Dinner DeeAs recipes: Avocado and Quinoa Salad, Chicken Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Dinner DeeAs has a celebration of food from south of the border as we get ready for Cinco de Mayo. Our guest is Chef Rene Valenzuela, founder of the famous Taco Bus - now running Rene's Mexican Kitchen in Ybor City, racking up almost all 5-star reviews for food he describes as "blending the modern with the traditional". Chef Rene has 2 recipes to share with us today - both simple, quick and delicious.

Click here for a printable version of the recipes below. If you make either of them, send us a photo and let us know how it turned out! 

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Avocado and Quinoa Salad

Chef Rene says: "This makes for a very nice salad or side dish, but in this case, I’m presenting it on a corn tostada for a nice appetizer. It’s so easy and so quick, but the best part is that is at the same time fresh, delicious and very nutritious."

Ingredients

• 2 avocados, diced in ½-inch cubes
• 3 baby cucumbers, not peeled, not seeded, diced ½-inch
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 cup pico de gallo (diced tomato, onion, cilantro)
• 1 chile serrano, finely diced (discard seeds and veins if you prefer mild)
• ½ cup red quinoa (or other color)
• salt to taste

Directions

1. Simmer quinoa in enough water (about 32 oz) until it puffs up in volume as it absorbs water and gets tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Pour quinoa into colander and let drain. Let stand a few minutes in colander to drain completely before mixing.
3. Transfer all ingredients to bowl and gently toss to mix.
4. Season with salt to taste.

Chicken Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Chef Rene says: "Who doesn’t curl up in comfort with nostalgic memories of a warm cup of chicken soup? Here is a more interesting version, especially for the little ones at home, the way my aunt made it, with chicken meatballs when I was a little kid myself. The recipe is simple and requires a few fresh ingredients that you might even have already at home, otherwise they are easy to find at your local supermarket. The ingredients are simple and common, but the results are magical: the meatballs are soft, spongy and juicy, the tomato sauce is not spicy. If you like it spicier, you can add heat by adding more Serrano chiles to either or both meatballs and sauce."

Ingredients

Meatballs

• 1 lb ground chicken, preferably dark meat with some fat, diced and pulverized in food processor
• 4 oz corn tortillas, pulverized in food processor
• 2 tbsp pork lard (substitute chicken fat, or use vegetable oil)
• 1 pinch powder cumin
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed to paste in molcajete (traditional Mexican mortar and pestle) or garlic press
• ½ serrano pepper, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into very small dice
• ¼ white onion, finely diced
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro, plus more for plating
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp chicken powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 or 3 hard boiled eggs (optional)

Sauce

• 1 lb red ripe plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 2 cups chicken broth
• ¼ medium white onion, roughly chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• ½ serrano pepper, chopped
• 1 tbsp pork lard or corn oil
• salt to taste

To Serve (Optional)

• white rice
• chopped cilantro
• chipotle peppers

Directions

1. In sauté pan, heat tbsp oil and add onions, garlic, carrots and serrano chili. Cook until onions change color and carrot gets tender. Remove from heat and let cool.
2. Transfer cooled down preparation to bowl and add remaining meatball ingredients. Mix well, season with salt and pepper.
3. Make mixture into balls about the size of a golf ball and set aside. Optional: insert chopped hard-boiled egg white in the center of meatball. It adds contrasting flavour and texture.
4. In separate sauté pan, heat some oil and fry meatballs, just enough to crisp all over. They will finish cooking in sauce.
5. In blender, add all sauce ingredients and liquefy.
6. In skillet, heat lard or oil and fry sauce for about 5 minutes.
7. Add chicken broth and salt to taste. Bring to boil and carefully pour sauce over meatballs.
8. Reduce to simmer and cook on medium heat until well done - about another 10 minutes.
9. Serve piping hot in individual bowls, with side white rice to accompany. Top with cilantro for color and offer "salsera" - small bowl with chipotle peppers for those who like to add heat.

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