Hamburger Soup

In some parts of the country, it's still soup weather. Here in North Carolina, I'm happy to say we are having honeysuckle weather. Unlike the North, honeysuckle here in the South is not a bush. Instead, it is rampant, wild vines. If you live near a wood, like I do, the scent is heady and intoxicating, especially at dusk when it is a bit humid and breezless. The scent literally hangs in the air for hours. I wish I could sip the scent through a straw!

While I may not be able to sip the air, I can slurp on some good soup!

I had some ground beef, sausage and bacon that needed to be used up. I fickled around the kitchen and found some other needed ingredients for this hearty, flavorful soup that uses the simplest of ingredients one most likely has on hand.

As with most of my soup recipes, it's a bit of this and bit of that ... as should yours be, too. Don't omit the smoked paprika which imparts that wonderful, woodsy autumnal flair. The smoked chipotle powder is wonderfully pungent.

Feel free to add any frozen veggies you have on hand. I had some corn and peas, so I threw in a handful. If you want more of a "stew," add less water--more for a standard soup. And be sure to taste as you go along.

The first time I made it, I used the standard, tiny elbow macaroni. Don't. It's boring and does nothing theatrical or utilitarian. On subsequent trials, I used mini-shell macaroni. It was perfect to catch bits of beef and sausage and an errant pea or kernel of corn. It performed admirably.

Soups by their very nature are forgiving in their assemblage. The result is always warm and welcoming. A great lesson for all us to learn.

• 1 pound ground meat, you decide. It could be half ground beef and half Italian sausage or 3/4 ground beef and 1/4 Italian sausage. I use ground chuck and go about 1/2 and 1/2, using a mild Italian sausage.
• 1/3 cup (about) chopped bacon meat. Pull the meat from the fat.
• 1 envelope dry onion soup mix
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 cup yellow onion, sliced and diced.
• 1 cup carrot, sliced.
• 1 cup celery, sliced and diced.
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup green bell pepper, diced.
• Any frozen veggies you have on hand--about 1/2 cup (optional)
• 1, 14 oz. can diced, fire-roasted tomatoes, juice and all
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian spices, gently crushed
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• smoked chipotle powder, just a shake or two or three (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4-6 cups liquid, half water/half beef stock
• Fresh-grated Parmesan for garnish*

Brown the ground meats. Drain and remove. Add the bacon, onion, celery, chopped garlic with just a drizzle of olive oil to a dutch oven or soup pot. Saute until wilted and the bacon has rendered its fat but is not crispy.

Add the cooked ground meats and stir. Sprinkle on the dried onion soup mix. Stir. Add the can of roasted tomatoes, the bell pepper, carrots, Italian spices and smoked paprika. Add your liquid and the soy sauce. Stir. Taste for salt and pepper.

Bring just to a boil. Reduce to low and simmer for about an hour, tasting every-once-in-awhile and adjusting your seasonings. Towards the end, sprinkle with a bit of the chipotle powder if desired, and stir.

To serve, ladle into bowls, grate on some fresh Parmesan and garnish with a few celery leaves.

*If you have an old rind of Parmesan, throw that into the pot as the soup simmers and remove before serving, unless it has totally dissolved.

Spicy, Savory Meatballs

It's easy to run into a recipe rut. Like meatballs. Onions, maybe some sausage, garlic, parsley, etc. Over and over and over.

Then I spied this recipe via the now defunct The Bitten Word which tried them from Food and Wine. Ever since, it's been raining meatballs here at Kitchen Bounty.

The original recipe called for ground veal which a) is not always easy to find and b) it's expensive.

I opted for ground chuck and italian sausage. I have now made these several times and I never tire of them! Served over pasta (no tomato sauce, please) they are incredible.

I usually cook 1/2 of the recipe and store the remaining meat mixture in the fridge for the next day. Total, this will make about 16 meatballs depending on the size. I like about a bit smaller than a golf ball.

Don't omit the smoked chipotle. It is easily found in the hispanic section of most grocery stores. The little bit of caraway blends well with the other seasonings. I think it always bodes well with ground beef.

• 1 lb. ground chuck
• 1/2 lb. Italian sausage meat
• 1 - 3 teaspoons finely minced, fresh garlic
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup finely minced yellow onion
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed (or just rough chop with a sharp knife)
• 1/8 - 1/16 teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed (less is better than more, rough chop with a sharp knife) 
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• A sprinkle of dried Italian spices
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked chipotle powder
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I prefer a tad more of Aleppo pepper) or sprinkle or two cayenne pepper
• Parsley, either fresh or dried, a few tablespoons (but not cilantro)
• 1 egg slightly beaten
• 1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese or similar hard cheese
• 1/3 cup dried bread crumbs*
• 2-4 tablespoons milk or cream
• Flour for dredging
• Olive oil, butter, extra garlic

In a large bowl, gently mix the two meats to combine. Add the garlic, onion, spices, parsley, bread crumbs and cheese. Mix. (To mix, place your hands, curved, along the back of the bowl so the meat is resting in the palms of your hands with your thumbs free. Using only your thumbs, mix. Flip the meat, mix, repeat until everything is incorporated. By using just your thumbs, you are not compacting the mixture.)

Add the egg. Mix. Now begin to add the milk or cream. You do want the mixture to be wet, but not soggy. In fact, probably the worst thing you could do is not to add enough liquid.

Form into meatballs a bit smaller than a golf ball or about 1.5 inches in diameter. Gently roll in flour. The flour will give a nice crust.

Bring your salted, pasta water to a boil. Throw in one crushed clove of garlic. Add your pasta and cook until done. Drain, saving a bit of the water. Drizzle with olive oil and a pat or two of butter and stir. Add salt and pepper and several shaves of Parmesan. Taste. Re-season if necessary. If you like more garlic, use a micro planer and give several streaks of raw garlic. Keep warm.

To fry the meatballs: Add a bit of olive oil and butter to pan. When melted and just beginning to sizzle, add the meatballs. Lower heat to medium/low.Using a spoon, turn as needed so all sides are nicely browned (a spoon helps to preserve the shape.) Continue to cook and roll until done or, if desired, once the meatballs have a nice crust, finish by baking in a 375 oven for about ten minutes or so. (You can to this while the water is boiling for the pasta.)

Remove meatballs to paper towel to drain and rest a bit. If desired, add a bit of the pan juices to the pasta and or a bit of the pasta water.

Drain pasta, but save a bit of the water. Add pasta to a large bowl. Add a couple tablespoons butter, a swirl of olive oil. Zest in a bit of lemon peel and garlic to taste. Add salt. Mix thoroughly. Add a bit of the hot past water. Sprinkle with Parm. Mix through. If desired, add a bit of fresh parsley for color.

To serve, mound pasta on a plate or platter, top with meatballs, a bit more Parmesan. Good with a side of fresh sour cream.

*You can also substitute dried breadcrumbs with two or three slices of crustless artisan bread soaked in milk and then squeezed dry. If doing this, add a bit less liquid. If you make fresh breadcrumbs, you may want to increase to maybe 1/2 cup.

Sausages with Peppers, Onion, Tomatoes and Spaghetti

Sausages with peppers and onions couldn't be easier to prepare and it's one of those dishes open to interpretation. Me, I like to add mushrooms and sliced, black olives. As always, use a good Parmesan cheese or something similar. The Campari tomatoes add a fresh note and complement the dish without making it "tomato-y."

The simmered peppers and onions lovingly swirl around the seasoned spaghetti, punctuated by the specks of black olives. Don't omit the smoked paprika or smoked chipotle powder. Their smoky, autumnal flavor play nicely against the sweet tomatoes and blend beautifully with the fennel.

(I only serve about half of this recipe, saving the remainder of the sausage/pepper mix for leftovers to serve with another fresh pot of pasta.)

• 1 lb. mild Italian sausages
• 1 lb. Campari tomatoes (sometimes called cocktail tomatoes), sliced in half*
• 12-16 ounces sliced peppers and onions (about one large red and green pepper and one large onion)
• 4-6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thin
• 1 small can sliced, black olives, rinsed
• 4-6 mushrooms, sliced
• Smoked paprika or smoked chipotle powder
• Red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/2 cup liquid (dry white wine, water, vegetable stock)
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
• salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh grated Parmesan cheese or similar
• Butter/Olive oil
• 8 oz. spaghetti and one garlic clove, sliced

Spritz a large pan with cooking spray and brown the sausages. Remove. (It's not nessary to cook them all the way through since they will simmer on the stove top.)

Add about one tablespoon each of olive oil and butter. Add the peppers, onions, mushrooms and garlic. If using, add, red pepper flakes. Saute just until wilted. Salt and pepper to taste.

Add liquid and scrape up the brown bits from the pan. Add drained and rinsed olives and half of the sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle in the fennel seed. Cut sausages in half and return to pan along with any juices, nestling them down into the pepper/onion mixture. Lightly sprinkle with smoked paprika or smoked chipotle powder. Lightly stir through with a fork. Add a bit more butter, maybe 1-2 tablespoons.

Cover and slow simmer for about 20-30 minutes. If necessary, add a bit more liquid during the cooking time. About half way, sprinkle on some grated Parmesan and lightly mix through.

About 5-10 minutes before you're done cooking, add the rest of the sliced tomatoes (the others will have cooked down). Remove from heat and allow to set while preparing the pasta.

Salt a large pot of water. Add the sliced clove of garlic. When it boils, add your spaghetti. Return to the boil, lower heat a bit, and cook according to directions. When done, remove about 1/2 cup of the water and drain. Don't worry about saving the sliced garlic, it has already flavored the water and the pasta.

Return pasta to the pot. Carefully tilt the sausage/pepper mixture pan over the pasta to drain one-half of the juices into the pasta. Stir. Season with salt and pepper and 2-4 tablespoons fresh-grated Parmesan. Allow to sit for a bit so pasta can absorb the sauce. Add a bit of the pasta water to the pan with pepper/sausage mixture if you think it too dry.

To plate: Mound spaghetti on a plate. Top with pepper/onion mixture. Drizzle on a bit more liquid and lean two sausage halves against the pasta. Grate with a bit more Parmesan.

Notes: If you didn't want to serve this over pasta, omit most of the liquid, keep it a bit on the dry side and don't cut the sausages in half. Serve on crusty buns topped with Provolone lightly melted in the oven or under a broiler.

*I added most of my tomatoes at the beginning of the cooking process. You may do so, too. But I now prefer adding only half and the remainder towards the end so they hold their shape.

Lasagna

First, a confession. I really don't like lasagna. Most are overpowering with their cloyingly over-reaching tomato sauces, most of which use way too much tomato paste. I'm never quite sure what I'm supposed to be tasting. And, then, I lump lasagna into the trinity of Italian foods: lasagna, pizza, spaghetti. Really, all three are basically the same: starch, tomatoes, meat. Maybe a few veggies. Of the three, I'll take a good pizza any day. So that's what I based this lasagna on: the tastes I like in a pizza that appealed to me.

I wanted a rich "sauce" that wasn't all tomato-y. I like black olives and green peppers on my pizza. So I added them. I love fennel. I love basil. Both are present in this recipe.

This is a rich-tasting lasagna from the long-simmered sauce. It is redolent with herbs, which includes the Ricotta, all of which plays nice with the pasta.

I highly recommend basil in a tube. It's a great product and keeps in the fridge for quite a long time. The taste is exquisite. There is no chopping. Often, the Ricotta layer in a lasagna is bland if not tasteless. The addition of basil changes all that.

I also love Barilla no-bake lasagna sheets. I love the rustic, homemade look. Just be sure to soak them in hot tap water for about ten minutes before using.

I like my sauce a bit on the thick side. If you don't, go ahead and add a bit more liquid toward the end of simmering. This also makes for a great sauce over spaghetti.

Don't skip on the garlic. One thing I learned from my Italian neighbor Rose, was to add nibs of garlic and splashes of water as the "gravy" simmers. 

Use quality canned tomatoes. I used Muir Glen organic, diced, fire roasted tomatoes. Go easy on the tomato paste and be sure to cook it a bit to soften the bitterness.

Go easy on the cheese. Nothing is worse than a greasy lasagna. In all I probably use a bit over two cups of grated cheeses. I used a pre-shredded artisan Italian blend. Lots of flavor.

And, yes, making a lasagna is a lot of work. I won't lie about that. But with proper planning and prep, it doesn't have to be tedious or confusing.

• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/4 pound Italian sausage
• 1 meaty pork neck bone
• 2 slices meaty, smoked bacon, trimmed of fat
• 3/4 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon (scant) red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic and more for later
• 1-2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 28 oz. (about 3 cups) diced tomatoes, preferably "roasted"*
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup water plus more as the sauce simmers*
• 1 scant tablespoon Italian seasonings
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
• 1 small can sliced black olives, drained, rinsed and dried
• 1 - 2 good teaspoons brown sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste

• 9 Barilla, no-bake lasagna sheets

• Filling
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk Ricotta cheese
• 1 egg yolk slightly beaten
• 1 - 1 1/2  tablespoons basil paste from a tube
• 1-2  tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano
• 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella

• 1 1/2 cups Mozzarella
• 1/4 cup Parmesan
• 1 small can tomato paste for presentation (optional)
• Parsley, for garnish (optional)

Heat olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven. Add onions and peppers and cook until onions are golden in color. Add garlic and stir just until fragrant. Push aside. Add pork bone and cook until browned on all sides. Add ground beef and sausage, cook, breaking up for about ten minutes or so, until its water has evaporated. Continue to cook until ground beef is browned.

Push meat mixture to side and add tomato paste. Cook for several minutes. Add Italian seasonings, red pepper flakes, fennel and a bit of wine, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot and until wine is evaporated. Pour in tomatoes. Rinse can with water and add. Stir. Salt and pepper to taste. Add brown sugar. Bring to a good simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring often for about 2 hours or until sauce takes on a deep-red, mahogany hue, adding more water a little at a time, as needed, to maintain level of sauce as it cooks. If you are not using a heavy pan, be careful your sauce doesn't scorch.

You want the sauce thick, but not dry. Remove neck bone (yum!). You should have 3 cups sauce.

Prepare cheese filling. To the Ricotta, add the basil paste beginning with one tablespoon. Add the cheeses. Taste. Add more basil if needed. Now whisk in the egg yolk.

Soak pasta in hot tap water for a good ten minutes.

Lightly grease or spray a 10 x 7 or 8 x 8 baking dish. Spread a few tablespoons of meat sauce on the bottom. Cut pasta to fit pan. I used three sheets per layer cut width wise for a 10 x 7 dish.

Begin layering. Lay down three sheets of overlapping pasta. Spread pasta with 1/3 third of cheese filling. Sprinkle 1/3 of cheese on top. Spread with one cup of meat sauce. Scatter of few black olives if using. Repeat two more times ending with meat sauce and scatting Parmesan or Mozzarella on top.

Note the deep color of the sauce.

Lightly spray/grease a piece of foil and secure over finished lasagna. Bake for abut 30-35 minutes in a 375 F-degree oven. Remove from oven and remove foil. Raise oven temperature to 400 F and continue to bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until cheese melts and top is bubbly.

Remove from oven and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes before slicing. To serve, put a dollop of tomato sauce on plate and top with a square of lasagna. Sprinkle with parsley and grated cheese.

Before baking, I sprinkled my lasagna only with Parmesan cheese which created more of a crust.

Wonderfully seasoned. Moist. Not drowning in "sauce."

*If you'd like a "saucier" lasagna, simply add one 8 ounce can tomato sauce and increase the water or add another 14 ounce can diced tomatoes and increase water.

Notes: I used Sargento brand 6 Cheese Italian blend, 8 oz. or 2 cups and Gourmet Garden brand fresh basil paste usually found in the refrigerated section of the produce department.