Lamb kaboodeh with saffron rice and cucumber salad

I wanted to make some Mediterranean dish because I got this whole wheat pita bread from the store the other day. This pita bread was amazing and I just wanted to make something to go with it. So here is the menu for today.




Lamb kaboodeh( ground lamb kabob)
Ingredients

Lamb Kaboodeh

1 lb ground lamb
1/2 medium sized red onion grated
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
2-3 garlic pods grated
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1-2 tablespoons milk
Pinch of saffron
1 egg beaten
I tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

Squeeze as much water as possible from the grated onions. Heat the milk and at the saffron
And let it stand for 10 minutes
Mix all the ingredients together with a light hand. Divide it into 5 equal parts and make it into logs or put them on a skiver. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 35-40 minutes. Turn them half way through. Serve as an appetizer or as a side dish


Saffron Rice

Cucumber salad

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

1. 1 medium small cucumber peeled and cut into 1 cm pieces

2. 1 Roma tomato seeded and chopped in the same size

3. 1 tablespoon each of finely chopped red onion, fresh squeezed lemon juice

4. 1/2-3/4 Teaspoon salt

5. 1/2 teaspoon pepper

6. 1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint (optional)

7. 1 tablespoon finely chopped red bell pepper (optional)

Let the onions and lemon juice sit together until you cut all the other veggies. Mix the rest of the ingredients together. Hold the salt until you are ready to serve else it will make the veggies lose water. Enjoy

Mediterranean Cabbage and Saffron Rice

Its been quite some time that I made cabbage and I wanted to eat cabbage (of all things!!!) . I was searching my own recipes and this recipe is something I made a long time ago.
To go with it I made the most simplest Saffron rice dishes you would ever come across. Different people make it in different ways and here is a recipe for Saffron Pulao

Mediterranean Cabbage (Stir fried cabbage with dried fruit and nuts)

Mediterranean Cabbage

Ingredients:

1)4 cups of thinly sliced green cabbage
2)1/2 red bell pepper sliced and cut into 11/2-2 inch pieces
3)1/2 cup sliced red onion
4)1 table spoon kirkland signature mediterranean blend oil (or use any other oil)
5)1/2-1 teaspoon lemon pepper salt, 

6)Heaped teaspoon each of raisins, cranberries and sliced almonds

7)2 garlic pods grated

Heat a non-stick pan and dry roast the amonds and raisins and cranberries for 5 minutes on medium low heat. Remove and set aside. Roast the red bell pepper for 5 minutes. remove and set aside. Heat the oil and fry the onions till they start turning brown. Add garlic and fry for 30 seconds. And cabbage, reduce heat to medium cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add lemon pepper and stir to combine. Add the dried fruit and nuts and roasted bell pepper and stir to combine. Serve with Saffron Rice

Simple Saffron Rice (Saffron flavored rice)

Saffron rice

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups rice cooked according to the package directions or in a rice cooker.
2. 1/4 cup milk
3. Big pinch of saffron stands

Heat the milk for 30 seconds and add the saffron to it. Let sand for 5-10 minutes. Add this to the cooked hot rice. Stir to combine and serve after 5 minutes.

Lamb with lentils and Saffron Pulao

I started searching for lamb dishes with beans and the dish I finally made has a little Persian touch to it and is definitely one of the best lentil dishes I have every eaten. This dish has lentils and lima beans . The original recipe called for Sultanas (I am guessing these are Lima beans...I have seen them somewhere ) . But anyway since I couldn't find Sultana beans I used canned Lima beans and the dish turned out to be great.
                   And I made Saffron Pulao to serve this lamb dish with. This is a bit different from the Saffron Rice I make. And this is equally delicious. So please enjoy a great dinner

Lamb with Lentils (Lamb meat with spicy lentils and beans)

Lamb with beans and lentils

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb lamb or goat cut into medium bite size pieces
2. 1/2 cup lentils
3. 1/2 can lima beans drained
4. 1 bay leaf
5. 1 inch cinnamon stick broken
6. 1/2-3/4 teaspoon each of salt and chilly powder
7. 1/2 teaspoon each of turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder, ginger-garlic paste
8. 2 tablespoons oil
9. 1 medium onion chopped
10. 1 big or 2 small green chillies slit
11. cilantro for garnishing

In a pressure cooker heat the oil and fry the onions till they start turning brown. Add green chillies, cinnamon and bay leaf and fry for a minute. Add lamb and fry for 5 minutes. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for a couple of minutes. Add all the spices and stir to combine. Add 1/2 cup water and cook for 3-4 whistles. At the same time in another pot add the lentils with 2 cups of water and cover and bring to a boil. Simmer on medium heat for 25-30 minutes until the lentils are cooked through.

               Let all the steam from the pressure cooker escape, open it and add the lentils and lima beans to the pot. Add 1/2 cup water and simmer for 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve with roti or Saffron Pulao

Saffron Pulao (Rice cooked with Saffron)

Saffron Rice

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups basmati rice washed and soaked in water for 10 minutes.
2. 1/2 teaspoon saffron crushed
3. 1/2 teaspoon salt
4. 1 cup milk
5. 2 cups water
6. 1 tablespoon oil
7. 1/2 cup sliced red onions

In a heavy bottomed pan heat the oil and fry the onions till they become golden brown. Add the milk and water and salt and bring to a boil. Add saffron and drained rice and simmer on low for 20 minutes or until rice is cooked. Serve