Kefta, Browned Cabbage, Zucchini with Spices

I had a very busy, but productive weekend. My husband and I worked on the house (painting, sanding, patching, etc). We also did some cleaning to the point where my arm was sore and cramping towards the end (we moved recently, so there are still boxes to throw away and organizing to be done). Then, the weekend took a turn for the worse. My glass blender fell on my sink. Guess what shattered and needs replacing? The sink, yes, the sink. Seriously. But the blender is fine, thank goodness. I prefer my blender to my sink. And today, I dropped one of my adorable yellow bowls. Au revoir bowl. We accomplished a lot, but we destroyed just as much, so I think it balances out.

Anyway, while I was sulking about my bowl and sink I started flipping through my Paleo Diet book and decided to write a Paleo Diet post. Here are the guidelines for the diet:

• Lots of lean meats
• Lots of veggies
• Tons of fruit
• No grains, tubers or refined sugar
• Monounsaturated/polyunsaturated fats are ok
• Saturated fats are a no-no
• No dairy
• Eat food with lots of potassium and low sodium
• And finally eat lots of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants

I'm probably missing a few points, but you get the idea. Clearly, I don't follow the diet well, but I do think it's a nice diet plan. I disagree with the dairy part, mostly because I think I would die without cheese, yogurt, milk and their endless culinary possibilities. :) The meal I chose to make follows the diet fairly well, but I did use salt, which is a no-no.

And now on to the food. As far as I know, kefta (North African dish) is made two different ways. One way is the meatball form -- just make a standard meatball with eggs and breadcrumbs, then add the spices. The other way is more of a kebab style -- take ground meat and add the spices. Normally, I would serve this with rice, but I'm making a Paleo meal, so I replaced the rice with cabbage. Since I like to have at least three options for dinner, I searched for a veggie and chose zucchini (from my garden, frozen for the winter). The entire meal was delicious and I cannot recommend it enough.

Finished Result

Place the kefta in the sauce

Kefta Recipe (kebab style, but feel free to switch to the meatball style)
Serving Size - 2-3

• 1 lb to 1 1/2 lbs ground beef (lean)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of cumin
• 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• s/p

Tip! If your knives are as dull as mine, use a serrated knife to cut the tomatoes

The Sauce

• 5 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon of sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon of ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 small bay leaf
• s/p
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Start with the sauce. Add the onions with oil to a deep skillet, medium heat. Cook for a few minutes then add the tomatoes. Let the tomatoes reduce for about 10-15 minutes, then add the spices, bay leaf, s/p. Now switch over to the kefta. Add all of the spices to the meat and mix. Form small balls, about 1 1/2 inches or so. Add them to the sauce and cover. Let it simmer until the meat is cooked all the way through. In the last 5 minutes, add a handful of cilantro and parsley. Cover and let the herbs cook down a bit. I usually forget to do this, but you can add some lemon juice at the end.

The cabbage is effortless.

When the cabbage is brown, it is done

Browned Cabbage Recipe:
Serving Size - 2-3

• 1/2 head of cabbage, cut into 4 chunks or so
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 cloves of garlic
• Oil (a little heavy, maybe 2-3 tablespoons)
• s/p

Add oil to a deep pan on medium-low heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, cook until fragrant. Add the cabbage and cover, stirring occasionally (they will break apart, that is fine). It should finish cooking in 15-20 minutes once the cabbage is brown.

Zucchini Recipe
Serving Size - 2-3

• 1 large zucchini, or 3 small ones, chopped
• 1/4 cup combined cilantro and parsley, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• Sprinkle of caraway seeds (as much as you want, but they are strong)
• S/P

Saute the zucchini with garlic, oil, s/p over medium heat. In the last 5 minutes, add the herbs. Remove from heat and stir in the coriander and caraway.

Linking to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, and Kitchen Tip Tuesdays (Tammy's Recipes).