NuM NuM

If you're lookin' for a change to your boring weeknight meal then this is a wonderful dish to try - especially if you're a fan of Indian food. Pomegranate molasses is a new ingredient I've been cooking with recently and I find it gives a tremendous boost of flavor to any dish. In my latest creation I drizzled it over sweet vanilla ice cream and it was divine!! If you like the taste of POM juice then you'll enjoy using this ingredient.

The pomegranate molasses was an innovative addition to tonight's meal and made the kebabs very unique from the other kefta/kebabs on this site, which can be found here and here. The glaze smelled sooooo good the second it hit the grilled meat. The aroma was coming through the window and perfumed the entire house. The pomegranate added an interesting tartness to the savory meat and made for a wild sensation of flavors. In fact, the flavor of the pomegranate was so intense against the savory meat that it was a taste I'd never experienced before. Are you intrigued? Makes ya wanna go out and buy some doesn't it?! If you're skeptical to try it with savory foods, buy it for the mere fact of using it as an ice cream topping alone. YUM!

I served this with roasted okra (I am a new believer in okra), baked falafel (which I will post about soon) and store bought tzatziki sauce. I would first try the meat with the yogurt sauce just in case it's too "funky" for your liking. The cool yogurt balances out the tartness of the pomegranate and adds a great contrast against the hot meat. This was a welcomed change for a weeknight meal and a yummy new recipe to try.


Ground Turkey Kefta Kebabs with Pomegranate Glaze
Recipe from Food Network
Serves three

* 1/2 bunch fresh parsley, leaves picked (about 2 cups)
* 4 sprigs fresh mint, leaves picked (about 1 cup)
* 1 shallot, roughly chopped
* Zest and juice of 1 Meyer lemon**
* 2 cloves garlic
* 1 pound ground lamb
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 tsp garam masala
* 1 egg white, lightly beaten
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
* Olive oil, for greasing and drizzling
* 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses*
* 1 teaspoon stone-ground mustard
* Can be found at specialty Asian and Indian markets
* Special Equipment: 12 (10-inch) bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

In a food processor, combine the parsley, mint, shallot, and garlic and pulse until finely minced. Add the mixture to a bowl with the ground turkey, (I only added 3/4 amount of the herb mixture to the turkey) baking soda, lemon zest, egg, garam masala and lots of salt and pepper, to taste. Knead until just combined. Make a tester patty in a pan and adjust with salt and pepper. Pull off a small ball of meat and shape into a fat cylinder. Thread a skewer through the middle lengthwise, and smooth the meat down the skewer until it's even all the way down. Repeat with rest of the meat mixture. Put the kebabs on an oiled baking sheet and drizzle with a little more oil. Combine the pomegranate molasses, lemon juice and mustard in a small bowl. Set aside.

Light a grill or heat a grill pan over medium-high heat.

Arrange the kebabs on the hot grill, turning once and generously brushing with the pomegranate mixture in the last few minutes of cooking. Cook the kebabs until browned and cooked through.

**If you are using a regular lemon that you find at the store, add a pinch of sugar to balance out a bit of the tartness from the pomegranate molasses.




Oven Roasted Okra
Adapted from Yamuna Devi's Yamuna's Table
Serves 2

20 Okra (the smaller the size the better)
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon water
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt or herb salt (Lawry’s Seasoned Salt)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
Lime, cut into wedges

Oven preheated to 500F. Rinse and pat okra dry. Combine all of the ingredients except the okra and lime in a bowl. Mix to form a grainy paste. Toss the okra in the mixture, then spread out on a baking sheet. Lightly spray the okra with cooking spray, and bake for 10 - 12 minutes. Turn okra over every 5 minutes to brown evenly. The Okra is done when it's nice and tender and you can easily pierce it with a fork. Serve with lime wedges (I just mixed the spices together minus the olive oil and water and sprinkled over the okra and drizzled with EVOO)

**Roasting the okra at high temperature gets rid of most of the "slime" factor.