Beef & Lamb Kofta Kabobs

I love ground meat. All kinds of ground meat. Turkey, beef, lamb, chicken, I love them all. Shepherd's Pie, meatballs, hamburgers, chili, sloppy joe's, meatloaf, tacos, lasagna; really, I can go on and on! I love the different ways to spice the meat and that it's an incredibly versatile ingredient.

Beef & Lamb Kofta Kabobs

During a recent trip to Istanbul, we tried many different Kofta Kabobs. Twice a day for 5 days and one day I tried three different kinds. It was research people, RESEARCH! I'm willing to eat for my craft. Kofta mixtures are as different as the people who make them. Some are more mild, while others have a heavy coriander flavor and yet others are incredibly spicy. I think that I've measured out a flavorful blend of spices that doesn't overpower the palate with any particular flavor and isn't too hot. Feel free to modify it to your personal taste!

Enjoy!

All ingredients mixed together in one bowl

Form flatish logs, about 4" long, around two pre-soaked wooden skewers
(so that the skewers don't burn on the grill)

Ready for the grill!

Preheated your grill
(I used an indoor cast iron grill that goes over two burners)

Serve with a tangy Greek yogurt dipping sauce!

Beef & Lamb Kofta Kabobs
My favorite picture of the bunch ;)

Beef & Lamb Kofta Kabobs

Makes approximately 20 kabobs

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef
1 pound ground lamb
1 small white onion, grated
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley (tightly packed), finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground ginger (or 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger)
freshly ground black pepper
kosher salt

40 wooden skewers, soaked in cold water for 20-30 minutes

Directions

1. In a large bowl mix all ingredients together.
2. Make small flat-ish logs, about 4" long, out of the mince meat mixture and wrap them tightly around two wooden skewers.
3. Preheat grill on medium/high. (Outdoor charcoal grills work best, but these kabobs were made on an indoor stovetop grill and were fabulous!) and cook kebabs, about 4 minutes on each side.

Eat, Drink & Be Yummy!

Carrot Croquettes with Yogurt Dipping Sauce

Keeping things interesting is always a challenge. It's so easy to fall into a food routine. I often make zucchini pancakes because they're easy and I somehow always have zucchini or summer squash on hand. But why not make something similar with carrots?!

Carrot Croquette with Yogurt Dipping Sauce

This dish has as much flexibility as I love with most of my go-to recipes. Add whatever herbs and seasonings you like. Don't want to fry them on a skillet? Bake them at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. No panko? Breadcrumbs will work just as well.

These were a big hit with the kids, as well as a small dinner party that I hosted. All of the other appetizers were cold, so I was able to make these and serve them immediately. These carrot croquettes are yummiest when they're immediately made, but you can make a batch big enough to refrigerate and then reheat.

Enjoy!

Inside shot of the Carrot Croquette

Carrot Croquettes with Yogurt Dipping Sauce

Makes approximately 25 croquettes

Ingredients

For the Carrot Croquettes:
1 pound carrots, thinly shredded

3 cloves garlic, finely minced/grated
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs, plus more for coating

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Yogurt Dipping Sauce:

1/3 cup Fage 0 (or any other kind of Greek style yogurt)

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, grated

1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped.

Vegetable oil for frying

Directions

Combine all ingredients for the Yogurt Dipping Sauce. The sauce can be made up to 1-2 days in advance.

1. Drain as much liquid as possible from the finely shredded carrots by putting them into a kitchen towel and squeezing out excess liquid.

2. In a large bowl, combine finely shredded carrots with garlic, panko, eggs, salt and pepper.

3. Using a 1.5 tablespoon ice cream scooper (I like uniform croquettes) or soup spoon, scoop out a spoonful of the carrots. Gently flatten and form into a 1 1/2 inch patty. 

4. Gently roll in reserved panko to coat. Place on a platter. Repeat with remaining carrots.

5. Heat skillet with a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium/high heat.

6. Working in batches (adding a couple of tablespoons of oil after each batch), fry croquettes until golden brown on each side (approximately 3 minutes per side). Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.

7. Serve & enjoy.

Eat, Drink & Be Yummy!

Individual Carrot & Herb Pate

I belong to a great cooking forum on Facebook. The group is made up (mostly) of Russian men and women, but it's most active participants are women. It's very motivating to be part of this group of dynamic cooks.

Individual Carrot & Herb Pate

Recently, one of the members suggested an Iron Chef-like challenge. A secret ingredient would be chosen and then whichever members wanted to participate would their creations a few days later. The first ingredient? Carrots!

If you think about it, carrots are kinda boring (no offense, carrots). They're an outstanding support player (yay mirepoix!!!) but outside of a standard carrot side dishes and carrot cake, they're rarely the star of the show. I loved this challenge because it forced me to look at this simple ingredient in a totally different way. 24 hours after the ingredient was named, I was losing sleep over choosing the one way that I would present it. I requested the ability to post multiple dishes, but was rebuked. I compared my internal dilema to being asked which child I love more... but more difficult.

Finally, I decided to make everything that I wanted to make and then post the picture that I liked the most... but I still get to blog about them all. Quite possibly the best part of this particular dish was that the kids loved it. They said, "hey... it kinda tastes like cheese."

NOTE: Photos are taken of a half batch.

Getting ready with Tofu, Thyme, Tarragon & Carrots
(carrots don't start with a "T", but we still brought them to the party!)

Boiling the peeled carrots

When you grease the lined cookie sheet, grease the cupcake form.
Roast up those carrots!
(I just fold up a napkin into a small square. See it on the left of the muffin pan?)

forgot to include these in the first picture. White miso paste and some apple cider vinegar.

Roasted carrots (they're pretty, right?!)

Herbs. Thyme on the left and tarragon on the right.

Throw all ingredients, except for the herbs, into a blender
(or tall container if you're using an immersion blender)

Puree until smooth

Fill cupcake tray using a #20 ice cream scoop (3 tablespoons)

Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes, until center is set.

Carrot Pate with Radish Garnish

Official Taste Testers (drinking Carrot Creamsicle Milkshakes!)

Light + Yummy = Guilt Free

Individual Carrot & Herb Pate

Makes 12 individual pates

Ingredients

1 pound carrots, peeled
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons white miso
1 package silken tofu
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon thyme, removed from stem and finely chopped
1 teaspoon tarragon, removed from stem and finely chopped
Kosher Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

1. Cook carrots, covered in salted water until tender.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil and grease with olive oil. At the same time, grease a cupcake tin (with 12 molds) with oil.
3. Drain carrots. Place on prepared baking sheet. Roast in the bottom 1/3 of the oven for about 12 minutes. Turning carrots half way through.
4. Remove carrots from oven. Reduce temperature to 325 degrees.

5. Place carrots and all remaining ingredients, except for herbs, into a blender (or a tall container if using an immersion blender). Blend until thick puree forms.
5. Add herbs and use a wooden spoon to combine. Taste. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
6. Using an ice cream scoop (#20 size is 1.5 ounces = 3 tablespoons), fill all 12 greased cupcake vessels.

7. Bake for 40 minutes, until center of each cake is set.

8. Cool on a wire rack and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. 

9. Remove each pate gently, using a plastic knife (don't scratch the nonstick coating of the muffin tin). 

10. Serve with toast points and thinly sliced radish or cucumber with a sprinkle of salt on top.

Eat, Drink & Be Yummy!

Chickpea & Edamame Salad

I always knew that wine and cheese (and women!) get better with age. I'd like to officially propose the addition of this salad to the list. The first day you make it, it will be delicious. The day after, it will taste even better and by the third day you're going to wish that you didn't eat so much on day 1 & 2! This is a great salad to make at the beginning of the week and then enjoy throughout as a snack or as a meal.

Chickpea & Edamame Salad with Carrots, Red Peppers and Dried Cranberries

I set out to recreate Pret-A-Manger's Chickpea and Edamame Salad Pot and ended up with so much more! It has subtle textures: a little crunchy, soft and chewy. Fantastic flavor, hitting on sweet, sour and savory notes. This colorful and healthful salad is a huge hit with the kids, a great option for dinner parties and holds up really well for potlucks. 

Chickpeas, Carrots, Edamame & Cranberries

One red pepper, diced

All salad ingredients into one bowl.

Trying to get "the shot"

Chickpea & Edamame Salad

Chickpea and Edamame Salad

Adpated from Mother Thyme

Serves 10-12 as a side

Ingredients

Salad

3 15.5oz cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans) rinsed and drained
2 1/2 cups shelled edamame (soy beans)
1 red pepper, diced
3/4 cup carrots, diced
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Dressing
4 tablespoons canola oil
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
Kosher Salt (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)

Freshly Ground Pepper (about 15 turns of the grinder)

Directions

1. In a large bowl combine chickpeas, edamame, red pepper, carrots and dried cranberries. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl combine dressing ingredients. Add kosher salt and pepper to taste (I've indicated what works well for us).

3. Add dressing to salad and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.

4. Serve at room temperature or chilled. 

5. Will keep in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Eat, Drink & Be Yummy!

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Baked Crunchy Chicken Fingers

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I love play dates. Now that my oldest kid is nearing double digits, I've been told that it's no longer a play date; they now come over to hang out. Either way, I love it when kids play hang out at our apartment. There isn't much difference in the noise level going from 3 to 4 kids. The more the merrier! Plus, I love testing out my recipes on new palates. 

Baked Crunchy Chicken Fingers

A notoriously picky-eater friend came over to hang out a few weeks ago. Notorious in his kind disposition, hysterical demeanor as well as his refusal to eat anything other than chicken fingers and hot dogs. During past play dates food wasn't involved, but I knew that I'd be making dinner for the kids during this one. In the famous words of How I Met Your Mothers' Barney Stinson, "Challenge Accepted!" 

Wondering if I was successful in convincing this kid that baked chicken fingers might be better than store-bought and deep fried ones?  You betcha... He proudly devoured seven fingers. Seven!!! Go ahead and make your own. See the results first hand.

Dip chicken tender into egg, letting excess drip off.
Then coat with Chex mixture.

Evenly space chicken on a baking sheet

Baked for 20 minutes, until golden brown

Adult friendly too!

Baked Crunchy Chicken Fingers in action!
(Pay no attention to the tomato, chick pea and olive salad)

Baked Crunchy Chicken Fingers (close up!)

Baked Crunchy Chicken Fingers

Serves 4-6 people

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken breast, cut into "tender" pieces

2 eggs

2 tablespoons milk

1 1/2 cups Rice Chex, crushed into coarse pieces

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Trader Joe's African Smoke (about 10 turns of the grinder)

Few grinds pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 475 degrees, with rack placed in the middle of the oven. 

1. Using a square of paper towel, spread olive oil over a large baking sheet. Set aside.
2. In a shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and milk.
3. On a large plate, combine Rice Chex, paprika, dried oregano, garlic powder, salt, TJ's African Smoke and pepper. Mix well to combine.
4. One chicken tender at a time, dip into egg & milk mixture – let excess drip off before dipping into the dry mix. Coat the chicken tender with the seasoned cereal mixture. Place directly on the prepared baking sheet.
5. Continue process for all chicken strips, shaking plate (to evenly distribute chex and seasoning) between each chicken coating. When placing chicken on the baking sheet, make sure to leave space between the strips.
6. Bake 20 minutes or until chicken has cooked through and coating is nice and crispy. (Don't overcook or the chicken will dry out.)
7. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Enjoy immediately.

Eat, Drink & Be Yummy!

Kale Caesar with Whole Wheat Croutons & Freekeh

Keeping up New Year's resolutions to eat healthier starts getting stale around February (if not January 3rd). You're feeling limited with your choices and frankly, you've had so much grilled chicken and iceberg lettuce that you'd sell a kidney for just a bite of a great big burger.

Here's a great way to mix up a standard Caesar Salad. Try a new grain! Freekeh is a beautiful wheat grain that is similar in texture to farro. The grains are dense and have a toothsome nuttiness to them. Swapping kale for the Caesar standard, romaine, bumps up the nutritional value of your salad. The kale also holds up very well to the decadent-feeling dressing. And then the dressing... egg free and made with tofu! We've also made our own croutons from two pieces of whole wheat bread with some olive oil. So much better tasting (and better for you!) than store bought croutons.

Talk about a revamp to your traditional Caesar! It was a big hit with the kids and I'm sure that you'll love it too...

Two slices of whole wheat (multigrain) bread

Cut them into bite size pieces and toss with olive oil

Place bread on a foil lined baking sheet.
Bake at 450 for 8-10 minutes, just until dried out and crisp.

So golden and beautiful!

Make your dressing!!

Tofu, anchovies, dijon and garlic into the blender

Resist the urge to stick your fingers into the blender and eat the dressing

Three plates, ready to be devoured!

Kale Caesar with Whole Wheat Croutons and Freekeh

Kale Caesar with Whole Wheat Croutons and Freekeh

Adapted from Food & Wine Magazine

Ingredients

1/2 cup farro

3 cups water

pinch Kosher salt

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 slices whole wheat bread, cut into bite size pieces

10 ounces (1 bag) Trader Joe's kale, stems discarded and leaves torn into bite size pieces
6 ounces silken tofu, drained
5 oil-packed anchovy fillets, drained
1 1/2 teaspoon TJ's crushed garlic (or 1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed)
3 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 canola oil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Kosher Salt & Freshly ground pepper to taste

Shaved Parmesan to garnish (optional)

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, combine freekeh and water. Bring to a boil. Cover the saucepan, lower flame to Low and simmer for 40-45 minutes, until tender.  Drain. 

2. Toss cubed wheat bread with olive oil. Place in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet.  Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until the bread has crisped up.

3. In a blender add tofu, anchovies, garlic, dijon mustard and water. With the center portion of the lid removed, and the blender on, drizzle in the canola oil.

4. Add grated parmesan. Puree.

5. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper. (If you'd like a thinner dressing, add another tablespoon or two of water)

6. In a large bowl, add the kale and the dressing. Mix until well combined.

7. Top with croutons, freekeh and shaved parmesan, if using.

Eat, Drink & Be Yummy!