Do you know this feeling when you try some amazingly delicious dish and even before you’ve finished it you realize that you want to visit the country this dish is origin from? This is exactly how I feel about this Mediterranean Kofta. Every ingredient reminds me of beautiful and far Israeli. And it is not a coincidence. I always try to find some inspiration for my cooking, this time my amusement was fantastic and very talented cookbook called Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. I am sure lots of you have heard about it already. The book is saturated with Jewish spices and cooking traditions. Maybe it is the reason I am so eager to visit Israeli. I can only imagine what a breathtaking culinary adventure I would have there. I guess I would gain a few extra pounds, trying to taste everything that the country could offer me. Luckily for my body shape, this is not going to happen in the nearest future. Lol! But if seriously, I feel like I have already made the first step to start learning more about wonderful Jerusalem cuisine, even if this step is inside my kitchen.I am sure you can find many different Kofta recipes on the internet, but I really want you to try this one. Garnish it with some simple salad and this meal will highlight your day!

Kofta with Tahini Sauce

By voloshyna, January 21, 2015

• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• For the Kofta: -
• ground beef - 1 lb
• ground lamb - 1 lb
• bread crumbs - 1/2 cup
• yellow onion - 1 medium, finely chopped
• garlic - 2 large cloves, minced
• toasted walnuts - 6 tablespoons, coarsely shopped
• red chili pepper - 1 small, finely chopped
• grated nutmeg - 1/2 teaspoon
• ground allspice - 1 1/2 teaspoon
• grund cinnamon - 1 3/4 teaspoon
• freshly ground black pepper - 1 1/2 teaspoon
• salt - 1 3/4 teaspoon
• freshly grated lemon zest - 1 1/2 teaspoon
• For the Tahini Sauce: -
• light tahini paste - 2/3 cup
• lemon juice - 3 tablespoon
• water - 1/2 cup
• garlic - 1 clove, crushed
• toasted pine nuts - 2 tablespoons
• For garnish: -
• parsley - 2 tablespoons, finely shopped
• sweet paprika - 1/2 teaspoon

Instructions:

Put all the ingredients for Kofta in a big bowl and mix well with your hands or wooden spoon. With damp hands, shape the meat into 3 inches oval shape meatballs. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Sear kofta in batches, so they can cook evenly. Sear until golden brown about 6 minute for medium-rare. If you want your kofta well done, just put them in the oven (425F) for 3-4 minutes. In a small bowl mix, all the ingredients for tahini sauce, adjust to taste. Whisk well and spoon over kofta before serving. Sprinkle with sweet paprika and chopped parsley.

This very traditional Italian dish will become a wonderful, easy and fulfilling weeknight family dinner.

Pasta Bolognese

By voloshyna, September 10, 2014

Ingredients:

• extra virgin olive oil - 1/4 cup
• medium yellow onion - 1, finely diced
• medium bell pepper - 1, finely diced
• celery stalks - 3-4, finely diced
• thickly sliced pancetta - 2 slices, finely diced
• ground beef - 1 lb.
• ground pork - 1/4 lb.
• garlic - 2 cloves, minced
• dry red wine - 1 cup
• diced tomatoes - 14 oz. can,
• tomato paste - 2 tablespoons
• chicken stock - 3/4 cup
• fresh thyme lives - 1/2 teaspoon
• crushed red pepper - 1/2 teaspoon or to taste
• freshly ground black pepper - to taste
• salt - to taste
• fresh basil leaves - 1/2 cup, chopped
• fettuccine or other pasta - 2 lb, fresh or dried
• freshly grated Parmesan - to taste

Instructions:

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper and pancetta and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened but not browned, about 7- 8 minutes. Transfer the vegetable mixture into a large bowl. Heat  the remaining olive oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground meat and cook, crumbling the meat with a wooden spoon, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the meat has lost its pink color and has started to brown. Stir in the garlic, thyme, and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute. Pour 1 cup of the wine and 3/4 cup of the stock  into the skillet and stir to scrape up any browned bits. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and vegetable mixture, stirring until combined. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and cook for 40 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook for another 10 minutes. Add chopped basil leaves and remove from the heat. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain well, return to the pot and toss with the sauce. Serve the pasta in deep bowls and pass the Parmesan at the table.