Kofta with Curried Quinoa

This recipe is inspired by Turkish Kofta.  However it is served with a Greek-like cucumber yogurt sauce.  Serve it with Quinoa with Curry and Dried Fruit and you have a complete meal! 

Kofta Meatballs

18 oz extra lean finely ground meat (Beef or Lamb)

4 cloves minced garlic

2 t cumin, freshly ground

½ t allspice, freshly ground

1 t fresh mint

Pinch of cayenne

½ c chopped parsley leaves

Black pepper

1 t olive oil

Using your hands, combine all the ingredients except the oil.  Take approximately 2 tablespoons of mixture and roll into a ball.  Repeat until you have used all the mixture.  Grease a baking pan with the oil.  Bake in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Serve hot. 

Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

1 cucumber peeled and grated

8 oz plain yogurt

1 clove garlic minced

½ T fresh mint

Salt

Olive oil for drizzling

Drain any excess liquid from the cucumber.  Combine all the ingredients, except for the olive oil.  Refrigerate until ready to use.  Just before serving, drizzle a bit of oil on top of the sauce.

Quinoa Salad with Curry and Dried Fruit

3 c quinoa

6 c water

1 c dried apricots

½ c goji berries

2 t curry powder

1 t sea salt

2 t honey

½ c orange juice

½ c olive oil

Juice of ½  a lemon

½ sliced scallions

¼ c chopped fresh parsley

¼ c torn fresh basil

1 c mix of pine nuts and chopped almonds

1 orange peel (long pieces of zest only)

¾ c goat cheese, crumbled

Put the quinoa and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Simmer quinoa uncovered until done about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add apricots, goji beries, curry, salt, honey, and orange juice.  Combine well, cover, and let rest 5 minutes until the fruits absorb the juice.  Add the oil, lemon juice, onion, parsley, basil, nuts, and orange pieces.  Stir well.  Garnish each serving with 1 tablespoon of goat cheese.  Makes approximately 10 one cup servings.