Meal Suggestions
Lamb Kofta with Pizza Dough Flatbreads
A delicious and traditional meal for this springtime Ramadan.
Preheat oven to 400.
Roughly chop 1 head of red cabbage and put on a baking or sheet pan.
Drizzle with olive oil, a little apple cider vinegar, a little maple syrup, salt and red pepper flakes, stir to coat, and put in the hot oven.
Mix 3T of red onion, 2 cloves of grated garlic (or use 1/2 t of garlic powder), 1t parsley, 1t oregano, 1t cumin, 1/2t cinnamon, 1t salt, and 1/2t of freshly ground black pepper together.
Add to 1lb ground lamb and mix thoroughly with your hands.
Cover and put in the fridge for 30 mins.
Form 6 evenly sized balls of dough from one defrosted traditional pizza dough ball and let them rest.
Make a quick yogurt dip from 1 cup of yogurt, 2T tahini, 1t apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice), 1 grated clove of garlic, and 1/2 t salt, and set aside.
When your lamb has chilled for 30 minutes, remove it from the fridge.
Form the lamb mixture into little balls or oblongs.
Put a cast iron skillet over medium high heat and add 1T sunflower oil.
When the oil is shimmering, add your kofta and cook about 5 minutes on each side, turning them gently until they are evenly browned. Don't rush them or they will stick to the pan.
When they are cooked all over, put the pan in the oven and cook for another 4 minutes.
While the kofta are cooking, warm another skillet on high heat.
Roll out each small pizza dough ball as thin as you can get them.
Brush one side with melted butter, or melted garlic butter.
Place one flatbread, buttery side down, on the hot skillet. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown on the bottom.
Spread butter on the upper side, then flip and cook another 1-2 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack and repeat with the other flatbreads.
Serve the kofta with hummus, yogurt dip, warm roasted cabbage and hot flatbreads.
Stuffed Dates
A quick, healthy treat or hors d'oeuvres, with endless possibilities.
Carefully slice open the dates, lengthwise, and remove the pits.
Mix 4oz goat cheese or cream cheese with 2T maple syrup or warmed honey.
Use a teaspoon or piping kit to put a little cheese mixture into each date.
Chop or crush 1/3 cup pistachios.
Press the pistachios into the cream cheese, or sprinkle on top of the dates.
Can be enjoyed as is, or warmed in the oven for a few minutes and drizzled with more honey or syrup.
Swap out cheese for peanut butter, use walnuts or pecans instead of pistachios, drizzle with melted chocolate... try your favorite salty or sweet combinations.
The Method: Schmatlz
An integral part of Jewish holiday cooking, schmaltz is a delicious rendered fat which adds buttery richness to any dish - try it for roasting potatoes or even on popcorn!
Start with 1lb of chicken fat and skins. You can collect fatty pieces and freeze them for when you want to make a batch. You'll need 3-4 cups' worth. Make sure to remove any meat still attached to the skin and fat; save that for making stock.
Chop the chicken skin and fat into small pieces and put in a cast iron dutch oven.
Over low heat, cook the scraps - stirring occasionally - until they have released all their fat, about 45 minutes to an hour.
If you want to add extra flavor to your schmaltz, now would be a good time to add one yellow onion, cut into quarters.
Continue cooking and stirring until the bits of chicken skin are crispy and browned. These are the gribenes, and they are a tasty snack, so don't toss them!
Allow to cool and then strain (preferably through cheese cloth or a coffee filter, but a metal strainer will do as well) into a clean glass jar.
Will keep in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
Cider Roasted Lamb Shoulder
This recipe if for a larger gathering of 4-6.
Mix 2T of salt with several good grinds of black pepper.
Rub 2 lamb shoulders with the salt mixture and let them sit at room temperature for 1 hour, or at least 8 hours in the refrigerator.
If the meat has been in the refrigerator, allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before proceeding with the next steps.
Preheat the oven to 350 and put a rack in the lower third.
In a large cast iron dutch oven for which you have a lid, warm 2T of butter over medium high heat.
Add the lamb, fattiest side down, to the pan when the butter has just melted. Leave to brown for 12-15 minutes.
Turn the lamb once that side has browned, and cook slowly on all sides until it is golden all over.
Remove the meat to a plate, pour out the fat and give the pan a quick wipe.
Return the pan to medium heat and add 2T olive oil.
Once shimmering, add 12 halved shallots (or 2 quartered yellow onions), 1 cup chopped carrots, 1/2 cup chopped celeriac, 1/2 cup chopped rutabaga, and 1.5 lbs baby potatoes or cubed regular potatoes.
Sprinkle with 1t salt cook, stirring occasionally, until everything begins to soften and brown.
Add 2 cloves minced garlic and 1t of dried thyme and cook until the garlic is fragrant.
Nestle the lamb in amongst the veggies, then pour in 2 cups of apple cider, 1T maple syrup, and 1T apple cider vinegar. The liquid should cover the vegetables, but not the lamb. Add water or more cider if you need it.
Bring everything to the boil, then cover and remove from the heat.
Put the covered pan into your preheated oven and cook until the meat is tender, about 2 to 2.5 hours.
Allow the pan to sit outside of the oven for 10 minutes, then remove the lamb and the vegetables from the pan to a serving plate.
Tent the lamb with foil and allow to rest for for another 20 minutes.
Return the pan to medium heat and cook down the remaining liquid to make a delicious sauce; strain if you prefer.