~ "By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; Through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures." ~ "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing" ~ "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." ~ "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."~

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Spiced Lamb Kebabs

Spiced Lamb Kebabs. Even though it's winter, I still often crave something that's grilled. Granted I sometimes have to shovel some of the snow off the deck to get to the grill, but I manage... because the grill flavor can't be beat sometimes. 

I've had this recipe bookmarked for some time now... been waiting to make it when I have the craving for some middle-eastern food:). Normally, I don't cook heavily spiced dishes, but from time to time I like to change things around and bring out the spices from my pantry. 

My freezer normally has some sort of meat, be it chicken, beef, or lamb. Most times I like to portion out the meat I freeze in smaller quantities. Sometimes I like to weigh out the meat beforehand then label according to weight, be it 2 lbs, 1lb  or 8 oz. This helps in the future, because smaller quantities defrost quicker, and it also helps with taking out just the right amount I need. And because I like to grind my own meat, it sort of makes sense to portion the meat for later use.  

This dish for me was quick to make and very flavorful. And because I had some ripe tomatoes on hand I chose to grill those as well, but you can grill other vegetables you have on hand, and make a meal by adding some basmati rice or quinoa... even a combination of rice and quinoa. The leftovers( if there are any) are wonderful re-heated and wrapped up in a flatbread with some yoghurt-cucumber or tahini-lemon sauce with a sprinkling of feta cheese.... similar to the greek gyros. Definitely brings out a bit of summer in the winter. Hope you enjoy...    

Tip: I am sure you can use other ground meat of choice... beef, chicken, turkey or  a combination. 

You will need: adapted from Saveur

1 1⁄2 lbs. ground lamb
1/3 cup+1 TBS grated onion
2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
3 1/2 TBS paprika (or aleppo pepper, if you have)
1/2-1 tsp cayenne pepper, optional 
2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste(can use a bit less) 
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano leaves
2 tsp dried mint leaves, crumbled*
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
a drizzle of extra oil
chopped cilantro, optional
* I ended up using a mint tea bag, since I didn't have any dried mint

Directions:
1. Grind lamb, or use pre-ground meat. I ended up grinding mine from a boneless lamb leg.
2. Combine ground lamb and onion in a large bowl and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add paprika (or aleppo pepper), salt, cumin, oregano, mint, and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit.
4. Pour the somewhat cooled spice mixture over the reserved lamb mixture and mix thoroughly with your hands.
5. Divide lamb mixture into 6 portions and roll each into a thin flat cylinder about 1 inch thick. Slide a flat metal skewer into each cylinder and press the meat around the skewer, flattening it a bit.... my metal skewers were thin, so I added another skewer to hold the meat in place a bit better.
6. Transfer skewers to a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up.
7. Heat a gas grill to medium-high (alternatively, heat broiler and position rack 7" from heating element). 
8. Drizzle a bit of oil over each kebab to coat.
9. Grill or broil the kebabs, turning once, until browned and a bit charred on the outside... should take about 4 minutes per side or so. 
10. Serve with chopped cilantro, yoghurt, grilled tomatoes, and flat bread.... or for gluten free, use lettuce wraps.

6 comments:

Speranta said...


Aceasta reteta imi place mult.Arata asa de bine ! Ce zici pot sa folosesc si alta carne?

Multumesc pentru reteta ,totdeauna ai retete bune si noi pentu mine...

Iti doresc o zi minunata!

Ellie said...

Speranta, Imi pare bine ca iti place:). Sa sti ca poti folosi alta carne... cred ca ari fi f. buna cu carne de curcan, sau de pui. Asi vrea si eu sa incerc.

Multe din spaisuri poate fi eliminate, daca nu-ti place. Dar, totusi, paprika ii da o culoare aparte. Idea este ca chiftelutele, decat ca nu are paine adaugata.

O zi frumoasa!

Ioana said...

Mmmmmmm!!! Arata delicios!

Ellie said...

Multumesc mult, Ioanna! Ma bucur ca iti place:)... e altceva cand vreau sa fac o mancare repede. Sper sa iti placa daca incerci si tu:).

Merci pentru vizita.... si un weekend placut!

Cuparoons said...

Ce bine arata! Imi dau seama ca au fost delicioase!

Ellie said...

Anna, Multumesc:)... Sant foarte bune cu iaurt.... o combinatie care merge bine impreuna.

Merci de vizita... o zi plina de har!