We all know and love the shish kabob, right? Beef, chicken, shrimp, veggies - a staple of American summertime fare. It's a classic middle Eastern food that has made it to the mainstream of the American diet, much like hummus, pita bread, yogurt, and olives. (Yum - that list made me hungry...) When we moved to Turkey, we realized what shish kabob really is, and did we ever learn to appreciate it. Called "sis kebap" (the s's should have little commas hanging off the bottom, meaning that they say "sh" as opposed to plain old "sss"), the word sis refers to the stick that meat or vegetables is grilled on. It is available ubiquitously in a number of forms - chicken, ground beef or lamb, whole chunks of beef or lamb, with a bunch of vegetables also threaded on as desired. There was even a form which consisted of chunks of sucuk, a kielbasa-like sausage, alternated with blocks of cheese. We learned to love sis kebap, which was almost always served with plenty of grilled vegetables, some salad made of fresh vegetables, rice pilaf, and bread. Lots of bread. There were kebap joints aplenty throughout Istanbul, and it was a delicious and affordable way to eat when we were out and about. Until now, I felt that it was a recipe I would never be able to duplicate at home, but I am happy to report that I have found a marinade recipe that works really, really well. I used it on both beef and chicken with great results. Tonight, I will prepare this for friends. Alongside the grilled meat, I am going to serve a carrot-yogurt salad, "shepherd's" salad, and a rice made with tomatoes, butter, and onions, literally called "tomatoey rice" in Turkish. We'll skip the bread, making this a nice primal meal. All of the recipes are below. (To make kebap from ground meat, follow my Turkish meatballs recipe from another post, and simply press the meat mixture onto a skewer, then grill.) Kebap Marinade 1 cup plain, whole fat yogurt 4 Tbsp tomato paste 1 onion, grated 1 tsp salt 1 tsp cumin add black pepper, cayenne, and garlic as desired generous drizzle of olive oil Mix all ingredients together. Cut meat into bite-sized chunks and mix in with the marinade. Let sit at least 4 hours, longer if possible. Thread meat onto skewers and grill until cooked thoroughly. This amount of marinade is adequate for 4-6 pounds of meat. Carrot Salad 1 lb carrots, peeled and grated 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp sugar 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 cups plain, whole-fat yogurt 2-4 cloves crushed garlic 1. Saute grated carrots in olive oil over medium heat. Mix in sugar and salt. Cook about 10 minutes, or until the volume has decreased by about half. 2. Set aside and let cool. 3. In a bowl, mix together yogurt and garlic until smooth. Pour over grated carrots. 4. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight if possible. Garnish with parsley. Shepherd's Salad 1 pound fresh tomatoes 1 big bunch fresh parsley 1-2 green onions or 1/2 of a red onion 1-2 green peppers 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 cup lemon juice 2-3 Tbsp olive oil 1. Chop all of the fresh veggies into small dices or pieces (this is very important). Put in a bowl all together. 2. In a small container, mix together the salt, lemon juice and olive oil. Toss with the vegetables right before eating. This salad will be heavier on the parsley than we're accustomed to here, where parsley is mainly used as a garnish. Be generous with it - it's delicious. Also nice with other fresh herbs, such as fresh dill or mint, mixed in. Domatesli Pilavi (Tomatoey rice) 3 fresh tomatoes, chopped 1 onion, chopped 2 Tbsp butter 2 Tbsp olive oil 1/2 tsp salt 2 cups long grain white rice, uncooked 4 cups water 1. Over medium heat, heat butter and olive oil in a saucepan. Add tomatoes, onion, and salt. Cook gently until onions are soft and tomatoes start to break down. 2. Add 2 cups of rice and 4 cups of water (or bone broth, if you have it). Bring to a simmer. 3. Cover, turn down heat, and allow to cook until rice is done, 20-25 minutes. Comments are closed.
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AuthorI'm Emily. I currently work in online education management, but I also have a Masters degree in Nutritional Sciences (my true passion). In addition, I am a mom, cook, avid reader, novice gardener, and enjoy all kinds of outdoor activities. On my blog, you will find articles on food, fitness, weight management, and eating issues. ALL recipes on my blog are gluten-free. Many are low-carbohydrate. Most are grain free. Enjoy! Categories
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