Meatball and Tomato Soup

Last weekend I kicked off my fall soupfest. This tomato-meatball soup was a great way to start, as it was fresh, hearty and very satisfying for a cool Sunday evening meal. Crushed canned tomatoes with dried herbs, tiny homemade meatballs, onions, garlic, peppers, chicken stock and white beans combine in an experimental creation that I can't wait to make again for family and friends.

The first step is to make the meatballs. You can use whatever ground meat you desire for this soup, turkey, chicken, beef, pork or veal. I used turkey.

In a large bowl, combine and mix well:
2 lbs lean ground turkey
2 TBSP olive oil
2 tsp garlic, minced
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 Tbsp Italian herb mix (dried)
1/2 cup dried Italian breadcrumbs
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tsp each of salt and pepper

Using a teaspoon, scoop meat mixture and make small, golf ball sized meatballs.

In a large Dutch oven, heat a little olive oil over medium high heat, and brown the meatballs.

While the meatballs are cooking, prepare the following vegetables, which will be sauteed after the meatballs are browned.

1 large onion, diced small
1 red bell pepper, diced small
1 green bell pepper, diced small
1 carrot, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
Once the meatballs are browned, reserve to the side and saute the vegetables. Add the onion, peppers and carrot, reserving the garlic until near the end so it does not burn. Season with a touch of salt and pepper. If you need to, add a tablespoon of olive oil to the dutch oven. Saute the vegetables until they are tender and the onion is translucent, but not browned. Add garlic, and the meatballs, and cook together for a couple of minutes.

Next, add a splash of white wine, two large cans of crushed tomatoes, and use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add 4 cups of chicken stock (canned/carton or homemade), 1 tablespoon of the dried Italian herbs, 1 teaspoon of dried savory (optional) and reduce heat to low. Throw in a bay leaf for good measure. Let simmer for 30 minutes or longer is you can wait. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper. If you want a little heat (in addition to the spicy meatball) add some more red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper. Add one drained can of northern white beans, drained and rinsed, and cook for another 10 minutes, until the beans are warmed through.

Served in warm bowls with some good bread and wine.

enjoy!

Turkey Burgers

Grilling season is officially here! With Canada Day being tomorrow and the 4th of July being celebrated here in the US this weekend, I know I'll be firing up my grill more than a few times over the next few days. For me, the best grilled food to have around holidays such as these are burgers. Burgers are great when you are entertaining and do not want to be fussing too much on what to serve. They are easy to eat while enjoying the sunshine and holding a cold refreshment in your other hand. Above all else though, these taste friggin great! A good burger, can beat almost any meal. With tasty, fresh toppings, great cheese and bread, and you have one of the perfect foods.

While I plan to post many burger creations on this blog, I wanted to start with one of my favorites, and probably one many of you have never tried making...turkey burgers. I never had turkey burgers growing up, and in fact, only started making them a couple of years ago. These days ground turkey is readily available at markets (variety of leanness ratios too), and for me it's a great way to inject healthy variety into my menu and also cut back on my red meat intake. The turkey burger recipe I offer hear has a little kick to it. For the cheese I use a pepperjack cheese (Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno) paired with grilled poblano peppers and some salsa verde (a salsa made with tomatillos, onion, jalapeno and cilantro). Finally, I season the turkey with my homemade southwest rub/seasoning that I always have close at hand.

Southwest Turkey Burgers

2 lbs of ground turkey (93% lean is what I use)
1 Tbsp of Southwest seasoning (see earlier post)
1 Tbsp of olive oil
2 Tbsp of dry bread crumbs

Combine, but don't over mix the above ingredients. Divide into 4 half pound patties (more if you want smaller burgers). Try to form the patties so they are thinner at the center, as this will help the burger cook evenly and prevent it from swelling into a giant meatball on the grill. Season the outsides of the burgers with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Lay burgers on a hot grill, and close the lid. Cook on a high heat for about 5 minutes. Don't mess with the burgers until they release themselves from the grill. Once one side is nicely seared, flip to a previously unused part of the grill. Continue to cook for 3 minutes and then top with slices of your pepperjack cheese and close the cover so that the cheese melts. With a minute left, split and toast your rolls. I like to use a white Italian roll I get from a local bakery here near Albany, NY. Remove the burgers and go ahead and dress your bun while the patty rests for a couple of minutes.

As I mentioned above, I like to add salsa verde to the bottom, with a few dashes of good Mexican style hot sauce (Choula), next adding the cheese covered patty, followed by some thickly sliced, grilled (and peeled) poblano peppers.

Paired with a cold beer, this burger will be sure to satisfy your appetite this summer. I try and make turkey burgers of one form or another at least 2-3 times a month, as a quick workday supper that is inexpensive, healthy and quite tasty.