As we get ready to travel in another couple of weeks, we are eating our way through the refrigerator and freezer in an attempt to finish things up and not spend money on groceries. Meal planning will be based on discovery rather than creative impulses.
Yesterday morning I located a pound of grass-fed, organic ground beef. One of my favorite recipes quickly came to mind: SOPA DE ALBÓNDIGAS. This meal / recipe came to me from my mother-in-law. It is very simple to fix, and delicious when fixed with the right ingredients. For me that means tasty meatballs, delicious broth, and the right combination of vegetables in the broth. I also make a sopita de arroz on the side as she always did.
I made my meatballs with a little raw rice, dried mint leaves, salt and pepper. I baked them in the oven to get rid of any excess fat while I prepared the soup. The vegetables I chose were carrots, zucchini, potatoes, garlic and cabbage. I made the broth from one carton of commercial vegetable stock, a couple of spoonfuls of tomato sauce with chile, and cilantro. Most of the flavor of the soup comes from the simmering vegetables, especially the garlic and cabbage. The addition of the meatballs enriches the flavor even more.
While the soup is simmering, I made the sopita de arroz that we serve on the side of our SOPA DE ALBÓNDIGAS. The sopita is one of the most typical Mexican dishes made from rice, a little garlic, a small amount of tomato sauce and salt. It is the light orange rice you often see served on the side of combination plates in Mexican restaurants.
Dinner last night was simple, delicious, and filling. It is one we will repeat again and again, both for its simplicity and for its connection to Javier's Mom.
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