The Riverside Press-Enterprise
Orzo and zucchini soup
Yield: 5 to 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 cups canned (48-ounce package) or homemade chicken broth, plus more as needed
Generous 1/2 cup dried orzo pasta
3 medium-small zucchini, washed, trimmed, shredded Freshly ground black pepper 2large garlic cloves 1cup packed basil leaves 3tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Salt, if needed Frank’s Red Hot Original, to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and stir for 2 minutes to cook flour (do NOT brown).
2. Remove from heat and whisk in 6 cups of broth. Return to heat and bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer for 15minutes, stirring occasionally. Add orzo and simmer for 5minutes.
3. Add zucchini and simmer until squash is tender, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, with the motor running on a food processor fitted with the steel blade, drop garlic through the feed tube to mince it. Add basil and Parmesan cheese. Process until finely minced. Whisk basil mixture into soup. If soup is too thick, add a little more broth,
4. Add salt to taste. Add 4 to 5 drops Frank’s Red Hot Original. Stir to combine and taste; add more if needed (I usually add more). I like Frank’s because it adds acidity as well as subtle hot spiciness. If making the soup in advance and reheating, the orzo will expand and you will need to add more broth.
It still touches my heart. I’ve watched “The Sound of Music” almost every year since the movie first screened in 1965. The songs fill me with joy, especially “My Favorite Things,” flawlessly sung by Julie Andrews. Playing the part of Maria, a young and perky novice nun, Andrews voices her love of “cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels, doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles.”
I don’t argue with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s choices. Crisp apple strudel is a true culinary work of art, the dough a challenge to prepare, and of course the flavor and texture are irresistible. And there’s no quarrel with the inclusion of schnitzel with noodles; ah, the meat, pounded, breaded, then fried until the exterior is delightfully browned, the wiggly noodles awash in sweet butter to coat. Mmmm.
I wonder how many listeners are tempted to itemize a few of their own favorite things. On this cold winter day, I’m longing for one of my favorite things. Sing it: meatballs with sauces on platters they’re steaming, lamb or with turkey, maybe sausage I’m dreaming.
Yes, and here are some of my favorite meatball recipes.
Easy sausage kebabs
Grilled kebabs made of sausage meat lend themselves to a casual kind of meal. The sausage, first formed into hardy meatballs, is thread onto skewers and patted to partially flatten into thick rounded patties. They can be served with a variety of tasty accompaniments. My favorites include store-bought hummus, pita bread, radishes and tzatziki. Yield: 6 to 8 servings
INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound mild Italian sausage
1/2 pound hot Italian sausage
1cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely diced, unpeeled English (hothouse) cucumber
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
For serving: Hummus, pita bread cut into triangles, radishes
DIRECTIONS
Chef Ross Pangilinan’s recipe for lamb meatballs includes ginger, cumin, coriander and harissa, a North African chile paste.
and beef’s flavor and aroma. And the tzatziki, a yogurt-cucumber sauce spiked with mint, lemon juice, garlic and harissa, is cooling. Yield: 6 to 8 portions
INGREDIENTS
Meatballs:
1 pound ground lamb
1 pound ground beef
2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) 1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander 1tablespoon harissa paste (or other chile paste); see cook’s notes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or parsley 6 eggs
1 tablespoon coarse salt
For skewering: bamboo skewers
Garnish:
Cook’s notes:
Ina Garten’s meatballs for spaghetti are made with ground turkey along with pork sausage and finely chopped prosciutto.
Big turkey meatballs with prosciutto and sausage
Yield:
INGREDIENTS
3cups (1-inch dice) cubes of rustic bread (I don’t remove the crust.)
2/3 cup whole milk or 2%
2 pounds ground turkey (85% to 92% lean) 1/2 pound sweet Italian pork sausage, casings removed
4ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, finely chopped
1cup freshly grated aged Asiago cheese or Parmesan
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 3tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing the meatballs
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten 3 (24-ounce) jars marinara sauce 2pounds dried spaghetti
Freshly grated Parmesan (or Asiago) cheese, for serving