Meatballs are great on its own or as a complement to sauce but even meatballs need a little innovation from time to time.

In this dish, you can use the usual meatball recipe of ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, cheese (the same recipe as my Burger Queen) or you can do it my funky way.

Tip 1: Make sure the balls are bite size. This way, it's perfect size for salad or skewer it with kiwi ala summer kebab
Tip 2: Annatto powder is an organic red orange colouring. It doesn't affect the taste of any dish.
Tip 3: IF YOU ARE ANYTHING LIKE ME? double the glaze and serve your meatballs with a little sauceon the side.
Tip 4: Imagine how yum this glaze will taste on roasted whole chicken leg?
Tip 5: You need to balance your glaze's taste,,, it has to be sweet and sour. Kiwi doesn't come in 100% identical taste and so you need to train your taste buds to achieve that sweet and sour balance.

After making this dish again just for good measure, IT IS MY PERSONAL OPINION THAT THIS GLAZE WILL WORK BEST ON A LESS STRONG CHARACTERED MEAT LIKE A BLAND HAM OR THE USUAL MEATBALLS. Spam seemed a bit too seasoned for the glaze. When I tried it with just the glaze, it screamed for more, when I made it swim in a sauce, well, it drowned.  

So if you do make this dish, just serve it with an extra sauce on the side.

Meatball Ingredients:
1 Lite Spam (it's less sodium and less fat)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup bread crumbs
dash of pepper

Glaze Ingredients:
4 Zespiri Kiwifruit, pureed
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1/8 teaspoon annatto powder dissolved in 2 tablespoon warm water
2 teaspoons cornstarch diluted in 4 tablespoons cold water
2 tablespoons water

Salad Ingredients:
1 Cucumber, sliced
2 cups mixed green salad
1/2 cup rocket leaves
1/2 cup to 1 cup roasted walnuts (depending on how much or how less you want it)

Glazed Direction:
Heat kiwi, sugar, lemon juice and annatto powder and water in a saucepan. Add cornstarch mixture, simmer until thick. Set aside.

Meatballs Direction:
Preheat oven to 350F.

Run spam through a food processor to resemble ground meat.

In a mixing bowl, combine spam, eggs, bread crumbs and pepper.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Form a ball by scooping 1 tablespoon of ground spam and rolling it gently through you hands. Place it on the baking sheet, giving enough space for air to move around.

Bake meatballs for 10 minutes, glaze. Do this process twice. Baking time a total of 30 minutes.

Assembling Direction:
Mix salad ingredients on a separate bowl. Place a cup of mix salad on the serving plate. Place Zespiri Kiwifruit slices on plate, top it with glaze meatballs. Brush plate with more glaze to up the ante or for additional sauce in case you want more than just a smudgeon. Serve immediately. 

You can be as creative as you want to be with this dish. Serve meatballs with the glaze as a side sauce and steam rice on the side. Serve meatballs with kiwi like a kebab, it's basically a dish that you can definitely play around.

*My kids preferred meatballs with an extra sauce on the side.

BeTcHa DiDn'T kNoW!
:) Zespiri Kiwifruit is an extremely rich source of Vitamin C. One Zespiri Kiwifruit a day can provide you with your daily dose of Vitamin C. It has two times the amount that oranges offer and five times nutrition than apples.
:) Zespiri Kiwifruit contains high level of Actinidin, an enzyme that helps with protein digestion
:) Zespri Kiwifruit is not just for garnishing, it is also a very good meat tenderizer so next time you  prepare beef? think kiwi.

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My children have a bad case of hay fever and it's definitely a condition any parent would rather wish their kids do not have especially in this place and climate. A twice a year flu season throws the whole school in chaos, I in definite panic. Most kids will recover after week with ample medicine and rest. My kids,,, not that easy.

Then I found out that kiwifruit is a rich source of Vitamin C (double the amount orange offers and 5 times the nutrition you'll get from an apple). One kiwifruit a day is enough to supplement your daily Vitamin C. Lucky for me, Zespiri kiwifruit in particular is on the sweeter side and so the possibilities are endless.

Tip 1: Re-use paperbag from fast food chains for breading. The best for coating, 100%. It absorbs extra moisture from meat which you do not want when deep frying. Leaves your to-be fried pieces perfectly coated all the time!
Tip 2: When deep frying breaded shrimp, you only need to deep fry for few seconds, once the oil bubbles starts to subside, it's time to fish them out. It will continue cooking while resting.
Tip 3:  Add more cayenne if you want your dressing spicier.

Kiwi Chili Mayo Ingredients:
1/3 cup pureed Zespiri kiwifruit
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 1/2 tomato ketchup
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or 1/8 teaspoon crushed chilis
1/8 teaspoon anatto powder dissolved in 4 tablespoons WARM water
1 teaspoon cornstarch diluted in 4 teaspoons COLD water
1/2 to 1 cup mayonnaise

Salad Ingredients
4 Zespiri kiwifruit, peeled and sliced bite size (whichever you prefer)
500 grams medium sized shrimp, cleaned, deveined and cut into 3
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup bread crumbs
250 grams calamari
1/2 cup cornstarch
Dash of salt and pepper
Lettuce, shredded
Sesame seeds, toasted (for garnish)

Dressing Procedure:
Heat kiwifruit, soy sauce, ketchup, sugar, cayenne in a sauce pan. Add the anatto mixture and cornstarch mixture to the saucepan and simmer until thick. Take off from the heat and let it cool down. Add kiwifruit mixture to mayonnaise, mix thoroughly. Set aside.

Deep-fried  Seafood:
Dip shrimp pieces in egg then drop to bread crumbs. Deep fry for a few seconds, drain excess oil on kitchen towel, set aside.

Dry excess water on calamari rings. Add cornstarch, salt and pepper. Toss until well coated. Deep fry for a minute, drain excess oil on kitchen towel, set aside.

Assembling Procedure:

Add lettuce on serving bowl. Top with mixed calamari, shrimp and Zespiri Kiwifruit pieces. Drizzle with Kiwi Chili Mayo.

Serve immediately!

Happy Eating!!!

BETCHAdidn'tKNOW *Zespiri Kiwifruit also contains high levels of Actinidin, an enzyme that helps with protein digestion and aside from a steak garnish, kiwifruit can also be used as a natural meat tendrizer. :)

FV26-13-1010

I went to our nearby bowling alley and ate green salad with balsamic vinaigrette... fell in love with it and vowed I'll copy it somehow. It's on the tangy side and I love tangy... especially on those days of the month when I crave like a pregnant woman.

It's still a working progress and I will definitely welcome your suggestions and versions...

INGREDIENTS:
Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
3 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 garlic clove, peeled and crushed through a garlic press
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon extract
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Green Salad, 4-5 cups
Asparagus, poached
Arugula leaves
Baby spinach
Pine nuts, toasted
Parmesan cheese, shaved

209 Calories per Serving

In a small bowl, mix together dressing ingredients almost emulsifying the whole mixture.

Before serving, place all the leaves in a salad bowl and pour one tablespoon of vinaigrette dressing at a time. Using your hands, mix and toss leaves. This ensures leaves are just lightly coated and not soaking wet.

Take a handful of salad and place it on a plate. Sprinkle with pine nuts and topped with asparagus and shaved parmesan.

If you want your salad drenched in dressing goodness, then add some more on your plate :)

Serve this as a side dish or entree and enjoy!