Morroco Menu 2: Beef Keftas, Cilantro-Japapeno Hummus with Roasted Red Peppers and Feta

Yesterday's dinner was a real crowd pleaser. I really didn't have any concrete plans in my head.  I knew I had a whole lot of beef that needed to be used.  The rest just came together because of what I had - or rather what I didn't have -- in my refrigerator.  I was running low on vegetables and so had to fall back on the contents of my pantry and hence the hummus, roasted red pepper side dish!

I got the basic recipes for both the beef kefta and the hummus from Paula Wolfert, the Grand Dame of Meditteranean cooking and one of the best cookbook writers in my opinion.  I have read and re-read her introductory chapter in Coucous and Other Good Food from Morocco.  There is a wealth of invaluable information there.  She manages to tell you more about Moroccan cuisine in those first few pages than in many other books I have looked through. 

Beef Kefta Skewers (from Paul Wolfert Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco)

Makes about 15  large skewers
11/2 lbs ground beef (8% fat)
1 small onion
Handful parsley
Handful fresh cilantro
Small handful of spinach (because I am always trying to sneak in greens into my kids)
2 large pinches of mint
1/2 tsp ground cumin
pinches of ground allspice, cinnamon, ground ginger
nutmeg
Bamboo skewers

• Soak bamboo skewers in water for atleast 30 minutes (prevents the stick from burning on the grill)
• Put everything but the beef and skewers in a food processor and puree until smooth paste.  I added a dash of oil to make this a really smooth paste since my kids don't like "bits" in their meat!
• Dump this paste into the ground beef and mix well until incorporated
• Make sure to season the beef well with salt and pepper.  I used about 1 tbsp salt and 1tsp of pepper but you may need more or less. 
• With wet hands, separate the meat mixture into equal sausage shapes.  I made about 15.  
• Pack these around the bamboo skewers.  The trick to this is to keep your hands wet and to work quickly and rotate the skewers and you pack the sausage onto the stick.  
• Grill rapidly on both side, approximately 5 minutes per side.  If you don't have a grill, then just broil these in a oven. 

Cilantro-Jalapeno Hummus with Roasted Red Peppers and Feta (significantly adapted from Paula Wolfert's Hummus recipe)

Makes about 4 cups; was completely wiped clean by this family of 4

2 cans of chickpeas
3 garlic cloves, peeled
3/4 cup sesame seed paste
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, and more to taste
Big handful of fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
Salt to taste
Jar of roasted red peppers diced small
Crumbled feta cheese
Hungarian paprika
2 teaspoons olive oil

• Open two cans of chickpeas, reserve some of the chickpea liquid, then dump the rest in a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold water. I always do this with the canned chickpeas to get rid of the slimy texture on the beans.  Slime not appreciated in this house.  Set aside for now.
• In a food processor, puree the heck out of garlic, tahini paste, lemon juice.  Add the cilantro and the jalapeno and continue to puree.  Add a tablespoon of water water to the mixture if it is not a smooth paste. 
• Now add the chickpeas to the garlic-sesame-cilantro-jalapeno mix and process until well-blended.  Note: the kids like their hummus smooth but I totally get the chunky hummus.  Just blend it to your desired consistency. 
• Adjust the seasoning with salt and lemon juice.  I always add a bit and taste. 
• Crumble some feta cheese in the middle of the platter
• Open a jar of roasted red peppers and arrange some around the feta
• Surround the peppers with the hummus
• Drizzle the olive oil and a pinch of the zatar or paprika on the hummus
• Serve with warm pita chips

THE VERDICT:  **** (4 out of 5 stars)

Parents:  When we lived in Istanbul, the office employed a chef and her name was Fatos. She would make us keftas for lunch every Friday afternoon.  The entire office would make sure to be there on that one day.  Heck, we even had people from neighboring offices pretend to be colleagues to get a taste of her keftas.  After eating dinner, Jim said that these got pretty close to Fatos' keftas -- which is a high compliment in my book!  The hummus was delicious for us parents but is did pack just a tiny tiny bit of heat which is why the boys stayed away from it.  The meat is pretty heavy by itself and so perhaps a light salad -- like the Cucumber Salad or the Orange Lettuce Salad in Paula Wolfert's Coucous and Other Good Food from Morocco - would have been a better accompaniment.

Kids:  Loved the beef kefta.  The fact that it was on a stick made it so cook.  Just lapped it up.  Ate the pita chips but mostly stayed away from the hummus, peppers and also the feta cheese.