Hi all,
I'm back..........Lately I have been so crazily busy, and now that I'm done applying to Dietetic Internships, I have more time on my hands. Back to cooking, photographing, blogging and the like, right? Of course! Also, I would like to mention that I taught myself how to knit. Merima was there to guide me a bit, but I can finally knit myself a simple cowl. I'm oh so thrilled!
Today after work, I biked home through the 22 mph winds with 40 mph gusts. It was wretched I tell you. Upon arrival, my hunger became apparent. Instantly I knew what I would prepare for my dinner. Lamb skewers with quinoa and a side carrot salad [cashew yogurt dressing].
I first mixed the lamb skewers:
black cumin
sambar
salt
pepper
dried mint
fresh parsley
minced onion
cumin
bread crumbs
egg
lamb
mustard
After, I let the meat rest and shaped them into balls [refrigerate]. In the mean time, I thawed lamb stock for the quinoa. When preparing grains, I find it more flavorful to use various stocks to give greater depth to the food. Once thawed, I started cooking the quinoa and began preparing the carrot salad.
To save time, I used my food processor to shred the carrots. FIrst, heat the pan and temper the oil with mustard seeds, curry leaves if you have them, and dried chilies. When the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the carrots and saute. Mix in curry powder, cumin, and tumeric. After a few minutes, add a small amount of yogurt and keep at a simmer. Be careful not to heat too much or the yogurt will curdle giving an unpleasant texture and appearance.
In a frying pan, cook your lamb so that each ball has a nice brown coating. [Finish in the oven if necessary.] Lastly, swirl cashew butter into plain yogurt. I prefer to have a ratio of 1 cup yogurt to 3 tablespoons cashew butter. Add salt and herbs of your liking.
Try it at home, and let me know what you think.
