Fabulous Meatball Sliders With Avocado Berry Salad

Day7: This is sort of a spin-off from my previous posts. Combined 2 recipes to make one brand spanking new dish. We at home truly enjoyed these bite-site sliders to the fullest with the avocado-berry salad on the side.

Here is a round-up of all the fermented foods I made this week-

• Day1: Steamed Rice Cakes "Idli" With Red Chutney(Spicy Onion Chutney) & Green Chutney (Refreshing Mint Cilantro Chutney)
• Day2: Eggless "Yeast-Raised" Pancakes With Plum-Strawberry Compote
• Day3: Buttery "Parker House Rolls"
• Day4: Healthy Oven-baked "Fried Idli" With Julienned Veggies
• Day5: Whole-Wheat Sesame Buns With Spinach-SweetPotato-Cabbage-Peas Stuffing
• Day6: Pita Bread(With Pockets) & Falafel, Guacamole Stuffing

#7 in my LustList: Antique Style Fine Jewellery: When it comes to Jewellery Less is NOT more.
1.Long Pearl and Ruby Necklace worn by the gorgeous Actress Deepika Padukone.

2. Kundan Style Choker Necklace worn by actress Sonam Kapoor.

Now onto the recipe-
Ingredients:

• 8 Homemade Slider Buns
• 8 Meatballs of choice from here, here or here
• 1/4 Cup Shredded Cheddar cheese

For the Avocado-Berry Salad:

• 2 Cups Mixed Greens
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Strawberry
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Avocado
• 1-1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1-1/2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• A few grinds of Black Pepper
• Salt as needed

Procedure:

• Make the Slider buns

• Make the meatballs.

• Sprinkle about 1/2 Tbsp of shredded cheddar cheese on top of each meatballs. 

• Make the salad: Whisk Oil, lemon juice, ground pepper and salt in a wide bowl

• Wash the greens and remove the excess water by using a salad spinner. Throw the greens, chopped berries and avocado and toss gently.

• Set the salad aside.

• Microwave the meatballs for a minute or until the cheese melts slightly.

• Place the meatballs in between the cut slider buns. Insert toothpicks. Move to plate and eat it with the salad and orange juice.

• Now take a bite out of these fabulous meatball slider. Oh, Yum!

Vegetarian Option: Beet Sliders

Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#15  
Enjoy!

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Chef Jacob's Chicken and Okra Curry

Chef Jacob is popular in Tamil Nadu(a state in South India) for his hit show in Sun TV. I didn't know about him until a few months ago when MIL asked me to watch his show. What is peculiar about his show??Chef Jacob picks the oddest of places to cook- I have seen him cook at Suicide Point(a treacherous spot where people go to jump off the cliff?? I wonder how it got that name..Hmm),  in a haunted mansion(while the ghosts watch silently), atop a tree branch(monKey business,that!!), in a dinghy(Seriously??!!OMG! What the heck??) etc etc. All in all, he is quite entertaining!! I immensely enjoy watching the show.They show blooper shots at the end where he fell off the tree, nearly fell off from the cliff or how his ingredients got washed away in the water...LoL! Every episode, the location gets whackier and I have to say I started watching his show just to see his antics,where he cooks rather than what he cooks.

Finally decided to give one of his recipes a try. A lovely recipe if you ask me. I never thought of mixing okra and chicken before. Its been always chicken and root veggies and his recipe has given food for thought..Plus the "Pounded Masala" is quite different cause he uses mustard seeds as one of the ingredients-I have only used mustard seeds for seasoning/tempering a curry before.Interesting!

Ingredients:

• 6-7 Chicken Thighs
• 12-15#s Fresh Okra/ Lady's Finger (Learn how to prepare and remove slime from Okra here)
• 1 Large Red Onion (Or) 15#s Pearl Onions, peeled and diced
• 3 Medium Ripe Tomatoes, chopped
• 1-1/2 Tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
• 1/4 Cup Coconut Milk (Or) Heavy Cream (Or) Whole Milk
• Olive Oil for Cooking
• Salt as needed
• A few Stalks of Cilantro, for Garnishing

For Marinating the Chicken:

• 2 Tbsp Thick Yogurt
• 1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 Tsp Chili Powder
• 1 Tbsp Chicken Masala ( I used the brand "Sakthi" from Indian stores)
• 1/4 Tsp Olive Oil

For the "Pounded Masala":

• 1 Tbsp Cumin Seeds
• 3/4 Tbsp Fennel Seeds
• 1" Small Stick of Cinnamon
• 2-3 Dry Red Chilies
• 1 Tbsp Mustard Seeds
• 4 Cloves
• 2 Cardamom Pods, Optional

Procedure:

• Dry fry the ingredients under " Pounded Masala" until the emit a nice aroma, for about 5-7 minutes on a medium low flame. Set aside to cool

• Skin and Cut the Chicken. Marinate it with all the ingredients under "For Marination". Stick it in the fridge.

• Clean, dry the Okra. 

• Dry fry or fry with very little oil to remove the slime. Set aside.

• In the same pan, add 2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil and fry the diced onions. Add ginger garlic paste to it and fry it along with the onions on a low flame.

• Using a heavy duty mortar and pestle, pound all the ingredients under "Pounded Masala" to a fine powder.

• Add it to the browned Onions and Ginge-Garlic mixture in the pan.

• Drain the marinated chicken completely of moisture and add it to the pan. 

• Increase the flame and brown the outsides of the chicken. 

• Add the tomatoes,Sprinkle a little salt and water and lid the pan and reduce the flame to medium.

• About 10-12 minutes later the chicken should have cooked about 90%. Check for heat and salt. Add more chili powder or pepper powder and salt, if needed.

• Add the Okra and cook for 7-8 minutes or a little more if you want a mushier Okra.

• Add the coconut milk/milk/heavy cream and stir. Close the lid and switch off the stove. 

• A few minutes later it is ready to be served with hot steaming rice. Garnish with Cilantro, if desired.

A few other delicious Chicken Recipes:

• Goan Chicken Xacuti

• Baked Tandoori Chicken, from scratch

• Quick-Bake Masala Chicken

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Goan "Chicken Xacuti"

This is the new favorite chicken curry at my house. This curry has its origin from Goa, an Indian state, which is a former Portuguese colony with plenty of history and a rich cuisine.I have been looking for a perfect Xacuti (pronounced "sha-koo-ty") for ages and my search ended when my Facebook buddy Sadhana asked to check out her recipe. She is a food editor at BellaOnline and she has quite an impressive collection of recipes. You should definitely check her page and her recipes if you are keen on trying out exotic Indian dishes.For every recipe, Sadhana gives a little insight about its origin and other helpful hints. So you know what you are eating. Sweet, no?

As with all Indian recipes, this curry recipe involves a lot of steps but its well worth the effort. The good thing is that the powder and paste can be made in advance.

Ingredients:

• 8 Chicken Thighs, skinned and cut into bite size pieces
• 1 large Yellow Onion, finely sliced 
• Marble-size Tamarind, juice extracted and pith discarded(To extract juice, just microwave the tamarind in little water. It will become soft and juice extraction is much easier)
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 4 Tbsp Olive Oil
• Salt for taste

For the Masala Powder:

• 6-7 Dry red Chilies
• 1 Small Cinnamon Stick
• 1 Star Anise
• 2-3 Cloves
• 1 Tbsp Cumin Seeds
• 1 Tbsp Fennel Seeds
• 1-1/2 Tbsp Whole Peppercorns
• 1 Tbsp Coriander Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Fenugreek Seeds
• 1 Tbsp Poppy Seeds
• 1 Tbsp White Sesame seeds

For the Xacuti Paste:

• Masala Powder (above)
• 5 large Garlic Cloves
• 1/2 Cup fresh or frozen Grated Coconut
• Little Water

 

Procedure:

• Dry fry all the ingredients under "Masala Powder". Cool and grind into a fine powder.

• In a tbsp of oil, saute the garlic for a few seconds.

• Add the grated coconut and Turmeric powder and roast it on a low flame until the coconut turns slightly brown. Grind this along with the "masala powder" with little water to a fine but thick paste. This Xacuti paste can be made up-to a couple of days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

• Add the remaining 3 tbsp of oil and fry the onions until they are brown

• Place the cut chicken in the pan over the fried onions.

• Add the Xacuti Paste and mix to incorporate.

• Add about a cup of water and some salt. Stir and lid the pan. Let the chicken cook for about 10-12 minutes on a medium flame.

• Add the tamarind juice and let it cook for another 10 minutes or so. Check for taste. Add more salt or ground pepper if needed.

• Serve it with plain rice, roti or Ghee rice.

Enjoy!

For this week's "Black and White Wednesday" at Susan's The Well-Seasoned Cook::  Array of Glasses

Enjoy!

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Sloppy Joe Tortilla Pizza

Day5 of Blogging Marathon: Any leftover Sloppy Joe filling(from the other day) always gets made into a delicious "Sloppy Joe pizza" at my home which is indeed the best way to makeover this leftover. This would also be a "thin crust" pizza lover's dream! Oh, yea! Plus its a super-quick dish to put together if you have all things handy..

Ingredients:

• 4 Whole Grain 8" Tortilla (I used "Santa Fe" brand)
• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, as needed
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese, as needed
• 1-1/2 Cup Sloppy Joe Filling
• 4 Tbsp Chopped Green Onions

Procedure:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.
• Sprinkle about 2 tbsp of shredded Mozzarella cheese on each Tortilla.

• Divide the filling into 4 equal portions. Spread one portion of it on the tortilla atop the mozzarella cheese.

• Top it with a little shredded Cheddar and Mozzarella cheese.

• Add a tbsp of chopped green onions.

• Sprinkle some more mozzarella cheese to cover it all up. Repeat the same for all the remaining tortillas.

• Bake @350F for 8-10 minutes or until the cheese melts on the top.

• Enjoy it warm with a glass of cold soda and some salad on the side.

Makes 2-4 servings

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