Celebrate the Flavors of the World: Kofte

I call them meatballs with diversity. The secret's in the spices-on the inside and outside. From the center of exotic spice trade, here is the recipe for the smoky blend.

 

Turkish Baharat

(1 recipe)

Grind peppercorns, coriander seeds, cloves and cardamon seeds in seed grinder or mill. Add dried nutmeg, cinnamon and mint.

2 teaspoon peppercorns

2 teaspoon coriander seeds

1/3 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon cardamon seeds

1 teaspoon nutmeg

Pinch cinnamon

1 teaspoon dried mint

 

The meatball blend has ground meat, onions and garlic like the traditional local recipes. I like that this recipe uses bulgur wheat in place of bread crumbs. Bulgur- "mid-east pasta"- is a whole grain. I buy red bulgur, a cracked wheat berry that even though par-cooked requires cooking a short amount of time. This recipe has no eggs. Dried apricots, ground nuts and fresh mint add even more of a twist.

 

Kofte

10 Kabobs (5 Servings)

Cook bulgur with water to cover in countertop pressure cooker for 10 minutes. Release pressure. Drain.

1/4 cup red bulgur

 

Soak apricots in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain.

1/4 cup boiling water

1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped

 

Mix ground meat with onions, nuts, garlic and spices using a fork.

1 pound ground beef

1/3 cup onions, diced

1 Tablespoon ground pistachios

2 teaspoon garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon snipped fresh mint

1 Tablespoon baharat spice

Pinch salt

Knead in drained bulgur and apricots.

Divide into balls 1/4 cup each.  

 

Spread remaining spice onto a plate. Roll meatballs in spice. Place each on a short skewer, shaping like a sausage.

2 Tablespoon baharat spice

 

Place kabobs on a baking tray greased with olive oil spray. Bake at 350F. for 12-15 minutes, until center of meatball reaches 155F.

 

The recipes are based on those in the book "Spice" by Dr. Stuart Farrimont.  

 

March is National Nutrition Month. This year's theme embraces global cuisine.  

 

 

   

 

A Heart Healthy Game Plan

 

Start with the key players-lean protein, fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low fat dairy and exercise. 

Develop a strategy (this is what I'll eat most of the time).

• Fruits and Vegetables
  

• Lean Protein
  

• Plant protein legumes (beans, peas and lentils).

• Foods high in Omega 3 fatty acids like seafood and nuts.

• Skinless poultry.

• Mostly Whole Grains

• Low Fat Dairy
  

• Limited Added Sugar (no more than 24-36 grams a day).

• Healthy Fat (Liquid non tropical oils like olive oil).

• Minimally processed foods. 

 Get physical. 

This plate follows the plan with the high omega 3 fat seafood (steel headed trout), whole grain (corn) and legume (Lima beans). The onions are sauteed in olive oil and sprinkled with balsamic vinegar. There is a dusting of ground pistachios on the trout (another heart healthy fat).

Here's my recipe for the Chicken and Wild Rice Soup, pictured at top. It's full of heart healthy goodness and very economical.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

(4 servings-1 cup each)

Bake chicken at 335 F for 20 minutes. Shred. Measure 1 1/2 cups for the recipe. Refrigerate or freeze the remainder.

1 skinless chicken breast, about 8 ounces

In bowl of countertop pressure cooker saute onions, celery, carrots, garlic and mushrooms in olive oil.

2 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup onions, chopped

1/3 cup celery ,chopped

1/3 cup carrots, grated

2 garlic gloves, minced

1 portobello mushroom, sliced

 

Season with sage, nutmeg and salt.

1/2 teaspoon sage

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt 

Cancel saute function. Add rice, broth and shredded chicken. Lock on lid. Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. 

1/3 cup (dry) whole grain rice (brown, red and black)

2 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups shredded chicken

 

Release pressure and remove lid. Add peas and spinach. Heat for 5 minutes.

1/2 cup peas, frozen

1 cup spinach leaves, stems removed

  

Tip

I shred a chicken breast, sirloin tip roast or pork tenderloin (yes, I eat those in moderate portions- shredding yields many more portions)  in my Kitchenaid Mixer. Shred the meat hot at a medium high speed.

 

 

  

 

                                                                                                                                                       

 

 

 

Whole Grain Tummy Warmers

 

If you were a fan of Cocoa Wheats, you'll like this one. This one's made with teff-a tiny, easy to grow millet. Teff has over twice the iron of other grains and three times the calcium. Once unique to Ethiopia, it's now popping up in the US heartland. 

Teff Porridge with Cocoa and Peanut Butter

(3 Servings)

Combine teff, cocoa and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to low heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

1/2 cup teff

2 tablespoon cocoa

1 1/2 cup skim milk

 

Stir peanut butter into grain mix and simmer for 10 minutes.

2 tablespoon peanut butter

 

To serve, top with additional milk. Mine has 1/4 cup additional milk. Since the recipe has no added sugar, adding a teaspoon of sugar at serving makes it even yummier.

 

When reviewing the package for Cocoa Wheats, I was pleased to see it had no added sugar. The cereal is also fortified with iron. It is not a whole grain, so is missing the bran and germ of the whole grain where the fiber, trace minerals, vitamins and antioxidants are stored. 1 serving of Cocoa Wheats has 1 gram of fiber. This recipe has 5.

 

Teff is part of a class of cereals that has reduced environmental impacts. The C4 grains have a high rate of photosynthesis and reduced rate of photo respiration which reduces water vapor loss. These grains are very efficient in hot dry climates. C4 grains include corn, sorghum, millet. C3 grains include rice, oat, rye, wheat and barley which elevate C02 and are less water efficient.

Another millet that's great in hot cereals is Amaranth. Amaranth has high levels of the complete protein Lysine.  Starting with recipes from the Whole Grains Council, I made the 

Chai Spiced Amaranth Porridge

 

then substituted pumpkin pie spice for the chai spices and added canned pumpkin:

 

Amaranth Pumpkin Porridge

 

I choose to cook the grain in milk instead of water. A general guide is to add 3 times the liquid per serving of grain, with 1/4 cup dry grain counting as a serving. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed-20 to 30 minutes. Stir frequently. This is similar to cooking corn grits.

    

Hot Cocoa Souffle, Reduced Sugar

 

The original recipe for Hot Cocoa Souffles called for a whopping 13 tablespoons of added sugar in a recipe for six people. That was 6 1/2 teaspoons per serving, more than half the added sugar allowed for an entire day. I wanted to get that down to 4 tablespoons of added sugar in the whole recipe-2 teaspoons per serving.

• My first step was looking at the recipe's call to dust the baking dish with sugar-I eliminated that step.

• The remaining add sugar comes from the dry cocoa mix and in the sugar used to stiffen the egg whites. I used 1 tablespoon of sugar for the egg whites and 3 tablespoons in the cocoa mix.

• Finally, these baked souffles produce a dip in the center-a perfect place for a scoop of ice cream. I wasn't going to eliminate that, but I did opt for a smaller serving of ice cream: a 2 tablespoon dollop of ice cream per serving instead of the 2/3 cup.

Hot Cocoa Souffle with Vanilla Ice Cream

(6 Servings)

Combine 3 tablespoons sugar, cocoa and flour in a bowl.

3 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

 

Melt buttery spread in a small saucepan over medium heat.

1/4 cup buttery spread

Stir in dry cocoa mix.

 

Add milk to the saucepan.

1 cup skim milk

Cook and stir constantly for several minutes, until mixture turns thick and bubbly. Remove from heat.

 

In a medium mixing bowl, beat egg yolks by hand until combined. 

4 egg yolks

Gradually stir thick cocoa-milk mixture into beaten egg yolks.

 

In bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. 

4 egg whites

Gradually add remaining sugar, beating at high speed until stiff peaks form.

1 tablespoon sugar

 

Fold 1 cup of the beaten egg whites into egg yolk mixture.

Fold egg yolk mixture into the remaining beaten egg whites.

Divide batter between individual souffle dishes greased with olive oil spray.

 

Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes.

 

The souffles can be made 1 hour ahead of time and refrigerated until served. When ready to eat, microwave for 30 seconds before adding ice cream.

 

The original post appeared on the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Stone Soup Blog in February 2016.

  

Spirited Fruitcake, Less Sugar

 

Shopping for dried fruits to add to my holiday cake, I was flabbergasted with the added sugar in most. My cupboard staples dates, figs, apricots and raisins have 0 grams added sugar. The added sugar in dried berries reached upwards of 36 grams per serving, with dried cranberries topping the charts. Since I try to keep my homemade desserts to 12 grams added sugar or less per serving (the American Heart Association recommends no more than 24 grams added sugar per day for women) I chose those dried fruits already in my cupboard.

Anise Fruitcake

4-4 inch cakes (8 servings)

Combine and bring to a boil liquor, sugar, fruit, ginger, orange zest and spices. Boil 1 minutes. 

3 tablespoon sugar

*1/2 cup anise liquor

1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped

1/4 cup dried figs, chopped

1/4 cup dates, chopped

1/4 cup fresh orange sections, chopped and drained

2 tablespoon ginger in syrup

Orange zest (from 1 orange)

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/6 teaspoon cloves

 

Remove from heat and stir in buttery spread.

1/4 cup buttery spread

 

Mix together flour, salt, baking powder and soda.

10 tablespoon whole wheat flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

 

Beat egg.

1 egg

 

Stir dry flour mix and egg into fruit mix. Divide batter into 4 greased mini cake pans. Bake at 325 F for 35-40 minutes.  Cool on wire rack 10 minutes. Invert and remove cake from pans on rack to finish cooling.

*The anise liquor in my fruitcake has 7 grams added sugar per tablespoon (honey has 17, white and brown sugar has 12-13).

 

 

 

 

Classy Grain and Airy Waffles

 

These light and airy waffles, made with the ancient grain Kamut, melted in your mouth. While I started with a bubbly sourdough starter, I created even more of a bubbly sponge by adding flour and liquid to the starter hours before the meal. This "sponge method" gave the dough a lighter texture and better rise.

Sourdough and Kamut Waffles

(10 Waffles)

Stir flours, sugar, milk and lemon juice into starter. Cover and allow to sit 6-9 hours before the meal.

1/2 cup sourdough starter

1/2 cup Kamut flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 cup nonfat milk

2 tablespoon lemon juice

 

Preheat and grease the waffle iron. Mix egg, oil, salt and soda into dough sponge.

1 egg

2 tablespoon olive oil

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon soda 

 

Stir blueberries into batter.

1/2 cup blueberries 

 

Portion 1/4 cup batter onto each waffle square. Bake until golden brown. 

 

The ancient Khorasan wheat Kamut has an interesting history in America. 

 

In 1949, US Airman Earl Dedman received a box of the grain from Egypt and sent to his father in Montana. The father then grew the small number of seeds to 1500 bushels of grain calling it "King Tut's" Wheat.   

 

In the seventies, organic farmers Mack and Bob Quinn (also in Montana) formed a Kamut organization to oversee production worldwide. They trademarked the name, thus Kamut can never be altered by modern breeding.

 

Kamut has a delicate gluten structure and higher ratio of fiber thus requiring more liquid. To strengthen the gluten bond, thoroughly hydrate some of the flour with water before adding the fat. This "sponge method" gives the bread a better rise and lighter texture. 

 

   

Celebrating Christmas Eve with Seafood

We celebrate the arrival of Christmas with carols, lights, decorations, gifts, cards, family and food. Our gathering this year is small and our feast will not be elaborate, yet we will enjoy a seafood course the eve before Noel. 

The Seafood Cioppino pictured above, was a meal enjoyed with in-laws on the holiday a few years ago. The dish has a simmered base of sauteed vegetables, spices, tomato paste and wine with an assortment of seafood added the last 10-20 minutes of preparation. The recipe is from Oldways a Food and Nutrition non profit organization specializing in healthy heritage diets. "Be creative and simmer an assortment of fresh local seafood with this classic rich broth. Serve together with a whole-wheat sourdough." is their recommendation.

The Feast of the Seven Fishes is an Italian American tradition celebrated in a nearby West Virginia Community. The large mural is painted on buildings in Fairmont.  The celebration has several seafood courses, pastas with red or white sauce, sweets and espresso. The true meaning of the celebration is the gathering of the family or guests.

Taste of the South Magazine features a "Feast of the Seven Fishes Stew" in their November/ December issue. I did not use the specific fishes, and mine had 6, but it was very good and I'll have more to prepare this Friday when I make a "Low Country Fish Stew".

Last week I made a Spanakopita type recipe (with salmon) for our half time dinner during a televised basketball game. I did pre-game preps, to include cooking, draining and cooling the spinach and sauteing vegetables. Just before the game, I mixed the filling, then assembled the phyllo crusted meal. I placed the baking tray in the refrigerator and placed in the oven 5 minutes (on the scoreboard) before half time. It was perfect timing.

Phyllo Crusted Salmon

(4 servings)

Steam spinach for 2 minutes and drain. Squeeze spinach between a clean cloth to remove excess moisture and refrigerate to cool.

10 ounce frozen chopped spinach

 

Drain salmon.

5 ounce foil pack cleaned wild salmon

 

Saute leek in olive oil for 5 minutes.

1/4 cup minced leek

2 teaspoon olive oil  

 

Mix spinach, salmon, leeks, lemon juice, egg, spices and feta.

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1 egg, beaten

1/2 teaspoon oregano

2 tablespoon feta 

 

Brush each sheet of phyllo dough with olive oil and layer onto baking sheet.

8 sheets (141 grams) phyllo dough

4 teaspoons olive oil 

Arrange filling longways down center of phyllo.

Fold top and ends of phyllo over filling. 

Arrange seam side down onto parchment lined baking sheet.

Brush top with olive oil.

Bake at 375 F. for 15 minute minutes. 

 

Words of Wisdom for the New Year: Look at your own family menu-add more seafood and different varieties-experiment with seafood recipes.