August is coming to an end, and we’re gifted with some nice weather. To be honest, I can’t wait for the season to change. But that’s not going to happen yet, even though the mornings are chilly, the daylight is different, softer, than a month ago, there’s fog in the meadow in the early morning and it’s dark now at 10pm…you can feel it coming! Until then, we still should bring out the best of this Summer season on our plates, don’t you think? That’s why today I give you the recipes for two Turkish-ish dishes: lamb skewers and grilled vegetables. The meat recipe is not really Turkish because I added sriracha…don’t think that’s something they would do over there…but it’s a nice touch to a great recipe!
For the meat, you will have to use ground meat. Ground lamb that is, and I know a lot of people have a “problem” with eating lamb, or veal. It’s “cute-meat” and that’s the problem. What’s cute we won’t eat. Right, but think again! Personally I love cows, pigs and chickens. Dead or alive. Have you ever been close to a cow? Their beautiful eyes are stunning. And what about pigs, you gotta love them rolling in the mud and making noise. And it’s acceptable for most people (vegans excluded) to eat it on an almost daily base. But, what about the babies of these animals, I admit they are really soooo cute, but I have no problem seeing them on my plate. In the meadow in front of my house, there are sheep walking around and waking me up way too early sometimes. Especially in Spring when they have lambs, and it’s really adorable seeing those little ones jumping and running around. But I’m certain, if people were offered to taste lamb or veal without them knowing what it was, most would love it.
Now, sheep, yeah that’s a different kind of meat. Over here it’s not common to eat that meat, it’s more a southern thing. But lamb is eaten a lot. And because of the taste, it can’t be compared to any other meat. Perfect for grilling, with some herbs and garlic..
All I’m trying to say here is, give it a try, why stick to pork, beef and chicken?! Enrich your world. And to people who say it’s sad for these cute animals to be eaten, let me ask you this: do you know how “regular” animals are being treated, from the moment they’re born until they’re slaughtered?? Now that’s what I call mean, lacking any form of respect for the animals. I’m not talking about the animals who have a good life, with enough space, living outside instead of in a dirty barn packed together like sardines. That’s what I call animal abuse. But since most people have no clue or don’t want to know, this will never change. And as long as the meat they’re eating isn’t recognizable that it once was a living animal, they’re fine with it.
Of course I realize it’s also mainly a price-thing. Lots of people can’t afford to spend money on organic, ranch raised, sustainable or any other type of meat that comes from animals that had a good humane life. Instead of that, they pay money for a tasteless piece of meat, that has not much to do with how meat SHOULD taste. To those people I want to say, please think again… skip the idea of eating meat every day, and spend the money you’re saving this way on good tasty meat. You’re worth it. And so are the animals, who gave their life to provide you with great food, respect that and it will make you feel better too. Because when you support local farms for example, who treat their animals well, you made a step towards feeding your family in a more healthy way. Sustainable farms don’t use chemicals or pesticides to fertilize the land, plus they don’t feed the animals with genetically modified food in order to speed up the growing up process.
Supporting these local farms is important: for you, your family, the animals, the environment and the people who run these farms. Make a change if you can, and the world will be a better place for every living creature involved!
That being said, it’s time to start cooking!
The ingredients:
The skewers:
1 lb ground lamb
1 shallot, minced
1 large garlic clove, mashed
1,5 teaspoon sriracha or any other hot sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons greek yogurt
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Salt
Olive oil for cooking
Mix all these ingredients together and form 4 balls. Brush them with the olive oil. You can make any shape of the meatballs you like, but I made them this way to make it easier to put on the grill plus it looks nice.
These skewers need about 20 minutes, first sear them above the hot direct heat and as soon as they start to get a nice brown color, move them over to the other side (indirect heat).
The ingredients for the vegetables:
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 eggplant, chopped
8 small tomatoes, cut in half
1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs, like rosemary, thyme, oregano.
1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
8 green olives, cut in half
Salt
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
Mix the bell pepper, eggplant, tomatoes, herbs, chili flakes and some salt with the olive oil. Grill this on a high heat. They only need about 5-8 minutes, depending on how large you chopped the vegetables.
Arrange the roasted vegetables on a nice plate, top with the feta cheese and the parsley.
I served all this with flat bread and tzatziki sauce:
With this meal on your plate, Summer feels like it will never end!!
Enjoy!
