I first saw this recipe in a cooking light magazine. It reminded me of the kebabs that my best friend's mother used to make for us when we were kids. They were from Iran and I loved eating at their house because her mom would make tradition Persian food which was so delicious and unlike anything I had ever had before. OhMyGoodness...the yellow rice with the crusty bottom to it was to die for...oh how I could tear some of that up right now! I really need to learn how to make that. Um, sorry, I totally got off topic. I tend to do that often when thinking about food... Anyway, these kefta kebabs are actually Moroccan and are made of ground beef or lamb and typically mixed with cumin, paprika, minced onion, coriander and parsley. Cinnamon, hot ground pepper, and mint leaves are nice additions as well. I planned on using a combo of beef and lamb to make these, but the lamb was $9.99 lb. so I passed and used beef only. Traditionally, the meat, spices and herbs would be passed through a meat grinder together. While I do have a ton of kitchen equipment, a meat grinder is not one of them. So, I just used a bowl and spoon and a little elbow grease. Ugh, I've always hated that term. Elbow grease? Gross! I served these kebabs with a Roasted Pepper and Tomato Salad which could not be a better compliment to the meat. Ya know what's really good the next day with the leftovers? Get a wrap ( I like the FlatOut Spinach wraps) and put the meat and pepper tomato salad in it and wrap it up. Score! Also pictured here is Zucchini Rice. Could not be easier! Just prepare your rice as you normally would. Then grate a zucchini into it. Yup, that's all folks! What an easy way to add veggies to an otherwise boring side dish. Hope you like this one as much as my family and I do!
What You'll Need for the Kefta Kebabs:
1 lb. ground beef or lamb (or a combination of the two)
1 medium onion, chopped very fine
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves (optional)
What You'll Do:
Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, and leave for an hour or longer to allow the flavors to blend. The kefta is then ready to shape and cook.
To make kebabs, take small amounts of kefta and shape them into cylinder or sausage shapes. Skewer the meat, squeezing it to mold in the skewer. (I have also just made these as patties like you would a hamburger.)
Cook over hot coals, approximately five minutes each side. (It may take less or more time, depending on how hot the coals are, and how thick you shaped the kefta.) Watch the kebabs carefully, so you don't dry out the kefta.
What You'll Need for the Roasted Pepper and Tomato Salad:
4 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
*2 roasted green peppers, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin
2 to 3 teaspoons vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
What You'll Do:
Place the tomatoes, roasted green peppers, and parsley in a mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate if you won't be serving the salad right away.
When you're ready to serve the salad, add the salt, pepper, cumin, oil and vinegar. Toss or stir gently.
You can eat this salad with a spoon, but it's also delicious scooped up with a piece of crusty bread.
*To roast the peppers, just hold them over an open flame, rotating them to char all sides. Once they are nice and black, put them in a ziplock bag. They will steam in the bag and the blackend skin will release. Use the bag to rub off the skin. Take out of bag and proceed to take seeds out and chop.
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