Sultry

If you like the sultry, exotic spices of North Africa and the Middle East, you'll like this chicken meatball sandwich. No, you'll love this chicken meatball sandwich. It's got flavor boosters in every component, and your kitchen will emit all the aromas of a Moroccan spice tent. 

And please don't let the large ingredient list inhibit you, because you know if I made it- it's not hard, but it sure is delish! And there's not an ingredient in this recipe that you can't easily pick up in your local supermarket. When I'm pressed for time, I make the meatballs on day one, then put the barley salad together the day I'm ready to serve these little darlings.

Saucy Chicken Meatball Pita Sammies with Pearl Barley Salad
Serves 5

5 pita rounds 6" diameter
1 small bag of baby spinach

Meatballs
1 large egg slightly beaten
2 T tomato paste (I use the paste in a tube)
3 T chopped cilantro
1 T fresh ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
Pinch of cinnamon
1-1/2 slices Italian bread ground in spice mill
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 pound ground chicken

Sauce
1 T olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1 T garlic minced
1 lemon zested
1/2 cup kalamata olives chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine (I use Chardonnay)
1/4 cup water
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
pinch of cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste

Barley Salad
2 cups cooked pearl barley
1/2 cup chopped canned artichoke hearts
1/2 cup diced feta cheese
1/3 cup raisins plumped in boiling water
1/3 cup Kalamata olives
1/3 cup sliced scallions 1/4"
2 T cilantro chopped

Dressing
2 lemons juiced
2 tsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
salt
pepper

Okay, lets do this with a few pictures.
To make the meatballs:
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a baking pan with cooking spray and set aside. Combine all meatball ingredients except the chicken.

Now add the chicken and combine without working the mixture too much.

Form 15 to 16 1-1/2"meatballs and place on prepared baking pan and cook 30 minutes.

To make the sauce:
While meatballs are cooking, make the sauce. In large saucepan heat oil on low. Saute onion for 5 minutes to soften. Add garlic and cook another 2 minutes more. Now add the lemon zest and olives. Cook a few minutes more. Increase heat a bit and add white wine. Cook until wine is almost evaporated and veggies/aromatics do not burn. Stir in water, tomato sauce, sugar, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Return to low simmer, cover and wait for meatballs to be ready to take a bath in the sauce. After their 30 minutes in the oven, add the meatballs to the aromatic tomato broth. Lower heat, cover and simmer another 10 minutes. Now doesn't that look yummy?

To make the salad:
Cook barley according to package directions and cool. Add the rest of the salad ingredients and toss.

To make the dressing:
Combine all ingredients in a small jar, shake to combine and pour about half the mixture on the barley salad (save the rest to drizzle on sandwiches).

I like to grill my pita rounds on both sides so they are soft, warm and toasty. Lay a handful of baby spinach leaves on the bottom of each pita round.

To each pita round, top with 3 meatballs and an extra helping of the exotic tomato sauce. Add the barley salad, a little more lemon dressing and sprinkle with cilantro sprigs. Roll up and enjoy your meal in the casbah.

I have also enjoyed this sandwich with a Roasted Garlic, Greek Yogurt and Cucumber Tzatziki Sauce. Here's a quick recipe for that:

2 cups Greek yogurt (I never have to drain this if it's Greek yogurt, but if you use regular, drain to let the liquid escape)
1 English cucumber peeled, seeded and chopped or grated
1 T red wine vinegar
1/2 lemon squeezed
1 T olive oil
1 clove roasted garlic
pinch of black pepper

Mix all ingredients together, chill, then top your meatball pitas with it. Very yummy.

Is It Soup Yet?

Remember that commercial? It was years ago, it was Campbell's and it was ever so comforting. My mom used to make a mushroom and barley soup that I absolutely adored- chock full of vegetables, aromatic, and when she made it, it always reminded me of that commercial. But ours was home made. Unfortunately she never gave me the recipe. So this weekend I decided to do my best to recreate this soup. And I did it!

Barley, Mushroom and Vegetable Soup
Inspired by Elaine Dalton

3/4 cup barley
2 T olive oil
1 large onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
4 small carrots diced, 1/2 inch
2 stalks celery diced 1/2 inch
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
8 cups of liquid- I used three 14.5 oz cans of fat free chicken broth and water
3/4 cup split peas
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
8 oz button mushrooms sliced

In medium size pot cook barley according to package directions (usually about 45 minutes). While barley is cooking, begin the soup prep.

In large pot on low heat, add olive oil, chopped carrots, onions, celery, garlic and Old Bay Seasoning. Cover and sweat the veggies until soft (8 minutes or so) stirring occasionally. When veggies are soft, add chicken broth and water, bring to a boil and add split peas. Bring back to a boil, lower heat and simmer covered for 45 minutes.

Add salt, pepper, and mushrooms and simmer 15 minutes more. Add cooked barley, stir and serve. This recipe makes 4-6 servings. Enjoy.

It's soup now and dinner is ready. I had some fabulous rosemary-infused artisan Italian bread on hand, so I grilled it, placed it on top of my steaming bowl of soup, and enjoyed this tasty bowl of goodness just like I used to in mom's kitchen.