#EasyRecpe : Baked Chicken Caprese Salad

During the day time I am almost excluded from my kitchen by the cook. She loves to reign over the kitchen and gets disappointed even I peep in. She breezes around the kitechen with a constant jingle sound of her bangles and the utensils. I always try to avoid the musical concord and retreat to not interfere. The only interaction regarding food we have once in a day - my instruction what to cook and if something special then how to cook that. So I can own my kitchen only in the next half of the day when I prefer to cook the dinner. I always try to avoid an elaborate dinner. I prefer to keep it simple and healthy. Even the man after a tiring day loves to have something delicious, tasty but overall healthy and light. He wants to avoid rice so as my daughter. So most of the time it is something baked or grilled. /the other day I made Baked Chicken Caprese Salad and served with some boiled vegetables and baked cheese spinach.  It came out tasty, light and got cooked in few minutes. 
                                                               Once a visit to The Corner Courtyard during a review program Chef Chanchal offers a special dish Grilled Italian Chicken Patties with salad caprese and parsley garlic aioli to us. And I was so impressed and inspired by the dish that I decided to try it at home. Now Caprese Salad is one of the most simple salads in the Italian cuisine. It calls for sliced fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, some seasoning with salt, and olive oil. During the time of the creation of this salad, it was kept in mind to made a resemblance to the colors of the Italian flag: red, white, and green. (Info from Wiki) Baked or Grilled chicken/ meat can be used to give it an extra volume to the taste.When I made the dish I baked the chicken. If you want you can grill it too. Just keep in mind while grilling, don't forget to braise it with some oil, preferably olive oil.

Ingredients:

(Yields 6 to 8 patties depending on the size)

Minced Chicken -200grm

Blanched chopped spinach - 2 tbspn (All the water must be completely squeezed out)

Chopped parsley: 1 tbspn

Chilli Flakes: 1 tspn (more or less)

Italian seasoning - 1/2 tspn

Lemon juice - 1 tbspn

Salt and Balck pepper as per taste

Mozzarella Cheese - Cut in thin slice in a shape of square (Depends on how many patties are there)

Tomato slices (Depends on how many patties are there)

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients nicely.

2. Grease your hand with oil and take a small portion and give the portion a shape of a patty.

3. Take an ovenproof tray. Cover it with aluminum foil (See note #1) and grease the surface.

4. Place the patties on the tray and bake for 15 + 10 minutes turning each side at 200 degree Centigrade.

5. Take a serving plate. Place a slice of tomato, top it with mozzarella cheese and then on the top place the Chicken Patty. Relish it with boiled or stir fried vegetables and bread. I had with some baked spinach topped with cheese, boiled vegetables, salads and Bread. (See note how to eat it #3)

Note:

1. Whenever I bake some savoury dishes on a tray I always cover it with an aluminium foil. It helps to save a lot of time in behind of cleaning the burning stains.

2. If you want to avoid the cheese then simply have it with boiled vegetables and bread. 

3. To enjoy the taste, you must have a bite of  the Tomato, the cheese and the chicken patty altogether. That will give you the exact taste of the dish and to enjoy the every bit of it.

Spaghetti tossed in Pasta Sauce with Baked Meatballs

It’s a very quick post on one of my dear readers' request. I made this dish a long back. Posted the picture of it on the Silence Sings's FB page and totally forgotten to blog on it and share the recipe. It was only for her when she requested me to post the recipe and then  I came out of my forgetful memory. I felt so happy at the same time too to have such readers who follow my each recipes with so much care. She has requested me two recipes (both I posted the picture but forgotten to blog) will be coming soon. So let us move to the Spaghetti tossed in Pasta Sauce with Baked Meatballs recipe which very easy to make, takes very less time. Very filling and at the same time very healthy too.  When we talk about Spaghetti it definitely takes us to Italy. Being one of the main ingredients of Italian Cuisine it has become spread all over the world and very common in most kitchen too. Spaghetti is one of the most common and favourite pastas in my kitchen and to my family. And you can make so many versions with this too. I will be coming up soon with a very easy cheesy spaghetti dish that I prepared yesterday for dinner. Till then enjoy this version. So here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

(Yields 3 persons)

For the Meatball:

Chicken Keema/ Minced Chicken: 200gm (apprx)

Pasta Sauce: 2 tbspn

Salt & Sugar as per taste.

Spaghetti: 200gm

Pasta Sauce: 4 tbspn

Garlic: 1 tbspn (Chopped)

Spring Onion: 1/2 cup chopped (optional)

Salt as per taste

Olive oil: 1 tbspn

Method:

1. Add all the ingredients with the chicken keema/ Minced Chicken.
2. Take a oven proof tray. Line it with aluminum foil and grease the foil with oil. (See notes)
3. Make small balls out the chicken mixture and bake at 210 degree C for 10 mnts. Then turn the balls and bake for another 10 mnts. Take them out and reserve.
4. While the meatballs are baking boil the spaghetti with little bit of salt. Take them off the flame till they are nicely done. Strain the excess water and reserve.
5. Take a Kodai/ deep dense pan. Heat oil. Add the garlic. Let them turn brown then add the meatballs. Fry for a while then add the spaghetti and the remaining pasta sauce. Fry till they are well mixed. Taste if more salt and sugar is needed. Add the spring onion and cooked for a minute. Your dish dish is ready to serve.

Note:

1. Whenever you bake or grill  meat on a tray always line with aluminium foil. It will make your work easier to avoid the cleaning of the greasy burnt trays. Just peel off the foil and trash after the dish gets cooked.

2. For me marinating the minced chicken with pasta sauce came out wonderful and very tasty at the same time very easy too. But you can always add loads of spices and more sauces to enhance the taste more spicy. 
3. I have baked it in Microwave Conventional Oven. I didn't pre- heated the oven but baked directly to the given temperature.

Don't miss another exotic version from my friend Deepa. Find out her version HERE.