Yum!

Albodingas Soup (credit: simplyrecipes.com)

If fresh mint is not available, you can use a couple teaspoons of dried mint from herbal mint tea. You can also vary the vegetables depending on what you have on hand. Spring peas in their pods instead of shucked peas, for example. Or you could add some chopped fresh zucchini or corn. My mother often puts a couple extra tablespoons of chopped fresh mint directly into the soup. Feel free to substitute ground turkey for the ground beef, we do it often.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 3 quarts of chicken stock or beef stock OR water OR a mixture of both (we usually use half stock half water
• as the meatballs will create their own stock)*
• 1/2 cup of tomato sauce
• 1/2 lb of string beans, strings and ends removed, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1/3 cup of raw white rice
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/4 cup of chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 cup of chopped parsley
• 1 raw egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• A dash of cayenne (optional)
• 1 1/2 cup of frozen or fresh peas
• 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, crumbled, or 1 Tbsp fresh chopped oregano
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

*If using prepared stock, be sure to use gluten-free stock if you are cooking gluten-free.

METHOD

1 Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed pot (5-qt) over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. Add broth mixture and tomato sauce. Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer. Add carrots and string beans.
2 Prepare the meatballs. Mix rice into meat, adding mint leaves and parsley, salt and pepper. Mix in raw egg. Form mixture into 1-inch meatballs.

3 Add the meatballs to the simmering soup, one at a time. Cover and let simmer for 1/2 hour. Add the peas towards the end of the 1/2 hour. Add a few pinches of oregano and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and a dash of cayenne, to taste.

Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.

Serves 6-8.

Found this recipe here. Another one I haver to try.

Homemade Goat Cheese
Tweaked from Over the Rainbeau, Living the Dream of Sustainable Farming

Feel free to experiment with your herb(s) of choice and any other flavor combinations that float your boat. The sky’s the limit! Be careful not to drain your cheese for too long, as it may begin to dry out and lose that supple, smooth consistency you’re going after.

Music Pairing: Don’t Stop, Fleetwood Mac

Ingredients

• 1 quart goat’s milk
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 clove freshly grated garlic
• a few pinches herbs de provence
• freshly chopped parsley
• coarse salt, to taste

Method

In a medium saucepan, slowly heat milk until it reaches 180 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Let stand until milk starts to curdle, about 15-20 seconds. If milk does not curdle, add a little more lemon juice.

Line a colander with several layers of cheesecloth and place over a large bowl. Ladle milk into colander. Pull up and tie the four corners of cheesecloth together and hang on the handle of a wooden spoon, set over a stockpot or very deep bowl. Allow to drain until the consistency of slightly dry cottage cheese is reached, about 1-1.5 hours. Transfer to a bowl and fold in salt, herbs and garlic. Serve immediately atop warm crostinis. Can be stored in an airtight container, refrigerated, up to 1 week.

Found here, had at Saigon Express on Main and always wanted to try.

makes 2 sandwiches
Ingredients
Carrot Daikon pickle condiment:
1/2 cup carrot matchsticks (or thin coins like I did)
optional 1/2 cup white daikon radish matchsticks
Generous pinch of salt
1 TBS sugar
2 TBS rice vinegar (or white vinegar)
Marinade:
1 TBS finely minced garlic
1 TBS fish sauce
1 TBS soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 TBS high heat cooking oil plus more as needed (divided)
1 lb (500 g) sirloin, top round, or rib eye (as thinly sliced as possible)
Sandwiches:
1 shallot thinly sliced (or you can use some red onion)
2 8 in hoagie rolls or baguette sections
4 large pieces green lettuce
10-15 leaves of cilantro, parsley, basil, or other fresh herbs

Instructions
Toss carrots and daikon with the salt, sugar, and vinegar. Let sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes. If not using immediately, add enough vinegar to cover veggies, stir, and store in glass jar or plastic container up to 1 month.

In a bowl whisk together garlic, fish sauce, sor sauce, sugar, black pepper and 1 TBS of the oil. Add beef slices and mix well to coat each slice. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.

Set a large frying pan or grill pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, pour in 1 TBS of the oil and swirl to coat the pan. You’ll be cooking the beef in batches, how many depends on how big your pan is.

Add the beef slices, laying them flat and in a single layer. Fry 30 seconds to 1 minute depending on how thinly it’s sliced. Flip and fry other side 30 seconds to 1 minute. Edges of the beef should be just slightly charred, but cooking time should be kept to a minimum to avoid overcooking meat. Pour any juices left in the pan into a small bowl. Fry additional batches of meat slices the same way, adding a touch more oil if necessary, and reserving pan juices.

Return pan to stovetop on high heat. Add a touch more cooking oil and when hot, add the sliced shallots. Fry for 30 seconds, until just softened, mopping up any remaining pan juices and caramelized bits during the frying.

To assemble sandwiches, slice the hoagie rolls or baguettes in half lengthwise. Brush each side with some of the reserved pan juices. To each sandwich add a layer of lettuce, then grilled beef, carrot daikon pickle, grilled shallots, and finally sprinkle on the herbs.

I’ve been looking for these since I had some at the restaurant in the San Antonio Botanical Gardens. I just found this recipe. I’ll post some pics when I try them.

Ingredients

• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup red bell pepper, small dice
• 3 tablespoons cilantro, minced
• 8 ounces corn kernels
• 1/2 c milk
• 1/2 c unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 c cornmeal
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg yolk

In a medium bowl, combine flour and cornmeal. Set aside.

Combine corn and milk in food processor or blender and process until smooth.

Beat in eggs and yolks.

Stir in dry mixture.

Fold in scallions, bell pepper, and cilantro.
Heat heavy skillet (you can’t beat cast iron!) to medium high heat with a little bit of vegetable oil.

Spoon about two tablespoons of batter into the pan and smooth out a little to form a round.

Cook like a pancake, browning both sides—about three minutes per side.

Serve as a side for grilled meats, as a topped, blini-like appetizer, or, as a main course covered with black beans and herbs.

Makes about ten four-inch pancakes.