Albondigas (Mexican Meatball Soup)

It's hearty enough for fall and fresh enough for summer.  This Mexican flavor inspired soup is great any time of year!  I hope you all enjoy!

For the meatballs:
1 lb ground chuck (80/20)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 large egg
1/8 cup APF (sub almond flour for keto)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

For the broth:
1 Tbs EVOO
2 sweet mini peppers, chopped
1-14 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp dried cilantro
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 bay leaf
1 tsp adobo sauce
1 cup chopped baby spinach
Salt & pepper to taste

Saute the peppers in EVOO until soft and translucent.  Add crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, spices/herbs, adobo sauce and spinach.  Bring to a boil and drop in meatballs all at once. Reduce heat and simmer 15-20 mins until meatballs are cooked through (inside temp 160 degrees F). S&P to taste, pull out your bay leaves (I always forget!) and serve with your choice of cheese, sour cream, avocado and/or cilantro!

Buen Provecho!

Chicken Spinach Alfredo with Zucchini Noodles

It's all about the carbs for me these days --or lack thereof-- so I am trying new things.  One of my latest obsessions is zucchini noodles, or "Zoodles".  To start, you'll need to get you a Veggetti.  It's my new favorite kitchen tool!  I'm telling you, it's pretty awesome.

I made this super simple Chicken Spinach Alfredo last night.  My sauce broke because I was in a hurry and experimenting but it still tasted good.  There are low carb alfredo sauces out there from what I hear, also.  I've just never tried any of them.

So to start, I marinated some boneless skinless chicken breasts in olive oil and lemon juice for about 30 minutes.  My single portion of this dish only used about half a breast.  I have written the recipe for 4 servings so you'll need two good sized breasts.  I seasoned with salt and pepper and grilled the chicken on our outside wood pellet grill.  Then I chopped it into bite sized pieces.

For the chicken:

• 2 6-8 oz. boneless skinless chicken breast, marinated, grilled & chopped (Marinade: 2 Tbs lemon juice, 2 Tbs EVOO)

I heated my oil in a non stick pan over med-hi heat.  Then I spiralized my noodles right into the pan, seasoned and sauted until they were tender.

For the noodles:

• 3-4 medium zucchini
• 2 Tbs EVOO
• Salt & pepper

My sauce... Let's just say it still needs a little work.  The ingredients were spot on, but my technique was off.  Pretty sure I just had the heat too high and added the cream too fast and that's why it broke.  Oh well, it still tasted fabulous.  It's always an experiment around here!  Give it a try and let me know if yours comes out better.  You can find the recipe I followed loosely for the sauce here.  I also added about a 1/2 cup chopped baby spinach at the end.  Gotta get those leafy greens!

My ingredients for the sauce:

• 1 Tbs bacon fat (YUM)
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup Parmesan & Asiago cheese
• A pinch of nutmeg
• 1/2 cup chopped baby spinach

Then you just plate your noodles, add chicken and sauce on top of that and you're done!  Even easier if you use store bought sauce!

ENJOY!!!