With winter ragging across most of the country, I posed this question on Facebook:

What is your favorite soup?

I received a nice variety of responses, which included some of my favorite soups like Broccoli Cheddar and Italian Wedding and others that I had yet to recreate at home.

Nick described his beloved Steak & Potato Soup as “meaty and full of potatoes, carrots and mushrooms. The broth is rich but not too thick.” I’m fairly certain what he described was available in a can and included the word Chunky on the label :) I can work with that and so chunky this soup would be. A fine balance between a soup and a stew.

Soup will generally contain meat or vegetables that are typically brought to a boil in water or broth and served with a generous ratio of broth to meat/vegetables. Whereas a Stew has less liquid, is typically simmered for a longer period and is served with more meat/vegetables and less broth.

For the ‘steak’ you can use your favorite cut. I prefer beginning with tender beef that has some nice marbling. This is the star of the show so why scrimp and use a tough cut of meat?! I used Yukon Gold for the potatoes because I like how they hold together yet are nice and creamy. Fresh thyme is a must and caramelized mushrooms go perfectly in this hearty soup.

I pan brown the steak and mushrooms in batches because a nice sear really helps to build flavor. Remove the beef and mushrooms and reserve them until nearer the end of cooking.

Add onions, carrots and fresh thyme to the same pan and sauté until almost tender. Dust the veggies with flour or arrowroot (for GF), then deglaze the pan with red wine and tomato paste to incorporate all those yummy brown bits from the seared steak, all the while building layers of flavor.

Next comes the cubed potatoes, bay leaves and a nice rich beef stock or bone broth. Simmer soup until potatoes are just fork tender, then return the seared steak and mushrooms to the pot and heat through. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves before serving.

Homemade Steak & Potato Soup got two thumbs up from my favorite taste-tester. This soup will satisfy your best eaters and is the perfect cold-weather blues buster!!

Making homemade soup reminds me of one of my favorite cooking quotes.

“Cooking is a caring and nurturing act. It’s kind of the ultimate gift for someone, to cook for them. It creates all this beautiful stuff, conversation, appreciation, romance. All the most important things in life you do around a dinner table.” ~ Curtis Stone.

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

Wishing you a happy table. All my best, Libby

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We dug out an old favorite recipe for Cheeseburger Soup and gave it a little sprucing up.  Our NEW & Improved Bacon Jalapeño Cheeseburger Soup is the bombdiggity.

Those of us longing for spring and backyard BBQs, while Winter weather is still lingering, can get that fresh off the grill cheeseburger taste (and satisfaction) with this soup.  You just build it like you build your favorite cheeseburger and don’t skimp on the toppings.

Recipe tip: If you want a nice charbroiled flavor brown your ground beef in a hot pan.  You may want to wipe out any black bits before adding in the bacon.

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Bacon Jalapeno Cheeseburger Soup

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 6 slices of bacon
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 jalapenos seeded and fine diced
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 medium baking potato peeled and cubed
• 2 Tbl. flour
• 3 cups beef broth
• 1/8 cup ketchup
• 1 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbl. yellow mustard
• 2 cups milk or cream
• 6 ounces Cheddar or American cheese shredded
• salt & pepper to taste
• Toppings: crispy bacon diced tomato, shredded cheese and fine diced jalapeno. Serve with mini dill pickles.

Instructions

• In a Dutch oven, brown ground beef; drain and reserve. Add bacon and cook until crispy; remove to drain reserving 1 Tbl. bacon drippings.
• Add onion and jalapeno to pan and sauté until just tender. Add garlic and saute an additional minute. Return browned ground beef and potato: dust mixture with flour and stir until bubbly. Whisk in broth, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard; bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until potato is tender.
• Stir in milk and shredded cheese; stirring until soup is hot and cheese has melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve topped with crumbled crispy bacon, diced tomato, shredded cheese, and fine diced jalapeno.

Notes

Recipe tip: If you want a nice charbroiled flavor brown your ground beef in a hot pan. You may want to wipe out any black bits before adding in the bacon.

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Here in the sunny south we’ve been experiencing some big weather swings.  Cold one day, hot the next.  Seems that kind of shift leads you straight into flu and cold season.  Yep, that’s right.  About 1/3 of my work family is or has been sick.  The only thing I could think to do was make soup.  Mushroom Soup with Cheesy Portobello Croutons hit the spot.

We had witnessed poor Ania go slowly down hill.  You could see in her face that she just didn’t feel good, but she hung in there, each day hoping that would be the day she would turn the corner and feel better.  When Friday afternoon rolled around I overheard a coworker ask her what would make her feel better.  The answer was soup.  Mushroom Soup.  Note to self, make Ania mushroom soup.

We have a Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup recipe shared already, yet I had a feeling brothy would be better in this case.  So I sent her a text to confirm.

I wanted to do something especially for Ania.  Since she is a low-carb girl, most often when I’m passing samples around at the office, they aren’t on her plan.  I needed a soup that delivered comfort so I followed our French Onion Soup recipe but replaced the onions with mushrooms.  I had to come up with a replacement for the cheesy pumpernickel crouton.

Welcome the roasted Portobello mushroom cap loaded with Havarti cheese aka Cheesy Portobello Crouton.  If you’re a carb lover like me, feel free to melt that thick slice of Havarti over an even thicker slice of toasted pumpernickel bread.

Yes the cheesy crouton delivers complete comfort, and all those yummy mushrooms will make you smile, but the broth…..

The broth begins with cooking down the mushrooms in butter until they release all their natural juices.  Then fresh thyme, garlic, bay leaf, red wine and Worcestershire sauce build on that goodness.  Once the wine is cooked off, nice rich beef broth is added and the mushrooms simmer.  I’m telling you if layers of flavors had a picture in the dictionary this might just be it.

I delivered a big tub of Mushroom Soup {with Cheesy Portobello Crouton}.  I’m pretty certain Ania perked up after she enjoyed a bowlful for lunch.  Share the Love.  It just feels good.

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Mushroom Soup {with Cheesy Portobello Crouton}

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 -6

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the soup…

• 4 Tbl. butter
• 2 pounds thick sliced fresh mushrooms I used button and baby portobello
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly cracked pepper
• 1 cup red wine can sub white wine or omit
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbl. flour
• 48 ounces beef stock

For the cheesy Portobello croutons…

• 4 Portobello mushroom caps about 4-inch diameter
• 4 thick slices Havarti or Gruyere Cheese
• olive oil
• salt & pepper

Instructions

For the soup…

• In a large dutch oven over medium-low heat, add butter and sliced mushrooms. Stir to coat mushrooms in butter then allow to cook untouched for 10 minutes. Stir well, then allow to cook for an additional 5 minutes untouched. Stir, cook another 5 minutes, mushrooms should be releasing their liquid. Continue cooking, stirring every 5 minutes until the mushrooms are tender and have released most of their liquid.
• Add in minced garlic, bay leaf, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook for an additional minute, then add in wine and Worcestershire sauce. Allow to simmer gently until the wine has absorbed. Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs, discard.
• Dust mixture with flour and cook slowly for 5-7 minutes. Then add beef broth and simmer 10 minutes.

For the cheesy Portobello croutons…

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Using a spoon, scrape to remove the gills from the stem side of each of mushroom cap. Brush both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Cut a shallow ‘X’ into the top of each cap. Place in baking pan.
• Roast for 15 minutes on one side, then turn over and roast another 15 minutes. Fill each cap with a slice of cheese, then pop under the broiler until lightly browned and bubbly.
• Fill crocks with soup, top with cheesy Portobello crouton. Enjoy!

The post Mushroom Soup {with Cheesy Portobello Crouton} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I wanted to deliver comfort. 

The kind of comfort that if only for a meal would help ease the weight of the day. 

Our most popular recipe on Lemony Thyme is our Salisbury Steak.  Anytime I share it the response is overwhelmingly positive.  Today I’m sharing that recipe except in the form of Salisbury Steak Meatballs {with Mushroom Gravy}.

A time for comfort

It was five years ago when my family was coming to terms with my mom’s illness.  While it is still the darkest time of my life, it was also a time when we were reminded often how much love surrounded us.

We were spending nearly all day and night at hospice, hanging on to every minute with mom.  After the first couple of days faces became familiar.  Yes the faces of our wonderful nurses who delivered a comforting word when most needed, but also the faces of the family members visiting their loved ones in the room next door and down the hall on the right.  You could see the hurt in their eyes, just a gentle nod told them you understood.

It’s no secret that food is the way to our hearts. 

Our wonderful friends would come to visit often bringing a meal to share.  There was the day that a full out lasagna, Greek salad, and breadstick spread arrived just in time for lunch.  We fed the entire staff and still had leftovers.  Or when a friend brought a giant sack full of breakfast burritos that became midnight snacks and sunrise nourishment.

However, it was the day a friend walked through the doors of Embracing Hospice with a crock pot of meatballs and gravy and a giant bowl of homemade mashed potatoes, that our hearts swelled two sizes. 

Far more food than we could ever eat so we plugged in that crockpot in the community dining room.

I’ll never forget the couple that had arrived late the night before, as their parent was being admitted. 

They were lost and hurt and uneasy.  We recognized that familiar look. 

The next day they timidly entered the dining room and were greeted with a home cooked meal.  We overheard the lady say to her husband “isn’t it wonderful that hospice provides meals for the families.”  We never said a word, just gave a warm smile in complete agreement.

So for my friend Tammy and your beautiful family, know Salisbury Steak Meatballs come straight from the heart.  

You are brave. 
You are strong.  
You will overcome. 
And we’ll be here to support you along the way. 

xo Libby

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Salisbury Steak Meatballs {with Mushroom Gravy}

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4 -6

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the meatballs…

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 1 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce
• 3 Tbl. fresh parsley minced
• 1 Tbl. dried shallot and roasted garlic
• or 1 garlic clove & 1 shallot clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp. freshly cracked pepper
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 Tbl. butter for pan frying

For the mushroom gravy…

• 1 Tbl. butter
• 8 oz. sliced mushrooms
• 2 shallots thinly sliced
• 1 Tbl. fresh thyme leaves minced
• 2 Tbl. flour
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups beef broth
• salt & freshly cracked pepper

Instructions

For the meatballs…

• Combine ingredients and form into 1 1/2-inch meatballs. Melt 1 Tbl. butter in a large skillet. Working in batches, sauté meatballs for 3-4 minutes turning until all sides are nicely browned. Remove from pan and reserve.

For the mushroom gravy…

• Add 1 Tbl. butter, sliced mushrooms, and shallots and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add the fresh thyme and cook an additional minute. Dust mixture with flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. The mixture will be thick. Gradually stir in beef broth 1/2 cup at a time, allowing mixture to come to a boil in between each addition. Add more broth until desired thickness is achieved. Season with salt and pepper.
• Return meatballs to gravy, reduce heat to low, and allow to braise until meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

The post Salisbury Steak Meatballs {with Mushroom Gravy} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Beef Bourguignon.  Boeuf Bourguignon.  Beef Burgundy.  I think we grew up with this dish.  No, not the first two.  My Mom made beef burgundy often.  The cuts of meat may have started out a bit tough requiring extra cooking love, but the end result was melt in your mouth wonderful. This year’s Christmas Eve Prime Rib was as good as any we’ve had in the past.

Prime Rib has become a Christmas Eve tradition.  Three consecutive years of repeat behavior qualifies as a ‘tradition’ in this house.  We always have more than we can eat.  That is the plan after all.  We LOVE our leftovers, and deciding how to repurpose them is a challenge we look forward to.  Yesterday we decided on Beef Bourguignon.

When it comes to tender meat, braising is where it’s at.  The process is relatively effortless, yet turns out the most tender and flavorful results.  Always reading and absorbing what the masters have worked so hard to perfect, I’ve become a bit of a geek and I mean that in the most affectionate way.  Cooking is an art and also a science.  That’s when we’re at our best in the kitchen.

My Mom was a newspaper editor.  Our kitchen table was her home office.  No matter where we lived, mom gave Sarah and I the bedrooms.  She claimed the kitchen.  We both have elementary school drawings of Mom.  Beautiful, with big hoop earrings, hair tied up in a knot, a glass of burgundy (Gallo Brand sold by the jug), and a Tareyton cigarette burning in the ashtray.  She was passionate.  About everything.  We were often whisked out of bed in the middle of the night to ‘catch’ a story.  And if there wasn’t a story that week, we became the story.  Mom had such a gift with words and fought for every story.  She would have been a masterful blogger with life experiences I’ll never achieve.

I described ‘mom’ at the kitchen table to and the response was “you may be the modern version.”  I’d love to be that.

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I’m Libby with Lemony Thyme and the voice behind this blog, however I learned the fundamentals from a variety of sources.  When I started this blog 2+ years ago, my family was supportive yet cautious.  I’ll tell you more about that but first I must introduce a staple recipe, Slow Braised Beef Short Ribs.  Fall off the bone beefy goodness.

Both of these pictures were taken pre-Lemony Thyme.  Just any given night celebrating food and capturing the moment with the click of a cell phone.  From time to thyme I scroll through the thousands of photos I have archived.  Is there a recipe we need to recreate for the blog?  A gem in the rough?  Or a picture of a midnight snack that warrants a sober revisit?

I stumbled upon these photos, taken on two separate occasions, and was reminded of how much I adore Slow Braised Beef Short Ribs.  When I first threw out the idea of starting a blog, as I said previously, some were supportive yet cautious.  Cautious about sharing too much.  Sharing exact ingredient measurements is unfathomable to some.  The early view was that our site should attract people like us, home cooks who know their way around the kitchen.  Throw out some recipe inspiration and quality pictures and let individuals create their own versions of our dishes.  I understood where this was coming from, yet I quickly learned that offering recipe inspiration WITH details would allow budding food enthusiasts (like our kid) to utilize our recipes.

Lemony Thyme will always be a work in progress representing our love for food and food photography.  I’ve put in a request for Slow Braised Beef Short Ribs so that I can picture them again, but this time with my big girl camera.  More importantly, I’m ready to enjoy these melt in your mouth short ribs, perched on a bed of mashed potatoes with pan gravy so unctuous I’m certain I’ll call out….for more.

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Slow Braised Beef Short Ribs

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 5-6 beef short ribs
• salt & pepper
• 3 slices bacon
• 1 onion large diced
• 2 carrots sliced
• 1 celery rib sliced
• 2 cups rich beef stock
• 1/2 cup good but not great cabernet or pinot noir
• 2 Tbl. Worcestershire
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Season a large Dutch oven by laying 3 slices of bacon across bottom over medium heat. Cook bacon until crispy, remove bacon and pour off all rendered fat. Reserve bacon for another dish or enjoy as a pre-dinner snack.
• Season short ribs with salt and pepper, then add to Dutch oven; brown on all sides & edges, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove and add onion, carrots and celery to pan and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add wine and deglaze pan, scrapping all brown bits with wooden spoon. Return short ribs to pan, nestle in vegetables. Add beef stock to bring liquid up to just over half way up the ribs. Then add garlic, Worcestershire, and thyme.
• Cover pan and braise in oven, checking every 1/2 hour to insure slow burble (not boil). Reduce heat accordingly. Total cooking time approx. 3 hours or until meat is tender and pulling away from bone.
• Serve short ribs on a bed of mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower for a low-carb option, with a ladle of pan gravy.

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Many years ago I went to Kansas City on a business trip.  I was invited to dinner with a dear friend at one of the wonderful Steakhouses in town.  I informed in advance that besides amazing steaks, this particular establishment was famous for their Steak Soup.

Side Note: If we ever go out to dinner together, you and I, be prepared that I most always have to order last.  I make my decision on what to order mostly based on what everyone else at the table has ordered.  I like to be sure as many dishes as possible have been covered.  Because I’m certain, when the time is right, my dining companions will offer me a bite.  My family affectionately calls this ‘Want a bite Lib?’

I’m also that girl that goes to Kansas City, is dining in a landmark Steakhouse, famous for their Steak Soup, and orders the Lobster Bisque.  On this particular occasion I made the right choice.  The steak soup was not at all what we expected and the lobster bisque stole the show.

Recipe inspiration:  This past Saturday evening we enjoyed a long overdue dinner with friends at their brand new home.  Great company, catching up, cooking together, and a wonderful meal…that began with Jalapeno Popper Dip.  I’ve discovered a new weakness.

By the time the perfectly cooked NY Strip steaks were presented…we were slowing down and savoring every bite.  Yes, we took home a doggy-bag.  The next day, I wasted no time turning the leftovers into a ‘what-steak-soup-is-supposed-to-taste-like’ Steak Soup.

Since we served this soup on Sunday, and Shelby was here to enjoy it (she had no interest in any of the other assorted dishes I offered up), I’ll call this a Sundays with Shelby post.  Then she delivered the most incredible 90-minute work-out-the-knots massage and it became an extra special Share the Love Sunday.

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Steak Soup

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 12 ounces NY Strip steak or favorite steak trimmed and diced
• 8 ounces button mushrooms sliced
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 celery ribs diced
• 2 carrots diced (omit for low-carb)
• 1 Tbl. olive oil
• 1 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbl. flour
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 cups beef broth
• 1 cup red wine we used Mirassou Cabernet Sauvignon
• 1/2 cup cream

Instructions

• In a heavy bottom pot, sauté mushrooms in olive oil until lightly browned on both sides. Remove.
• In same pot, sauté onion, celery, carrots until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Remove.
• Add steak pieces and sauté over medium heat until browned, stirring constantly 2-3 minutes. Add Worcestershire and stir another minute. Dust in flour, thyme, salt & pepper; stir for another 2-3 minutes.
• Add beef broth, deglazing pan, followed by wine. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about an hour, until steak is tender. Return sautéed veggies to soup and heat through.
• To serve, whisk in cream and heat through. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

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Lamb is such a treat for me, especially when it gets special braising love.  We found a gorgeous 8 rib rack at our local wholesale club.  We promptly cut it in half.  Two meals are better than one when you’re Cooking for Two.

Sharing this relatively ‘Wordless Wednesday’ post for Braised Rack of Lamb, where we used the same method outlined in most of our braising recipes. 

While I love a nice medium-rare lamb chop, slow braising is a wonderful way to infuse flavor and extract flavor.  Did I mention the glorious gravy this method will yield? 

Oh my!

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Braised Rack of Lamb

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 rack of lamb trimmed (we purchased an 8 chop rack and cut it in half)
• salt and pepper
• 1 Tbl. canola or other high heat oil
• 1 onion sliced
• 2 carrots sliced
• 2 celery ribs sliced
• 2 shallots peeled
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 3-4 sprigs fresh herbs like thyme sage and/or rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup red white
• 4-5 cup beef broth
• 2 Tbl. corn starch

Instructions

• Season lamb with salt and pepper.
• Add canola oil to a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear lamb on all sides until deep brown. Remove from pan.
• Add in aromatics such as carrots, onions, celery, garlic, shallot, fresh herbs, bay leaf. Return lamb to pan.
• Add wine and broth to raise liquid level half way up the roast. Bring to a boil.
• Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Cover Dutch oven and place in oven. Braise (simmer gently) for 1 1/2 hours. Adjust temperature up or down slightly to maintain slow burble.
• Remove lamb and vegetables from braising liquid. Return Dutch oven to the stovetop over medium heat. Make a slurry with corn starch and slowly whisk it into the liquid to make gravy.

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Swedish Meatballs.  Growing up, we enjoyed them every Christmas Eve as part of our annual holiday h’ordeuvres spread.  I’m slowly recreating these recipes one by one.  Some from memory and some that mom passed down to me.  Sunday I pulled out this recipe card and took a stroll down memory lane.

I made some minor adjustments to the recipe as I know when she wrote this out for me I was a twenty-something with very limited cooking experience.  She had a way of making everything seem possible.  For as long as mom was physically able, there was no adventure she wouldn’t be game for.  The only thing holding her back was money, but even then we’d plan some pretty elaborate get-a-ways or businesses we’d like to start or even how we would redecorate the house.  We’d plan it all out on paper, tear pictures from magazines, and enjoy every little detail along the way.  She had a way of making everything seem possible.

Mom’s recipe called for Red Currant Jelly, which she also used in her Cocktail Franks.  One change I made was to include Lingonberry jelly.  It’s not as common as red currant but as I shopped for this dish there it was on my market shelf.  I had to try it.  It’s very much like red currant jelly :)

I also increased the recipe to use two pounds of ground meat.  I chose a blend of beef and pork.  There are two things that make Swedish Meatballs so special.  First are the meatballs which are soft and feature the flavors of nutmeg and cardamom (or allspice).  Second is the sauce that begins with pan drippings from the browned meatballs and builds from there, eventually finishing with sour cream and jelly.  The sauce is rich with flavor yet not heavy.  Jelly imparts a slightly sweet finish which leaves you wanting to lick your bowl.  A benefit of cooking at home.

This recipe makes about 80 meatballs and you’ll be very glad of that.  They are fabulous served as an appetizer as we will do for our holiday spread.  They also made a wonderful meal served on top of egg noodles, although rice or even mashed potatoes would be perfect.  If you’ve never made Swedish Meatballs before you’re in luck, with this recipe everything is possible.

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Swedish Meatballs

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the meatballs…

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 lb. ground pork
• 1 large onion grated
• 4 slices of bread chopped into crumbs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. ground cardamom or allspice
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 2 Tbl. butter

For the sauce…

• 2 Tbl. pan drippings
• 4 Tbl. butter
• 1/3 cup flour
• 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 Tbl. Lingonberry or red currant jelly.
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh parsley to garnish

Instructions

For the meatballs…

• In a medium bowl combine bread crumbs and milk and allow to sit until milk is absorbed. Add remaining ingredients (except butter) and blend by hand until ingredients are well combined.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a tablespoon form meatballs; place on baking sheet. We made approx. 80 meatballs.
• Melt 2 Tbl. butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat (do not allow butter to burn, adjust heat accordingly throughout browning process). Working in batches brown meatballs on all sides. Meatballs will be tender, work gently when turning. Do not cook meatballs all the way through, once browned remove back to parchment lined baking sheet.

For the sauce…

• Once all meatballs have been browned, pour off all but 2 Tbl. of pan drippings. Add 4 Tbl. butter and melt over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until well blended making a roux. Slowly whisk in the beef broth, stirring constantly; scrapping bits off bottom of pan. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil then reduce the heat to low.
• Add the meatballs to the sauce. We were able to fit half the meatballs in each batch. Cook meatballs covered over low heat until cooked through about 8-10 minutes. Remove meatballs to a bowl. Pour sauce through a fine mesh strainer then return to the pot. Add in sour cream and jelly and whisk over medium heat until well blended and heated through. Do not boil sauce.
• To serve, spoon meatballs over noodles or rice. Ladle sauce over top. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.

The post Swedish Meatballs appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Vietnamese Beef Pho.

Let me just say this about that.  I don’t think I’ve ever delivered so much flavor with so little effort.  When I got home from work I assembled everything I needed, put the broth and seasoning on to simmer, all in about 5 minutes.  I did also pop our beef filet into the freezer, which later helped with getting a nice thin slice.

I was introduced to Pho, a year ago or so, during a Sundays with Shelby outing (thankfully she’s taught me that it’s properly pronounced “fuh” not “fo”).  While the amazing broth captured my attention, being a big time sucker for lots and lots of accoutrements is what was so special about this dish.  I was a bit giddy about building my own bowl of fun.

This dish can easily be made at home.  Infuse beef broth with a tea ball filled with 3 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 cardamom pods, 8 peppercorns, and a piece of ginger for about 30 minutes (low simmer).

You’ll want to serve the hot broth with a good assortment of fresh basil (Thai basil is recommended), fresh mint, scallion, jalapenos, bean sprouts, lime wedges and of course the thin sliced beef.  Let us not forget the noodles.  Here’s where I veered off course a bit.  A classic Pho calls for rice noodles.  I wanted to make this dish on Tuesday.  There were no rice noodles in sight.  I opted for fresh linguine noodles available at my local grocer.  They were just fine.

To serve Vietnamese Beef Pho, I add cooked noodles and bean sprouts into oversized soup bowls.  I add several pieces of very thinly sliced raw beef (you could substitute raw peeled shrimp or have both).  When the hot seasoned broth is poured over the beef it cooks it instantly. I then add my herbs and aromatics and a good squeeze of lime juice.  You can also kick up the heat with a squeeze of Sriracha sauce, but I find the fresh jalapeno slices give me the heat I need.  I’m really enjoying all of the Vietnamese dishes I’ve recreated at home.  Bánh mì‘s (crazy incredible sandwiches loaded with flavor) are next up on my radar.  Enjoy.

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Vietnamese Beef Pho

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the broth

• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 Tbl. fish sauce
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 star anise
• 2 cardamom pods
• 8 peppercorns
• 1 piece of fresh ginger about 1/4-inch thick

For the assembly…

• 1 5 ounce beef tenderloin filet
• 4 ounces rice noodles or fresh linguine cooked according to package instructions
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1 lime cut into wedges
• 2 scallions thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeno sliced
• a good handful of fresh basil leaves preferably Thai basil
• a good handful of fresh mint leaves

Instructions

To prepare…

• Warm beef broth and fish sauce in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add cinnamon stick, star anise, cardamom pods, peppercorns, and ginger in a spice bag or tea ball. Simmer for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, freeze beef filet wrapped in plastic wrap for 30 minutes, then using sharp knife slice as thinly as possible.
• Prepare noodles according to package instructions, then cool to stop cooking; reserve.
• Assemble all remaining ingredients for serving.

To serve…

• Place 1/2 of the noodles and bean sprouts in two bowls. Serve with hot beef broth, sliced beef, aromatics, and herbs.

Other Vietnamese dishes you might enjoy.

Vietnamese Pork Tenderloin

Grilled Vietnamese Chicken Thighs

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