India in Milwaukee

So last month CP and her man JP came over for dinner for CP's birthday and we decided we celebrate with a home-cooked Indian dinner. So we raided the grocery stores and got all the ingredients to make vindaloo, naan, mango lassis, cilantro chutney, cucumber salad with yoghurt dressing, and basmati rice. OMFG, the dinner was beyond awesome! all the food tasted fantastic, which it should have after the way we slaved over the stove... well not really slaved. We actually totally enjoyed the evening making dinner and drinking Malibu with mango lemonade on the rocks (which, my friends, is a truly delicious drink and makes cooking even more enjoyable). So we couldn't get our hands on any lamb or goat that day for the vindaloo so we used beef instead. Totally perfect substitution. And instead of grounding all our spices manually, we just bought the pre-grounded spice mix.  Umm yes, just because we used pre-ground spices the meal is still considered homemade, And why not? We cut all the veggies, the meat, cooked the sauce, cooked the dish.

We even made our own naan bread. That's right, we baked bread! It really wasn't that we baked it, because actually we grilled it on the grill pan. Basically it was water, yeast, white flour, sugar, salt. Following the standard rules of making bread, we let the dough rise and then divided it into small balls, flattened them out with our hands, brushed oil over them, and then threw them on the grill. 

So what do you serve with Indian food? Umm no, its not ketchup. Eww! So we made some cilantro chutney. Basically all we did was dump a lot of cilantro, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, garlic, and a little bit of cumin, tumeric, and chili into a blender and let it whirl and whirl and whirl until you've got a sauce :o) Ahh, isn't Indian food just so easy? So yeah, that was CP's birthday dinner. After that we made a stop @ Kafevino for some red wine... some yummy Australian red wine. I think it was a 10 point birthday dinner. Sorry I don't have the recipes typed up step by step, but honestly, there are so many variations to these recipes I suggest just google a basic recipe and just putting your own twist to them. If you don't like spicy then don't use green chili. If you prefer chicken instead of beef, or lamb instead of goat, or maybe fish or tofu, go for it. Just be creative and bon appetit. 

Ele Fine Fusion

So like two weekends ago my friend P stopped me in the middle of the street while I was walking my dog on a scortching Saturday afternoon (well, actually she saw me walking puppy and texted me). Her friend was having a birthday party at an Asian fusion restaurant on Wilmington Island called Ele Fine Fusion.
The restaurant is actually a very beautiful building. With a glass floored entrance above water (lol, I was a little hesitant to make the first step thinking I was going to fall into the water) and interesting layout- one side regular diners sit in individual closed off booths while the other side is the party room. We, of course, were in the party room. Large and lovely, the room's walls had paintings on the wall that had a modern flair as well as a wall of wine bottles.
Ok, so the food. Well, first of all, you better bring a fat wallet if you plan on having dinner here. The prices are definitely on the higher end- which actually I expected considering what was on the menu and how it was presented. The menu had everything from lamb, vension, mahi mahi, king crabs, bbq chicken.... well I had the mahi mahi special which was pan-seared and served with organic vegetables. The mahi mahi was then stuffed with fresh pulled crab meat. Overall, the dish was beautiful, but I have definitely had better at local seafood restaurants (so remember, expensive doesn't necessarily mean better). The fish itself was actually cooked really well, and the vegetables were really nice. I found that the crab was kind of dry and the overall dish was too oily (which isn't good for someone like me who eats very healthy and isn't used to such oily food). P, her sister, and I also ordered the sampler plate of appetizers which included sauteed beef, tempura shrimp, and dumplings. I stuck to the beef because I don't eat pork or deep fried food. The beef was tasty; however, we all noticed that the peanut dipping sauces were definitely on the sweet side.

Anyway, if you're in Savannah and you decide, "Hey, I want to go to Wilmington Island for dinner and Uncle Bubba's is too packed, AND I don't mind spending the $$" then by all means go to Ele. The food was decent.

Ele Fine Fusion
7815 East Highway 80
Savannah, GA 31410
(912) 898-2221

Lamb & Mint Meatballs

I randomly browse through Food Gawker and Tastespotting when I need a little food inspiration. To be honest, if the picture looks good that's when I click on it. I noticed a picture that caught my eye and it was lamb and mint meatballs over farro risotto. I've never cooked with ground lamb before so I thought I'd give it a shot. The aroma of the mint while cooking the meatballs was incredible. I opted not to use risotto because KStead and I usually eat our meatballs like kabobs. We ate them with rice and naan. I am a huge fan of Greek food and especially tzatziki sauce. Below is my homemade version. I eat this with pita bread, veggies, and now with lamb meatballs.

Lamb & Mint Meatballs
Ingredients:

1 pound ground lamb
2 handfuls mint (chopped)
1/4 cup red onion (diced)
1 egg
1/4 cup breads crumbs

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon coriander (toasted and ground)
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil for pan

Directions:
1. Mix the lamb, mint, onion, egg, bread crumbs, cinnamon, coriander, salt and pepper.
2. Form the mixture into balls.
3. Heat the oil in a pan.
4. Add the balls a few at a time, without crowding the pan, and brown on all sides until the middle is cooked, about 10 minutes.

Adapted from Closet Cooking

Homemade Tzatziki Sauce

Ingredients:
Greek yogurt (any brand, any %)
Handful of dry or fresh dill
3/4 cup diced cucumbers
Pinch of salt and pepper

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined. Add more salt or pepper to taste.

Goat Vindaloo

So last week I flew home to Canada (Ottawa to be exact) to take care of some business and spend some family time with the cousin and her family. Well, my cousin, being as cute as  she is, insisted on cooking everyday in attempts to make me eat (let first say, I DO eat. I eat a lot, just not large amounts in one sitting). Anyway, so we had all this goat in the fridge (how much does it suck here that I've to drive two hours away to get fresh goat and they can go like 10 minutes?!) So yes, we had all this goat so we decided to make some vindaloo. How accurate our dish was to what you find in the restaurant, well that'll be for you to decide, but this is what we came up with.


Goat Vindaloo

• Make a paste in a food processor of a small/med onion, garlic, and ginger
• Make a powder w/ cumin seeds, black pepper, salt, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, two dried chilies, tumeric, coriander, and paprika (I used about 1 tsp of each)- stir in about 2 tbsp of rice wine vinegar (if you want, use distilled) and make a paste
• 2 lbs goat chopped in pieces
• 1 can of tomato paste
• 1.25 cups of water

Brown the goat in olive oil in batches and drain on a paper towel
Cook the onion paste to get the rawness out and then add the spice paste and mix well. 
Add the goat, tomato paste and water and stir well
Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer, cover, and cook ~ 45 minutes

Sweet Potato and Avocado Salad w/ Chicken

So my girl A and I decided we are going to create the best diet and exercise plan to get our bodies into bikini shape for Miami and the summer. Well, we totally are doing it! If there are any chicas that want to give it a try (or guys) lemme know how it works for you.
Here's our plan:
Breakfast- oatmeal with berries, fruit and skim milk
Snack- whole grain toast w/ peanut butter and fruit
Lunch- lean meat and veggies (salads are the easiest way)
Snack- fruit
Dinner- leam meats, tons of veggies, and 1/2 cup grains
Dessert- a little bit of chocolate to fix that sweet tooth

We run three days a week and some time of muscle toning workout another three days

So, today I decided to make a large amount of salad to last me the week so all I have to do is cook the chicken at lunch and be done. I have a Jamie Oliver cookbook where he makes this salad with new potatoes, watercress and avocados. Well I didn't have all the ingredients, but I think my version came out pretty nice.
Sweet Potato and Avocado Salad with Chicken
1 lb sweet potatoes
4 cups of mixed greens
2 T olive oil
2 T lemon juice
salt and pepper
1 avocado
1 lb chicken tenders
Clean the potatoes well and boil them until tender. Peel and cut the avocados in however size pieces you prefer and put in a big salad bowl. Take the potatoes and cut them into good bite sized chunks and add to salad bowl. Add the greens. Add the salad greens, the oil and lemon juice. Toss. Season to your liking and toss again. Pound the chicken tenders so they're flat and season with salt and pepper. Lay them on a well oiled pan and cook completely on one side then flip over and cook the other side. Make sure chicken is thoroughly cooked. Slice them and top the salad.

Turkey-Apple-Barley Risotto

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

So I wanted to make a special dinner for me and my baby (my lil' puppy) so I needed to make something not too spicy and no wheat or corn). Well RICE! I wanted to make risotto because its a dish both he and I could enjoy (normally I do not feed my dog people food). Well, first I googled healthy risotto recipes and I found one by Mario Batali which called for green apples, white wine, and a few other things I don't have so I took the recipe and re-invented it. Plus, I had to had protein in there too.
Enjoy!

Turkey Apple-Barley Risotto
3T margarine
2T EVOO
1/5 cups pearl barley
1/2 cup thinly slice red onion
1 thinly sliced gala apple
10 oz ground turkey
3-4 cups of low sodium vegetable broth
1 cup water
salt and pepper
1/4 cup parmesan reggiano
handful of cilantro
In a deep pan over medium heat  melt 2T of better with the EVOO and sautee the onions. Add the apple and meat next. Cook few more minutes and then add the barley. Once the meat starts look pretty cooked and the barley is nicely coated with the oil (4-5 minutes) add 1 cup water (I used water because I can't give alcohol to my puppy). Once the water has been absorbed, add about 1.5 cups of broth. Stirring occasionally, continue to add the broth when you see its mostly absorbed. The total amount of liquid will depend on your barley (keep adding liquid until its cooked). Add the cheese next and stir. I add salt and pepper next because the parmesan is kinda salty so if I add salt first the dish may turn out too salty. Turn the heat off and stir in cilantro.

Penne with Spinach and Ricotta

So first of all, no this recipe is not vegetarian, nor is it vegan. I, Lulu, have decided to go back to eating meat. Why? Because we humans are designed to eat meat. Our bodies need the amino acids from the breakdown of protein which comes from animal protein. And although yes, I could get sufficient protein from a vegetarian diet, I have to eat way too many soy and bean products. And honestly, there are so many chemicals and preservatives in vegan/veg products, I'd rather eat healthy and NATURAL. More important to me than eating veg is eating natural.

Ok so here's this recipe I adapted from Fitness Magazine. The original recipe calls for broccoli rabe and lean turkey sausage. I had neither and so I used ground lamb (mmm, lamb how I missed thee) and spinach.

Penne With Spinach and Ricotta
1/2 cup frozen spinach
3 oz whole wheat penne pasta
1 tsp olive oil
3 oz ground lamb
1/8 of a red onion sliced thinly
1 garlic clove thinly sliced
1 tablespoon of fat free ricotta
1 tsp parmesan 
salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste
Boil a pot of water seasoned with salt. Once the water reaches a boil add the spinach and cook about 4 minutes. Remove the spinach and add the pasta to the pot. Cook the pasta al dente. Save a little bit of the pasta water when draining the pasta.
In a skillet heat oil and cook the onions, garlic, and lamb with the chili flakes ~ 8 minutes. Add the spinach. Lower heat and add the pasta. Toss all the ingredients well. Add the ricotta and parmesan and mix well. Add black pepper to taste. Et voila, a terrific meat dish (just to show that not eating meat for three months doesn't diminish my abilities to cook the yumminess).

Meat in a Box

KStead and I were craving kebabs for dinner tonight. We usually go to our spot in Arlington but didn't feel like going out that way. We found a place located in Falls Church, VA called Meat in a Box. Clever name, yummy meat!

The menu is pretty simple. You choose either shish, beef, chicken or combo (beef + chicken) skewers in either 2, 4 or 10 in a box. It comes wrapped in bread with tomatoes, onions and parsley. I got the shish, which comes with green peppers, zucchini and onions grilled with the meat and KStead got the chicken.

The staff is really nice and friendly. Kitchen is spic and span. The menu also includes other options such as a veggie wrap, soup de jour (minestrone soup is home made by the mother-in-law), ice cream sandwich (home made saffron and rose water infused ice cream served in between wafers), dolma, baklava, and ayran (Persian yogurt drink).

If you're in the Falls Church area we highly recommend this place.

Meat in a Box

312 S Washington Street

Falls Church, VA 22046

(703) 533-9070

Thanksgiving @ Lulu's

So I hope everyone had a fabulous time yesterday filled with good food, football, holiday movies, family, friends, and WINE :o) There's nothing like a glass of red wine to go with that turkey. So like I promised, here are the yummy goodies that were set at my table. First I'm going to start with what I believe was the best part- THE CHEESECAKE. Mmm really what's better than dessert? I found this recipe for pumpkin-chocolate swirl cheesecake from vegetariantimes.com.

The ingredients were pretty easy to find:

I love using Libby's Pumpkin filling because there are no preservatives or added sugar. Just pumpkin.

The crust was graham cracker crust with melted butter. I couldn't find chocolate graham crackers like the recipe asked, but hey, regular ones are just fine. I baked the crust for 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

I mixed the remaining ingredients (minus the chocolate) in the Kitchen-Aid. I used fat free cottage cheese and cream

cheese because I knew there would be people at the table (myself included) that'd be like, "oh no, calories I can't eat dessert. At least not a whole slice". So I tried to take care of that problem. I also used brown sugar rather than white.

I took about a cup of the batter and mixed it with chocolate, which I melted in the microwave. After that I poured the non-chocolate mixture over the crust and then the chocolate mix was spooned onto and swirled around with a knife.

And the finished product was FANTASTIC and DELICIOUS and just a party of itself in the tummy of me and my guests :o)

Ok, so what else did we eat? Well I saw this broccoli with pecan brown butter recipe on Down Home With the Neely's and decided to make this as one of the sides.

So I couldn't get a picture of the turkey because it was torn up and inside people's belly before I could pull my camera out. So the other sides? Because broccoli isn't enough. I made stuffed acorn squash. Kima actually emailed me this recipe. Stuffed Acorn Squash:

In a 350 degree oven bake a squash cut in half (pulp and seeds removed) for 30 minutes in a baking dish filled with 1/4" water cut side down

In a bowl mixed 1-2 chopped apples (skin removed) with 1/2 cup dried cranberries, some cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste and two tbsp butter (chopped up in pieces makes it easier to mix).

Remove the squash and fill each half with the apple mixture then bake for another 30 minutes or until cooked.

Et voila...

We also had steamed asparagus, green beans with fresh cranberries and potato wedges. And in the end, it was one of the tastiest Thanksgivings I've ever had. I hope you guys give these recipes a try, and I can't wait to see what Kima had on her table yesterday.

xox Lulu!

OMG- This lamb dish is to die for!!!

So my friend Dr. Haque has a great lamb recipe which she has agreed to let us post on our blog. Being of the South Asian background, lamb and goat are definitely part of our dining experience. I hope you all give this one a try. Thanks for the contribution chicky!

Have the butcher cut a leg of lamb into two small pieces osso bucco style- 1.5 pounds

You will need:

grated carrots

fresh oregano

fresh basil

1 cup white wine

2 small baking potatoes

2 cans diced tomatoes italian style 12oz

dry rosemary

10 pieces fresh garlic cut into slivers or chunks

shallots

Place in bottom of slow cooker garlic, shallots. Rub all sides of lamb with rosemary and a little salt. Sear on highest heat top and bottom of lamb pieces on the stove- no more than 1 min per side. Add meat to slow cooker, Add herbs, generous garlic, grated carrots, potatoes whole or chunks, finish off with splashes of a white wine keeping the free liquid level to a minimum. Cover and cook for 6 hours on low. At this point you may add diced fresh eggplant if you wish. Cook the last two hours on warm. Let this cool and sit in fridge overnight. Serve warm the next day over rice or orzo pasta...absolutely divine.

Enjoy.

Lasagna Soup for the Soul

Cooked Kstead's favorite tonight...lasagna soup! Today really felt like Fall and what a perfect meal to have on a chilly day. You can choose any small pasta you would like. I started off making this about a year ago with farfalle but Kstead suggested ditalini tonight. You can find it at any grocery store.

Lasagna Soup
Serves ~6
1 large onion, diced
5 links of mild Italian sausage, remove casing
2 cups dry ditalini pasta
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 dried basil
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
4 cups chicken broth
Grated Parmesan cheese and/or provolone cheese to garnish

In a large pot over medium-high heat, add sausage and cook until browned - crumble the sausage as you go with a wooden spoon. Add the onions and cook for 3 minutes. Mix in the garlic, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute. Pour in broth, tomato sauce, and fire roasted crushed tomatoes. Bring to a boil and add in the pasta. Simmer soup until the pasta has cooked - about 12 minutes.


To serve, place diced provolone cheese in the bottom of the bowl and pour soup over top. Or sprinkle with Parmesan cheese over soup.

 

Okay...this picture may be a year late but the fact that I am still making this after a year's post means that this is still damn good ;)

Mmm MIAMI!

So we're back!! After four fabulous days in Miami, Kima and Lulu have returned to the Blogspot.com. I hope everyone had a wonderful Labour Day weekend: we did! So where to begin? Well after being stuck in the plane for an hour and half Saturday afternoon because of the rain, we finally got to our hotel. Well lunch already passed so we needed to figure out what to eat for dinner. So being the tourists that we are, we asked the guy @ the front desk where he suggested for some "home-cooked Cuban food that's worth every penny". And so we made our walk from the 20th block to the 7th for dinner at Puerto Sagua. So its definitely NOT the high heels sparlking dress restaurant you may be expecting to be eating at in Miami (no paparazzi at the window) but if it is delicious, mouth-watering Cuban food you're looking for, this is the place. A nice sized diner/cafe, Puerto Sagua offers a menu (in English and Spanish) that covers Cuban cuisin from chicken, fish, beef, pork, and eggs (so yes, vegetarians can enjoy a bite or two as well). and items range from 8-14$ approximately. With the amount of food put on your plate, you can't help but eat here.
Let me start with the plantains. OMGCBin3D!! Sweet plantains that are still warm (and I say this because the food comes out within 5 minutes of ordering which makes you wonder if they have huge vats of stew and vegetables in the back- eh, who cares!) are some of the tastiest things on the menu. LOL I even suggested that nex time I'll just order a large plate full. Ok, so Kima chose the beef stew while I chouse the ground beef. For someone who is a meat lover, and doesn't like the overwhelming taste of spice, these are dishes for you. Both meat dishes were on the milder side. I can't be sure of what, if any seasoning besides s&p, is in there, but the taste was definitely on the light side so there was no problems tasting the olives and vegetables mixed in the beef. And pour in on top of the MOUND of rice given to you and you're set.
Puerto Sagua
700 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach. FL 33139
305.673.1115

Well, the next day we decided we deserved a fancy, beautiful dinner after our relaxing day @ Lapis Spa @ the Fontainbleu (I know this is not a spa blog, but seriously, if you're in Miami, I must suggest that you mae a stop at this spa if even only for one service). So we went to Ola Miami, a Latin-Fusion restaurant (mixing Colombian, Cuban, and other Latin flavours). While we were in Miami there was a food fest going on called Miami Spice. Basically, several restaurants were offering a set menu which displayed the tastes/flavours of Miami. Yeah, we didn't do that. We chose to just order off the menu. Let me tell you first- THE NICEST STAFF. The guy who seated us (who I believe is the owner) is great for helping you pick out the right wine. I wish I could remember what he suggested for me, but it was definitely one of the best red wines I've ever had. I just remember it being from Spain. So I can't tell you much about the duck Kima ordered (girl, please feel free to FILL THIS IN) but my plantain crusted mahi mahi was delicious and EXTREMELY filling. The fish was mildly seasoned and then coated in mashed plantains and fried to form a hard crust on top. OMGCBin3D so good! So, so good but it took me almost over to finish it, and when I did I was pretty sure it was bed time (but maybe that was partly due to the wine?). The fish was placed over a spoonful off oxtail stew (the first time I've had oxtail and I'll never hate on it again. Oddly sweet and savoury at the same time) and tomato escabeche. Ok and the bread they serve. So its called pandebono which is a Colombian cheese bread. There is a hint of sweetness in the bread which is from the sugar and tapioca, but its the mild queso in the dough which makes you go, mmm! After dinner Kima and I Googled the bread and found various recipes for it, but the waiter was the sweetest man and gave me four raw dough balls so that I could have some @ home. In the end dinner for two and wine for two came to smething like 85.00$+ tax, but an experience totally worth it.
Ola Miami
1745 James Ave
Miami Beach, FL 33139

CHARCOAL KABOB!!!

So this is the happiest place in Herndon, VA. Charcoal Kabob!! I don't even know where to start. I started eating here since what, senior yr of high school so that's like nine years ago. Dude, I don't think I've ever been so faithful to a restaurant. But the food is so beyond delicious here, how can I resist coming back over and over again. Ok, so yeah the prices have definitely gone up since I first started going (from 6-something a plate to around 8.50$) but for the amount of food that they serve, its definitely worth it.

So lets start with the Kabobs. I'm sure you all already know the lamb kabob is my favourite, but I will admit, the vegetarian kabob (made of a potatoe mixture) is really good too. All the kabobs are make in a hickory charcoal oven so it has that truly smoked meat feel. Not that "made in a conventional oven" flavour. You know what I'm talking about. You just don't get that true meat flavour in a regular oven. That rustic, deep flavour that makes you want to sink your teeth into that piece of meat and tear it apart like a lion to a gazelle. Did I mention I love to eat meat? Ok, so they also have chicken kabobs- pieces and chapli as well as keema kabobs and beef lamb ribs and fish.

Now that your kabob is on the plate, what else are you getting? Well, after you are topped with a oven baked naan (can it get any better?) you get some basmati rice and your choice of vegetables (chickpeas spinach, mixed veg).

There are some new changes to the menu since my VA days like gyros are now on the menu along with hummus, kaharis, and low-carb options (but really, why would you substitute naan for a salad?).

So where is it?

Charcoal Kabob

394 Elden St Herndon, VA

703-435-2400

Ay ya ya Mexico!

My older sister, BLT, and I went on our first vacation together to Cancun, MX. No we don't have the swine! We stayed at Ambiance Villas which was the 2nd to last hotel on hotel zone. Very quiet and relaxing. The staff were wonderful and we would definitely stay there again. We decided not to get the all-inclusive and to venture the local cuisine.

Our first night, we strolled into Mextreme! Apparently, Tom Cruise's movie Cocktail was not filmed here. haha we had to take a picture.

Our next night we went to a restaurant which I don't even know the name of. We walked by the restaurant and it smelled so good we had to eat there. I ordered bbq pork buritto. It actually tasted like Vietnamese bbq pork (thit xa xeo). It was really good and I like the fact that before we ordered they gave us a bowl of homemade chips with 2 different sauces, fresh tomato and a cilantro sauce.


On our last morning, we walked to a local cafe/sandwich shop. It was actually a French/Mexican cafe. They served sandwiches in french baguettes. They had pretty good traffic so we knew it was good. I ordered una croissant con jamon y jugo de naranja. I ordered in Spanish because the waitress didn't know English. The food was delicious! I wish I knew the cafe's name though. If I go to Cancun again I'll definitely take note :)

Turkey Kibbi w/ Sweet Potato Fries

So what happens when Kimi and Lulu are in the same house? One very busy kitchen! Second night of Kimi's visit to Savannah, the two of us were inspired to make healthy variations to our favourite items after vegetating on the floor while staring at the tv when "Cook Yourself Thin" was on. Hey! We can make our food healthy too ... and if we actually needed it, we could lose a dress size - but we'll take just being healthy and not clogging our arteries.
SO: I love kibbi and she loves fries. I don't eat beef and potatoes are very starchy which, if not burned, gets converted into sugars in your body and stored as FAT! There's no need for that. So we bought one package of ground turkey and a sweet potato. Ground turkey is almost fat free (better to use 95% fat free than 99% because the meat is a lil' more moist) and sweet potatoes are a complex carb that's high in fibre.
AIIGHT! So this is what we did.

KIBBI:
1 package o ground turkey meat
1 cup of bulgar wheat
whatever seasonings you like (we did salt, pepper, dried herbs, and a lil' cumin)

Preheat oven at 350.
Pour the bulgar wheat in a bowl and add water just to barely cover the bulgar and let it soak until the water is absorbed. IT usually doesn't take more than 30 minutes, but its just easier to do it in the morning, through it in the fridge, and take it out when you feel like cooking kibbi.
Divide the ground meat and put half in a hot pan w/ oil. Cook the meat adding whatever seasons you want. Make sure the meat is thoroughly cooked. Add the other half to the bulgar and mix well. Then form into balls- I make mine somewhat large-say round enough to fit in the palm of your hand.
Deeply indent a ball and spoon in a teaspoon of cooked meat filling into it. Close up the ball and roll in your hands to make sure there are no cracks and its smooth. line on a baking sheet. Keep on doing it with all the balls you made. Once they're lined up on a baking sheet, coat with olive oil and throw them into the oven. Ours took about 45 minutes, but every oven is different o periodically check and remember it is ground turkey so it can dry up if kept too long in the oven.
As for the sweet potato fries- just cut a sweet potato into slim sticks and season anyway you like, coat in olive oil, spread evenly on a baking sheet and throw in the oven. keep an eye on them again, but I'd say about 30 minutes.

What to eat with kibbi? Hummus of course!

Chicken Tangine and so healthy too!

So I'm on a total health kick a well more than normal a since beach season is coming up so I've been looking for recipes that are filling, but light on the fat/kcals. I was going through www.FitnessMagazine.com and I found a recipe for Chicken Tangine. With only 405 kcals, 10 g fat, 49 g carbohydrates, and 32 g protein, the meal was definitely tummy delight. Now I did make some alterations to the dish. I didn't have any chopped cooked chicken on hand, and I was not about to start cooking chicken so I boiled up chicken tenders and then chopped it up. I didn't have olives, so I took a healthier route and substituted it with edamame. And instead of diced canned tomatoes, I used fresh grape tomatoes. I totally loved this dish and I hope to all the ladies out there getting bikini ready (and the guys who want to show some skin) y'all definitely need to try it out.

So here's the ACTUAL recipe. Go ahead and make your own modifications to suit your taste buds.
Chicken Tangine from www.FitnessMagazine.com
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olives
1/3 cup raisins
10 ounces cooked chicken breast, diced (2 cups)
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, ginger, cumin and cinnamon; cook, stirring frequently, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, broth, peas, olives and raisins; simmer 7 to 8 minutes. Add the chicken and chickpeas; cook 3 to 4 minutes, until chicken is heated through.

Casbah Moroccan Restaurant

So you're wandering around downtown Savannah and all of a sudden you decide, "Hey, I want some lamb. And you know what, I want practice my belly dancing moves in case one day I get asked to perform for the Sultan." then I suggest you try Casbah. Now, if you've have Moroccan in DC (which I have) or perhaps in Morocco, well then I can't say this place is outstanding, but its definitely pretty good. The dishes are in the 20$-range, but they do have set menus where you can pick appetizers, entrees, and a dessert and that's around 30$ which I saw go for. I had the lamb w/ caramelized apricots. Its a mild curry, so if you're looking for spicy you may want to try the spicy roasted lamb. But if you're looking for an interesting, yet complientary flavours, go for this dish. The unique flavour of lamb mized with stewed fruit is actually nice as the sweetness of the apricots cut the sharpness of lamb.
So besides the food, I definitely think you'll enjoy the experience of the place. The tables are low set and you sit on cushion like couches giving you that feel of eating in Morocco. The waiters come to your table with warm water for you to wash your hands as it is customary to eat with your right hand (but if you're not into that, they've utensils). Then come the belly dancers. The girls are fun to watch as they dance around the diners and totally welcome everyone to come dance with them. Its customary-although not required-to tip the dancers if they come up to you. Eh, why not. If you're a guy I'm sure you'll be thrilled to slip a dollar bill into the dancer's belt. Overall its a fun and tasty dinner experience, but I suggest you make reservations prior because the place is PACKED all the time-especially weekends.
Oh! And if you like the music, or the costumes, there's a lil' boutique near the entrance of the restaurant for you to purchase these items as well as their sauces, tobacco for your hookah, and other lil' goodies.

Casbah Moroccan Restaurant
118 E. Broughton St, Savannah GA
912-234-6168

Athena -3551 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, Lafayette LA

Mmmm, now who doesn't like some delicious lamb and hummus? There are several restaurants in Lafayette to eat Lebanese (well...most are chains) but if you don't like your food drenched in oil or garlic in everything then I definitely suggest dining at Athena's. I'm definitely the fan of both the lula kabab plate and the kibbi plate. The salad is perfect-just enough feta and dressing so that your mouth doesn't feel like you ate a block of cheese and washed it down with oil. The lamb is cooked just right-juicy, tender, not chewy ('cause they don't leave a slab of fat attached to the meat). Every meal is served w/ a complimentary lentil soup-which is the best in town (trust me on this one) and all plates include a salad and rice-although if you're like me and are not a fan of rice, they'll happily switch it for anything else on the menu. The menu also includes falafel, tabouleh, grape leaves (both vegetarian and meat) and sandwich plates for those who don't want to eat a large plate (the plates are definitely large enough to satisfy you for hours). And at lunch time there's a buffet so YAY! for "all you can eat". And if there's still room in your belly after clearing your plate order some Turkish coffee and baklava-or pay the check and munch on a Jordan almond (SO YUM!).

Athena's
3551 Ambassador Caffery Pkwy, Lafayette LA
(337) 988-7618