Meatballs with Red Chile Sauce
Ingredients
Red Chile Tomato Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 medium red onion, finely diced
- 1 jalapeno, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 to 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, processed until smooth
- 28-ounce can plum tomatoes and their juice, processed till smooth
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Zest of two lemons
- Honey to taste / 2 squirts
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Mexican crema
- Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
Meatballs:
- 1/3 pound chorizo, ground
- 1/3 pound chuck, ground
- 1/3 pound pork butt, ground
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro, plus extra for garnish
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Cotija cheese1 tablespoon New Mexico chili powder
- 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 3/4 cups beef stock
- Add some honey at the end of the balls cooking out in the stock… Makes sticky & slightly sweet
- Queso fresco, for garnish
- Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish (chopped)
Directions
Red Chile Tomato Sauce:
1. Heat the oil in sauté pan over high heat. Cook the onions and jalapenos until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, and then stir in the chili powder and coriander and cook 1 minute. Pour in 1 cup of water and cook until reduced.
2. Mix in the chipotles and tomatoes and bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened - about 20 minutes.
3. Season with salt, black pepper and honey, if using. Whisk in the crema, followed by the cilantro, and adjust the seasoning, if needed.
Meatballs:
1. Combine the ground meats with the garlic and egg in a large bowl, and then add in 1/4 cup of cilantro, the cheese, New Mexico chili powder, Mexican oregano, cumin and cayenne pepper. Gently mix together until combined.
2. Begin mixing in the breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture holds together.
3. Mix in some salt and black pepper, and form the meat into 2-inch balls.
4. Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Cook the meatballs, turning occasionally, until brown all over, 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Pour in the chicken stock and cook until the liquid is mostly reduced and the meatballs are just cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes longer.
6. Transfer to a serving platter and top with the Red Chile Tomato Sauce, queso fresco and additional cilantro leaves.
Swordfish and Cucumber Ceviche salsa
Ingredients
- ½ cup diced cucumber
- ¾ cup diced ripe tomatoes
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion
- 2 finely red chillies, seeds and pith removed
- 1 cup diced and cleaned swordfish
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ¼ coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoon La Carnita Habanero sauce or (favourite red chilli/habanero sauce)
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
Directions
1. With a spoon, remove the seeds and cores of the cucumber before dicing, and add to a large bowl.
2. Remove the seeds and pith from the red chillies before dicing and add to the bowl.
3. Remove the seeds and cores of the tomato before dicing and add to the bowl.
4. Peel and finely dice the red onion and add to the bowl
5. Remove the skin and any imperfections from the swordfish before dicing and add to the bowl, use the centre cut when possible as it is of the best quality. If swordfish is unavailable use fresh marlin or fresh tuna, both are equally excellent substitutes.
6. Add the coconut milk, lime juice (fresh squeezed is best), olive oil, and hot sauce - don’t be afraid to give it a little kick of spice in this step as the coconut milk lime and swordfish will mellow it out. Mix well into the salsa
7. Lastly, add the chopped cilantro and salt into the salsa before serving.
Chocolate Pot
Ingredients
- 200 grams dark chocolate chips or any good chocolate as long as it gets chopped up into small bits
- 1 cup Whipping Cream
- 100 ml Half and Half Cream
- 1/8 cup cocoa powder
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- zest of two oranges
- 1 large egg
Directions
1. Place chocolate in a blender or food processor.
2. Over low heat, warm up the creams, cocoa powder, vanilla, cinnamon and orange zest in a pot. Once the mixture is hot (do not bring to a boil), add to the chocolate and process on high speed until the mixture is smooth, about one minute.
3. Add the egg to the blender/food processor and process for at least one minute.
4. Pour chocolate mixture into 8-10 small cups or bowls and refrigerate immediately. Should take about 4-5 hours to set so it's a good idea to do the night before or in the morning before your party. The chocolate pots keep for a few days.
5. To serve: let the chocolate pots sit at room temperature for about an hour before you plan to serve them. For an extra touch, add a bit of ground cinnamon and icing sugar, to taste, to whipped cream as a garnish.
This dessert is gluten-free!
