Lamb Koftes

The following is a dialog I had on social media with an old friend:

F: Making koftas later in case you know a good recipe

P: I do
You know me!
How much minced lamb have you got?

F: 800g

P: For 800g: Mix the lamb mince with a slack handful of very finely chopped spring onions, 2 carlic cloves mashed with 1 tsp salt and an egg.
You can add a teaspoon of dried rosemary and a finely chopped hot chilli pepper - both are optional. Other good herbs are marjoram, savoury and of course dried or fresh mint.
Chill the mix until it is stiff, then shape it round a chopstick to a 4 inch kofte, then grill or fry.
The hollow helps it stay moist and cook fast.
Serve with a rice or bulgar wheat pilaff, minted joghurt and chilli sauce, with a nice salad on the side.
For wine, something full-blooded like a Rhone red.
I prefer beer with it though.

F: Fantastic Thanks mate I have a lot of both ready.  Wish you were coming.   Next time 

P: you can freeze any excess shaped and raw. Cook from frozen.
I have a great recipe for veggy rice:

http://drabzz.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/steamed-vegetable-rice.html 

F: I'm planning on making the koftas now then cooking them tomorrow or cook them now and eat cold tomorrow?  Thoughts?

P: I wish I was, it sounds like you are set for some yummy fun.
They take no time to cook, once shaped, and lamb gets too waxy when cold.
The egg helps them cook like sausages, so they hold together as long as you don't play with them
A cucumber and mint raitha would work well too. Mix cucumber chunks with greek yoghurt and english mint sauce! trust me it works.
Only pork kofte taste okay cold, but pork kofte are not authentic - even christian arabs don't eat much pork.
Can I paste this as a kind of novel way of presenting a recipe?
I will sanitise your name if you want.

F: Sure sanitise away

Beef and Pork Jerky - Chinese Style

I have eaten this kind of jerky in Hong Kong in the 80's, where it was often sold as a snack in cinemas. The taste is superb, like teriyaki only better:

Green Monster Smoothie Recipes

The Green Monster Movement has become a hit with those seeking a more healthy lifestyle, so I thought I would chip in with a couple of green monster recipes of my own:

Banana Hippie Green Monster

Dig it baby!

Blend:

• 1 cup of chopped spinach
• 1 banana chopped
• 1 heaped tablespoon of shelled hemp seed
• 1 heaped tablespoon of hemp protein powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried wheatgrass
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried barleygrass
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried spiralina
• 1 cup of apple juice

Waldorf Salad Green Monster

Made with real waldorfs!

Blend:

• 1 stick of celery, washed and chopped
• 1 apple, chopped - seeds and all
• 1 handful of walnuts
• 1 heaped tablespoon of shelled hemp seed
• 1 heaped tablespoon of hemp protein powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried wheatgrass
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried barleygrass
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried spiralina
• 1 cup of grape juice

Serving:

Blend, decant to a glass and enjoy!

Note:

These monsters are packed with wholesome goodness and they give a huge boost to your energy levels, so they are good for the morning or when your energy level begins to subside in the afternoon. It is best not to drink monsters before you go to bed, or you will have trouble getting to sleep.

Suki Noodles in Soup

This delicious soup noodle is easy and quick to prepare. The addition of Thai or Chinese Suki Sauce is optional, but gives the soup a nice flavour and a spicy kick. This is a vegetarian version I am posting for my friend Kerry, but you can add any cooked meat or seafood of your choice and use fish or chicken stock instead.

The noodles used are bean-thread vermicelli or cellophane noodles, and they soak up about 10 times their weight in liquid, so they make for a really substantial soup.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 500ml clear vegetable stock
• About 2 slack handfuls of your choice of chopped or shreaded vegetables. Cabbage, carrots, beansprouts, mushrooms and green beans are excellent.
• 1 garlic clove, finely sliced (optional)
• About 2 slack handfuls of bean thread vermicelli
• 1/2 tsp of good quality rock salt
• Dash of light soy or mushroom soy sauce
• Dash of hemp oil (optional)
• Dash of sesame oil (optional)

Garnish:

• Chinese or Thai suki sauce (optional)
• 2 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped
• A sprinkle of raw beansprouts (optional)
• 1 tbsp of hulled hemp seeds (optional)
• 2 tbsp of sprouted beans and seed mix (optional)

Method:

In a large saucepan, bring the vegetable stock to a gentle simmer, then add the remaining ingredients. Return the soup to a simmer and continue simmering for a further 3 minutes, or until the noodles taste ready.

Add your choice of garnish and serve immediately.

Enjoy!