Tasty Recipes from Recipe Wizards

MINNEAPOLIS – As I discovered on a trip to Istanbul, Turkey, the flavors of the region are made for summer. Hot and hungry, I wandered through the city’s Grand Bazaar, where vendors vied for attention with promises of good deals on their carpets, silver and spices. In an out-of-the-way corner, a little cafe promised relief in the form of lamb kebabs and pita bread. I took the bait and, once refreshed, returned to the crowded bazaar.

For centuries, Turkey was the crossroads of the world as traders brought culinary traditions, as well as spices and other goods, from one country to the next. The result was an amalgam of memorable flavors. Like those early traders, I’ve incorporated traditional recipes from the expansive region – Middle East, North Africa, Mediterranean – for a summer menu that pays homage to those crossroads and their summer heat.

In your own back yard – or kitchen grill – you can prepare a refreshing meal with lamb kebabs seasoned with a spice blend popular in North Africa. Add the traditional cooling agent, raita (the Greek variation of the region’s yogurt sauce), a salad of bulgur wheat and parsley from the Middle East, Moroccan mint tea and icy granita from Italy – and you have a made-in-the-shade summer meal.

And the best news, wherever the cook may call home? This menu is quick and easy to prepare, and easily adapted for any size crowd or taste. Prefer chicken or beef to lamb? Then make the kebabs your way. The spice blend works with any meat.

As for the cook? With a menu this easy, any cook will have time – and energy – for guests.

Recipes from “Come One, Come All/ Easy Entertaining With Seasonal Menus,” by Lee Svitak Dean (Minnesota Historical Society Press).

MINT TEA

Serves 6.

Note: Mint tea, served hot, is a traditional Middle Eastern drink. If you prefer iced tea, either prepare the mint tea in advance and refrigerate it, or serve the tea, cooled, over ice. In that case, use a little more green tea leaves in the preparation because the ice will dilute it. From “Come One, Come All/ Easy Entertaining With Seasonal Menus,” by Lee Svitak Dean.

6 1/2 c. almost boiling water

3 bags of green tea, or about 1 tablespoon green tea leaves

20 spearmint leaves

2 tsp. sugar

Directions

Bring the water almost to a boil (green tea leaves need water a little less hot than black tea leaves so the tea doesn’t become bitter). Pour a little of the boiling water into the teapot to warm it; then discard the water.

Add the tea and the rest of the hot water. Let steep for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mint and sugar. Serve immediately, or cool and serve cold.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories 9

Fat 0 g

Sodium 3 mg

Carbohydrates 2 g

Saturated fat 0 g

Calcium 10 mg

Protein 0 g

Cholesterol 0 mg

Dietary fiber 0 g

TABBOULEH SALAD

Serves 6.

Note: In parts of the Middle East, where this is a traditional salad often served among the appetizer plates called “meze,” tabbouleh (tuh-BOO-luh) is scooped up into lettuce. The base of the salad is bulgur wheat and parsley. Bulgur is made of wheat kernels that have been steamed, dried and crushed; it has a chewy consistency. It can be found in the health-food section of supermarkets, in the aisles with rice and Middle Eastern foods, and in the bulk-food section. Sometimes it’s in a box that simply says tabbouleh salad. From “Come One, Come All.”

1 c. bulgur wheat

2 c. water

l c. olive oil

l c. fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

1 bunch fresh parsley (either Italian flat-leaf or curly-leaf), chopped, or more

1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 c.)

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced (about 1 c.)

2 to 3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped (about 11/2 c.)

Salt and pepper

Lettuce leaves, if desired

Directions

Measure bulgur into a medium-size bowl. Bring 2 cups water to a boil; pour over bulgur, cover, and let sit for about 30 minutes, until bulgur has absorbed the water. Drain any excess.

Combine the olive oil and lemon juice, and toss with the bulgur. Add the parsley, onion, cucumber and tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until 30 minutes before serving; it tastes best when it’s not too cold. Serve in a lettuce leaf, if desired.

Variation: Add 1/4 cup or more chopped mint to the salad.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories 434

Fat 37 g

Sodium 31 mg

Carbohydrates 26 g

Saturated fat 5 g

Calcium 57 mg

Protein 4 g

Cholesterol 0 mg

Dietary fiber 6 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 2 vegetable, 1 bread/starch, 71/2 fat.

LAMB KEBABS WITH HARISSA

Serves 6.

Note: Harissa (hah-REE-suh) is a North African spice mixture (this makes about 1 cup harissa to toss with the lamb). If you would like to serve more harissa on the side, for food safety make a new batch or set some aside). If you use wood skewers, soak them in advance for about 20 minutes. From “Come One, Come All.”

2 tbsp. chile powder, such as ancho or chipotle (see box)

3/4 tsp. minced garlic (about 2 garlic cloves)

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

3 lb. boneless lamb shoulder or leg

1 red onion, cut in 1- to 1 1/2-in. chunks

Vegetable oil

12 to 18 skewers

Directions

To make the harissa: Combine chile powder, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and cumin. Adjust seasonings as preferred. If desired, make additional harissa to serve on the side with the kebabs. (Don’t re-use the harissa that was mixed with the raw lamb because of food safety reasons.)

To make the lamb kebabs: Trim exterior fat from lamb and discard. Cut lamb into 1- to 11/2 -inch cubes and toss them in harissa shortly before cooking.

Preheat the grill or the broiler. Oil grate or broiler pan for easier turning of the meat. Alternate meat and onion chunks on skewers, leaving a small space between pieces of meat. Cook over high heat until meat is at preferred doneness, turning once after about 5 minutes, and cooking an additional 2 or 3 minutes for medium rare. Serve kebabs atop a bed of rice.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories 405

Fat 29 g

Sodium 500 mg

Carbohydrates 4 g

Saturated fat 6 g

Calcium 26 mg

Protein 32 g

Cholesterol 105 mg

Dietary fiber 1 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 vegetable, 4 lean meat, 31/2 fat.

RAITA

Makes about 2 cups.

Note: Some variation of this cucumber yogurt dip (called RY-tah in India) is served all over the Middle East and along the Mediterranean to cool the palate when spicy foods are served. For smaller pieces of cucumber, grate it. From “Come One, Come All.”

1/2 cucumber, peeled and seeded

1 c. plain nonfat yogurt

1/2 small onion, diced (about 1/2 c.)

2 tbsp. chopped parsley

Salt and white pepper

Directions

Pat the cucumber with paper towels to get it as dry as possible. Dice to make about 1/2 cup.

In a medium bowl, combine the cucumber, yogurt, onion and parsley; stir to mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Marinate at least 1 hour in the refrigerator to blend flavors.

Nutrition information per 1/3 cup:

Calories 28

Fat 0 g

Sodium 33 mg

Carbohydrates 4 g

Saturated fat 0 g

Calcium 87 mg

Protein 3 g

Cholesterol 1 mg

Dietary fiber 0 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 vegetable.

LEMON GRANITA

Serves 6.

Note: This is best served the day it is prepared, when the ice crystals are large and flaky. They look like tiny snowflakes. Meyer lemons are particularly good with this (but hurry as their season is almost over). If you let the granita freeze solid, you will lose the flaky texture – and end up with sorbet, which isn’t so bad, either. From “Come One, Come All.”

3 c. water

1 c. sugar

Zest of 2 lemons

3 c. juice (from 6 large lemons)

Directions

In a saucepan, boil the water, sugar and lemon zest together until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and mix in the lemon juice Cool.

Pour into a shallow container, such as a 9- by 13-inch pan, and cover. Freeze until the edges are frozen, about 1 to 2 hours. Remove the pan from the freezer and, using a fork, scrape the ice, moving from the edge to the center. Return to the freezer.

Repeat at least three times, every 30 minutes or so, until the mixture has become large ice flakes. Serve the same day as made.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories 155 Fat 0 g Sodium 30 mg

Carbohydrates 41 g Saturated fat 0 g Calcium 19 mg

Protein 1 g Cholesterol 0 mg Dietary fiber 1 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 3 other carb.

BASMATI RICE

Serves 6.

Note: Basmati rice has a nutty, perfumed aroma. The cooking method in this recipe comes from Raghavan Iyer, a Minneapolis author of several Indian cookbooks, including “660 Curries” and “The Turmeric Trail.” Before the rice is cooked, he rinses it several times to remove the starch. Then he soaks the rice for 30 minutes. This method makes for perfect fluffy – and fragrant – rice. It can be made in advance and reheated by covering the rice with boiling water and then draining it.

1 1/2 c. uncooked basmati or other long-grain rice

2 1/4 c. cold water

Directions

To rinse rice, place it in a medium saucepan and add enough water to cover. Rub the grains of rice with your fingers to remove the starch and any dust; drain. Repeat several times, draining each time, until the water is clear.

Once clean, add 2 1/4 cups cold water to the rice and soak for 30 minutes. Bring to a boil, stirring once; reduce heat to medium-high. Cook uncovered 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally until most of the water has evaporated.

Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 5 minutes; remove from heat and let stand covered 5 to 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories 163

Fat 0 g

Sodium 1 mg

Carbohydrates 37 g

Saturated fat 0 g

Calcium 9 mg

Protein 3 g

Cholesterol 0 mg

Dietary fiber 1 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 2 1/2.

ALL ABOUT HARISSA

The cook controls the intensity of the heat in harissa, which will depend on which chile you use. If it’s dried ancho chiles (which are large and mild), you’ll have a milder flavor than if you use small dried red peppers, such as cayenne. (Often, the packaging indicates the level of heat for a particular chile. Chipotles, for example, are rated 5.5 on a 10-point scale; ancho chiles are at 3.5.)

You can find the chiles already ground in some supermarkets that carry a variety of Mexican chile seasonings. Or you can buy the dried peppers whole and grind them yourself. To grind whole dried chiles, first remove the stems and, if possible, scrape out the seeds if the peppers are hot (wear gloves to protect your hands from the oils). Process to a powder using a blender or food processor. A 1-ounce package of dried chiles makes more than enough ground chile for this recipe.