Kibbeh with Yogurt & Mint

According to the book I was inspired by, this is a Lebanese recipe made of seasoned ground beef stuffed into a pita-type bread. What initially attracted me was all the different spices used. In order to explain how to serve it, I like to think of it as kind of making a taco: (You have your seasoned beef, lettuce, tomato, and sauce (this time a tangy yogurt one)). Upon completion of dinner, my parents and I decided two things. One was that I should have added more salt, and secondly, I should only serve this meal in the summertime.

Before you make the beef kibbeh, you should actually start with the Cumin-Garlic yogurt (the tangy sauce you add to everything). This can be made up to 3 days in advance.

CUMIN-GARLIC YOGURT (PART I.)

1+1/2 cups of plain yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh mint, minced
1 teaspoon of freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon of paprika
1/2 teaspoon of celery salt

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the yogurt, garlic, mint, lemon zest and juice, cumin, paprika, and celery salt into well blended. (When I made this, we didn't actually have any celery salt so I used 1/2 teaspoon of celery seeds and ground them using a mortar & pestle. Then I added a little salt as well).

BEEF KIBBEH (PART II.)

After you finish the yogurt, go ahead and start on the beef kibbeh. (Finished picture in frying pan)




When I made this I measured out all the ingredients ahead of time before I started cooking the beef in the frying pan.
L-R: Dried spices, Minced Garlic, Mint/Parsley/Walnut

3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 lbs of ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1+1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground cloves
1 teaspoon of salt
Cayenne pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1 cup roughly chopped walnuts

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and brown it, breaking it up as it cooks, until cooked through. Remove from the pan (I put it in a bowl) and discard the extra fat/oil in skillet.

2. Lower the heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Add the onions and cook for about 3 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

3. Add the cumin, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and cayenne and cook for 1 more minute.

4. Return the beef to the pan, stir well and cook for another 2 minutes.

5. Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley, mint, and walnuts.

To serve:

Cut pita bread in half. Spoon beef kibbeh inside. Additionally have fresh chopped tomatoes and lettuce available with tangy cumin-garlic yogurt.

Mango Lassi

Upon my second visit to an Indian Restaurant, by recommendation of my friend Duana, I tried the mango lassi. I now like to describe it as, "a little bit of heaven on earth". I'm still perfecting my recipe as it is rather difficult to get the perfect consistency using a sporadic blender.

I put my boyfriend in charge of mixing this drink as I worked on the rest of the dinner. I related to him that this drink costs about $4.50 at any restaurant and he said for the amount of work/labor involved, it is totally worth it.

4 ripe mangoes (peeled, pitted, and chopped)
2 cups of Plain yogurt
1/4 cup of honey

Now pretty much all you have to do is put all the ingredients in your blender and combine until smooth. Serve cold. Although if you don't have an industrial strength blender, this can be pretty challenging.

1. The honey doesn't blend too well. Sometimes you have to mix the honey and the yogurt first and then add the chopped mango.

2. I noticed that even if you freeze the mango and have cold yogurt that the drink is not cold enough and it is very thick. What I do additionally is I crush about 12 ice cubes and add that to the mixture. That way it is cold and you can actually suck it through a straw if you want.

3. This recipe makes A LOT of lassi. The cup pictured above is about 12oz full. If you drink the entire thing with your meal you will not be hungry for awhile. It's probably best to serve it as a 6oz with your meal and save the rest for later.

Tandoori Chicken (Without a Clay Oven or Grill)

Ever since my first bite of Indian food in an underground restaurant in Harajuku, Japan, I have been hooked. What better way to continue my addiction by none other attempting to make it at home.

This recipe is also refined sugar free and grain/gluten free. Mom was so used to this recipe for Tandoori Chicken that when she ordered it at an Indian restaurant she was disappointed because it was a lot drier (as it was actually cooked in a clay oven). I usually double this recipe to make for 4+ people.

2 lbs of chicken (preferably pieces with bone) (I usually use thigh pieces)
3 tablespoons plain yogurt
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of pepper
4 teaspoons of melted butter

1. Skin chicken and pierce all over with a sharp knife. Put in an appropriately sized roasting pan for the amount of chicken you are making. I happened to buy the chicken thighs that come 4 to a package. I skinned 12 chicken pieces and I had enough skin left over to constitute the size of 2-3 pieces of chicken!

2. In a blender/processor, combine the following: yogurt, garlic cloves, coriander powder and cumin powder. After it is blended to a smooth paste, add salt, pepper, red chili powder and lemon juice, and spread evenly over the chicken. At this point, I also turn the chicken over so every part of it is covered in this marinade. Cover and chill for 4+ hours.

3. Bake at 350ºF. After 20-30 minutes, baste the chicken with melted butter. At this point you should probably work on your accompaniments like jasmine rice and a vegetable dish. Bake another 20-30 min until chicken is done.