I was out with my 9-year-old yesterday, and we were chatting about this and that. We talked about his day at school (he nearly stepped in a puddle of vomit in the hallway, and he changed lunch tables so that he didn't have to sit next to the annoying girls who like Justin Bieber), his passionate love of geckos. Eventually the conversation turned to things we were missing about Turkey (friends, our apartment, walking to the mall). He said, "You know, Mom, when we lived in Turkey, I thought I missed American food so much. But now that we're in America, I don't really like American food anymore. I miss Turkish food. It's better. Except for American candy. Well, only candy that isn't chocolate. Turkish chocolate is SO much better than Hershey's." This coming from a boy who couldn't wait to get back to American food, and often listed it as one of the things he missed most while overseas.
When I asked him which foods he missed in particular, he mentioned the red lentil soup (the recipe I blogged a few days ago), but other things, like the recipe below, kebab, rice cooked just right, casseroles. Interestingly, he also mentioned missing the "substitutes" that I had learned to spin up from scratch - for instance, breakfast sausage made from ground beef, but spiced so that it tasted like "American" breakfast sausage. He asked me, specifically, if I could make kofte, or meatballs, soon, so I will make them tonight. Typically, these meatballs would be made with stale bread as a binder. You would remove the crust from 4 slices of white bread, soak it in water, squeeze it dry, and crumble into the meat mixture. To simplify, and keep low carb, I will make these without a binder, though gluten free bread might work, as would rice crumbs. Ingredients 1 pound ground beef 1 large onion, grated (the grating of the onion, while a bit tedious, is very important in this recipe) 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp salt black pepper dash of cayenne or crushed red pepper, if you like spicy 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (optional) 1. Place all ingredients in a bowl. Knead with hands until well combined. 2. Form into ovals, about 3 inches by 2 inches. Flatten gently with your fingers. 3. Fry in a skillet, broil, or grill. 4. Serve with rice, fresh salad, grilled vegetables, and plain yogurt.
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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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June 2019
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