Albondigas

This one is a controversial dish. Meaning, when I asked my Nana how to make it the first time I was away at college and so she gave me her version then my mom gave me her own version and now I add a few twisted to it. So if you are in my mom's kitchen you will get a thinned out version of the soup, which is the way my Nana made and she made it with no carrots or potatoes (that's my mom's twist). What I love most about this dish is that my Nana use to make it in the summer. So while it was super hot during the day we would sit at the counter in my mom's house and sweat while we ate this soup. She served it with a side of rice and beans and of course flour tortillas, mostly for me, because she liked to eat it with corn tortillas. I can remember her with her rinsed out blue hair and painted nails rolling the meatballs. Since we where on the poor side she made the Albondigas super small so everyone could have at least two. My favorite part if my Nana's Albondigas was the rice that would fall off of them and into the soup so I add a little extra rice to my soup just for that reason. I loved when she made this soup, she would make it in the morning while watching her tela-novelas in her mandil and cook away having it ready for us at about 4pm to eat dinner, which of course, one of if not all of my uncles would come to eat. It's just how we do it. When one eats, we all eat...you can't let your family eat alone after all!




5 Tomatoes (or two 14.5 oz cans of peeled diced unsalted tomatoes)
½ white onion diced
1 garlic clove
½ bushel of cilantro
1 pound ground beef
1 egg
1/3 cup rice (for the soup)
1/3 cup rice (for the meat)
2 Anaheim roasted and peeled chilies
1 yellow roasted and peeled chilies
Salt, pepper & garlic powder to meat to taste
5 level teaspoon Knorr Suiza (chicken bullion)


1. Grate Tomatoes (if you are using canned no need to grate)
2. Blend onions, garlic, cilantro and chilies (blend tomatoes with this)
3. Add mixer to pot add 1teaspoon oil to sauté for 2 minutes
4. Add 10 cups water (enough to make caldo)
5. Let boil (while waiting for it to boil make meatballs)
6. mix meat, egg and rice
7. Mix well and then make the meatballs
8. While soup is boiling add the meat balls and then lower heat
9. Cover and let cook for 45minute - 1hour on medium heat
9. When the rice is done the soup is ready

• For extra filling you can add diced carrots and potatoes.
• If you have extra soup left over and the meat is gone use add some tortillas strips, avocado and a little jack cheese and you have a great tortilla soup!
• This recipe will make the soup medium spicy, when I make it for my kids (who love it) I only use one Anaheim chile.
  

Here's to some good food!