Meat Sauce

I made this the first time and ran out of canned tomato so dumped in a jar of pasta sauce. Second time I used the proper tomatoes. Kids really like the sauce. I would like to make extra to freeze but haven't done it yet. Source.

• 1.5 T olive oil
• 2 cl garlic, minced
• 1 onion, finely chopped (yellow, brown or white)
• 500 g ground beef (or half pork)
• 1/2 c dry red wine (125 ml)
• 2 beef bouillon cubes
• 28 oz can crushed tomato or tomato passata (800 g)
• 2 T tomato paste
• 2 t sugar
• 2 t Worcestershire sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 t thyme or oregano
• variations: 1 carrot+celery sauteed with onion; bacon; 1 T soy; chili
• salt + pepper
• serve with: pasta, parmesan, finely chopped parsley, mozzarella

1. Heat oil in a large pot or deep skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, ~3 min or until light golden and softened.
2. Turn up to high heat and cook meat, until browned.
3. Add red wine. Simmer and cook for 1 min, scraping bottom of the pot until smell of alcohol is gone.
4. Add remaining ingredients except salt and pepper. Stir, bring to a simmer and then turn down to medium so it bubbles gently.
1. Fast: Cook for 20-30 min without a lid, stirring occasionally. Add water if sauce gets too thick.
2. Slow: Add 3/4 c water, cover with lid and simmer on very low for 2-2.5 hours, stirring every 30 min or so. Uncover and simmer for 20 min to thicken sauce.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. 
6. Optional: reserve 1 c pasta cooking liquid, combine undercooked pasta with sauce and 1/2 c of the reserved cooking water. Toss gently for 2 min on medium heat until the spaghettit turns red and the sauce thickens.

Meatball Soups

Chicken Meatball White Soup

XBD did not like it but the rest of us were fine with it.

Beef Meatball Tomato Soup

11/27/23 forgot the flour step. Prefer a non-tomato based soup but this was fine for a change.

• 
  small pasta
• 1 can diced tomatoes
  
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 T flour
• 4-6 c chicken/beef broth
• kale, chopped
• beef meatballs (homemade or store bought)
• parmesan

1. Bake the meatballs at 200C/400F (or save them to boil in soup at later step).
2. Saute onion, celery and carrot in olive oil in large stockpot/dutch oven. ~3 min until onions are translucent. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Whisk in 1 T flour until lightly browned ~1min.
4. Gradually stir in chicken stock and tomatoes. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer covered about 10 min. Optional: keep on low until 15 min before time to eat.
5. Stir in pasta and undercook.
6. Stir in kale, ~1-2 min.
7. Serve immediately, topped with grated parmesan

White Bean and Kale Meatball Soup *****

• Meatballs
  
  
  
• 500 g pork-beef mix ground meat
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c bread crumbs
• 2 T grated cheese
• 2 t Italian herbs: oregano, basil, thyme/rosemary
• salt and pepper
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 shallot, diced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 1.4 liters/48 oz/6 c chicken/vegetarian stock
• 1 can cannellini beans, rinsed
• 2 c kale
• salt and herbs
• Serve with: grated parmesan, bread

1. Roll meatball mixture into 1" balls. Using dutch oven, cook in 2 batches in olive oil, until browned. Shake pot to keep round shape. Remove to plate.
2. Cook shallot, carrots and celery for 10 min, stirring often, until vegetables start to soften.
3. Add the broth, herbs, beans and meatballs. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer for 15 min.
4. Add kale and cook for 10 min. 

Chestnut and Mushroom Sticky Rice

Mom taught me how to make this in the early 2000s, I made it immediately after on my own, and then promptly forgot the details. Tried making it again but forgot to buy water chestnuts. Need to figure out how to make this the mom way. First time used part of it as stuffing for turkey and remainder as dressing.

• 3 rice cups sticky rice (glutinous rice)
• water, chicken broth
• 1/2 c peeled, cooked chestnuts
• 8 dried shiitake
• water chestnuts: chopped
• 1 large shallot (6 small shallots), finely sliced
• 3 t sesame oil
• 4 T soy sauce
• 3 T shaoxing wine
• 1 T oyster sauce
• 1 t dark soy sauce
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t white pepper

1. Rinse rice until clear. Soak overnight or at least 4 hours. Drain.
2. Rehydrate shiitake with boiling water. Squeeze and slice. Save mushroom water.
3. Heat 1 T oil in pan, saute shiitake and shallots until they turn translucent.
4. Add in the sauces. Fold in chestnuts. Drizzle with sesame oil and transfer to bowl.
5. [after this need to see what mom does. the recipe I used didn't have the rice fully cook]
6. Cook rice (with sauce on top or plain?). 
7. Douse with broth/mushroom water for additional flavor. Continue cooking (stove/oven) until rice is cooked through.