Kofta Kebabs - Middle East Grilled Ground Meat

The richly-spiced flavors aren't the burn-your-mouth kind, but are a delicious change from the usual. I don't bother to make them "kebabs," but you can put them on skewers if you want. They can be made with any kind of ground meat, including lamb.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground meat
• 1 Tablespoon gournd coriander seed
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin seed
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• pinch of cayenne or other hot pepper (or a little Harissa paste)
• 2 cloves minced garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 Tablespoons finely minced onion or 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 3 Tablespoons chopped parsley
• Salt (about 1 and 1/2 teaspoons works well)

Preparation:

It's easiest to mix all the ingredients together, which is what I used to do. But I have found that the flavors come out and blend together better if I warm the spices in about a tablespoon of olive oil, just until it sizzles.

Traditionally, these are molded into sort of long meatballs (about 3 to 4 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in diameter) and put on skewers to grill. I just skip the skewers.

Serve with Tzatziki with Mint.

Nutritional Information: Each of 4 servings has 2 grams effective carbohydrate plus 1 gram fiber, 29 grams protein, and 303 calories.

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