January 24, 2012 · 4:41 am

Lamb Kebabs

I polled a few family members and friends to ask what my second recipe posting should be.  Being that I recently made these kebabs this recipe was the most in demand.

I love kebabs!  We make many different kinds in my family.  They originated in the Middle East, but have been adapted by many cultures.  Whether they are made with beef, lamb or chicken, made with ground meat or chunks, on a skewer or off, they are a very flavorful way to prepare meat or even veggies.  You can spice them up a number of ways and they are always a crowd pleaser.

I must admit that I have taken some short cuts with this recipe.   Kebabs are traditionally cooked and served on skewers.  It is absolutely fine to place these kebabs on skewers if you wish.  In the interest of time I normally skip this step.  Kebabs are also traditionally grilled.  You can either use a grill pan or flame grill to cook these and they would be great.  The reason I cook them in the oven is to save some time and not have to baby sit them.  That way I can multitask and do other things while they are cooking.  I also use two of my favorite kitchen gadgets in order to save time, the lemon zester and mini food processor.

This is actually a very simple recipe with few ingredients.  Lamb has a very distinct and strong flavor.  The mint is a great and natural complement to the lamb.  This can also be made with ground chicken or ground beef.  If you do not like mint you can substitute fresh cilantro or flat leaf parsley.  I hope you enjoy this dish.  As always, please give me your feedback!  I am particularly interested in hearing what people think about the lemon zest as I was not sure myself if it is a good addition.  I can’t wait to hear what you think!

 

Lamb Kebabs

 

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time:  40 Minutes

Yield: 4 – 6 servings

 

1 ½  pounds of ground lamb

½ large red onion, or 1 small red onion

3 cloves garlic

Zest of half a lemon (optional)

¼ cup fresh mint, plus 1 tablespoon chopped for garnish

1 teaspoon kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a mini food processor pulse together the onion, garlic, lemon zest and mint.  If you do not have a processor you can also chop everything by hand.  Just be sure it is very finely chopped.

Place the mixture into a large bowl. If you are chopping everything by hand be sure to mix the onion, garlic, zest and mint together well.  Add the ground lamb, salt and pepper.  Mix until all ingredients are just combined.  Do not overwork or over mix.

Divide the meat in half and keep dividing it in half until you have 8 mounds of meat.  Roll each mound into a ball and then roll the middle of the meat lengthwise until you have a short log.

Place each kebab on a tin foil lined baking sheet.  If you have a cooking rack you can also place them on the rack on top of the baking sheet.

Cook the kebabs for 20 minutes.  Turn over and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes until cooked through.  Garnish with chopped mint.

The kebabs can be served as an appetizer or main dish and served with cous cous or rice.

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Filed under Meat

January 19, 2012 · 4:24 am

Kitchen Gadgets

I have to start off by saying that I am incredibly appreciative for all the encouragement and great feedback I have been receiving since launching this blog!  The response has been overwhelming and I am so thankful.  I hope that there are lots of people out there making chicken soup and enjoying this week’s recipe.

In addition to posting recipes I plan to also share my thoughts on a food related theme each week.  I do hope that people come to the site for the recipes.  But I also know that there are literally hundreds of web sites and blogs where you can find recipes.  I want this blog to also be a place where I can share some insights as a busy home cook and food enthusiast.  Topics will range from food book reviews, to the essentials for your pantry, to cheese.

I actually do not think that kitchen gadgets are needed to be a successful cook.  For many years I did not have any gadgets at all and did just fine.  That being said I have a few favorites that you will hear me mention often in my recipes.  There are two requirements for making this list.  First, it has to be inexpensive.  Each item I picked was under $50.  Second, it has to not take up a lot of space.  For someone that loves to cook I have never really had a big and luxurious kitchen.   I started cooking in earnest in my first college apartment in Boston.  It was a tiny alley kitchen with a junior sized refrigerator and stove.  I then moved to New York City where my first kitchen was not much bigger than a postage stamp.  Cabinet space was at a premium.  Like most students and first time New Yorkers I did not have extra money to invest in fancy kitchen equipment.  So, large food processors and Kitchen Aid mixers were just not in the budget nor was there any space for them.

Immersion Blender – $30 to $40 (there are more expensive models, but at this price range you can find a really good quality blender)

This is a hand held blender that has a long handle and a sharp blade at the bottom.  You insert the blender into a liquid mixture, press a button, and it will blend or puree the food in the container it is being prepared.  This is a great tool for making smoothies (I have a few great recipes that I will share), pureed soups and sauces.  I have seen many recipes where you make a soup and then have to transfer the hot liquid in batches into a food processor or blender in order to puree it.  This can be awkward, time consuming, messy and requires a large and/or expensive piece of equipment.  There is also another item for you to clean up.  The best part of using the immersion blender is that you do not have to transfer your food.  You simply stick the blender into the container you are cooking in and blend away.  I will often put ingredients for a smoothie or milk shake into a tall glass and use the immersion blender to create the drink in the glass you are serving it in.  It is really quick and clean up is a breeze!  My only tip is to be sure that your liquid level comes well over the blade so there is no splattering.

   Microplane Grater – $7 to $15

I have to say that this is probably the one kitchen gadget that has most impacted my cooking.  I love using citrus and was so thrilled when I learned that adding the zest GREATLY enhances the flavor of a recipe.  The essential oils actually live in the skin of the fruit.  You will see many recipes where I use the zest along with the juice.  I also use a lot of ginger in my cooking.  I will often peel large knobs of ginger and keep them in the freezer.  When it comes time to use it I will pull out my handy microplane and use that to grate the frozen ginger.  It is actually grates better frozen.

The microplane design is based on that of a rasp, a woodworking tool. The cutters are very small and sharp.  Aside from using it for citrus zest and ginger, it is great for grating garlic, hard cheeses, nutmeg  and chocolate.

Lemon Squeezer – $6 to $12

As I mentioned above I love using citrus juices.  Lemon is probably my favorite. The only problem is that I always end up getting seeds into whatever I am making. I then have to fish them out of my dish, and they can be slippery suckers.  I am sure many of you can relate.  I also have a pet peeve of squeezing a lemon and only getting a drop of juice out of it.  My thinking is that if you are going to spend money on the lemon you want to get the most juice out of it as you can.

To use the squeezer you cut the lemon in half.  You place the cut side down and SQUEEZE.  The seeds stay in the squeezer so there is no fishing tiny lemon seeds out of your recipe.  The mechanical force that is used to push down on the lemon gets more juice than the human hand. This is especially great if you are making something requiring the juice of several lemons.  I think it is brilliant!

Mini Food Processor – $40 to $50

I must admit that I actually did receive a fancy, full sized food processor as a wedding gift.  I can also tell you that in the more than seven years I have been married I have only used it twice.  I do not have counter space to keep it out; it is big and bulky and tucked far away in a cabinet.  I do, however, use my mini food processor all the time.  It takes up a small amount of the space and is great for chopping onions extremely fine (a requirement of a few of my recipes), grinding nuts, making small batches of pesto or breadcrumbs.  It is also a fraction of the price of the full sized model.

As with everything else on this site, I welcome feedback on my favorite kitchen gadgets. I would also love to hear what your favorite gadgets are!  Next week I plan to post on the top six items I believe should be in everyone’s refrigerator.  Stay tuned!

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Filed under Articles

January 13, 2012 · 3:26 pm

Not Your Grandma’s Chicken Soup

Unless your grandma’s family happens to come from Iraq and she grew up in India….  It has always amazed me that every culture has its own version of chicken soup.  Just the aroma of chicken soup cooking on the stove brings on a feeling of comfort and home.

There are a few reasons why I picked this soup to be my first recipe post.  First, this recipe is a perfect example of an Iraqi/Indian fusion recipe that has been passed down in my family throughout generations.  Second, it is January and cold (unless you live in FL like me) and perfect soup weather.  Lastly, I just did a cooking demonstration at my local synagogue and this was the recipe that I used.  It went over well there and I hope it does here too!

The cilantro stems in the recipe are not typical in the traditional soup.  However, in my Dad’s kitchen nothing goes to waste.  If you are going to use the leaves why not the stems?  The important thing to remember is to chop the stems extremely fine so that they melt into the soup.  The onions should be sliced very fine because you want them to melt as well.  It gives the soup base a great flavor.

Tumeric is a spice you will often see used in Indian and Middle Eastern dishes.  It has been known to have anti-bacterial properties and has been investigated for many other health benefits.  I always joke that between the ginger, garlic and turmeric, this chicken soup will cure anything that is wrong with you!

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Yield: 6 – 8 servings

 

 

2 tablespoons canola oil

2-3 pounds chicken thighs on the bone (you can use other chicken parts, but I like the dark meat for this recipe as it is less expensive and more flavorful than the white meat)

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro stems finely chopped plus 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1 large yellow onion, sliced fine

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated or finely minced

2 teaspoons ground tumeric

2 large carrots, cut into coins

zucchini, carrots and tomato

1 large (or 2 small) zucchini cut into coins

1 large tomato, cut into large chunks

1 large (or 2 small) Idaho potato, peeled and cut into cubes

2 quarts water

Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper

 

Add the oil to the pan and heat on medium temperature.  Add onion, garlic, ginger, cilantro stems and turmeric.  Cook over medium-low heat to allow the onions to soften, about 10 minutes.  You want the onions and stems to be melted.  Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper.  Cook until the chicken gives off natural juices, about 5 minutes, stirring often.

chicken, onion, garlic, cilantro and tumeric

Add 1 to 2 cups water so that the chicken is just covered.  This will prevent it from sticking.  Cook for 15 minutes on low uncovered and stir often.

Add the carrots, zucchini, tomato.  Cook until vegetables just start to soften, about 5 minutes.  Fill pot with water until the chicken and vegetables are covered by at least 4 to 6 inches.  Again add salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.  Stir well.

Bring to boil and reduce to simmer.  Skim the fat and foam off the top of the soup.  Let soup simmer on low uncovered for 45 more minutes.  20 minutes before you are ready to serve add the potatoes.  The soup can cook longer if you would like.  Just do not put in the potatoes until 20 minutes before serving.  Stir in fresh cilantro leaves right before you plate the soup.

You may also use green beans, peas and/or cauliflower as additional vegetables if you wish.

The soup is typically served as is, with koobas or over rice.

The finished product

The finished product

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Filed under Poultry, Soups