Kefta

I was thrilled that the supermarket had some decent-looking ground lamb when I shopped last. It inspired me to make some kefta, one of my favorite treats when I eat at the Old Jerusalem Restaurant near my work. I confess that I have not made many Middle-Eastern dishes over the years, and I needed some guidance on the seasonings. I combed several recipes online, and forged ahead with my own take on the dish. I knew I wouldn't be able to grill these, too, so I had to find a way to get at least a little bit of "crisp" on these puppies.

I used some basics in this one; paprika, cumin, coriander, dried cilantro, salt, pepper, and the smallest bit of cinnamon. But I also added in some za'atar that I was fortunate enough to have found at a nearby middle eastern grocery in the recent past. A fair bit of onion went in as well. To get a bit of a char-like feel, I opted to pan-fry in some peanut oil, then finish cooking in the oven to keep in some of the moisture (thank you, onions!). In hindsight, the only thing I would change is the mince on my onions. They were just a bit too big. I should note that I did mix the lamb with beef, about a 2-1 ratio of lamb to beef. I like the mix when I use the two together, as the beef takes a bit of the edge off the lamb-y-ness for those not as keen on eating lamb. (My half-siblings in Indiana like to say that lamb tastes "hairy" to them...)

I paired this with a brown and wild rice mix (seasoned with dill and garlic) mixed with some peas, and served it with a dollop of creamy goat cheese.

THE VERDICT

Simply delicious. The bonus: the house this morning still had the lingering exotic smell of a "foreign" meal and that delicious aroma that only residual peanut oil can leave behind. I'd say we all enjoyed it, although I have still yet to get our daughter to try any of these more adventurous meals. She's still sticking to chicken, peas, and toast as mainstays for dinner. I think breaking her out of that routine will take some doing, and I hope someday she'll relish these sorts of meals as much as her mom and I do. It was a special treat to share the meal with my mother-in-law who has been a blessing these past 2 weeks, watching our daughter each day as our day care provider is away.  I suppose my biggest regret is that I didn't open some wine for this one....