March = Meatballs!

Ah, comfort food!
Sundays in March scream out for the stick-to-your-ribs variety of sustenance - it has to be savory and nostalgic to balance the raw cold that just cuts to the bone. So, who am I to fight it? Comfort food it is...

Rolling Right Along...
I was really hoping to get to my studio to paint today, but laundry, errands and a few must-do (but mundane!) tasks around the house have eaten up the best part of the day. I like to paint at midday, when the light is ideal - although it is still daylight until 6 p.m. now, our daylight hours are still short, so it makes the window of opportunity even more precious -- and, at times, elusive!

And so it goes for me all through the winter -- I am on rations of light and starving for more. Unable to paint this aft, and thinking of my own dear Mom and how she always cooked these amazing, balanced, sit-down meals for her family, I decided that I could pour a little love and creativity into my time in the kitchen if not at my easel.

The Decision
After a bit of thought as to what to prepare, I settled on Porcupine Meatballs - not something my Mom made, but a recipe I prepared in my early teens at school, and one that my kids love: Foods and Nutrition class wasn't a total loss, I suppose!

And "NO" - these are NOT made with wild porcupine meat (LOL) in case you are wondering just how wild we Canucks are! These meatballs are made with beef and uncooked rice -- as the rice swells during the cooking process, it sticks out of the meatballs a bit; hence the "porcupine" name!

I have made a few adjustments to the recipe over the years, tailoring the recipe to our tastes; hope you will enjoy the combination of flavours too. We had our Porcupines tonight with a side of homemade Garlic Mashed Potatoes and mixed veg, it was a hit with the fam, and I enjoyed the silence as they all chowed down:) My son had his very LOUD friend over all day and I was quite pleased that Mr. Megaphone Mouth had to go home for din-din...

Satisfying and homey, but not difficult or too labour intensive -- here is the recipe for you to try. Something to warm your heart a little while you wait for signs of spring...

Pam's Porcupine Meatballs

Ingredients:
2 lb. lean ground beef
2/3 cup long great white rice (I use Jasmine or Basmati)
2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 cup finely grated cooking onion
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. freshly milled black pepper
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 cup all purpose flour, for dusting
3 tins of tomato soup
2 tsp. brown sugar
2 cups water
1-2 Tbsp. canola or olive oil for browning

METHOD:
Combine beef, egg, rice, onion, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and mix thoroughly until evenly combined. Pre-heat a deep skillet with a tight-fitting lid, adding in the oil.

Place the flour in a small bowl and begin rolling the meat by tablespoonfuls. Dust each ball lightly in the flour, patting off the excess and then placing the meatballs in the skillet to brown.

When all meatballs are browned, add in the soup, water, brown sugar, and chili powder, and stir gently to combine ingredients and coat all of the meatballs. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes to one hour - until rice is tender and sauce thickens slightly. Serve with mashed potatoes and veg. Makes about 3 dozen large meatballs.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:
3 lb. russet potatoes
1- 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
5 cloves garlic

METHOD:
Cut the tips and ends off each garlic clove, but do not peel completely. Wrap in foil and place in an oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 1- 1/2 hours. Remove from oven and set aside.

Peel and chop all potatoes, covering with water in a large pot, and adding the salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes, until tender. Drain the potatoes, add the butter, milk and roasted garlic -- the garlic will easily slip our of the skins and will be just like soft cheese. Mash well until creamy in consistency - serve.