One of my favorite things about all this time at home has been the cooking! It has also been one of my least favorite – as dishes pile up, and requests have me feeling like a short order cook, I’m exhausted. But I am also thankful to not only be able to feed my family, but that I will remember back on this time in our life as one where we tried out new things, learned to make substitutions, and dabbled in feeling confident in the kitchen. Something fun we’ve done is find a variety of ways to make meatballs. I was thrilled to read and learn about authentic Mexican style meatballs, or Albondigas Mexicanas, that you can read about here. As excited as I am to try that recipe, we made this based on what we had available at the time – relying on the rich flavor of the Enchilada sauce we had in our pantry as well as playing with a blend of spices we enjoy in Latin American cuisine. We hope you enjoy these dishes – we certainly do!
Enchilada Meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1- 10 oz can of Enchilada Sauce
- 1 egg
- 1 cup of bread crumbs *can be cut down, Curtis liked 1 cup, I’d recommend ½ cup.
- ¼ cup shredded cheese
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¾ shredded Mexican blend cheese (topping)
Optional Toppings: Chopped green onions, sour cream, sliced avocado
Instructions: Heat your oven to 375. In a large bowl, mix meat, breadcrumbs, egg, shredded cheddar, and spices, plus about ¼ of the enchilada sauce, in order to make the meat balls. I use my hands to do this. Form approx. 2” balls of the mixture and place in a 9” x 13” baking dish. Should make about 16 meatballs. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top, place in the oven, and bake for about 20 – 25 minutes. Internal temperature should reach 165. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the shredded Mexican cheese on top and place back in the oven for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, and then remove from the oven. Let the meatballs set up for a few minutes before serving, garnish with chopped green onions. Can be served with sliced avocado on top or a dollop of sour cream – or whatever your heart desires!
Off-The-Cob Elote
Also known as Mexican Street Corn, and frequently served on the cob, this is how our family likes to enjoy this tasty dish. We serve it over a bed of arugula.
- 4 ears of raw corn, off the cob.
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
- 3 oz cotija cheese *We subbed for feta cheese, because that is what we had and it was great.
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- chopped green onion
- Salt and Pepper
- Juice from a lime wedge to finish
Instructions: Step 1: Heat butter in a skillet over medium-high heat (we used cast iron). Step 2: Cook for about 10-15 minutes until the corn is a mix of brown and slightly charred. Step 3: Put corn into a bowl and mix with mayo, cheese, paprika, onion, and herbs. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Finish off by squeezing and mixing in a little bit of lime juice right before serving. Somewhere between half to a quarter of a small lime. Step 4: We served over a bed of arugula for a little interpretation of a salad and it is delicious!
Notes: Frozen or canned corn may be used. Haven’t tried frozen yet but I would steam it in the microwave and then throw it in the skillet a bit to char it slightly. This is what we did with the canned corn after draining. If we’d never made it with fresh corn we wouldn’t have noticed any difference, the canned corn just tasted slightly sweeter which might be your preference! We used fresh chives instead of green onions because that is what we had. You could also add cilantro or flat leaf parsley. Or probably fine without!
Fresh Guacamole
Guacamole is an appropriate snack anytime, but it is an especially great fit as a starter for this menu since leftovers – if there are any – can be thrown on top of the meatballs. We have avocados in our house at all times because the protein-packed goodness is a favorite of us all. Guacamole is one of the few things I can make that I do so by “eyeballing” the amounts.
The base of our guacamole is always some ratio of the following items: Avocado, baby tomatoes, red onions, lime juice, and salt. We do not use black pepper or cayenne when it is going to be enjoyed by all four of us because it has too much of a kick for the girls. If you want more exact ratios, here is a good recipe.
We also sometimes add: cilantro, toasted walnuts, salt, chopped pickled jalapenos
Guacamole is delicious with tortilla chips, and some of our favorites are the Old Florida Gourmet Tortilla Chips. But plantain chips are a great twist, as well as slices of bell pepper.
Margarita Martini
A twist on the classic Margarita but not frozen or over ice, this martini version is delicious. We followed the recipe by Texas Monthly and added a rim of Tajin, which is a mixture of chili pepper, lime, and salt flavors. At first we made it without the olive juice because we weren’t feeling that brave, and it was good. But then we decided to get adventurous and add it, and it was even better. Curtis HATES olives and found this to be delicious – couldn’t even taste it. We think it simply adds a bit of salt and simultaneously makes it even smoother.
- 3 oz tequila
- 1 ½ oz Cointreau
- 1 ½ oz fresh lime juice
- ½ oz green olive brine from jar
- Splash of fresh OJ
- Lime wedges and olives
Instructions: With ice in a shaker, shake vigorously and strain into a martini glass. For an added touch, rim it with Tajin like we did.
Watermelon & Tajin
Keep the Tajin handy and try sprinkling it on your watermelon. We served this on the side – and enjoy it as a poolside snack by itself. The girls aren’t quite at this spice level yet so their watermelon is plain, but the added kick of the chili, salt and lime that the Tajin brings to the fresh, sweet watermelon, is one of my favorite combos!
