Fish Fry!

No recipe, just instructions:

1. Catch some fish (or send husband to do so). Pike is pictured.
2. Fillet said fish
3. Rinse clean.
4. Chop into pieces, and deep fry (I dipped pieces into milk then Fish Crisp original batter to coat before frying).
5. Serve and enjoy - eat as soon as it cools enough to bite into for the crispiest serving!

Kibbee (a Lebanese dish)

From Wikipedia: Kibbeh or kibbe (also kubbeh, kebbah or kubbi) (Arabic: كبة‎) is an Arab dish made of bulghur, minced onions and ground red meat, usually beef, lamb, goat or camel. The best-known variety is a torpedo-shaped fried croquette stuffed with minced beef or lamb. Other types of kibbeh may be shaped into balls or patties, and baked or cooked in broth.

This particular recipe is a pan-fried version of burger-shaped patties that has passed down through the generations. Kibbee is also eaten raw, drizzled with oil (I wouldn't recommend that unless you hand grind your meat, as ground beef is notorious for food safety issues unless fully cooked), and can also be baked in a pan as a single piece and cut into pieces (but I find it less flavourful), or in a muffin tin at 350F for about 20 minutes. I have tried to be thorough in my instructions. If there are any questions, just ask!

Note: the real recipe involves purchasing steak, trimming all the fat, and grinding the meat by hand, but I cheat by using very lean, high quality ground beef.

Ingredients:
This recipe is based on the pounds of meat used. Quantities here are for 1 pound of meat, which should make about 7-8 pieces of kibbee, depending on the size.

• 1 lb extra lean ground beef (I use extra lean sirloin or extra lean from my local butcher - must be at least 90% lean)
• 1 c. dry bulgar
• 1 medium onion (puréed)
• 1-2/3 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. pepper
• 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp. allspice
• 3/4 tsp. cumin
• Arabic spice/7 spice (if this cannot be found, add extra 1/4 tsp allspice, and about 1/3-1/2 extra tsp of cumin/lb)

Instructions:

1. Measure out bulgar. Pour into a very large bowl, and add water until the bowl is full. Leave it to soak at least 30 minutes. Drain & rinse it well - pour it out trough a sieve, rice with water, and push down on the bulgar to squeeze out excess water.
2. Puree onions.
3. Add beef, bulgar, onions and spices together in a large bowl.
4. Mix by hand until evenly blended.
5. On the stove, place a large pan (cast-iron or non-stick with high sides work best). Add oil until the pan bottom is covered - if making more than one pound, use about 1/2cm/1/4" of oil in the bottom. You can always add more if required. Turn heat onto medium.
6. Form patties - make a think oval-shaped burger, and press an indent into the centre.
7. Put a small amount of butter (about the size of a pea) into the dent. Note: butter should be placed on a side plate and not cut directly from the block so you don't contaminate the rest.
8. Add more of the meat mixture to form a complete patty. Try to pack is so it's smooth - no cracks or the patties may break apart when turning over while cooking.
9. Place patties into hot oil.
10. You'll notice the sides start to change colour. Turn over patties when bottom is well-browned.
11. When both sides are well-browned, remove from pan and place on paper towel to absorb excess oil. Repeat until all patties are cooked.
12. Eat - plain, or in a piece of pita.

Kibbee freezes well, and can be eaten hot or cold.


Photo tutorial (click to enlarge):

Nutrition Information (based on 8 pieces per pound, pan- fried):
Calories: 221
Potassium: 0
Fat: 10
Carbs: 10
Fibre: 2
Protein: 15

Enjoy!

Pan fried chicken with mashed potatoes and garden salad

To make the chicken, I took out some all-purpose flour and added a bit of any spices I had on hand that sounded good: paprika, mustard powder, oregano, coarse sea salt, etc. Then I broke one egg into a shallow bowl, and whisked it around with a splash of milk. After rinsing the chicken breasts, I dipped each into the egg mixture, coated it in flour, back into the egg mixture and a final flouring before gently putting it into a pan of hot oil. Once removed, I drizzled with some light Renee's Caesar dressing and honey.

The mashed potatoes were two red potatoes I washed, cubed, and boiled, then mashed with my new Pampered Chef potato mashing tool along with some butter and milk.

Point Plus Value for this meal: 14

A blogging failure... no time to post!

I was feeling so ambitious on the first day I started this blog, but quickly realized life is too busy to actually post regularly right now, so I think I will switch to posting meal photos and descriptions for a while to keep me going. I'll start you off with a few recent ones:

Fried chicken with sautéed asparagus and mushroom rice risotto

French onion soup in a handmade bowl

Meatloaf with oven roasted root vegetable and parmesan cheese casserole

Tilapia with asparagus and slightly overcooked (oops!) carrots sautéed with butter and brown sugar