Lamb koftas

Last night for dinner we had lamb koftas.

I really like koftas for a variety of reasons. It's a great way to eat lam that's lean and relatively inexpensive. They're a change from an everyday burger, which I guess is exactly what they are in a deconstructed kind of way. Oh yes and they're yummy.

Koftas are essentially a big meatball on a stick.

I served these in Lebanese bread with tabbouleh, lettuce, and Greek yogurt.

Simple and delish.

My camera was having a bit of a moment so sorry the photo isn't so great.

Lamb Koftas

Bamboo skewers (soak for an hour in water to stop sticking)

500g minced lamb

1/2 an onion finely diced

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon cumin

zest of 1/2 a lemon

handful of chopped parsley

To serve

Lebanese bread

tabbouleh

Greek yogurt

salad of choice eg lettuce avocado etc

1. Combine lamb, onion, garlic, lemon, cumin and parsley in a bowl.

2. Form sausage shapes around bamboo skewers (my recipe made 10).

3. Refrigerate 1/2 an hour.

4. Cook on a BBQ or chargrill about 15 minutes till cooked (I browned mine and then finished them in the oven).

5. Serve in Lebanese bread with salads.

Enjoy!

Menu and Easter planning

It's a short week with Easter and the end of the first school term. How it can possibly be April already I do not know.

My menu plan therefore is brief:
- Honey mustard chicken, brown rice and green veggies
- Steak sandwiches and onion rings
- Soup and homemade bread, baked apples for dessert
- Taco night

The weekend is still up in the air plan-wise but I do know we are having my folks and my mother-in-law on Easter Sunday.

I am thinking:
- seafood chowder
- BBQ leg of lamb with a pumpkin rice bowl and greens
- dessert

My daughter thinks she and I should make the dessert on the cover of this month's Australian Good Taste magazine which is a Chocolate Salted Caramel Cheesecake. It looks delicious but I am worried my mother-in-law will go into diabetic shock...so the jury is still out on that.
http://www.taste.com.au/good+taste/

Re-igntiting my interest in the kitchen

I am just back from a fabulous month-long vacation in the USA. We drove over 3,000 miles through the South-West, we took on Orlando with a vengeance and we sampled some of the best that NYC and Washington D.C have to offer.

We collectively agreed we probably didn't need to eat another burger or fry for quite some time and my daughter definitely doesn't want to see a children's menu featuring cheese pizza, pb&j or mac and cheese anytime soon.

So now we're home and it's back to the kitchen for me. It's time to get creative and it's spring which means a shift in how we eat; more eating outside, less casserolles and pasta bakes.

Tonight however we're having a Shepherd's Pie. I found some nice lamb mince at a bargain price and it's a nice hearty veggie filled dinner. For a twist I'm cooking it in my cast iron skillet which we are putting in the oven to cook the potato. Sometimes just altering the way you serve or present a meal can alter your experience of it entirely.


Sheperds Pie in a Skillet
500g lamb mince
1 onion diced
2 carrots diced
2 celery sticks diced
1/4 cup tomao paste
1 tin crushed tomato
1/2 jar spagetti sauce
1 tablespoon worstershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried italian herbs
4 chopped basil leaves
2 teaspoons chopped dill
1/2kg potato, boiled
1/2 cup grated cheese.
1/4 cup grated cheese (reserved)
paprika if desired

Soften onion, celery and carrot in oil in skillet or oven-proof fry pan. Add lamb mince and herbs and brown. Add tomato paste and cook off to release flavour. Add tomato, spagetti sauce and worstershire and cook till delish and flavours melded...about 1/2 an hour.(you may need to add water if it is too dry).

Mash potato to taste and stir in grated cheese. Top meat mix and sprinkle on extra cheese(and parika). Cook in oven till potato sets...about 1/2 an hour.

Enjoy. We're having ours with corn, brocolli and grean beans. The whole meal works out at about $2 a head which is very good value for a meal laden with veggies.