Meatballs With Grilled Pitas And Mint Yogurt Sauce Recipes

GRILLED MEATBALLS WITH INDIAN-SPICED YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Meatballs
• 1. Combine the ground beef, onion, garlic, soy sauce, eggs, ginger, salt, and pepper in the bowl. Mix the ingredients with your hands until they are well blended and hold together well.
• 2. Preheat the broiler.
• 3. Brush the baking sheet with 2 teaspoons of the oil. With your hands, form the meat mixture into 24 round balls and place them 1 1/2 inches apart on the baking sheet. (Each ball should weigh about 1/2 ounce.) Lightly moisten your hands before forming each ball to facilitate rolling. Brush the meatballs with the remaining oil and broil them, 4 inches from the heating element, 6 to 8 minutes, turning them once, until they are cooked through.
• Place the meatballs in a shallow bowl with the Indian-Spiced Yogurt Sauce on the side, or cut off the top of a small round loaf of bread, remove the insides, and spoon the meatballs into the bread. Dust with chopped parsley for color.
• Indian Spiced Yogurt Sauce
• 1. Line the strainer with the cheesecloth. Place it over a bowl and spoon the yogurt into the strainer. Allow the yogurt to drain in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
• 2. Transfer the drained yogurt from the cheesecloth to the other bowl and blend in the garlic, lemon juice, oil, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

GREEK MEATBALLS IN TOMATO YOGURT MINT SAUCE

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, combine the egg, lamb, 1/4 cup yogurt and the next 7 ingredients; mix well.
• Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Form lamb mixture into 1-inch meatballs; place on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until browned.
• Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees.
• Transfer meatballs to a 2 1/2 quart baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray.
• In a small bowl, whisk the tomato sauce, remaining yogurt, and mint; pour sauce over meatballs.
• Cover and bake 30 minutes; uncover and bake until bubbly (about 10 more minutes).
• Garnish with mint leaves.

MIDDLE EASTERN GRILLED CHICKEN PITA SANDWICHES WITH YOGURT MINT SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the marinade:
• In a bowl whisk together the yogurt, the lemon juice, the garlic paste, the thyme, and pepper to taste.
• Arrange the chicken, pricked in several places with a fork, in one layer in a large shallow dish, pour the marinade over it, and let the chicken marinate, covered and chilled, turning it once, for at least 3 hours or, preferably overnight
• Make the sauce:
• In a bowl whisk together the yogurt, the garlic paste, the lemon juice, the parsley, the mint, and salt and pepper to taste.
• On an oiled grill set about 6 inches over glowing coals or in an oiled ridged grill pan set over moderately high eat grill the chicken (discard the marinade) turning it, for 12 to 15 minutes on each side, or until it is cooked through. While the chicken is cooking, in a skillet cook the onion in the oil over moderate heat, stirring, until it is softened and lightly golden. Remove the skillet from the heat, add the tomato and the sesame seeds, and season the mixture with salt and pepper. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and cut it diagonally into thin slices. Cut off a small piece of each pita loaf to form an opening and heat the pita loaves on the grill, turning them once, for several seconds, or until they are just softened. Divide the chicken, the onion mixture, and the sauce among the pita loaves.

MEATBALLS WITH GRILLED PITAS AND MINT YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• In a food processor, reduce in a smooth puree the parsley leaves, green onions, half of the mint, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Pour the parsley puree in a large bowl. Add egg, water and ground beef and stir. With wet hands, using about 2 heaping tablespoon each, work the mixture of ground beef in the shape of small sausages. On metal skewers or wood skewers soaked in water, thread the small beef sausages on the length.
• Set the barbecue to medium heat. Put beef skewers on a greased grill of the barbecue. Close the cover of the barbecue and cook for about 12 minutes or until ground beef is not pink inside (flip the skewers at mid-cooking).
• Meanwhile, cut pita breads in 4 and put on the grill of the barbecue. Cook for about 4 minutes or until crispy (flip at mid-cooking).
• In a small bowl, mix yogurt, remaining mint and chopped parsley until mixture is homogeneous. Serve the skewers with pita breads and yogurt sauce.