Lamb Kofta Kebobs, Salad & Hummus

Lamb Kofta Kebabs, Salad & Hummus

1/2 small red onion chopped fine
1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves chopped
1 teaspoon dried coriander
1 teaspoon dried cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 pounds ground lamb 80/20 meat/fat ratio
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup gluten free bread crumbs
1/4 cup pine nuts chopped
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 grilled lemon cut up for garnish and squeezing (forgot to grill the lemon)

Mix all ingredients except the lamb, egg, bread crumbs, nuts, and olive oil. A chef on a video did this which gave me the idea to do the same. I usually put the meat in the bowl and then add the spices, but I think mixing them separately will ensure the herbs and spices are more evenly distributed in the meat. Most recipes don't use an egg or the bread crumbs but I wanted to make sure my koftas stay together and don't fall off the skewer. Refrigerate kofta mixture for 4 hours or overnight. I did mine yesterday so it was overnight for this batch to ensure the flavors incorporate into the meat.

The koftas are hand pressed around a skewer. Make them uniform and thin enough to be sure they cook evenly and thoroughly on a hot grill. Getting the meat to form around the skewer isn't as easy as I thought it would be. I see why most recipes show just the kofta without the skewer. Ha! After forming the koftas refrigerate them for one hour before grilling.

Brush the olive oil on the koftas just before grilling to keep them from sticking to the grill. I keep a box of mechanics gloves in the kitchen for using with meats and messy ingredients. Mechanics gloves are thicker and less expensive then surgical gloves. I'm using bamboo skewers so those should be soaked in water for one hour to prevent them from catching fire on the grill. If koftas are thin enough, they should only take 5 minutes per side on the grill. I served the kofta kebabs with a creamy tomato cucumber salad, gluten free wrap pieces, and pine nut hummus (store bought).

Salad & Dressing:

One English cucumber peeled, cut in half, then each half cut into thirds, then chopped into bite sized pieces. Two Roma tomatoes cut into bite sized pieces. Several chiffonade of fresh basil leaves about six (which I picked in my garden). Prepare a dressing of Greek yogurt (or sour cream), two teaspoons of maple syrup or honey, fresh or dried dill, salt and pepper to taste. Gently mix dressing with salad.

What a great meal. It's a lot of work; I won't lie. I still have four kofta to cook today, not doing them on the grill though; they are already off the skewer. Gary raved about the meal and much to my chagrin, he liked the hummus which is basically ground chickpeas with spices. Something to remember for the annals. All we needed was some soulful Lebanese or Greek background music to listen to while we ate our meal.