3 cups of the liquid for the gravy and the mash. Return the vegetables to the hot pot and mash with the butter and onion granules until it reaches your desired consistency. Pour in the cream and mash to a smooth texture. Taste to season for salt and pepper, and add up to one cup of the reserved boiling liquid if the mash is not as smooth as you would like.

Serve by putting a generous helping of the hutspot on a plate, making a well in it and arranging a few meatballs per person, then covering with the gravy. Sprinkle with the parsley. I like to serve a vinegar based coleslaw on the side, because I think the crisp coolness of it contrasts well with the rich, unctuous and filling meatballs, gravy and hutspot.

Serves 10 hungry people easily.



Potato and Garbanzo Bean Curry


This a great, quick, and inexpensive vegan meal. I make a lot and serve it with rice. You could serve it with naan or roti, if you like. Also, it is a great dish to showcase a chutney or some sort of quick chutney like a cilantro mint sauce.

oil to fry
2 medium to large onions, peeled and finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Maharajah curry powder, Masala, Vindaloo, hot curry powder, or whatever type of curry blend you like
2 pounds of potatoes, peeled and chunked
3 cups cooked garbanzos (canned or cooked at home), drained
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
14 ounce can coconut milk
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
water to cover

chopped cilantro to serve

Heat your pan until it is almost smoking. Add the oil, enough to coat the pan, and immediately put the onions in to soften. Add the garlic and stir for about a minute, then the curry, to coat the onions and garlic and become fragrant. Add potatoes, chickpeas, and stir, allowing the potatoes to brown a little on the sides. Then add tomatoes, coconut milk, salt, and water enough to cover at least a third of the way up the potatoes, bring to a boil, and cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until potatoes are soft.

Serve with rice and chopped cilantro. If you like, you can pass a hot sauce or relish at the table as well.



Bacon and Garlic Crusted Pork Loin


This is such an easy recipe, and delicious. It does take some time to roast, but you can either prepare other parts of the meal during that time, or if you are smarter than I am, you can have the other parts cooking at the same time so you can sit with a book or a game with your family or something else you enjoy.

5 pounds boned, rolled pork loin
15 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary needles
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
about 12 - 16 strips of bacon

Preheat the oven to 500˚ F. Place your pork loin in a baking or roasting pan with sides. Grind up the garlic, rosemary, kosher salt, and blank pepper in your food processor, or in a mortar and pestle. Rub the paste all over the pork in the pan. Cover the top of the loin with the bacon strips, slightly overlapping, and tuck the ends underneath the roast. Bake for 50 minutes. Allow to rest for about 10 - 15 minutes, slice and serve.

Labels: Fasting as a Family, Freezable Meals, Frugality, Homemaking, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen