Gentle Al Kebabs With Fire Charred Eggplant And Yogurt Recipes

LAMB AND ARTICHOKE KEBABS WITH GREEK YOGURT DIP

Steps:

• Combine 3/4 cup olive oil, the juice of 1 lemon, the paprika, dried mint, 1/2 teaspoon cumin and the red pepper flakes in a large bowl. Add the lamb and toss to coat; cover and refrigerate 1 to 4 hours.
• Preheat a grill to medium high and brush the grates with vegetable oil. Thread the lamb, eggplant, artichokes and olives onto eight 10-inch skewers; season with salt. Grill the kebabs, turning occasionally, until marked, about 10 minutes for medium.
• Meanwhile, make the yogurt dip: Puree the yogurt, the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, juice of 1/2 lemon and1 teaspoon cumin, 2 tablespoons water, the chopped mint, garlic and 1 teaspoon salt in a blender until smooth; serve with the kebabs.

MEATBALL AND EGGPLANT PARM KEBABS

Steps:

• Make the marinara sauce: Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook, stirring, until lightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the oregano, then add the tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside until ready to serve. (For a smoother sauce, puree with an immersion blender.)
• Meanwhile, make the meatballs: Combine the beef, sausage, shredded mozzarella, parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley, grated garlic, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl; mix with your hands until combined. Form into 1 1/2-inch meatballs (about 24).
• Make the kebabs: Preheat a grill to medium high. Combine the eggplants, broccoli, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl; toss to coat. Thread the meatballs, eggplant and broccoli onto eight 12-inch skewers.
• Brush the grill grates with olive oil. Grill the kebabs, covered and turning occasionally, until the meatballs are cooked through and marked and the vegetables are charred around the edges, about 15 minutes; drape a slice of mozzarella over each meatball during the last minute of cooking. Remove to a platter. Reheat the marinara sauce if needed. Serve the kebabs in rolls with the marinara sauce, parmesan and red pepper flakes.

LAMB KEBABS WITH HERBED YOGURT

Steps:

• Combine sumac, cumin, coriander, and Aleppo pepper. In a large bowl, combine 1/4 cup mixture, lamb, onion, garlic, cilantro, chile, and 2 tablespoons salt; thoroughly incorporate with your hands. Refrigerate, covered, at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.
• Herbed Yogurt:Stir parsley and dill into yogurt. Add lime zest and juice; season with salt. (Can be made-ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days.)
• Preheat a grill to medium-high. Working with about 1/3 cup at a time, form mixture into roughly 3-inch ovals; thread onto skewers. (You should have about 16 kebabs.) Transfer to a tray lightly coated with oil; turn kebabs to lightly coat all sides. Grill, turning occasionally, until charred in spots and a thermometer inserted in thickest parts reaches 140 degrees, 10 to 12 minutes. Dust with remaining spice mixture. Drizzle Herbed Yogurt with olive oil and serve with the kebabs.

GENTLE AL KEBABS WITH FIRE-CHARRED EGGPLANT AND YOGURT

Steps:

• 1. Combine the lamb, onion, garlic, dill (if using), salt, cumin, and pepper in a large bowl. Knead and squeeze the mixture with your hands until thoroughly blended, 3 to 4 minutes. To test the mixture for seasoning, sauté a small amount of it in a nonstick skillet until cooked through, then taste, adding salt or pepper to the remaining mixture as necessary.2. Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap. Divide the meat mixture into 4 equal portions. Lightly wet your hands with cold water, then mold each portion around a skewer to form a sausage about 11 inches long and 1 inch in diameter. Place each kebab as it is made on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate the kebabs for 1 to 2 hours.3. Preheat the grill to high.4. When ready to cook, place the eggplants on the hot grate and grill, turning with tongs, until the skin is charred on all sides and the flesh is soft, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer the eggplants to a plate and let cool.5. Scrape off as much of the charred skin as possible (it's not necessary to remove every bit). Cut the eggplant into chunks and process in a food processor until puréed. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the garlic, 1 cup yogurt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper. The purée should be quite loose add the remaining 1/4 cup yogurt as needed. Correct the seasoning, adding lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste the mixture should be highly seasoned. Cover and set aside.6. If necessary, add 20 to 24 fresh coals to bump up the grill heat to high. If desired, set up the grill for grateless grilling.7. When ready to cook, if not using the grateless method, generously oil the grate. Arrange the kebabs on the grill as described in the grateless method, or arrange directly on the hot oiled grate. Grill, turning with tongs, until nicely browned and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes in all.8. Meanwhile, warm the eggplant purée on one side of the grill in an uncovered medium-size saucepan.9. Use a pita to protect your hand as you slide each sausage off its skewer onto a platter, then cut the sausages into 2-inch pieces. To serve, spoon the warmed eggplant purée into the center of 4 serving plates. Top each portion with 1/4 cup of the yogurt and arrange a cut-up sausage on the yogurt. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately with the pita.Makes 4 kebabs serves 4

LAMB IN LAVASH / LYULYA KEBAB

Steps:

• 1. Place the lamb and onion in a food processor and process until the onion is ground very fine. Add the flour, chopped parsley, slivered basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and process briefly to combine. To test the mixture for seasoning, sauté a small amount of it in a nonstick skillet until cooked through, then taste, adding salt or pepper to the remaining mixture as necessary it should be highly seasoned. Transfer to a large bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.2. If desired, set up the grill for grateless grilling. Preheat the grill to high.3. Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap. Divide the meat mixture into 8 equal portions. Lightly wet your hands with cold water, then mold each portion around a skewer to form a sausage about 12 inches long and 3/4 inch wide. Place each kebab as it is made on the prepared baking sheet (see Note).4. When ready to cook, if not using the grateless grill method, generously oil the grate. Arrange the kebabs as described in the grateless method, or arrange directly on the hot oiled grate. Grill, turning with tongs, until nicely browned on both sides and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes in all.5. Remove the kebabs to a platter and arrange the lavash in one layer on the grill grate. Grill just until warm and pliable, about 20 seconds per side. Remove from the grill and cut into 5 3 4 inch strips.6. Use a strip of lavash to protect your hand as you slide each sausage off its skewer onto a platter. Cut each sausage into three 4-inch pieces. Wrap each piece, along with a whole basil leaf and a sprig of parsley, in a strip of lavash. Arrange the bundles on a serving platter and sprinkle with the sliced scallions and pomegranate seeds. Serve accompanied, if desired, by ground sumac.Makes 24 pieces serves 8 to 12 as an appetizer, 4 to 6 as an entréeNote: If not planning to cook immediately, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

SPICY LAMB WITH CHARRED EGGPLANT PURéE AND PITA

Steps:

• Char eggplants directly over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides and very tender in center, about 20 minutes. Cool; cut open. Spoon flesh into sieve set over bowl; discard skins. Drain at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.
• Transfer eggplant to bowl and mash. Chop garlic with salt and mash to paste; mix into eggplant. Mix in yogurt. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.
• Heat large nonstick skillet over high heat. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper; add to skillet in single layer. Sprinkle with dried crushed pepper. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook lamb until tender and brown, turning occasionally and adding water by tablespoonfuls if very dry, about 45 minutes. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover lamb in skillet and chill. Rewarm over low heat.
• Warm eggplant over low heat; spoon into dish. Spoon lamb and any juices over Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with pita.

CHARRED-EGGPLANT AND BEEF BURGERS

Steps:

• Heat grill to high. Char eggplant, turning often, until cooked through and soft, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• Cut eggplant in half, and scrape flesh into a fine sieve set over a bowl; discard skin. Let stand for 2 hours to drain. Coarsely chop eggplant.
• Stir 1/2 cup eggplant into beef; reserve remainder for another use. Divide mixture into 4 equal pieces. Shape each into a 3 1/2-inch patty (about 3/4 inch thick).
• Reheat grill to high. Grill buns, cut sides down. Brush both sides of burgers with oil, and season with salt. Grill until charred, about 4 minutes per side for medium (3 minutes per side if using a grill pan).
• Meanwhile, mix together ketchup, pickles, yogurt, and mustard. Spread some sauce onto each bun half. Top bottom buns with lettuce, tomato, then burgers. Shave cheese onto burgers using a Microplane zester. Sandwich with remaining bun halves.