6 servings
Meatballs
1 lb ground
chicken
1 tbsp
chopped cilantro
1 egg,
beaten
2 tbsp
breadcrumbs or matzoh meal
1 tsp Mexican
oregano
1 tsp
tomato paste
3 tbsp
chopped onion
1 clove
garlic
Salt and
pepper
Broth
½ onion
1 garlic
clove
1-2 dried chiles
1 bay leaf
1 cup
pasata or crushed tomatoes
6 cups
chicken stock
¼ cup rice
Juice of
half a lime
Salt and
pepper
Slice an
onion in thick rondelles and put that and the unpeeled garlic cloves on a comal
or non-stick pan and dry roast.
Stem and
seed your chiles and dry roast them quickly on the comal and then put in a bowl
of boiling water for 15 minutes to soften.
Take a
couple of the slices of onion and one of the cloves of garlic (peel it first) and
chop them finely for the meatballs.
Put the
beaten egg, ground chicken, chopped onions, chopped garlic, breadcrumbs/matzoh
meal, cilantro, oregano, and tomato paste into a medium sized bowl and get your
hands in there and mix it all together. Add a bit of salt and pepper to taste.
Take about
a heaping teaspoon worth of the meatball mixture and roll it into a small ball
with your hands. Put the balls on a cutting board. Continue until you’ve used
up all the meat mixture.
For the
soup broth, put the rest of the roasted onion and peeled garlic into a blender
with the tomato sauce and chiles. Waz it all up and add a little bit of the
chile water for extra oomph.
In a
medium-large pot, pour in the chicken stock and then add the tomato mixture and
bay leaf. Add a bit of salt and pepper then bring it to the boil. Once it’s
boiling CAREFULLY drop the meatballs in. Finally add the rice, turn the
temperature down to med-low and let it simmer away for at least half an hour.
Once it’s
cooked, give the broth a try and add more salt if you need to. Add the lime
juice to taste (you may want a bit more or a bit less), and then serve this up.
With a salad, or all on its own, this makes a nice light dinner. Of course, if
you have fresh tortillas, do eat them with the soup. Crispy tortilla strips
served on the top would also be a nice touch.
It is delicious and super-low calorie! (3 points per serving if you're counting it in Weight Watchers Smartpoints)
(c) 2016 Gail J Cohen
