Crazy for Kibbee
Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 60 minutes
Ingredients:
For Kibbee
1 cup ground meat (beef or lamb, 95% lean)
½ cup bulgur wheat (fine grain), soaked
1 tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. ground pepper
For Kibbee Heshwi Stuffing
½ cup ground meat (beef or lamb, 85% or 90% lean)
1 small yellow onion (1/3 cup, diced)
¼ fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
¼ pine nuts, lightly toasted
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. ground pepper
Preparation:
*Pre-heat oven to 400* degrees
To Make Kibbee
1. First, place ½ cup bulgur wheat in a small bowl with warm water to soak and set aside.
2. Next, in a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup ground meat with 1 tsp. sea salt and ½ tsp. ground pepper and thoroughly mix together.
3. Once the bulgur wheat is softened (make sure of this by squeezing the grain between fingertips, should be soft, no hardness). If it is still firm then set aside and continue to soak until ready. Otherwise, squeeze out all of the water from the bulgur wheat with your hands and add to the meat mixture.
4. Now with your hands, begin to knead the softened bulgur wheat into the meat, completely blended together and set aside.
To Make Kibbee Heshwi Stuffing
1. In a medium skillet, heat 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil over medium – high heat, add ½ cup ground meat, continually mixing meat. Then add 1/3 cup diced onion, working the onion in with the meat until brown, fully cooked. Season with sea salt, ground pepper. Remove from heat and incorporate ¼ cup freshly chopped mint leaves.
2. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add ¼ cup pine nuts, continually tossing until toasted, achieving a golden brown coating. To finish, add pine nuts to heshwi stuffing and toss together.
To Make Kibbee Meat Balls
1. First. fill a small bowl with cold water and set aside
2. Next, grab a spoonful of the Kibbee, mold into a small ball then with the palm of your hands lightly roll back and forth until you form an oval-like ball (dip your hands in cold water to prevent sticking). With your index finger poke a small hole in one of the end tips of the ball. Then with your leading hand, poke your thumb in the hole and begin to rotate the ball around until you form a deeper hole, without breaking through the other end tip or tearing the outside Kibbee walls.
3. Now, take a teaspoon of the Heshwi stuffing and fill the hole (be sure not to overstuff). Enclose the end tip with your fingertips going around in a circular motion to create a tip. Even out the outside Kibbee ball walls by dipping your fingertips in the cold water and gently smoothing over the outside walls, to create a flat exterior while maintaining the oval-like ball shape. Continue and repeat process for each. You should have about 10-12 Kibbee Balls.
4. Lightly butter a baking sheet and lay each Kibbee ball on the sheet, place a small bit of butter over and bake for approx. 30 minutes - halfway throughout baking, turn the Kibbee balls over so they may bake evenly on each side. Right before they are done, lightly shake the pan back and forth to roll the Kibbee balls around with the baking oils. This makes for a beaming finish. Remove from oven.
5. When ready to enjoy: Best served hot on its own or paired with a dish of Labana drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, spices and warm wedges of pita bread. Equally enjoyable warm or room temperature as well as a small satisfying mid-meal snack.
Tips:
1. Make sure to well distribute the bulgur wheat into the ground meat and completely blend together so they become one, this is key in creating the correct consistency.
2. When forming the Kibbee balls, it helps to continually dip your fingertips in the cold water to avoid sticking, this also makes the Kibbee meat mixture much more pliable to work with.
3. For 6-8 servings, double the recipe.
Classic Laban & Labana
Ingredients:
• 1-Gallon Milk (Regular, Low-Fat (2%) or Skim)
• 2 tbsp. plain yogurt (Regular, Low-Fat (2%) or Skim)
Preparation:
Special note: you will need a cheesecloth bag
1. In a large saucepot, bring 1-Gallon of milk to a boil over medium-high heat. Simmer for approximately 20-30 minutes (maintaining a steady simmer without bringing to a boil), until the milk starts foaming and rises about ½ inch above the initial milk level that you started with. Once milk has risen, immediately take off the heat and let stand to completely cool down. Note: carefully watch that the milk does not burn (scold) while simmering.
2. Once milk is completely cool-temperature should be lukewarm to the touch (test by sticking your finger in the milk, if it can stand for 10 seconds then it is cool enough). In a small bowl add 2tbsp. plain yogurt with 3-4 tbsp. of lukewarm milk, temper by mixing together and then stir into entire saucepot of the lukewarm milk and cover with lid.
3. Now, wrap a large cheesecloth or kitchen towel over the entire saucepot and let stand on the countertop over night. On the following day transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 2-3 hours.
To Make Lebanese Labana (thick yogurt)
1. Follow all of the above steps and in a cheese cloth distribute some of the Laban (thin yogurt) into the cloth, spin the bag around to tightly enclose and secure the top. Place into a colander over a large mixing bowl into the refrigerator for one full day.
2. During the chilling process, the large mixing bowl will collect all the “whey” (milk liquid) from the yogurt as it drains developing into a creamy thick consistency. Once all the whey has finished draining the Labana has now been successfully transformed and is ready to enjoy as is and/or to use in creating some of your favorite Lebanese Cuisine recipes.Now you have just completed in making your very own Lebanese Laban (thin) plain yogurt. This is now ready to enjoy as-is and/or to use in making your favorite Lebanese cuisine recipes!
To Make Lebanese Labana (thick yogurt)
1. Follow all the steps above and in a cheesecloth distribute some of the Laban (thin yogurt) into the cloth, spin the bag around to tightly enclose and secure the top. Place into a colander over al arge mixing bowl into the refrigerator for 1 full day.
2. During the chilling process, the large mixing bowl will collect all the "why" (milk liquid) from the yogurt as it drains developing into a creamy thick consistency. Once all the whey has finished draining the Laban has now been successfully transformed and is ready to enjoy as-is and/or to use in creating some of your favorite Lebanese cuisine recipes!
3. Best enjoyed: Spread in a circular pattern on a serving plate, then create a small, shallow hole in the center and fill with extra virgin olive oil, lightly sprinkle sea salt, freshly ground pepper, crushed red pepper flakes with Zitoun, scooped up with warm wedges of pita bread.
Julie Taboulie will be catering "Living the Dream" a women's networking event. The event is hosted by WISE, Women Igniting the Spirit of Entreprenuership, featuring Karen Lockwood. The dinner will be at The Lockwood Farm which overlooks the Skaneatles Lake. Come and hear the story of one business woman and how she is living the dream.
Date: Wednesday June 30th, 2010
Raindate: July 14th, 2010
R.S.V.P. by Friday June 25th
Time: 5:30-7:30
Location: 1682 W Lake Rd. Skaneatles, NY 13152-9618
Cost: $15.00 Light Lebanese Cuisine by: Julie Ann Sageer (Julie Taboulie)
Contact Alicia C. Millingotn to register
315-443-8634 or ACMillin@syr.edu
