I needed an easy recipe this week and our Cook the Books Friday assignment is exactly that. Thank goodness, because even so, I’m finishing this post as the clock nears midnight. 

I didn’t expect to come out to my parents’ place today, but my mother had a computer crisis that required some expert help, so earlier this week, I had her bring her hard drive to The Hackery. (They’ve helped so many people I know and I trust them.)

Her computer was ready for pick up today, so I packed up the moose mince I’d thawed in anticipation of today’s assignment, along with some seasonings I suspected she didn’t have at home, and of course, her favourite small dog. (I didn’t actually pack her, unless putting on her harness counts.)

We meandered back to her house, stopping for lunch and running a few errands. By the time we arrived, it was time to get started in the kitchen.

My Dad picked some Swiss chard and potatoes from the garden and prepared those while I worked on the meatballs. They’re meant to approximate merguez sausage, but we used sambal oelek in place of harissa, so they were more like merguez with a twist. 

They were delicious. Because moose meat is so lean, I added a heaping tablespoon of bacon fat to the mixture, which is always a good choice. The potatoes were seasoned with salt and pepper. The chard was stirfryed with a little lemon. The simplicity of the sides was perfect with the spicy meatballs. The sambal oelek mayo helped cool things down just the right amount. It was a perfect meal, especially when I found out my mother had made apple pie.

Now, I’m going to finish sorting out my mother’s computer, so she can end her enforced holiday from all the volunteer work she’s got waiting. 

You can read through everyone’s posts here. And consider joining this community of wonderful cooks and lovely people, as we work our way through David Lebovitz‘ My Paris Kitchen.