NuM NuM

Today marks my 100th blog entry! Wow, I can't believe I've made 100 different dishes. Now I don't feel so bad when I look at my long laundry list of recipes I have yet to attack. So to celebrate, I made a recipe that I've had my eye on for a while now and what better occassion then for my 100th blog post. Ooooh and let me tell you, this dish did not disappoint. It was GOOD! So good in fact that it's going to be classified under NuM NuM, which is the hall of fame of the NuM Num - just in case you were wondering.

The inspiration for this meal came from a dish that lobster and I love eating at a restaurant near our house. The exotic spice mixture used in this recipe makes the meat so flavorful. There's a nice suprise at the end of each bite from the cayenne which gives a little heat in the back of your throat which is unexpected and makes it so fun to eat. This smelled sooooo good when I was grilling it on the dalmation. The smell alone had me hooked! We stuffed the meat into pita pockets along with some greek salad, grilled zucchini, and topped it off with tzatziki sauce. Each bite was loaded with a melody of flavors and it was THE BOMB! The lobster enjoyed this equally as much. After the first bite he said, "damn that's good!" I'm so glad I made a lot since we have plenty of leftovers for tomorrow. You know its NUM when you can't wait to eat leftovers the next day.

**The salad was really good too. I could've just ate that on its own.


Kefta and Zucchini Kebabs
Adapted from Gourmet Magazine in 1980
4 servings

For zucchini:
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil (we used about half of this)
2 medium zucchini (1 1/4 lb total), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices

Prepare zucchini: Whisk together lemon juice, sugar, salt, pepper, and oil in a large bowl and stir in zucchini slices. Marinate at room temperature while making meatballs.
**We seasoned the zucchini with olive oil, salt and pepper

For kefta (meatballs)
2 slices firm white or wheat sandwich bread, torn into small pieces
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 lb ground turkey
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg white

Make meatballs: Cover bread with water in a bowl and soak 10 minutes. Squeeze handfuls of bread to remove as much excess water as possible and put in bowl of food processor. Add onion, herbs, bread crumbs, salt and spices and pulse until finely chopped. Place mixture in bowl with meat and egg white and mix with hands until well blended. Form turkey mixture into logs and put on skewers. If meat feels too flimsy and won't stay on the skewer broil instead of grilling.

Grill zucchini and turkey on oiled grill rack, turning over once, until golden and just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes.


Greek Salad
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa
2 servings

• 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1/2 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved OR cut and remove seeds of vine
ripened tomatoes into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/4 red onion, sliced in half-rounds
• 1/4 pound greek feta cheese, (crumbled)
• 1/4 cup total of parsley and mint, chopped
• Romaine lettuce, chopped

For the vinaigrette:
• 1 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard (I always end up adding 1/4 tsp more)
• 1/8 cup good red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (I add just a sprinkle more)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 cup good olive oil

Directions
Place the cucumber, tomatoes red onion and herbs in a large bowl.
For the vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, oregano, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Still whisking, slowly add the olive oil to make an emulsion. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables. Add the feta and olives and toss lightly. Set aside for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Just before serving toss with lettuce and more dressing. Serve at room temperature


Stuffing the pitas: Cut each pita in half. Once the turkey is done cooking, slice each log in half and slice each half lengthwise so the pita is easier to stuff. Add the salad, grilled zucchini, tzatziki, opened wide and scarf it down.