Extra Schmaltz!

These are meatballs for when your grandmother isn't  coming over. They are garlicky and full of spices, with jolly hard-boiled eggs for added satisfaction, providing a great mess of comfort food for a cold winter night. I got the recipe from Cracking Curries , and added the pressure cooker option, which makes the meatballs oh-so tender. The great thing about this meatball is that you don't need to pre-fry them, saving time and mess. You could also stew them in the crockpot (though the sauce-making takes some advanced prep). Delicious over basmati rice. Orange juice serving suggestion from Dan. 1 lb ground lamb 1 small onion 1/2 bunch cilantro 1 egg, beaten (or less) 1 tsp. cayenne 1 tsp. black pepper 2 tsp. salt 3 Tbsp. butter 1 large onion, sliced 2 medium tomatoes, diced 1 Tbsp. tomato paste 6 cloves garlic, minced 1" knob ginger, minced 2 tsp. ground coriander 1/2 tsp. cayenne (to taste) 2 tsp. salt (to taste) 1 c. boiling water 4 eggs, har...

This meal is hearty, chock-full-of-nutrients, and fairly quick. The meat recipe is one I picked up along the way and the bulghur recipe is from the Almost Turkish blog. The yogurt sauce on the side is optional but it adds a nice balance to the meat. If you want to make the recipes separately, the meat sauce can be served over rice or macaroni, and the bulghur would make a nice side to any meat dish. Feel free to get creative with spices on the meat sauce--I used a seasoning mix from Morocco last time I made it. Afghani Meat Sauce 1 1/2 lb. ground lamb or beef 1 medium onion, diced 3 Tbsp. tomato paste 1/2-3/4 c. hot water 2 tsp. salt, or to taste 1 Tbsp. ground coriander 1 tsp. black pepper 1 pinch red pepper flakes 1 clove garlic, crushed oil for cooking If you have a pressure cooker, use it to cook the meat. If not, a regular frying pan with a lid will work. Heat a little oil in the pan and add the meat. Break it up thoroughly while browning. Cook until excess moisture is gone. Add t...

It's hard to find a good cabbage roll. Some of them are just absurdly large. Others are in a gross tomato sauce. A lot of them simply have too much rice and not enough spice. Well, problem solved! Here's my adaptation of this recipe from Almost Turkish. The lamb makes these pack a flavor wallop, but you can use beef instead. I like the texture of the barley better than rice and I wanted to use a whole grain, but you can use any other grain or leave it out entirely. If you can find a loose-head cabbage this will be easier, but just work with what you've got. 1 lb. ground lamb 1 large head of cabbage 1/2 c. pearled barley 1 onion, grated 1/2 c. parsley, minced 1/4 c. fresh dill, minced (or 1 Tbsp. dried) 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 Tbsp. tomato paste 1 Tbsp. salt 1 Tbsp. olive oil 2 Tsp. ground black pepper 1 tiny pinch allspice 1 lemon, juiced 2-3 Tbsp. butter hot water Cook the barley (1:1.5, 15 minutes) until al-dente. Meanwhile, boil a large pot of salted water. You can...

This soup is simple and satisfying and turns out great in the crockpot or pressure cooker. It's essentially a flavorful lamb-based broth with large chunks of root vegetables floating in it. It's traditionally served with strips of flatbread immersed in it, which I think is even tastier when the bread is stale. You can use any kind of bone-in lamb, as long as the individual chunks aren't too big (i.e. don't use an entire lamb shoulder). Try your best to find turnips because these really give it the flavor it needs. Despite the simple seasonings and broth-iness, this soup is hearty and satisfying. I normally leave the turnips in larger pieces, but some of mine had hollow centers I had to cut out. By keeping things in large chunks they don't fall apart and cloud the broth as much. 1.5-2 lbs. bone-in lamb chunks 1 large onion 1 tsp. ground coriander 2-3 tomatoes, peeled and sliced or chopped 2-3 carrots, peeled and cut into thick diagonal slices 3-4 potatoes, peeled an...

Kibbeh is a combination of ground lamb and bulghur*, and is eaten throughout the Levant. It can be prepared in countless ways, from raw to deep fried. Here's my version of a baked style, made into a hotdish with potatoes and tomatoes. I have changed and refined this recipe, and it's very similar to Alex's kufta hotdish, the main difference being that this one contains bulgur. Both versions are delicious! Here's what you'll need: 1 lb. ground lamb 3/4 c. bulghur 1 small onion 1/3 c. chopped parsley + extra for garnish 1 medium russet potato, peeled and sliced very thin (1/8") 1-2 tomatoes, sliced thin 3 cloves garlic, crushed 2 Tbsp. salt 2 tsp. black pepper 1/2 tsp. allspice 1/2 tsp. ground cumin 1/2 tsp. cayenne 1 pinch cinnamon pine nuts for garnish (optional) Preheat your oven to 350. Grease a large, flat-bottomed baking dish or cast iron pan. Place the sliced potatoes in the bottom of the pan and place the pan in the oven while preparing the other ingredi...