MEATBALL RECIPES: Spicy Mexican Meatballs . . . Brad's Meatball Soup

Spicy Mexican Meatballs

½ pound 93 percent lean ground beef

½ pound ground turkey breast

2 egg whites

¾ cup finely crushed baked tortilla chips

½ cup finely minced yellow onion

1 teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

3 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapenos, drained

1 cup canned red enchilada sauce, divided

Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray an 18- by-13-inch jelly roll pan with nonstick spray coating.

Mix together beef, turkey, egg whites, crushed chips, onion, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, jalapenos and Zc cup enchilada sauce in a large mixing bowl. Blend well and then shape into 1½-inch meatballs. Place meatballs on prepared jelly roll pan. Bake 10 to 12 minutes.

Carefully remove meatballs and place in a decorative heat-proof serving dish (about 11-by-8-inches). Drizzle with remaining enchilada sauce and bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until meatballs are done and cooked to 165 degrees. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro before serving.

Yield: 30 meatballs (about 15 appetizer servings).

Approximate nutritional analysis per 2-meatball serving: 72 calories, 44 percent of calories from fat, 3 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 19 milligrams cholesterol, 5 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams protein, 123 milligrams sodium, less than 1 gram dietary fiber.

Brad’s Meatball Soup

MEATBALLS:

½ to ¾ pound spicy venison breakfast sausage (see note)

½ to ¾ pound venison burger (see note)

½ to 1 teaspoon cumin

1½ teaspoon salt

1½ teaspoon pepper

¼ cup oatmeal

Dash or two each of Worcestershire sauce and Liquid Smoke

Pinch of crush red pepper flakes (to taste)

SOUP:

1 14½-ounce can green beans (see note)

1 14½-ounce can sliced carrots, drained

1 carton organic beef broth

1 pint diced tomatoes

1 pint tomato juice

½ cup pearled barley or ½-inch bundle fettuccine noodles (whole wheat), broken up

For meatballs: Mix together ingredients and form into ½- to ¾-inch balls; brown in olive oil in a soup kettle.

Once browned, remove meatballs from pot. Add 1 medium onion, chopped, and more olive oil if necessary. Caramelize onions. Add 1 minced clove garlic. Return meatballs to pot and add remaining ingredients.

Simmer soup on low heat for 1 to 1½ hours, stirring so ingredients won’t stick to bottom of pot. Add beef broth or water as needed.

Note: Jimmy Dean pork sausage and lean hamburger can be substituted for venison sausage and burger; other vegetables such as whole-kernel corn, peas and cauliflower also can be used.

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