Spanish Meatballs: Aussie Style

Since I finally bought my Spanish terracotta dishes the other week I've been inspired to try making some Spanish recipes... with an Aussie twist.  As I still don't really like beef, I substitute with other gamey meats instead.  So here is my Spanish Kangaroo Meatballs recipe.

Oh but before I start typing the recipe I need to record the incredible meal my friend Liz and I had at Mamasita's last night.  Thank goodness we were only a table of two, as at 6.15pm walk-ins of three had a 2+ hour wait and walk-ins of four had a 4+ hour wait.  Whereas we were sipping magaritas by 6.30pm!  We shared 8 dishes and every single one was amazing:

• Elotes callejeros - grilled corn with chipotle mayonnaise, cheese and lime
• Crab meat tostaditas
• Fish taco
• Prawn taco
• Ceviche in coconut milk
• Salmon ceviche (with a hint of mustard)
• Chipotle-braised goat with a roasted sweet corn puree
• A quinoa salad with corn, spinach, coriander, chilli & ‘pico de gallo’

We then went to Red Bennies for some great cocktails, crazy circus acts and electroswing (so excited to have found a place that plays it in Melbourne, yay).

Spanish Kangaroo Meatballs

Serves 2 as a meal or 4 as an entree. 

250g of kangaroo mince
3/4 of a cup of fresh white breadcrumbs (perhaps get some french bread and use the rest to serve with the dish)
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
3 cloves of finely chopped garlic
2 finely chopped spring onions
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons of chopped fresh thyme
1/2 a teaspoon of turmeric
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 can of chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons of red wine (which leaves about 720ml of wine for dinner, excellent)
2 teaspoons of chopped fresh basil 
2 teaspoons of chopped fresh rosemary

1. Mix the kangaroo mince, breadcrumbs, tomato paste, garlic, scallions, egg, thyme, turmeric, salt, and pepper (food prep gloves are a big help here). Using your hands, shape the mixture into 12 balls.
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium sized frypan over a medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook for several minutes or until browned on all sides.

3. Add the tomatoes, wine, basil, and rosemary. Simmer gently for around 15 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked. Season generously with salt and pepper and serve hot with slices of bread to mop up the sauce.

Thanks Angus and Robertson...

I hate seeing bookstores close : (  I know we can get books for incredibly cheap on-line, but I like to linger in stores mulling over my potential purchases, especially for recipe books...  it's not as fun browsing on-line.  But I did benefit from some heavy discounting at Angus and Robertson on the weekend (as a result of their decision to downscale operations).  I went straight for the food and wine section, and decided to get a Moroccan recipe book to broaden my horizons a bit.  I still remember the goat tagine I had in Marrakesh a few years ago, and the intensity of everything in Morocco: the flavours, the sun, the colours, the people.  Would this new recipe book live up to that?  So far I say yes; I've cooked one recipe and am waiting for my second experiment to cook as I write this (my dinner guest Kate is on her way)... exciting, can't wait to take it out of the oven!  And while I wait, here is the first recipe I cooked.  And some photos from Morocco.

Tagine of Chickpeas

I used canned chickpeas but you can of course use dried ones too.  The recipe says you can skin the chickpeas just before adding them to the pot but I didn't bother.

3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 brown onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 teaspoon of harissa or 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon of ground turmeric
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of cinnamon   
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon of caster sugar
2 x 420g tins of chickpeas
3 tablespoons of chopped Italian parsley
2 tablespoons of chopped coriander
Salt and pepper
Bread (or couscous) to serve 

1. Add the olive oil and onion to a stockpot or large saucepan and cook over a medium heat for 7 minutes or so until softened.  Stir in the garlic, the harissa or cayenne pepper, and the spices and cook gently for 2 minutes or so until fragrant.  Add the tomatoes and sugar and season to taste.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

2. Stir the chickpeas into the tomato mixture; cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, adding a little more water if necessary.  Stir in the parsley and coriander and season to taste.  Serve with crusty bread or couscous. 

New kitchen items, yay :)

I've been meaning to try some baked egg recipes ever since first having some of Birdman Eating's fabulous ever-changing variations on this theme.  Last weekend I finally I got around to buying the ceramic dishes I've been meaning to buy from the Chef's Hat and so tonight was attempt number one.  It has been a cold day (11.8 degrees - I was going to say very cold but I do remember colder days from New Zealand...) and piping hot individual dishes straight from the oven to the table was just what Dad and I felt like for dinner.

Baked Eggs with Spicy Tomato and Feta Sauce

Serves 2 - I'll be halving the recipe for an easy dinner for one some time soon too. 

2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 small or 1 medium onion, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoon chopped fresh red chilli
4 medium diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1 handful chopped parsley
1 cup crumbled feta
4 eggs
A few slices of fresh bread

1. Heat the oil in a pan.  Add the onion and saute gently until tender and clear.  Add the garlic and chilli and saute for about a minute until fragrant.

2. Add the chopped tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper and simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes until the sauce thickens.

3. Remove from the heat and mix in the fresh herbs and feta.

4. Divide between two individually sized baking dishes, indent each twice with a spoon and crack the eggs into the indentations.

5. Bake in a preheated 220 degree oven until the sauce is bubbling and the egg whites have just set.  Serve with slices of bread to soak up the gooey egg yolks and the delicious sauce...