Thinking up meal ideas for holiday entertainment can be stressful. Surfing the internet for hours and flipping through endless cook books is just plain annoying. Luckily however, this seasons Food & Drink Magazine has supplied so many amazing dishes that are all equally perfect for holiday inspired meals. Everything you could want to make for entertaining, from snacks and meals to drinks and desserts are all right there. I first saw this recipe when I made these candy cane floats and knew it was something else I wanted to try. A classic meatball with Middle Eastern flavours like all spice, cinnamon, pine nuts and currants make this recipe really stand out. And the best part? They are perched on top of homemade pita crisps and finished with a sweet and savoury pomegranate slaw!
Pita Crisps:
12 mini pitas
1/4 cup butter
Red Onion Slaw:
1 small red onion halved and thinly sliced
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup pomegranate arils
2 tbsp chopped parsley
Tahini Sauce:
1/4 cup tahini sauce
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup warm water
3 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp cayenne
pinch salt
Meatballs:
1lb ground beef
1 small onion
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup currants
1 tbsp thick yogurt
1 1/2 tsp all spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1 /4 tsp salt
1/4 olive oil or vegetable oil
1. Pita Crisps: preheat oven to 350, using a sharp paring knife split pitas into 2 rounds to make 24 rounds. Brush both sides with melted butter and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. cook for 10 minuets or until golden brown. Set aside until ready to serve. The crisps may be made ahead and kept tightly covered for up to a week ahead.
2. Red Onion Pomegranate Slaw: Toss onions with salt and lemon juice in a small bowl. cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Just before serving, drain liquid from onions and toss with pomegranate and parsley.
3. Tahini sauce: Combine tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic, cayenne and salt. puree and refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. Meatballs: Combine all but the oil in a mixing bowl. using your hands mix to evenly distribute ingredients throughout. Roll meat into balls about 1 inch in diameter. flatter each side between palms. Preheat oven to 375. Head oil in a large skillet over medium low heat. brown the meatballs in batches, about 2 minutes per side. refresh oil when necessary. arrange on a single layer on a baking sheet. bake for 8 minuets.
5. Serve: spoon small amount of sauce into each pita crisp. add slaw, and then top with meatball. add addition parsley leaves on top if you wish.
