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!

Lamb Kabobs

I made these a little while ago but never posted it because of the photos, (they were not as dark as they looked in the photo), and they sure taste better than they look.

I only had a pound of ground lamb, because I wasn't sure if my daughter would like it or how these would turn out. All the recipes that I looked at was for 2 pounds of meat so I adjusted it for our small family. I just combined the flavors that sounded good to us...or me!

Of course you can add or subtract and adjust for the way you like it. Feel free to double the recipe. My daughter liked it until she found out that it was lamb. Then I told her she ate a lot of lamb when she was younger, and she liked it!
Ingredients:
1 pounds lean ground lamb
2-3 oz goat cheese
2-3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
2 teaspoons green chile paste
1 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoons paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup vegetable oil
skewers soaked for around 30 minutes
Directions:
1.In a large bowl, mix ingredients, you can cover and refrigerate until ready to skewer.
2.Mold handfuls of the lamb mixture, to form sausages around skewers. Make sure the meat is spread to an even thickness. Refrigerate until you are ready to grill.
3.Preheat grill for high heat.
4.Brush grate liberally with oil, and arrange kabobs on grill. Cook for 10 minutes, or until well done, turning as needed to brown evenly.

I did take three photos and here is the one that didn't make the cut even though the color was more correct.

I will definitely make these again, but the full size, 2 pounds, and invite some guests for dinner. Served with a saffron rice.

You can serve it with a dipping sauce and of course yogurt goes very well with the lamb. Here is a recipe from David Lieberman.

Mint-Parsley Yogurt Sauce:

1 cup plain yogurt (2 percent or whole is best)
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, pressed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Stir together the yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and garlic in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the chopped fresh herbs and gently stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

So I thought you would like to look at something a little prettier so I would like share a few photos of our lanai and the gate to our side yard of our house...

Okay, I'm just kidding! I wish! You probably already know that this was taken at The Ca d'Zan which is John Ringling's Mansion here in Sarasota. I have many more to share if you'd like to see them!