Jess, Author at Dash of Color and Spice

Whipped Goat Cheese

February 10, 2023

This creamy and versatile Whipped Goat Cheese is everything you didn’t know you wanted! We first had whipped goat cheese at a restaurant with a little honey drizzled on top and were instantly hooked. I knew I had to remake it ASAP, especially for game day app! Here we are, Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl to play the Philadelphia Eagles and what better way to celebrate than with a delicious app. Clearly a glass of wine or bottle of beer to go right along with it because it is a celebration after all!

Mexican Chicken Lentil Soup

January 27, 2023

This Mexican Chicken Lentil Soup reminds me of my mami. There is not a legume that woman doesn’t like but she especially likes her pinto beans and her lentils. I vividly remember growing up and my mami tell me she was making lentejas con pollo, or lentils with chicken, and truthfully not very excited about it. As I grew older I learned to appreciate lentils more and now really love making them as a soup because they’re so comforting and delicious. In addition to chicken, this Mexican Chicken Lentil Soup also has carrots, potatoes, onions, and tomatoes making it hearty and flavorful. Don’t be intimidated if you’ve never cooked with lentils before. I would encourage you try them as a bean alternative. They cook similar to any beans and if you’ve never cooked beans from scratch, don’t worry! I promise it is easier than you may think.

Albondigas in Chipotle Sauce

October 8, 2022

Bowl of albondigas (meatballs) with potatoes, carrots in a chipotle sauce.

When I say a dish reminds me of my mami, this is definitely towards the top of the list. There are so many Mexican dishes that I could list that remind me of family, remind me of my childhood, and remind me of my culture. These Albondigas in Chipotle Sauce that I grew up eating hit the spot every dang time! Meatballs, or Albondigas, are a great and easy way to spruce up your weekly dinner routine. The chipotle sauce is spicy, smokey, and full of flavor. These are not your traditional meatballs and are a must for your dinner rotation. Serve with rice, beans, cauli rice, more veggies. Endless possibilities!

Chipotle pepper, tomatoes, onion, garlic, potatoes, carrots, and ground beef

Let’s talk about the chipotle in this recipe. You can use chipotle in adobo sauce, chipotle powder, or dried chipotles. I originally made this recipe Whole30 compatible to share on the Whole30 Recipes page. With that said, using chipotle in adobo sauce is not Whole30 because they typically have added ingredients that are not compatible. However, chipotles in adobo sauce are readily available in most, if not all, grocery stores. This is what you’re looking for if that is the route you choose. Keep in mind there are various brands out there. If you decide to use chipotle powder, this is also very much readily available in grocery stores. Dried chipotle peppers may be a little more difficult to find but Mexican markets should carry them. If your grocery store has a Mexican food section, check there. This is what the dried chipotles look like.

Pan of albondigas (meatballs) with potatoes, carrots in a chipotle sauce.

This is truly comfort and flavor bomb in a bowl! Traditionally it is served with some Mexican rice, you can find my recipe here. However, you can definitely serve with pinto beans or extra vegetables. This dish reheats well making it perfect to make a big batch of for the week to have on hand. The flavors have more time to meld together and become even more delicious if that’s even imaginable! Provecho!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Albondigas in Chipotle Sauce

Meatballs, or Albondigas, in a smoky Chipotle Sauce

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: albondigas, chipotle peppers, meatballs, mexican food

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

Albondigas/Meatballs

1 lb ground beef
¼ onion chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
½ tsp salt
olive oil
2 carrots chopped
2 small potatoes chopped

Chipotle Sauce

4 Roma tomatoes
½ onion
2 garlic cloves
½-1 tsp chipotle powder *or dried chipotle pepper, see note
1½-2 cups water
½ tsp salt add to taste

Instructions

Chipotle Sauce

In medium saucepan add tomatoes, garlic, and onion. If using dried chipotle pepper, add in now. Place over medium high heat and bring to a boil.
Add everything to a blender including salt. If you are using chipotle powder instead of dried pepper, add to blender now.
Blend until smooth. Add more salt to taste if needed.

Albondigas/Meatballs

While the vegetables are cooking for the chipotle sauce, make the albondigas.
To a large bowl add ground beef, onion, garlic, and salt. Mix with your hands just until everything is combined.
Use a medium cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop out about 2 tablespoons of beef mixture. Form into balls that are about 1½ inch in diameter.
In a large dutch oven or large sauce pan add olive oil and place over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add meatballs. Cook for 2-3 minutes just until browned and flip to brown other side for another 2-3 minutes.
Add chipotle sauce to meatballs along with carrots and potatoes. Cover and simmer.

Notes

*start with 1/2 tsp chipotle powder then add more to taste.

*You can use one dried chipotle pepper instead.

Grilled Chicken with Fried Goat Cheese Salad

June 10, 2022

Salad platter with greens, strawberries, pears, and grilled chicken. Topped with fried goat cheese medallions and red wine vinaigrette.

This Grilled Chicken with Fried Goat Cheese Salad is perfect for any leftover grilled chicken you may have on hand. The combination of fruit in this salad with the tangy and crispy goat cheese is meant to be. It’s all thrown together in a delicious red wine vinaigrette and makes for the perfect summer salad. I love making this for meal prep also to have on hand for lunch during the busy work week. Seriously, you need to add this Grilled Chicken with Fried Goat Cheese Salad to your menu ASAP, it does not disappoint!

Steak Salad with Herb Roasted Potatoes

April 29, 2022

Bowl with steak salad with herbed potatoes, red onions, cherry tomatoes, and gorgonzola. Small container with balsamic vinaigrette dressing

This Steak Salad with Herb Roasted Potatoes is my version of the best salad out there. One of my favorite salads, EVER, is the Knife and Fork Salad from The Mixx in Kansas City. It is so comforting and filling but light and fresh at the same time. I used to eat this salad all the time during college because there was a Mixx conveniently located blocks from school. If you’re from Kansas City and enjoy fresh salads, sandwiches, etc, you know about The Mixx and you probably even know about this salad! It’s got delicious and tender steak, sautéed onions, herb-roasted potatoes, tomatoes, and gorgonzola all on top of greens and drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette. YOU GUYS…it is so dang good!

Sausage Spinach and Gnocchi Soup

December 10, 2021

White bowl sausage, gnocchi, tomato, and spinach soup. Parmesan cheese garnish

This is seriously one of the easiest and quickest soups you’ll ever make! Best thing about this Sausage Spinach and Gnocchi soup, (besides the delicious flavor), is the fact that it’s a 5-ingredient recipe. Yup, 5 ingredients, easy, and delicious? Win, win, win! Sometimes after a long day of work I want something comforting and easy and this recipe fits right in. The “hardest” part is cooking the sausage so if that’s about as complicated as it gets for dinner, I’d say we are good. The cooked sausage is what brings the flavor to a whole new level because you’re going to want to make sure you use the same pot to cook it all in. Oh, did I forget to mention it’s also a one-pot meal? Seriously so convenient and simple.

Salsa Verde Chicken Chili

October 22, 2021

This minimal ingredient Salsa Verde Chicken Chili is so easy and incredibly delicious. It’s perfect to make a big batch of and have on hand for the week. Perfect for a rainy, cold, or any good ol’ day! Working full-time I always want to make sure I have something prepped for my lunches or at least have super easy meals on the menu for the week. Let’s be real, I am not about to make some kind of elaborate meal after a long day of work. This is perfect to throw in the crock pot, instant pot, or a regular pot and leave to simmer for a while. The salsa verde gives this hearty chili tons of flavor and, as I always do, I highly recommend you make the salsa verde from scratch. Makes the biggest difference in flavor!

Chicken Chile Verde

September 3, 2021

This Chicken Chile Verde, or Salsa Verde Chicken, (you call it what you want), is so easy to make and so flavorful. I 100% recommend you make this with homemade Salsa Verde. Trust me when I say it is a game changer! Try it with my Salsa Verde, recipe can be found here, and make sure you make a double batch because you’ll want it on everything! The nice thing about this recipe is that you can make this in the Instant Pot or slow cooker and have lunch or dinner for days. Working full-time I always need recipes that will make batches for the week so I can just grab it and go for lunch or having something prepped and ready for dinner. This Chicken Chile Verde is perfect for meal prep or batch prep for the week and reheats well.

Chili Lime Shrimp

July 30, 2021

Need a flavorful shrimp recipe to grill this summer? Look no further! This Chili Lime Shrimp is so simple but full of flavor. It is perfect to make for entertaining this summer along with some grilled veggies. The marinade is easy to put together and also easy to customize. Add a little more cayenne or chipotle powder for more heat. Squeeze a little extra lime juice for a little more tang. The world is your oyster, (or shrimp?!).

Salsa Roja

July 16, 2021

Salsa roja is a staple in Mexican cuisine and rightfully so. It is so flavorful, bright, and delicious drizzled on all the things. Growing up there was always a salsa roja on the table for whatever meal it may have been. My abuelita always made sure there were plenty of options and knew we all had preference on what kind of salsa we wanted. Her salsa roja was always so dang good and I could never understand why or how. Until now. She always roasted the veggies for her salsas. Ok, maybe not always but definitely most of the time. The flavor was so ridiculously good and the little specks of roasted burnt pieces of the veggies really made it special.