This past weekend, my brother was visiting. We wanted to go out, yet have a home cooked meal and not resort to just getting takeout on the way home. I had already planned on making Kofta with Tomato Sauce (Mediterranean Meatballs with Tomato Sauce), so I thought that I would put my dusty, neglected slow cooker to good use. I made the kofta … [Read more…]
Sloppy Joes
We needed a fast meal. We decided on Sloppy Joes, adding some veggies to it. To make it even faster, I started on the sauce as soon as I started browning the ground beef (each done in a separate pot). You could totally start with the meat, and continue adding the rest of the ingredients TO the meat. My kids like these with glazed or buttered … [Read more…]
Kofta Wrapped in Grape Leaves – Lahma ‘a Waraqa (la7ma 3ala waraqa)
This is my third kofta post. As you can see, these marvelous morsels of meat are very versatile and come in many variations. This particular variation is the standard kofta mix, formed into small patties, and wrapped in grape leaves. If I mention grape leaves, my husband automatically says, ” we should make kofta with them!”, he prefers them to … [Read more…]
Kofta with Tomato Sauce (Mediterranean Meatballs with Tomato Sauce)
This is a tray bake of kofta with potatoes, onions, and tomato sauce. I’ve previously posted a Kofta with Tahini recipe, which is pretty much the same thing, but with a different sauce. This dish can be assembled the night before, and then popped in the oven after you get home from work, so it is a good weeknight option. This is very good … [Read more…]
Basic Beef Meatballs
I asked my son what he thought we should have for dinner, and he said ‘meatballs!’. He likes them with marinara sauce, but my daughter likes them plain. I find that the addition of mayonnaise and ketchup keeps the meatballs moist. You don’t discern the mayo and ketchup flavor in the finished meatballs, just that there is flavor in the … [Read more…]
Artichoke Msaka’a/Moussaka
This is a layered baked dish of frozen artichoke bottoms, spiced ground beef, and tomatoes. I know of some people who get fresh artichokes, trim and de-choke, then get on to the recipe. However, when I get fresh artichokes, I prefer to steam them and eat them leaf by leaf . I am very happy to be able to use frozen artichoke bottoms for a dish like … [Read more…]
Beef and Potato Green Bean Stew
When your son asks for green bean stew, you make green bean stew. He’s actually been asking for a couple of days in a row, but I was too sick to go shopping. Today I realized that we were too low on everything but I am still not well enough to go shopping, so I ordered grocery pick up, including…..green beans! I previously posted a vegetarian … [Read more…]
Hummus with Ground Beef
Hummus is a very versatile food. You can have it for breakfast or a snack. You can top it with ground beef, and have a very hearty lunch or dinner. We often have this as part of our weekend brunch. We eat a little later in the morning, and have a good spread of several items to hold us till we eat our second meal which is later in the afternoon … [Read more…]
Pot Roast
This was dinner a few nights ago. I have had family visiting for the past few and I have a few posts in the wings to type up and publish. Pot Roast 4 lb roast 1/2 onion, sliced 4 cloves garlic, smashed slightly with the side of the knife and chopped 1-2 bay leaves 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon … [Read more…]
Curried Ground Beef with Peas and Potatoes
Peas and Potatoes (Basella wa Batata) is a commonly made dish in the Levant area. Some people make this as a tomato based stew, and some as a sort of a curry stew. My family typically made it as a curry, but I love it both ways. Tonight, however, I made it close to how I always had it growing up, as a curried stew served with yogurt and … [Read more…]