Almond and coconut energy balls
These throw-together snacks are easy to make and store for a filling, quick bite on the go.
Let’s talk energy balls, shall we? Sometimes called “energy bites,” these sticky, two-bite goodies are naturally sweetened with dates and come together in a food processor in minutes. They require minimal ingredients, can be modified to suit your tastes, and are surprisingly filling for such a tiny treat. Best of all, when stored in the fridge, they last for weeks.
This is the thing I grab when I absentmindedly open the fridge, looking for something (in both food and existential senses).
A couple of notes:
Make the balls small! The mixture is pretty caloric, so I make them no more than about 1 Tbsp each.
Do toast the almonds and coconut. That little bit of browning really enhances the flavor and makes the balls less sweet.
Test your dates before using. If they don’t squish almost effortlessly, they may be a bit too tough or dry. If that’s the case, cover them with boiling (or just really really hot) water and let sit for 5 minutes.
Almond and coconut energy balls
Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 16 balls
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut
16 pitted dates, rehydrated if too tough or dry
2-3 Tbsp almond butter
1/8 tsp almond extract
Pinch of salt
Water, as needed
Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 350. Spread the almonds and coconut out onto a baking sheet and toast until the coconut is just beginning to brown on the edges and the mixture smells nutty, about 3 minutes. Keep a close eye on the mixture to ensure that it doesn’t burn.
Put the toasted almonds and coconut in a food processor along with the dates, almond butter, almond extract, and salt. Whizz in the processor until the mixture comes together in one large mass, about 4-5 minutes. If the mixture doesn’t come together, sprinkle in about 1/2 tsp of water and try again, repeating about every 30 seconds until you have a large mass.
Scoop about 1 Tbsp of the mixture into wet hands and roll into a ball.
Chill the balls in the refrigerator to help them set.
Shortcut chicken soup
This chicken soup uses a few shortcuts like rotisserie chicken and store-bought broth to speed up the process, but gets extra oomph from plenty of aromatics, a little extra cooking oil, and teeny tiny pasta cooked right in the broth. A poached egg on top adds even more richness and depth.
I originally called this “Quick and rich chicken soup,” but it sounded too much like a country band. However, the moniker still applies because this guy is indeed quite rich and quite quick (for a soup that tastes this good, that is!).
I’m not a huge fan of the chicken broth that comes in a box or a can. I mean, it’s fine as a replacement for water when cooking grains and beans, but for soup? It’s a little thin and bland for me. But, I don’t always have homemade stock in the freezer or the wherewithal to make it. (But if I do, this is my recipe!)
To spice and thicken it up, I use any combination of these:
Butter: Adding a little extra cooking fat when you start sautéing your aromatics adds richness to the final product.
Tiny pasta: The teenier the better! Orzo, stelline, ditalini, anilline, or any other pasta that’s about the size of a pencil eraser works perfectly. When cooked in the broth, the starch from the pasta thickens the broth significantly.
Cheese: Adding some grated cheese at the end is one strategy, but tossing in the leftover rind of any hard cheese adds salt, depth, and richness.
Salt: This might sound weird because a lot of canned and boxed broths have A LOT of salt in them, but if you use the unsalted or low salt variety, be sure to add enough salt back in.
Poached egg: When the soup is done, adding a poached egg on top enriches it even more!
In this soup, I used pasta and a poached egg to give it a rich, silky texture. I included a range for the amount of liquid to add depending on how much liquid you like in your soup. Six cups makes the soup very thick, eight cups make it less so.
Shortcut chicken soup
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced (heaping ½ cup)
1 small stalk celery, diced (scant ½ cup)
6 large fresh sage leaves
½ tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tsp kosher salt
Black pepper to taste
6-8 cups chicken stock
1 cup tiny pasta
1-2 cups shredded, precooked chicken
Serving sugggestions:
Poached egg, parmesan cheese, more seasonin to taste
Time: About 45 minutes, mostly active
Yield: About 6-8 cups of soup, depending on how much water and chicken you add
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep pot over medium high heat. Add the minced onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until the veggies begin to brown and the onions are translucent, about 6-8 minutes.
Add the sage and thyme and cook until fragrant, about one minute.
Add the bay leaf, salt, pepper, and chicken stock and mix well. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
While the soup simmers, shred the chicken and set aside.
Bring back to a boil and add the pasta. Cook according to package directions until al dente.
Add the shredded chicken and stir.
Quick(ish) Meat Sauce
Meat sauces are usually long and slow affairs, but this version speeds things up with high heat and beef stock to mimic the flavor of a cooked-all-day sauce in a fraction of the time.
I love a great, long-simmered, deeply flavored, unctuous Bolognese more than almost anything. That falling apart meat with a hint of acidic tomatoes all clinging to some wide flat noodles with a sprinkle of salty, nutty parmesan? Swoon.
But realistically, we never have time to make one. Even during these quarantined weekends we need flexibility for when the children inevitably short circuit and need a change of scenery.
It’s hard to achieve that depth of flavor without the long, slow simmer, but I’ve tried! And I think succeeded! However, there’s a reason why I call this a “meat sauce” and not “Bolognese.” It’s not the original. But it is a delicious approximation in about an hour.
A couple of notes:
Use the leanest beef you can find. If you can’t get 90/10 or 85/15, use half of the amount of pork listed or leave it out entirely
This recipe is meant to be made mostly at high temperatures, but you’ll need to keep an eye on the sauce at every step to ensure that the liquids are evaporating fast enough, but that nothing is burning. We want the heat to caramelize and brown everything, but we don’t want anything to burn and turn bitter. You may have to do a significant amount of fiddling with the temperature throughout the cooking to speed things up or slow them down at intervals.
I list a range of amount of the tomato paste. I like it less tomato-y, but my husband likes it with a little more. The largest amount (6 oz) is one small can of tomato paste.
Quick (ish) meat sauce
2 Tbsp olive oil
½ large onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 large stalk celery, finely minced (about ½ cup)
1 small carrot, finely minced (about ½ cup)
5 large garlic cloves, smashed
1 lb ground beef (90/10 if you can find it)
¼ lb ground pork or sausage, casings removed
1 tsp kosher salt
4-6 oz tomato paste (5-6½ tbsp)
¼ cup red wine
2 cups beef broth
Pepper to taste
Time: about 1 hour for the sauce and the pasta, mostly active
Yield: 3-4 cups of sauce, or enough for 1 lb of pasta
Heat a skillet over a medium flame. Add the oil and heat until the oil is shimmering and slips easily around the pan. Add the onion, celery, and carrots, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the veggies soften and begin to brown.
Add the garlic. Cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes, being careful not to burn.
Add the meat and turn the heat back up to medium if you turned it down earlier. Stir and chop up the meat with your spatula breaking it into small pieces while cooking until no pink remains, about 5 minutes.
Stop stirring and let the meat cook, undisturbed, until browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. You should hear it sizzling and bubbling. If not, turn up the flame.
Add the tomato paste and wine and stir well to combine and deglaze the pan. Cook, stirring constantly, until the wine has evaporated, about 2 minutes.
Add 1½ cup of beef broth and cook, stirring often, until it has evaporated, about 8-10 minutes. If the liquid isn’t evaporating fast enough, turn up the flame.
Add the final ½ cup of broth, turn the heat all the way down, and cover. Let simmer on the lowest heat while you cook your pasta.
Bring your water to a boil and cook the pasta according to its package directions. Stir the sauce every few minutes while the pasta cooks.
Combine and serve.