Lamburgers with feta cheese and ras-el-hanout

I have to share this latest discovery with you- a customer told me these were great BBQ meal, so I thought I'd try to make some myself and they are super delish!

Here's my recipe.

Lamburgers with feta cheese and ras -el-hanout

1.5 lbs. (700 grams) organic ground lamb

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons ras el hanout

a handful of chopped fresh herbs, such as chives, oregano and greek basil

chopped cherry tomatoes

whole grain hamburger buns

Put lamb in a large bowl and add cheese, egg and ras el hanout. Blend to combine, but do not over-mix, this will make for a tough burger. Form meat into 4 patties.

Cook on an outdoor grill or broil in the oven for approximately 7-8 minutes per side.

Serve with whole wheat buns, tomatoes, fresh herbs and minted yoghurt if desired.

Serves 4 people.

See all my summer BBQ grilling rub spice kits available here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/purposedesign?section_id=6536157

Oscar party nibblies

Hello, long neglected blog. I've been busy with spice kits and other creative endeavors.

Here are some quick shots of food served at my annual Oscar party last night. I didn't have time to shoot everything but it will give you an idea of the offerings. The theme was French food, inspired by the movie Julie & Julia.

Yes, I wore pearls.

Le menu

- port poached figs with rosemary black pepper chevre and walnuts on puff pastry crackers (first photo)

- tartines with black olive tartinade and crushed pistachios (second photo)

- tartines with diced hass avodcado, balsamic caviar and smoked paprika (third photo)

- ricotta and sultana stuffed crêpes with a pear, ginger and lime sauce

- du puy lentil salad spoons with steamed haricots verts and turmeric shrimp

- mixed greens with fresh dill and a walnut vinaigrette

- chocolate cream cake (a Julia Child recipe)

Identify me!

Hello again, after a long pause for some vacation time.

Here's a challenge for you: I found these green vegetables and cooked them while I was in Amsterdam. The seller at the farmers market said they were a type of seaweed. I found they tasted like asparagus when sautéed.

Can you tell me what they are?

Strawberry and Black Pepper Sorbet

The weather is rotten, so since I can't barbeque I have started experimenting making fresh fruit sorbets with spice.

Here's the recipe for the first one I tried.

Strawberry and Black Peppercorn Sorbet

4 cups crushed hulled strawberries (about 1 1/2 lbs.)

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 tablespoon of whole black pepper

Special equipment: Ice cream maker / sorbetière

Take peppercorns and crush roughly with a mortar and pestle.

Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stir occasionally to dissolve sugar and make a simple syrup.

Once sugar has dissolved, add the peppercorns and let it sit for 20-25 minutes.

Once mixture has cooled, strain the sugar water and peppercorns through a fine sieve or a piece of cheesecloth.

There should not be any pieces of pepper remaining in the simple syrup.

Add the syrup to the crushed strawberries and stir to combine. Pour into freezer bowl of ice cream make and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. After it is done, transfer to another container and freeze for another couple of hours.

If you are feeling fancy, serve it in martini glasses. Enjoy!

Ode to Summer

Ah, the sweet rewards of going to pick berries on a farm.

Recipes to come soon....

Steak kebabs with Mexican chili rub

The fruits of last week's BBQ: delicious kebabs on my friend's back deck, served with fresh strawberry daiquiris. Yum!

Ingredients

1 pound (500 grams) of your favorite cut of red meat, cut into approximately 1 inch cubes

1 -2 small zucchini, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds

1 red pepper and one yellow pepper, seeded and sliced into medium chunks

1 red or vidallia onion

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons of Mexican rub

Directions 

Take meat and cover it generously with the rub and press on with your fingertips. Brush meat lightly with olive oil. Thread onto skewers, alternating with the sliced vegetables. Place skewers on grill and cook until middle or meat cubes are well cooked, depending on heat of your grill. Let meat rest for a few minutes after removing it from the grill to allow the juices to redistribute. Serve with corn chips and fresh salsa.

Serves 4-5 adults

Blue Marlin with Chimichurri rub on whole wheat burritos

This recipe, friends, will knock your socks off. If you haven't tried blue marlin on the grill, go purchase some immediately.

Ingredients

500 grams of fresh blue marlin filets, skinless
2 heaping tablespoons chimichurri rub
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
4 whole wheat burritos or pita
2 fresh sliced tomatoes
1/4 red onion sliced into thin rings
1 cup of romaine or arugula, rinsed and torn

Directions

Rinse marlin and pat dry.
Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice over marlin filets and pat rub onto both sides of fish.
Place fish on grill or under the broiler and cook for about 8-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of your filets.
Let fish cool for 2-3 minutes then slice into bite sized cubes. Place fish in tortillas or pitas over lettuce, onions, and tomatoes.
Roll up and serve. You can add a sauce or salsa for dipping as well, but I like mine nude. ;-)

Happy grilling!