It seems that my family is going to be all in the same place this Easter. However, there is some dissent as to what time and what to eat. There is general boycott of ham and a divided camp on lamb. I think it’s looking like brunch!
I am one who is always in favor of lamb, so to sneak it in there I am making these wonderfully spiced lamb kefta to bring in the savory side of this brunch. And I think I’ll be serving it with either the Toasted Cumin Raita that I made with the Momo Burgers or the Tzatziki Sauce for the Souvlaki from a few weeks ago… both very refreshing.
There are a couple Paleo Easter Bunnies in my family, so I have switched out the traditional bulgur wheat for quinoa in this refreshing tabbouleh salad. This salad is a no brainer to make. Simply cook the quinoa (just like cooking rice), let it cool and then toss in all of the other ingredients. Note: I like my tabbouleh on the lemony side, so adjust with a little less lemon juice or a little more olive oil and another pinch of salt, if needed.
- 2 pounds ground lamb
- 1 medium red onion, grated
- ½ cup loosely packed chopped parsley
- ½ cup loosely packed chopped cilantro
- ¼ loosely packed chopped mint
- 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
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- Extras: 8- to 10-inch bamboo skewers soaked in water for 1 hour
- -
- For serving:
- Toasted Cumin Raita or Tzatziki
- Pita
- Crumble ground lamb into a mixing bowl. Add grated onion, parsley, cilantro, and mint then gently toss to combine. Mix together the remaining ingredients and shake over the lamb mixture. Toss to combine making sure that the spice mixture is distributed throughout.
- Divide into about 15 balls slightly larger than a golf ball (about 3 ounces). Form a sausage around the skewer roughly 4- to 5-inches long. Set aside in refrigerator until ready to grill.
- Set up grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat. Brush and oil grates before cooking.
- Grill kefta for a couple minutes on each side for a total of about 10 minutes. You want the lamb to be just cooked through, but do not overcook or they will dry out.
- 1 cup quinoa, well rinsed
- 2 bunches parsley. finely chopped
- 1 bunch mint finely chopped
- 1 bunch scallion, thinly sliced
- 1 hot house cucumber, seeded and diced
- 4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
- Juice from two lemons
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Bring quinoa, 2 cups of water, and a large pinch of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce to a simmer and cover for 15 minutes. Quinoa will be cooked when the water has been absorbed. Spread on a baking sheet and let cool.
- Transfer cooled quinoa to a mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
Cheers and Happy Grilling!
~Jeff
