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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Lattice-Crust Topped Berry Tart (With Detailed Pictures)

Day 5 of BM7: When me and my close buddies get together we make sure we bake something new..that is, bake something that requires a little bit of effort and something that none of us have attempted to do before. The last time we all got together under the same roof, we decided to bake this wonderful "Lattice-crust topped Berry Tart". Weaving the "interlaced top" was a bit intimidating but soon my friends took over and they finished it for me. Much later our kids and hubbies helped to polish it off. The crust practically melted into the mouth due to the amount of butter and the texture of the dough which I had taken extreme care to not overwork with.The recipe for the crust is from the book Martha Stewart's Pies and Tarts.

The filling could have been sweeter..I felt that I should have added more sugar because berries weren't in season at the time this tart was made. I could taste the tartness of the strawberry in every bite. But if I were to make this again, like today, I wouldn't have had any problem at all cause the berries are in peak and oh-so juicy and sweet! Thinking of juicy summer berries are making me feel weak in the knee. The endless possibilities of baking with them is making me drool.. :)

Ingredients:
For the 10" or 11" double-crust Tart shell:

• 2-1/2 Cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 1 Tsp Granulated Sugar
• 1 Cup(2 Sticks) Cold Unsalted Butter
• 1/4 - 1/2 Cup Ice-Cold Water

For the Filling:

• 3-4 Cups Fresh of Frozen Ripe Sweet Straw-berries, chopped (Although I used frozen, fresh is better)
• 1/3 Cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Cup + 1 tbsp Granulated Sugar ( can be slightly reduced depending on the sweetness of berries)
• 1 Tbsp Unsalted butter, cut into small pieces.

Tools:

• Food Processor
• 10 or 11" Tart Pan

Procedure:

• Cut the "cold" butter into small chunks and add to a small bowl. Put it back in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
• Add the flour, salt, sugar and the cold butter chunks to the food processor.Process for about 10 seconds or so until it resembles a coarse meal.

• Add the ice cold water little by little and pulse for 20-30 seconds just until the dough holds together. Over working will yield a tough crust.

• Divide the dough into 2 equal portions and press it into flat circle with fist.Cling wrap the dough and chill for at-least an hour.

• Make the filling: In a large mixing bowl, add the berries and sprinkle with flour,sugar and the cut butter. Gently toss to incorporate.The filling is ready.

• Roll one pastry dough into a circle large enough to fit 10" Tart pan. Line the pan with the dough and prick it in many places with a fork. Refrigerate till it is ready to be filled with the filling.

• Roll the other half of the dough to a thickness of less than 1/8 of an inch and cut it into thin strips using a pastry wheel.

• Separate the strips and lay it on a cool surface, like a marble/granite top.

• Weave the strips together as closely as possible on a parchment paper.

• When weaving make sure the perpendicular strips are properly "interlaced".To easily interlace the crust, place a horizontal strip and lift the alternate vertical strips so that the horizontal strip goes under and over "alternatively". For a 10-11" pie, the lattice crust should measure atleast 12 X 12 inches, without holes or space.

• Once the lattice top is ready, place another parchment paper on top and let it chill until its ready to use.Chilling firms up the lattice top and facilitates easy transfer to the top of the tart.

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Pour the filling into the chilled crust.

• Remove the lattice top from the fridge. Keeping it between the sheets of parchment, fold it in half. Holding it in your hand, remove the outside sheet of parchment.Place it over half the tart and carefully unfold the lattice to cover the filling. Gently remove the top sheet of the parchment. Cut off the excess pastry crust and tuck the edges.

• Bake the tart for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F. Lower the heat to 350 degrees F and bake until the crust is evenly browned and the filling set for about 25 minutes or longer.

• Cool it for 10-15 minutes prior to cutting and serving.

Serves 8-10 people.
Note:

• The water and butter has to be "super"cold to yield a crust that just crumbles into the mouth. 
• Overworking the dough will yield a tough crust..
• An egg-wash is an optional but highly desired step for a perfect brown crust.

Enjoy!

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Jalapeno Poppers-2

Day4 of Stuffed Delicacies -- Cheese Stuffed Jalapenos. Who can say no to this favorite American Snack? With its delicious combo of Spicy Pepper and Cheese filling, its no wonder why this mouthwatering snack is a party favorite. Everyone does it differently. I posted one of my variation - Swiss Cheese,Chestnut and Roasted Red Pepper Stuffed Jalapenos - ages ago. This is another way I do it and I have at-least half a dozen more.

 

Ingredients:

• 5 Jalapenos
• 3-3/4 ounce (105g) Reduced Fat Cream cheese, softened
• 3 Tbsp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
• 3 Tbsp Yellow Onions, chopped
• 2 Tbsp Cilantro
• 1/2 Tsp Olive Oil
• 1/4 Tsp Cracked Black Pepper

Procedure:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Clean and halve the Jalepenos. Scoop out the seeds and membranes.
 
• Heat the Olive oil in a small skillet and saute the chopped onions. Cool it completely.
• Filling: Mix both the cheeses, sauteed onions, cilantro and pepper in a bowl.
 
• Stuff the hollowed peppers generously with the filling.
• Line an ovenproof baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Arrange the peppers on the sheet.
• Bake the peppers for 12-15 minutes until the top is slightly browned and crusty.
 

Makes 3 Servings.

Enjoy!

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Alton Brown's Cocoa Brownies

This Alton Brown's famous Cocoa Brownies are so rich in texture, taste and not to forget calories that I make them rarely(=very rarely) and only when I am entertaining a large crowd. Besides the Potato Croquettes in my previous post, I had made these too for my hubby's company potluck because hardworking folks deserve some sweet love now and then. Right? Is too much of a good thing fabulous? Only with these brownies I think and that too on rare occasions.

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Nestle Tollhouse Unsweetened Baking Cocoa
• 1/2 Cup King Arthur All Purpose Flour
• 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar, packed
• 1 Cup(2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter, melted
• 4 Large Eggs
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• A pinch of Salt

Procedure:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Grease and flour a 8" square baking pan.
• Cream the butter and eggs until they are light and fluffy.
• Add both the sugars, vanilla extract and combine.
• Sift the flour and Cocoa Powder. Add them to the egg mixture in batches and mix just until combined with a spatula.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
  
  
• Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a tooth-pick inserted in the center comes clean.

• Cool the brownie prior to cutting.

Makes 16 Servings.

Enjoy!

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Creole Style Stuffed Mushrooms

Creole cooking originates from New Orleans area in Louisiana which has French, Portuguese, Dutch influence and half a dozen more.Creole seasoning is an incredible blend of powdered onion, garlic, pepper, paprika, oregano, thyme,sweet basil and salt. With this seasoning, less is more. Let me tell you, any dish flavored with this seasoning hits you in the right spot.

Ingredients:

• 18#s mid-sized button mushrooms
• 1 Cup Fresh Spinach, packed
• 1/2 Cup Red/Yellow Mini Peppers/Bell Peppers, finely chopped
• 1 heaping Tsp Konriko MSG free Creole Seasoning(has salt in it) or any brand
• 1/4 Cup Red Onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 Cup Shredded Cheddar-Monterey Jack Cheese blend
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Slices of Stale bread, crumbed

Procedure:

• Remove the stalks from the mushrooms. Do not discard.
• Hollow out the mushrooms using melon baller and set aside. 
• Chop the stalks finely using a food processor.

• Prepare the filling: In a pan, heat the oil and saute the onion, mushroom stalks and chopped peppers. Add the Creole Seasoning, bread crumbs and stir till incorporated.Sprinkle water if necessary. Switch off stove and add the spinach. Stir until it slightly wilts. Cool the filling.

• Stuff the mushrooms generously with the filling.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

• Arrange the stuffed mushrooms on a baking tray and bake for 12 minutes in the top rack.
• Remove the tray and sprinkle shredded cheese on the top and bake  for 5 more minutes or until the cheese melts.
• Rest the mushrooms for 5-10 minutes prior to serving.

Enjoy!

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PuffPastry "Spinach N Cheese" Swirls

These swirls look like a work of art, don't they? It makes one think that I spent ages to make this, doesn't it? Wrong. It took me under 30 minutes to make this. A very tempting appetizer that pretty much pleases all your senses.Oh, the base recipe is from the Pepperidge Farm package.

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet Pepperidge Farm Puff-Pastry 
• 1/2 cup Shredded Monterey Jack or Muenster Cheese
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
• 3 cup Spinach, Chopped
• 4 tbsp Red Onion, Chopped
• 1 Egg
• 1 tbsp Water
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Cracked pepper

Procedure:

• Thaw the puff pastry sheet for 30-40 minutes.
• Unroll the pastry sheet on a slightly dusted surface.
• Mix both the cheese with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Microwave the Spinach with a few sprinkles of water. Once wilted, squeeze the moisture from it and mix it with chopped red onion. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Whisk the egg with a tbsp of water. Using a pastry brush, brush the pastry with a thin layer of egg mixture.
• Sprinkle the pastry with cheese mixture and the layer it with spinach-onion mixture.
• Gently roll the pastry, jelly-roll style and thin cut into 1/2-inch wheels.
• Place the wheels on a greased baking sheet, cut side down.
• Brush the top with egg mixture. 
• Bake for 20 minutes or till the edges are slightly browned.
• Serve warm

Makes 14-15 Swirls

Enjoy!

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TriColor "Rosemary and Garlic" Potatoes

"Rosemary is for Remembrance". It is believed that Rosemary improves memory power.Don't know if it is true, but it sure does add a great pungent flavor to potatoes, lamb, pizza and such.Rosemary combined with Garlic is a divine combo and you simply cannot go wrong with it.Potatoes infused with this combo of flavor is an excellent side-dish to pretty much everything.

Ingredients:

• Gourmet TriColor Baby Potatoes - 25#s
• Garlic Cloves - 3, minced
• Salt
• Cracked Pepper - 1 tsp or more/less
• Crushed Rosemary - 1/2 tsp, Fresh or Dry
• Olive Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp

Procedure:

• Fill a stock pot with cold water and add the potatoes. Boil the potatoes until tender(but firm).
• Drain and cool the potatoes.Leave the skin on.
• In a saute pan, warm the oil and add the minced garlic.Saute for less than a minute.
• Add the potatoes, fry on a medium-low flame stirring occasionally until they are brown and crispy around the edges.
• Add the salt, pepper and crushed rosemary and fry for 5 more minutes.
• Serve warm with lamb or flavored rice

Enjoy!

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Mashed-Potatoes Stuffed Mushrooms in Tomato-Paste Sauce

Dears, what have you planned for the weekend? I bet folks who live in the US, have some major plans for the long weekend..so do I. I am going over to one of my friend's place for a birthday party and to enjoy her fabulous cooking.While I am out there enjoying her cooking, I will leave you with a recipe that you can enjoy.This recipe that has been sitting in the draft, is a vegetarian version of a Turkish recipe(Coming soon) which will have even a picky eater swoon over.Also look forward to a Russian recipe that anyone can whip up in a jiffy. :)
Have a great (long) weekend!This goes to Bangalore Baker's Bake-Off Event.

Ingredients:

• Brown Button Mushrooms -20-25#s, medium to large-headed
• Yukon Gold Potatoes - 4, medium, quartered
• Butter - 3 tbsp
• Milk - 4-5 tbsp
• Salt and ground Pepper - for taste
• Tomato Paste - 3 tbsp
• Olive Oil - 3 tbsp
• Water  - 1 cup
• Cracked pepper - 1 tsp
• Mozzarella  cheese - 3/4 cup,shredded
• Cubanelle Pepper - 1, thinly sliced to rings
• Red Pepper  or Large Tomato - 1/2, thinly sliced

Procedure:

• In a pan, add  the quartered potatoes, fill cold water to cover the potatoes and bring it to a boil till its tender.
• Drain the potatoes and quickly mash the hot potatoes with skin along with the butter and milk.
• Sprinkle salt and finely ground pepper and gently mix. Set aside.
• Clean the mushrooms with moist teal-towels and remove the stalk(save it to make vegetable stock in the future).
• Fill the mushroom caps with mashed potatoes using a spoon or a mini ice-cream scoop.
• Top the mashed potatoes with a ring of cubanelle pepper and a slice of red pepper or Tomato.
• Sprinkle a tsp of mozzarella cheese over the peppers.
• Tomato Paste Sauce: Mix the tomato paste with water, olive oil, a tsp of cracked pepper and make a sauce.
• Pour the prepared sauce into an oven-proof dish and spread it evenly.
• Arrange the filled-mushroom and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Note:

• Freeze the mushroom stalks for making vegetable stock.
• Ready-made Marinara Sauce may be used instead of the Tomato-Paste Sauce.
• Leftover Mashed Potatoes may be used.

Enjoy!

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Banana Berry Pancakes

And this is how I make Banana Berry pancakes for myself and my family. If you liked my cocoa pancakes, then I am sure you will like this too. The fine diced strawberries and banana puree in the pancakes takes the flavor up a notch.Certainly a crowd pleaser! Scroll down to grab a wedge of these yummylicious pancakes  before anyone else does.
This along with the Cocoa Pancakes,  Savory Whole Wheat Pancakes,Ball Pancakes, Spongy Rice Pancakes, PigeonPeas Stuffed Ball Pancakes makes its way to the "Pancake Event" held @ Priya's Easy N Tasty recipes.

Ingredients:

• All purpose flour - 3/4 cup
• Baking Powder - 1 tsp
• Egg - 1
• Olive oil - 1 tbsp
• Banana - 1, very ripe, pureed
• Strawberry -3, medium, fine diced
• Whole Milk - 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp
• Sugar - 2 tbsp or little less
• Salt - a pinch
• Vanilla Extract - 1/2 tsp

Procedure:

• Sift together the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder in a bowl.
• Whip egg, oil, banana puree, milk, vanilla extract in another bowl.
• Pour the egg mixture over the flour.
• Add the chopped strawberries to the mixture and whisk it just until everything is mixed.
• Let the mixture rest for 15 minutes.
• Heat a griddle/ non-stick pan and pour a ladle full of batter.
• Cook for 2 minutes on a medium flame and flip and cook for 2 more minutes.(Read Note)
• Repeat the above step, stack the pancakes and serve immediately with Maple Syrup or Honey.

Makes 8 fluffy mid-sized pancakes.
Note:

• From observation - If an even colored pancake is desired(like the one in the picture), add oil only to the sides while cooking.Nonstick pans work best for this.
• Pancakes may not be a perfect round due to the chunky berries in the batter.

A portion for you my dear(s) -

Enjoy!

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Cocoa Pancakes

The Guarantee - Eating this version of pancake(s) will put a smile on your face,a gleam in your eyes, a dance in your walk and a jaunt in your steps. Umm its true, a surefire thing. Scientifically speaking, Cocoa/Cocoa derivatives injects happy hormones in the blood and make people happy albeit temporarily. I have been making these pancakes ever since I came across the recipe in Google at least half a dozen years ago and every time I eat these pancakes, am subjected to all of the above changes. Have a stack of these with Honey or Log Cabin's Original Maple Syrup and fall in love.

 

Ingredients:

• All Purpose flour - 3/4 cup, leveled
• Sugar - 4 tbsp
• Cocoa Powder - 1 1/2 tbsp
• Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp
• Buttermilk - 1 cup
• Egg - 1, beaten
• Olive Oil - 1/8 cup
• Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp
• Salt - a dash
• Oil for cooking

Procedure:

• In a bowl, sieve the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder.
• To it add sugar and mix the dry ingredients.
• In another bowl, add egg, oil, buttermilk, vanilla extract and pour into the other bowl.
• Mix it gently with a whisk and let it sit for 15 minutes.
• In a skillet, coated with oil, pour a ladle full of batter and do not disturb or flip until you see holes on the top.
 
• Gently flip and cook for 2-3 minutes per side and stack them up on a serving plate.
 
• Serve warm with choice of honey or maple syrup with some chopped strawberries and walnuts.

Makes 10-12 mid-sized pancakes

Note:

• Go easy with the cocoa powder if you want light-colored pancakes

Enjoy!

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RecipeReplica: Oven-Roasted Minty Drumsticks

For this post of "RecipeReplica" I hopped to fellow blogger Sarah's awesome blog "!Vazhayila!" which translates to "Plaintain Leaf". So what is so special about a Plaintain Leaf? In most parts of India(Specifically South) and parts of Malaysia, food is served on Plaintain Leaf on auspicious days, like during weddings and such.
One might wonder what the benefit of eating on this leaf is? Eating hot food on the leaf absorbs the unique flavor of the leaf and makes its a relishing experience.It is also considered hygienic since its an organic use-once-only bio-degradable plate of sorts and believed to also have some medicinal values.I love the fact she has named her blog with such a wonderful and meaningful name and also the fact that its full of fabulous traditional recipes. One among many recipes that caught my eye was her Oven-Roasted Minty Game hens. I went with drumsticks since I didn't have Game hens in stock.

Ingredients:

• Chicken Drumsticks - 5

For the Mint Rub:

• Chopped Fresh Mint - 2 tbsp
• Garlic Cloves - 2, big
• Ginger - 1/2 inch, chopped
• Cracked pepper - 1 1/2 tsp (or less)
• Paprika or Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
• Lime Juice - 1 1/2 tbsp
• Olive Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

• Clean the drumsticks,pat dry and put deep slits.Keep the skin on.
• In a blender/Food processor, blend all the ingredients under "For the Rub" to a smooth paste.
• Important: Check for taste. Add more spice or salt IF needed.
• In a Ziploc plastic bag, add the ground mixture, chicken drumsticks and marinate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• On a greased baking dish with RIM, lay the drumsticks upright, flesh side down and bake for 40 minutes.
• Crank the heat to 400 degrees, discard the fat and bake for 20 more minutes until the skin is browned evenly on all sides.
• Rest the chicken for 10 minutes and move to a serving plate and garnish with finely chopped mint leaves.
• Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

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