Lunch out with the kiddos and a Rissoles recipe

School started two weeks ago and it means being out and about, buying this and that, submitting documents and whatnots and a lot more hullaballoos! I sometimes find myself lacking time to prepare decent meals not just for myself but more importantly for the three tigers I have to feed. They may be small (yet) but their appetites are bigger than mine!

Conveniently, we live near a mall two tram stations and some steps away. We did some of the school-supplies-shopping there and our out-of-time dine ins. :/ One easy spot for us would be the Merkur restaurant. It’s an open, self-service, dine-in kitchen – very informal, one would say but the food is really okay by my standards.

I’ve featured the Kaiserschmarrn often but only plain, here it is served with blueberries, strawberries, raisins and sugar dusts. Looking back, Kaiserschmarrn does have raisins always, sometimes really embedded deep into the batter. This plate comes with Zwetschgenkompott or stewed plums. Too sweet for lunch but like before, it’s like a main course and dessert in one! Being a serving so big for me, I share this with my youngest son.

My daughter had the rissoles,  a type of savory food made from minced or ground meat, typically beef or a mixture of meats, which is seasoned, shaped into small patties or balls, coated with breadcrumbs, and then either fried, baked, or grilled. She opted for ones served on mashed potatoes and fried onions. They all love fried onions, that they’re putting it on every rice meals and potato meals. As a wise mom would, I take advantage of this fondness and serve them food that goes well with it. They can always finish a plate or two every single time!

I jokingly said on my Instagram post “Why can’t rissoles be photogenic?” I did get “lols” as responses. As son 1 always say “the yummy-looking food sometimes taste bad while the unattractive-looking ones are the best.” And this is the case for these rissoles. Dawty shared this with son 2 – he wasn’t in the mood to order anything.

I think I raised a sensible foodie. My 7-year-old son (son 2) ate all 3 giant hash browns with very little help from me.  When he saw I still have food on my plate, I was scolded; “You’re wasting money with your leftover food eh!” And went on eating a bit of my Kaiserschmarrn. Not minding all that, he continued fork after fork devouring the hash browns dipped in sour cream and chives and also finishing the bed of salad it came with.

For those who haven’t met my kids yet, below is a photo of them – after all the swimming and summer activites that “toasted” their skin. Son 1 is the family clown, thus, the face – he would always make such faces to annoy me. :/ Son 2 is the hamster – see those cheeks? And there’s our unica hija, very shy at times. Well, most of the time. 😀

And here’s a recipe for Rissoles:

Ingredients:

For the Rissoles:

• 250g ground beef or a mix of ground beef and pork
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or other herbs of your choice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil for cooking

For the Sauce:

• 1/2 cup beef or chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Rissoles:
   • In a mixing bowl, combine the ground meat, chopped onion, minced garlic, breadcrumbs, egg, milk, dried thyme, salt, and pepper. Mix everything together until well combined.
   • Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and shape them into oval or round patties.
2. Cook the Rissoles:
   • Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add a bit of olive oil.
   • Once the oil is hot, add the rissoles to the skillet. Cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until they are nicely browned and cooked through. Make sure to adjust the cooking time based on the thickness of the rissoles.
3. Prepare the Sauce:
   • In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
   • Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute, stirring constantly.
   • Pour in the beef or chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce. If using Dijon mustard, add it now.
   • Bring the sauce to a simmer and let it cook for a few minutes until it thickens slightly.
   • Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Serve:
   • Place the cooked rissoles on serving plates.
   • Pour the sauce over the rissoles or serve it on the side as a dipping sauce.
5. Side Suggestions:
   • Rissoles can be served with mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables, or a simple salad.
   • You can also serve them with a side of crusty bread to soak up the delicious sauce.

Enjoy your homemade rissoles with a flavorful sauce! Feel free to adjust the seasonings and ingredients according to your preferences.