No matter what type of meatballs I make, they always disappear quickly right after frying. I love making meatballs of different kinds. Sometimes from poultry, sometimes from beef or fish. For vegetarians in the family, I make them based on vegetables, legumes, or grains.
Since making them is easy, I never miss an opportunity to prepare meatballs. For example, when I make stuffed vegetables or from leftovers, I immediately chop leafy vegetables like Swiss chard or leeks and various onions, sometimes adding pumpkin or sweet potato and a variety of herbs, eggs, and spices. I stir briefly until I get a stable mixture and immediately heat oil in a wide pan, take portions of the mixture with two spoons, and fry round meatballs.
The joy is even greater when buns or challahs are baked in the oven. Sometimes I manage to grab one or two meatballs before they disappear, stuff them into a warm bun fresh from the oven, spread a favorite sauce, add a slice of tomato, and create the perfect bite. These two recipes feature in this week’s section: Meatballs in two flavors and buns, this time made with spelt flour.
For Shabbat delight, this week I chose a surprising roll that doesn’t require baking. Who doesn’t know, who hasn’t tasted a chocolate ball in their childhood? This is one of the simplest and most beloved recipes for children. This time I decided not to turn the biscuit mixture into coated balls; instead, I rolled out the mixture on a surface of colorful candies, spread a thick layer of vanilla cream, and rolled it into a beautiful and tasty biscuit roll.
Fluffy Spelt Buns
Ingredients (for 20–24 small buns):
1 kg sifted spelt flour
50 g fresh yeast or 2 tablespoons dry yeast
1 packet baking powder
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon silan (date syrup) or honey
½ cup oil
2 tablespoons "m'khama" (vegan butter)
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2½–3 cups lukewarm water
For dusting:
½ cup spelt flour
Preparation:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, place the flour, yeast, baking powder, sugar, oil, silan, "m’khama," salt, and egg. Mix. Gradually add the water while mixing and knead until a smooth, uniform dough is formed. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place until it doubles in size (1–1.5 hours).
Divide the dough into 20–24 equal parts. Shape each portion into a roll and twist into a figure-eight. You can also make balls or any other shape.
Arrange the buns on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for about 15 minutes. Remove the towel and sprinkle a little flour on top of the buns.
Bake in a preheated oven at medium-high heat (200°C / 390°F) for about 25 minutes. Cool.
Difficulty: Medium
Preparation time: 120–180 minutes, including rising time
Type of dish: Pareve
Herb, Leek, and Beet Stem Meatballs
From this recipe, I make leek meatballs and sometimes beet stem meatballs. Sometimes I make both leek and beet stem meatballs. In that case, I double the amount of the additions listed in the recipe.
Ingredients (for 12–16 meatballs):
1 bunch chopped green beet stems (Swiss chard)
5 cooked and well-drained leeks
Additions:
About 10 chopped coriander stems
About 20 chopped parsley stems
5 chopped dill stems
10 chopped mint stems
4 medium onions, finely chopped
2–3 tablespoons matzo meal or breadcrumbs
2 eggs
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon cumin
Preparation:
Place the beet stems or the cooked and drained leeks (or both) in a large bowl. Add the chopped herbs and onions and mix well. Add the matzo meal or breadcrumbs and eggs one by one, season, and mix until a uniform texture is obtained.
Heat oil in a wide pan. Shape medium-sized meatballs with your hands and flatten slightly. Place in the pan and fry on both sides. You can also make the patties using a spoon – take from the mixture, place in the pan, and flatten slightly with the back of the spoon.
Difficulty: Easy
Preparation time: About 30 minutes
Type of dish: Pareve
Biscuit and Vanilla Cream Roll
Ingredients (for one roll):
5 cups biscuit crumbs
½ cup sugar
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup milk
¼ cup sweet red wine
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon rum
1 tablespoon brandy
1 package butter
For coating:
¾ cup colorful candies
For the cream:
1 container (250 ml) heavy whipping cream
1 package instant vanilla pudding or French white pudding
1 cup (240 ml) milk
Preparation:
Place the biscuit crumbs in a large bowl.
In a large saucepan, combine sugar and cocoa powder and mix well. Add milk, wine, rum, vanilla, and brandy and mix thoroughly. Place over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat.
Add the butter to the mixture and stir until smooth and uniform.
Pour the hot chocolate mixture over the biscuit crumbs, mixing well. A moldable dough will form, like clay. If the mixture is too thin, you can add more biscuit crumbs, up to 1½ cups.
Place parchment paper on a work surface and spread an even layer of colorful candies on top. Place the biscuit mixture in the center and cover with another sheet of parchment paper. Roll the biscuit mixture into an even layer, pressing it onto the candy layer. Remove the top parchment paper.
To prepare the cream:
Pour the whipping cream into a stand mixer bowl, add the milk and instant pudding.
Whip on medium-high speed until a stable cream is formed.
Spread an even layer of cream over the biscuit mixture and sprinkle additional colorful candies on top.
Using the bottom parchment paper and carefully, roll the biscuit layer with the cream into a uniform roll. Press tightly with the parchment paper and refrigerate to cool and set.
Difficulty: Medium
Preparation time: About 30 minutes
Type of dish: Dairy
For more recipes, visit Pascal Peretz-Rubin’s culinary website >>>