Kale and Meatball Soup

KALE, SPINACH & MEATBALL SOUP

I really love dishes that are packed with greens so good that you're shoveling them into your mouth with gusto.  I imagine this is exactly how Popeye felt every time he downed those gobs of spinach that looked so strangely appealing to me as a child (but so did that pizza in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles).   

I wish, like Popeye, that I could really knock someone or something out.  Lately I've been struggling with some anger issues (food-triggered anger issues).  And I'm not talking frustration or anxiety, but seriously mind-numbing anger.  Since I've been trying very hard to get back into shape and closely monitoring my diet, I've also been really beating myself up over every slip.  Nights have by far been the hardest.  When 9pm rolls around and it's been three hours since your last meal (because I can't make it past 6 to eat dinner now that I'm running again), it's almost impossible to avoid a visit to the fridge to quietly eat cheese alone.  

Obviously I'm not very good at impulse control - if it's in the house I'm going to eat it - so the more I can make large amounts of guilt-free meals, like this soup that can be portioned, frozen, and eaten throughout the week, the safer we are all going to be as a society.

I'm trying to remember that the beginning of new challenges are always the hardest bit, but I have a creeping feeling that this anger over my eating habits is really a mask for the growing discontent that the monotony of winter can bring on.  Waking up this morning to yet another snow storm and white-knuckle driving to my over-worked place of work was just psychologically brutal.  I know much of the U.S. is feeling the same way.  I had a vivid dream last night that I showed up for work and found some sort of magic school bus going to Paris, so of course I called in sick last minute and took bus to Paris (?#!).  The only other part I remember is being alone a riding to metro to neighborhoods I haven't seen before, just glad to be alone and away.    

Enough with the pity party - here's what you need to know about this soup: It's hearty and healthy with an Italian/Tuscan theme going on, but amped up with jalapeno in the base and cayenne in the meatballs.  I've pondered how it would work out vegetarian, and I think it would be just fine.  The meatballs certainly add a rich roundedness to the soup that balances the acidity and freshness of the vegetables.  While I wanted to keep the posted recipe paleo, I did reheat the leftovers on the stove top and cooked basmati rice in the broth. That was real good. Don't hold back for a second on how much kale and spinach to add.  Pack in as much as possible to add heft.  I can't say it's quite enough to kick the winter blues, but it certainly doesn't hurt. 

Shakshouka with Turkey Meatballs

 SHAKSHOUKA W/ TURKEY MEATBALLS

I know...another savory breakfast dish with egg.  And, another internet fad, to boot!  Shakshouka seems to be all over the food blogosphere lately, so if you haven't tried it yet now is your chance.  I have no idea if this is an "authentic" shakshouka recipe, it's just something I made up based on pictures and my knowledge of Middle Eastern/North African spice mixes.  Shakshouka or not, it's extremely delicious (for any meal of the day).

It just so happens that I had a lot of time over the last few weeks to make breakfast.  Given I had the standard two weeks of vacation from teaching, plus an additional two "snow" days to follow, my muscles have barely done any work in 2014. Now, before you get all political on me and charge teachers for being lazy, I did also write an entire 25-page term thesis on the impacts of post-Solonic democratization in Classical Athens on Hellenic gender construction.  Turns out, the birth of democracy really sucked for women.  Anyways, it was nice to have a flexible schedule to read, write, and cook delicious shakshouka.

This version, has lean turkey meatballs packed with chickpeas and tahini, to bind the meatballs without adding any breadcrumbs.  A great thing I realized about this recipe is that the flavors get better the next day, so you can make the meatballs and tomato beforehand, and then reheat and add an egg when you're ready to consume.  It was delicious over creamy polenta, but can definitely hold its own if you're avoiding grains/carbs.  Vegetarian versions seem like they would be tasty and ridiculously easy - just replace the meatballs with seared eggplant for a delicious alternative. 

Italian Wedding Soup

We got home Sunday evening from a weekend in Michigan to attend a wedding of some old college friends.  Three days ago I probably wouldn't have used the phrase "old college friends," but now I do so endearingly.  I hadn't realized that three years or so have passed since I last saw their faces, and it was a treat to confirm that everyone had satisfyingly both changed/not changed at all.  New careers, new babies, new homes; same warmth, same humor, same good characters.  I hope to see them again soon.

Stopped in Ann Arbor on the way home for an extra dose of nostalgia.  Everything had satisfyingly both changed/not changed at all.  Even the ugliest building on campus now struck me as mid-century modern in its unchanged-ness.  So it goes.  Happily.

Here's an Italian Wedding Soup in honor of the new bride and groom. 

Greek Meatballs

GREEK MEATBALLS & WHEATBERRY ARUGULA SALAD

What a fast week...with a snow day Tuesday, dinner in the burbs with family on Thursday, and a professional development conference in the city on Friday, I barely had any time with my students or, less importantly, the vegetables in my fridge.  To top it off, this weekend Garrett and I are in Detroit for a wedding, so we needed to make quick use of the foodstuffs lying around.

So here's a recipe for a few typical situations:

1. You have hearty vegetables that need to get used up.
2. You or your significant other don't like vegetables all that much.
3. You want to stretch that buck you spent on meat in your diet by adding some healthy filler. 
4. You want to minimize your portion size when eating meat.

All of the above situations applied in my case, except #2.  Any time I make burgers, meatballs, or meatloaf, I throw whatever vegetables I can into a food processor that won't dramatically change the texture or flavor.  In this case, I managed to sneak in two whole zucchini, probably getting another entire serving from the recipe (yes, lunch is made) and making the meal a lot less heavy.  

The wheatberry salad in itself is a delicious and hearty meal if you want to skip the meat part all together. 

Turkey Kefta & Baba Ghanoush

TURKEY KEFTA KABOB & BABA GHANOUSH

 
This may be the longest lag between posts on the blog, so a few updates are in order:

1. I have now been rejected from foodgawker seven, count them, seven times.  
2. Friday night I returned to Kuma's Corner after two-years of avoiding three-hour waits.  See the Lentil Turkey Burger post for my raving review of Kuma's, the "best burger in Chicago."  Well, I'm sorry to report that despite a much shorter one-hour wait, Kuma's has lost its luster.  They no longer serve the calamari - for reasons I couldn't get out of the waitress because she literally walked away seeing the pain in my eyes - and the burger was much more bland than I remember.  I'm not really surprised, that's how it goes in Chicago on the restaurant scene.  
3. Since the Kuma's disappointment was made worse by the fact that I missed out on my weekly trip to Sultan's Market, tonight I made a healthier version of kefta and baba ghanoush.  Conveniently, I had ground turkey and eggplant left from last week's shopping cylce so it all came together nicely.  I am happy to report that Sultan's is still the best falafel in Chicago.

By no means should making the following middle eastern meal replace actually going to Sultan's if you live anywhere near the Chicagoland area.  It was a real challenge to replicate kefta kabobs with lean meat, because nothing really replaces the flavor of lamb.  I read that dark meat ground turkey can suffice, but I used extra lean ground turkey.  The addition of dairy, breadcrumbs, and egg kept them from drying out too much, but they weren't as rich as the real deal.  Comparisons aside, this was a very good, light dinner after a weekend of gluttonous consumption.  

Southeast Asian Soup with Turkey Meatballs

SOUTHEAST ASIAN SOUP W/ TURKEY MEATBALLS &  BROCCOLI

I quickly made this soup after work Friday to save for weekend consumption, since as a rule every Friday night Garrett and I go to Sultan's Market.

It was so good, though, that I ate a whole bowl and then went to Sultan's for a veritable bazaar of middle eastern delights.  We did manage to hold off eating my new favorite cookie - these Saudi date-filled treats below - to savor with a cup of milky chai at home before bed.  Err, at least before I also made the best mug brownie recipe I've come across yet...then went to bed.

Back to the southeast from the middle east.  Randomed* upon this recipe and perked up immediately because it happened to utilize much of the remaining produce and protein I had about the fridge.  Didn't have quite all the exact ingredients (sesame seeds, green onions, soy sauce, or pork), but was still delicious with substitutions or exclusions.  For example, had a few leftover rice wrappers from the Vietnamese spring rolls, so re-purposed them as rice noodles.  Clever me.

Maamoul, my new favorie cookie

Southeast Asia Trip, Summer 2011

cap cay soup in Bali and a Thai soup vendor

Bottom line, very quick, very delicious, very healthy.  Very good for storing away until Saturday lunch.

Zucchini Spaghetti with Meatballs

Last night for dinner I ate a can of black beans and half a MINI loaf of chocolate chip walnut banana bread.

Seeing that the banana bread was literally my dinner, I find no reason not to post that recipe on this blog in the future.  Currently, I'm a little hung up about the fact that it isn't very healthful.

Actually, that's a lie.  I fully intended to post the pictures of this awesome banana bread with the recipe this evening.  The idea was "Two Loaves," and it would have been matched with meatloaf for tonight. Cute in a pun way, but "meat and bananas" doesn't roll of the tongue quite right.

So I went with another idea I was flirting with, and I'm so glad Garrett convinced me to abandon "Two Loaves."  Granted, his logic was hugely flawed - he said he didn't feel in the mood for meatloaf despite the fact that the recipe would have had identical ingredients to this one.  "So you just prefer balls of meat to the loaf?"  

"Yeah."  Fine.

This zucchini spaghetti with meatballs was awesome, and healthy enough to make up for last night's misstep.