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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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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Sloppy Joe With Ground Turkey, Black Bean, Dill Pickle and Hot Cherry Peppers

Hello Peeps, how are you?I am doing okay, thank you! Sorry for going "AWOL" on you. I have been extremely busy dealing with other issues in my life..So had to put my blog/blogging in the back burner for a bit. But no worries, I am back and I plan to avoid going away for long periods of time. Has it really been 3+ weeks since I did my last post? Hmm, time does fly real quick, doesn't it? I wish that there were at-least 2 extra hours in a day cause that will really help a chaotic person like me to instill some structure in my life..Ahh, a person can only hope, yes?

Anyways, this post was originally intended to be up on Father's day, in honor of the dads in my life(my dad,my son's dad, my nephew's dad...) but it would have been so inappropriate.Are you wondering why? While everything about "Sloppy Joe" screams man-food, it would have been inappropriate to honor the orderly and systematic dad(s) with such a sloppy dish. So I waited one more day to post this. Silly me. I know. But its so worth getting your fingers and face messy with this awesome dish. My version of "Sloppy Joe" has Sour Dill Pickle, Hot Cherry Peppers and Dark brown sugar amongst others things to give you a flavor explosion the minute it hits your mouth. Ooh, La, La!

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Lean Ground Turkey
• 2/3 Cup Canned/Cooked Black Bean
• 1 Medium Yellow Onion, finely chopped
• 2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• 1 Small Green Bell Pepper
• 2 Tbsp Dark Brown Sugar or less
• 1/4 Cup Italian Sauce (Any brand- Prego or Ragu)
• 1/2 Tsp Cracked Black Pepper (Optional)
• 1 Kosher Dill Pickle Spear (I used Mt.Olive Brand)
• 2 Hot Cherry Peppers in Vinegar Brine (B& G Brand)
• 1 Tbsp Hot/Tabasco Sauce
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• Salt as needed

Procedure:

• Heat Olive Oil in a pan and brown the chopped onions. Once it is lightly browned, add the ground meat and stir until it becomes crumbly, for about 2-3 minutes.

• Throw in the chopped Green bell pepper, cracked black pepper, Tabasco sauce. Stir to incorporate.

• Pour the Italian sauce soon-after along with brown sugar and salt for taste.Stir to incorporate. Lid the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes.

• Chop the Dill Pickle and Hot& Sour Cherry Peppers.

• Add the drained black beans, the chopped up dill and hot&sour cherry peppers.

• Cook for 3-4 more minutes without the lid and its good to eat.

• Serve it with store-bought or homemade hamburger or slider buns along with some Kettle fried Potato chips.

Makes 2-3 Small Servings.

Note: Ground Turkey may be substituted with Ground Pork, Beef or Chicken or a combo of meats.Your call!

Enjoy!

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Mac And Minty Meatballs Marinara

My son loves meatballs.As a matter of fact, we all do. Ergo,I always make large batches and freeze a portion of them in single serving boxes cause I never know when or how often he(we) would want it..badly! Meatballs are an ultimate comfort food for many and its no different in our family. I am constantly experimenting with new ingredients, alternating between baking and stove-top cooking but always coming to the same conclusion- Fabulous! Yea, this is one dish that has never failed me so far. So beyond being tasty, comforting and substantial it is also very very forgiving! That is what I love about meatballs. You can't really go wrong with the taste no matter how hard you try. Now that is something you cannot say about many dishes.
I also have to say that I am partial to meatballs in marinara sauce(If you follow me regularly you would know how I have sung praises about this wonder sauce here) which is pretty much why I always use it to coat my meatballs in. Have you ever tried meatballs with raisins? I was inspired to try it after I saw Oprah rave in one of her talk-show episodes about her favorite meatballs that had a secret ingredient -- Raisins.Yeah, Trattoria Mollie's meatballs has black raisins. So here is an adapted recipe for Turkey-Sausage Meatballs With Raisins. I also tried my hand at baking the Meatballs with Broccoli Rabe.You can read that success story here.

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Ground Meat (Can be Minced Turkey/Chicken/Pork or a mixed choice)
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Mint
• 1/8 Cup Chopped Cilantro
• 1/4 Cup + 1 Tbsp Reduced-fat Milk
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Red Onion
• 2 Cloves Garlic, grated
• 3-4 Stale Brown Bread, toasted and crumbed
• 1 Egg
• 1 Tbsp Coriander Powder
• 1 Tbsp Cracked Black Pepper or less
• 1/4 Cup Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
• 1 Tsp Salt or more/less
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• Olive Oil for browning the meat balls
• 1/2 of 26 Oz Jar of Low-sodium Marinara Sauce , any brand

Procedure:

• Add all of the above ingredients in a wide shallow bowl except the Marinara Sauce.

• Combine the meat,bread crumbs, mint, cilantro, garlic, chopped onions, salt, cracked pepper, 1 tbsp olive oil and the cheese ONLY until combined. Over mixing will yield tough meatballs.

• Let the mixture rest for 10-15 minutes.

• Divide the mixture into golf-ball sized balls (= 25 meatballs ~).

• Coat a wide non-stick skillet with Olive oil and brown the meatballs in batches for 2-3 minutes per side. Don't fully cook it as it will get cooked in the Marinara Sauce.

• Drain them on paper towels.

• Bring the sauce to a boil. Add more salt or pepper if needed. Drop the partially cooked meatballs. Lid the pan and cook the meatballs for 15 minutes turning them gently midway.

• Enjoy them as is or with any choice of pasta. This time we had it with macaroni because my son loves it.

Enjoy!

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GastronomicGallivant: Turkish "Turkey" MeatLoaf

You might wonder why I am obsessed with Turkish cuisine and culture. Well I have always been fascinated by this country that is thought of as "East Meets West". This fascination has become an obsession ever since I came to know about the Fairy Chimneys(Moonscapes) in the Cappadocia Region, the Dagi Giant-heads(Gnome-like head of Zeus and other gods) on Mt.Nemrut, the whirling dervishes,the food(especially the desserts..Baklava anyone?) and so on.At the moment, Turkey tops the list of my Dream Destinations.God willing I will make a trip with my hubby and son next year sometime.
Remember the other Meatloaf recipe I posted a while ago? This is slightly different from that with the inclusion of hard boiled eggs and some new ingredients.Hey,feel free to substitute ground turkey with any ground meat. Shouldn't make much of a difference. Now onto the recipe-

Ingredients:

• Ground Turkey Meat - 2 cups
• Stale Whole Wheat Bread - 2, toasted and ground to powder
• Onion - 1, medium
• Garlic - 2-3 cloves, minced
• Carrot - 1 + 1/2(for garnish on the top), finely grated
• Parsley - 3 tbsp, finely chopped
• Skimmed Milk - 2 tbsp
• Egg - 1
• Hard Boiled Eggs - 2, shells removed
• Curry Powder/Sambhar Powder - 1 tsp
• Salt - 1- 1 1/2 tsp
• Cracked black pepper - 1 - 11/2 tsp

Tool:

• 9 X 5 inch loaf pan

Procedure:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a bowl, add the meat and all other ingredients EXCEPT 1/2 grated carrot and hard boiled eggs.
• Mix, but not over mix just until they are evenly incorporated.
• Spoon 1/2 the mixture into a greased loaf pan.
• Place 2 eggs on top of the mixture.

• Spoon the remaining meat mixture all over the eggs.
• Sprinkle the top with grated carrots.

• Bake for 50 minutes at the top rack.
• Discard all the juice, cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing them.

Makes 1 loaf(12-14 slices)

Note:
Any ground meat - chicken, pork, beef can be used

Enjoy!

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Baked "Broccoli Rabe, Mozzarella and Lean-Ground Turkey" Meatballs

When in need of comfort, make meatballs. So here I am with yet another version of meatballs that is as comforting as Mother's love. My strict and staunch vegetarian mom would be annoyed and unhappy that I am equating her love to Turkey Meatballs. Sorry Ma, I mean it in a the good way.
The cheese and the broccoli rabe in the meatballs act as flavor and texture enhancers.If you are a meatball lover like me and enjoy them as much as I do, check here and here for alternate choices. They all taste heavenly!

Ingredients:

• Lean Ground Turkey - 1 1/2 pounds
• Mozzarella - 2/3 cup, shredded
• Broccoli Rabe - 1 bunch, cleaned
• Garlic - 3 cloves, minced
• Onion - 1, medium, fine diced
• Stale Whole Wheat Bread - 2, slices, ground
• Fennel Seed - 1 1/2 tsp
• Crushed Black Pepper - 1 tsp
• Egg - 1, beaten
• Tomato-Basil Sauce - 12 ounces
• Red Pepper flakes and salt - for taste

Procedure:

• Chop the broccoli rabe finely and boil in hot water for 2-3 minutes. Completely drain of water and set aside on a dish.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a bowl, mix ground turkey,mozzarella cheese, garlic, onion, pepper, pepper flakes, salt, egg, breadcrumbs and divide them into small balls(This recipe yield 38 mid-sized balls).
• Arrange the balls in an oven-proof dish.
  
  
• Bake the balls for 20 minutes. 
• In a pan, heat the Tomato-Basil Sauce and drop these balls and cook for 10 minutes.
• Serve hot with choice of pasta.

Makes 38 mid-sized meatballs.

Note:

• A portion of the cooked meatballs with sauce can be frozen for later.
• Add more pepper for heat.

Enjoy!

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Fabulous Meatloaf

"Blues" is my middle name today. Why? Plenty if reasons. First, I have no clue how to potty-train my toddler. He is hedging around the training pot and doesn't want to squat. He finishes his business behind the couch,the only signs are the telltale smell of his soiled diaper and his beady eyes that screams Guilty! I am a veritable airhead..a simpleton!I had a perfect opportunity to train him when I was vacationing in India..should have let him run like a free-range chicken minus the diaper and he would have gotten trained in a couple of days! I can't do that here on carpeted and area-rugged floors now, can I? Arrrghhhhh! Second, the rain and the sleet doesn't help improve my mood.

So what do I do? I run and make one of my comfort food to console myself.So that is how Meatloaf Post came about today.

Ingredients:

• Lean Ground Turkey - 1 1/2 pounds
• Red onion - 1, small, diced
• Garlic Cloves - 5, small, diced
• Mini Peppers - 3 + 1 , 3 diced and 1, horizontally cut for garnish
• Salt - 1 1/2 tsp
• Pepper - 1 1/2 tsp or more
• Whole Wheat Bread -  3, stale, toasted and crumbed
• Egg - 1, beaten
• Red Sauce - 3 ounces ( I used Bertolli Organic Olive Oil, Basil and garlic sauce)
• Fennel Seeds - 1/4 tsp (optional)
• Olive oil - 1 tsp, for greasing

Tool:

• 9 X 5 X 3 inch loaf pan

Procedure:

• In a bowl, mix all of the above ingredients with hands until evenly incorporated WITHOUT over mixing.
• Grease a 9 X 5 X 3 inch loaf pan with a tsp of oil.
• Spoon the mixture into the greased pan.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake the meatloaf on the upper rack for 45 minutes.Insert a toothpick in the center of the loaf to check for done-ness.
• Discard the juices in the pan and let the meatloaf rest for about 5-10 minutes.
• Slice it evenly and serve with mashed potato and steamed veggies as sides.

Makes ~12 slices

Enjoy!

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Turkey-Bean Balls & Tennis Racquets

Turkey Meat-balls are my go-to comfort food anytime of the year and especially this time of the year. A variation of this dish(Meatballs with raisins and marinara sauce) was posted during my first week of blogging. For this recipe though, meat-balls were made smaller with Sesame seeds, Turkey and Roman beans. Racquet-pasta was used to add a whimsical touch.Looks great and tastes great.

Ingredients:

• Lean cut turkey - 1/2 pound
• Stale wheat bread - 2 slices
• Cooked Roman Beans or Red kidney beans - 1 1/2 cup (Soak overnight and pressure cook it with salt)
  
• Garlic - 5 cloves, 3 if bigger, minced
• Red onion - 1, small, diced
• Baby Spinach leaves- 2 handfuls, cleaned and drained
• Egg white - 1
• Cracked pepper - 2 tsp or more
  
• Salt - for taste
• Racquet Pasta - 3 servings, cooked as per package instructions
• Sesame seeds - 2 tbsp
• Lemon - 1/2, juiced
• Cilantro - 1 tbsp, fine diced
  
• Olive oil - 3 tbsp

Procedure:

• Toast the wheat slices and let it cool. Break the hard slices and grind it to coarse crumbs.
• Smash half a cup of the cooked roman beans and set aside.
  
• Toast the sesame seeds on a low flame until they are browned evenly. Grind 11/2 tbsp of it to a fine powder. Save the rest for garnish.
  
• In a bowl, add the turkey, minced garlic, diced onions, powdered sesame seeds, pepper, salt, juice of a lemon, diced cilantro, smashed roman beans, egg white and finally the crumbs.
• Mix all the above ingredients using hands and divide them into small marble-sized balls.Should come to 25-30 even balls.
  
• In a deep and wide skillet, heat a tbsp of oil and slow cook the meat balls in batches for about 10-15 minutes per batch or until the center is no longer pink.
  
• Remove the balls to a separate plate.In the same skillet, add the spinach,wilt it slightly and set aside.
  
• In the same skillet, heat the remaining oil and add the remaining cup of beans and season with little cracked pepper.
• Add the cooked pasta and the turkey-bean balls. Check for taste. Add pepper or salt if needed.
• Switch off the stove and add the spinach. Mix gently.
• Garnish with remaining sesame seeds.
• Move to a serving plate and consume hot.

Makes 3 Servings.

Enjoy!

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Spaghetti and Turkey-Sausage Meatballs With Raisins

This is my idea of comfort food. I can have turkey meatballs everyday and not get tired at all. I love meatballs and you will be seeing plenty of versions in the future posts.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pound hot Italian turkey sausage
• Angel hair Pasta - As required
  
• 1 1/2 pound ground turkey
• 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs (I grind 3-4 stale bread slices to make this)
• 1 whole egg
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• salt
• 1/2 - 1 tbsp pepper
• 1/2 - 1 cup raisins
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
• 1 26-oz jar of pasta sauce, any brand

Procedure:

• In a large bowl mix ground turkey, sausage, breadcrumbs, egg, cheese,parsley, crushed red pepper, raisins, garlic,
• onion,salt and pepper. Mix, but do not overmix. Shape them into lemon sized meatballs and set aside.
• In a pan, add the olive oil and shallow cook the meatballs in batches until its golden on the outside.
• Drain on paper-lined plate.
• In a large pan add the pasta sauce, drop the meatballs and cook for about 20minutes on low flame until its thoroughly cooked.
• Spoon the sauce and meatballs on the top of Spaghetti and serve hot.

Makes ~24 meatballs.

Enjoy!

Tip: Part of this can be frozen for later.

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