Kafta - Lebanese meatballs on a stick!

Since I made the Lebanese seven spice mix I just had to find something so I could use the spice in. It smelled so good with all the fresh ground spices all mixed together...I couldn't resist. So I decided to make some kafta, you know how good food on a stick is...and meatballs onre y a stick?...what could be better? :D I didn't use the grill this time, but I think next time I will. I've seen them shaped in patties, like footballs, cigars, eggs or hot dogs wrapped around the skewers...anyway you make them I am suou'll like them, so much flavor here.



Ingredients:

1 1/2 pound ground lamb (or you could use half beef)
4 green onions chopped
1 bunch parsley chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped (can you believe I ran out of garlic!.. so I used garlic chili paste instead)
a handful of mint chopped
1 tablespoon Lebanese seven spice or sometimes called mixed spice
1 tablespoon garlic-chili sauce (you can add your own heat preference or not, some like cayenne)
1 egg lightly beaten

Mix it all together (in a bowl of course) and cover and rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes to get the flavors merging all together nicely and the meatball will form easily. If using wooden skewers soak them for the same 30 minutes so they won't burn on the grill. I don't like to form the meatball too firm so it won't be too dense after cooking...just my preference.

You can grill them or make them on a, grill pan stove-top, I browned them on the grill pan first and transferred the pan to the oven and finished them off. You would grill them like you would burgers, just make sure the meat is cooked no longer pink, but try not to overcook them.


Serve with a warm pita and your favorite chutney, garlic tahini sauce or like I did a cucumber yogurt sauce...

( I almost didn't post this photo, but it was the only one with the sauce)


For the sauce I mixed some1 cup Greek yogurt, 1/2 cucumber shredded or chopped, 1/2 tsp dill more if using fresh, a dash of garlic powder and a squeeze of lemon juice.


They were tasty and so good hot, room temperature or cold, perfect for my bento box lunch.


Here is the bento that I made from the leftovers. I made enough to freeze the extra, but they were so good for lunches!

Feijoada ~ My Way ~ (Brazilian Stew)

All I want to say is, I don't know what made me research this and make it, but I am glad I did! I am definitely keeping this recipe in with our regulars. I came across this bean and pork meat stew, feijoada served over rice, it is the national dish of Brazil. It was said that it originated in the sixteenth century from slaves, where the dish was first made using all parts of the pig such as ears, feet, snouts and what ever else they could use and cooked with beans. I suppose like the chili recipes in the US, and paella in Spain, feijoada has many different recipes, each family or region has it's variation. This hearty meal is traditionally served on Saturday and is a celebration meal served with family and friends. I can see why, it makes a lot!

I started out by stopping at our German meat market and store Geiers Sausage Kitchen and had a blast checking out all the different sausages, fresh and smoked. I ended up getting some bangers, and some just made hot off the skillet potato pancakes that I took home and ate for lunch...

I also picked up some Bavarian cured bacon to use in the feijoada, some polish sausage, and smoked chorizo. A lot of the recipes called fore dried beef to add some depth, but I found mine had plenty of depth with out it. It is also commonly made with black beans, but my husband is not crazy about them so I mixed in some pinto beans. Pork is usually the star, but again I had my reason for not using much. This is my version after plenty of research! I will try to get the amounts down for you, but as always with cooking (not baking) nothing is exact!

Feijoada

• 1 1/2 cups dried black beans -soaked overnight
• 1 1/2 cups dried pinto beans -soaked overnight
• 3 or 4 slices of bacon (I used Hungarian bacon cut in small cubes like lardons)
• 1 link smoked chorizo -sliced
• 1 lb Polish sausage (I used one large one)
• 1 lb eye round steak -cubed (not the best choice, but ok)
• 1 lb ox tails
• 3 shallots or 1 yellow onion - chopped
• 2 carrots - diced
• 2 stalks celery -diced
• 4 cloves of garlic - sliced
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp Mew Mexico green chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
• 5 dried chilies
• 6 bay leaves
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 bunch of parsley chopped with stems
• 4 cups broth (I used organic beef broth) and some water to cover

Near the end I added some cubes sweet potato and chayote, you can add butternut squash or skip it. I was going to add some chopped cilantro to it at the end too, but forgot!

After the soaked beans are rinsed and added to a pot with broth, start to cook them. I used my crock pot for this because it was one thing that was large enough to hold it all. Because I bought fresh polish sausage I pricked some holes in it and roasted it in the oven with the ox tails for 30 - 40 minutes. While the sausage is roasting and the beans are started, in a large pan , saute the bacon to render the fat, then brown the lean beef.

Add the shallots, celery, carrots, and cook 2 -3 minutes, then add the garlic and tomato paste, cook a little more. I then added the coriander, chili powder, salt, pepper and smoked paprika.

Slice the chorizo sausage to add to it. Some recipes had you slice the polish sausage and some had you leave it in big chunk, so I did both with that!

Combine the meat and remaining ingredients...

I added some water to cover everything to cook in my crock pot. It probably took another 3 - 4 cups of water, (you can use more broth is you wish) once you add all that meat to the beans...

If using a crock pot cook on low for around 8 to 10 hours or on high for 5 0r 6. I had it on all day around eight hours. I started high for about an hour to get it going then turned it low for the remaining time. Then we went out a played on the boat all day, and the last hour or so I added the sweet potato. (Of course that is optional)

If making it on the stove top, it cooks for around 3 hours until everything is cooked through and tender.



The meat should be falling off the bones...if using meat with bones, like ox tails or pork ribs...
Don't forget to remove the bay leaves and dried whole chilies.
Serve over some nice fluffy rice.


Traditionally served with steamed kale, orange slices and toasted manioc flour. I only had cassava flour, which I understand is too fine to use and just wouldn't work, so I skipped it. My kale was a little sorry looking, but that's okay, it wasn't the star!



We all loved this dish, and I am so happy I tried it. I brought some to work for my co-workers, and I still had some left over to freeze for later. It sounds like a lot of work, but it was not really(and it was worth it)...the hardest part was trying not to forget anything!

Now I have to find some of this manioc flour!

Tenha um bom dia!

This recipes has been added to Joanne's Regional Recipes. Joanne has continued this and can be found at her blog Eats Well With Others. Thank you Joanne for letting us join in the fun!

Braised Short Ribs

I had a gift card sent back to me from The Fresh Market that I sent my sister for her birthday! Well she couldn't use it because The Fresh Market in her city was no longer there. So I got it back! I ended up ordering her some organic red, black, bamboo, and Jasmine rice and some organic, cherry vanilla peanut butter from Tropical Traditions when they had a free shipping special. Good I'm glad I was able to get her something she could use and was different for her to get herself!

Back to the short ribs. I've only had them once before when I used my smoker, we smoked the short ribs along with some other meats, hey you might as well fill it up when you have to tend to the smoker all day!
I wanted to try braised short ribs, I love the look of the dark, thick, rich sauce! I ended up using the best of what I like in several recipes. This is what I came up with...

6 bone in short ribs
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
olive oil for browning
1 cup of strong brewed coffee
1 cup red wine
2 cups of beef stock or water
2 tsp hot or mild chili powder
1 tsp marjoram
2 shallots
2 ribs of celery
2 carrots
2 cloves garlic smashed
2 bay leaves

Season the short ribs with salt and pepper and brown in heated oil in a large pot big enough to accommodate all the meat and vegetables. Brown the ribs about 2-3 minutes per side, then transfer to a paper towel lined plate.

Add the vegetables in the pan, cooking until soft and starting to brown, add the tomato paste, scraping the good bits from the bottom, brown the tomato paste for about 4-5 minutes. Pour in the wine and coffee and continue to cook until it reduces by one fourth, or so.

Return the ribs to the pot and add the broth or water add garlic, marjoram, bay leaves, chili powder. I added some more larger cut carrots and shallots at this point too(just because). Cover and place in a preheated 375 degree oven for 3 1/2 hours.

Check it periodically during the cooking process, add more water or broth if needed. Turn the ribs half way cooking time. Remove the lid during the last 20 minutes to let things get nice and brown and the sauce will reduce. I like them cooked until they are falling off the bone.

Make sure you serve them with the sauce.

They were so good, with the dark, rich yummy sauce, I don't know if I can describe it! It tastes like home, talk about a comfy cozy meal! It made me smile!

Suya ~West African Shish Kabobs~

First off I do apologise for the lousy photos. Really no excuse for that other that I was in a hurry and was lucky to catch any shots of the food at all. I am back at work and I'm getting back into the work schedule. It's hard not blogging or catching up as often as I would like to. Maranda and the kids at my school start back on Monday! I will try to squeeze a post in when I can.

I first saw these when Ozoz posted it on her blog Kitchen Butterfly now over there you'll always see stunning photos! I love her site, she puts such care and love into everything she makes. As you know I love trying foods from different regions and this was one from her home of Nigeria. I was excited to try it when I found some nice sliced sirloin, so this made it super easy, if you slice your own she had a great suggestion to putting the meat in the freezer a bit for easier slicing.

It seems the suya spice uses shelled and de-skinned (groundnuts) peanuts and is ground to a powder careful not to grind it into a paste. They even go to the point of removing as much oil as you can and spices a added to this, such as paprika, cayenne, ginger, garlic, onion. I had some fresh made natural peanut butter (I usually make my own but I found this one cheaper at my health food store). I t was fairly oily a lot oilier than my is so i thought I would use it in the marinade, since you add oil to it. I added a little macadamia nut oil to make it a thick cream consistency, actually I made it a little thicker.


Ingredients:
3 T or fresh-ground roast peanuts, or naturally ground peanut butter
1 tsp cayenne or chili pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 T fresh lime juice
1 lb meat (beef, chicken, lamb etc) cut into slices.
Of course the seasoning is adjustable to your taste, and you can use fresh ginger and garlic if you prefer. I love onion powder with my beef so I always stick with that, you can't go wrong there.

Mix all ingredients, add the meat, and coat well with the mixture, it easiest to just dig in and use your hands, marinate for at least 30 minutes, but try to go longer.

Thread the meat on skewers, place on a hot grill and cook until done.

It was raining and when Wade gets home later for dinner it's hard to time something out on the grill... So again I took the easy way out and just baked it in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes.

Yeah I know...but you get the idea right? By the time I remembered to take a photo it was already in the oven so I opened the oven door to snap a click, I was afraid the lens was going to steam up! That's some cauliflower that I threw in the mix to roast along side it.

These West African shish kebabs are popular all over Nigeria, and are often served with red onions and tomatoes.

I had caramelized parsnips, roasted cauliflower and a salad with mine.
Maranda didn't think it sounded very good with peanut butter in it, but she did try it and loved it. The peanut taste didn't overpower it at all. I even added some ground peanuts to give it a little more chunks...I guess it would be like "chunky" peanut butter. It was really good. I just wish I made more so I could use some leftovers for lunch! I will definitely be making this again, but on the grill!

Martha Mondays - Sirloin Salad with Cilantro

Welcome to Martha Mondays hosted by Brette from Martha and Me this week it was Sarah's turn from Mum in Bloom to make the challenge selection. She chose a salad which is nice with the warm weather and all. She chose Sirloin salad with Cilantro. This was a perfect dish for us #1. It has was so hot we actually turned on our air conditioning. I usually hold off as long as I can. #2. I was waiting for a dish that was not a dessert. #3. Wade has off on Sunday and Mondays so this I when we usually have steak or something else to grill. I still do the grilling and he starts the charcoal.

It was simple enough, especially for a Martha recipe. I was just confused a little on the salad part. It seamed to be just the steak, onion and cilantro.

The marinade was good and the flavors blended really well. I again didn't understand why we needed flat leaf parsley for garnish when we had cilantro as the salad? I did use a few more greens in mine. The steak was wonderful!

We did get a chance to go see the sunset too when Wade has off from work. It has been windy so the ripples show up good, even in the shoreline! Just wanted to share!!

Hope you all have a good week now!

Grilled Flap Steak with Herbed Oven Fries

We usually will have beef once a week if even that, and usually on Sunday or Monday. Wade has those days off and it's nice to grill a steak and actually eat with him, instead of something he can warm up when he gets home so late from work.

When Maranda and I were at the farmer's market Saturday we also stopped in Whole Foods, because it's downtown and we don't go there much. They had a flap steak on sale. We get skirt steak all the time and it is a nice thing to prepare stove top, as it cooks quickly. (just messy). She often requests it, but it's getting so pricey, it used to be a pretty inexpensive cut. The flavor is what keeps us going back to it. So I asked what a flap steak was, he said it was like a skirt steak but leaner (we're all for leaner) and it did look like a skirt steak. The price for the flap steak was the same as skirt steak at Publix, and I didn't have to do any trimming, it was so clean!

It is also called bavette, the French name for the cut. You can read more about it in this article check here . If not prepared properly it can be tough and fibrous. It is cooked on a high dry heat, and cut across the grain to avoid it becoming tough. After marinating blot it dry before placing it on the grill. I sprinkled grill seasoning on right before.

About 3 minutes on each side. You can tell by the firmness of it just like other steaks you grill.

I had planned to do it outside on the grill, but it was raining and it take so long for the coals to get going then the steak cooks so quickly, it didn't seem worth it. So I did it on my grill pan inside, after potatoes were in the oven for awhile.

First marinate for an hour or so. Some say to marinate longer, but I don't think it needs it. With a soy based marinade I don't like it to go too long. I usually take the beef out of the fridge to get close to room temperature before cooking. Pat it dry before grilling to get a nice sear.

Marinade:
3 T soy sauce (I used tamari)
3 T balsamic vinegar
4 garlic cloves chopped
1 onion sliced (I had shallots)
2 tsp ginger minced (or ginger paste)
2 T mirin
For the potatoes these I peeled and cut into long wedges. Drizzled with olive oil then tossed with some herbs, and salt and pepper. I used Penzey Parisien Bonnes Herbes 's, which has chives, dill weed, French basil, French tarragon, chervil and white pepper. Last time I was in Michigan and we visited Penzey's there was only one left and my sister grabbed it! That's okay I just mix my own now and it tastes great, love it on potatoes and eggs. Anyway just toss the potatoes in oil and seasoning and roast in on your stoneware bar pans, until nice and crisp or the way you like them done.

It turned out great, nice and tender and full of flavor! We also had some of the organic broccoli that we picked up at the farmer's market.

Tucker at the end of the day yesterday. He is almost falling of his couch here. He gets wore out when we are all home, he can't sleep all day like when we are at work and school.

He has to stay awake and keep an eye on us all day when we're home! He sleeps good later. He certainly didn't look like that when we were eating our steak!