Mashed Potatoes with Beef and Poblano Peppers (Kibbeh Batatis fil Furn)

A few weeks ago, I made baked kibbeh in the oven.  It was great, but this time I wanted to try it with potatoes.  My mom makes little potato kibbes (shaped like footballs) filled with beef and pine nuts, which are then pan- fried.  Those are great, but this baked version is just as good (if not better…) and is much faster to make.  I also added poblano peppers to the beef mix, which adds a nice contrast to the potatoes.  The dish isn’t the prettiest once it is cut but it tastes delicious. Next time, I may try making them in small individual dishes.

Mashed Potatoes with Beef and Poblano Peppers (Kibbeh Batatis fil Furn)
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes

5 large potatoes, peeled
1 lb lean ground beef (I used 95/5)
1 small red onion, diced
1 tsp pomegranate molasses
1 egg
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup poblano peppers, diced
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 cup fat free buttermilk (you can use any type of milk)
1/2 cup bulgur wheat
3 tsp all spice
salt
olive oil

(1) In a large pot, add peeled potatoes, a pinch of salt and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are soft.
(2) In a small bowl, cover the bulgur wheat with boiling water. Set aside.
(3) In a large saucepan, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add diced onion. Once they become translucent, add the pomegranate molasses. Mix well.
(4) Add the ground beef, 1 tsp allspice, and 1 1/2 tsp of salt. Brown the meat. Once the meat is cooked, add the pine nuts, poblano peppers and parsley. Mix well and cook until the peppers are soft.
(5) In a large bowl, add the potatoes, buttermilk, bulgur wheat (drain any excess water), 2 tsp of allspice and 1 1/2 tsp of salt. Mash all together. It should resemble a thick paste.
(6) In a buttered casserole dish, press one half of the potato mixture on the bottom of the pan. Add the meat mixture on top. Press the remaining potato mixture on top.
(7) Place the casserole into a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
(8) Remove and brush the top with egg wash and return to the oven to broil for 5 more minutes. The top of the casserole should be lightly browned and crispy. The dish is best served warm. Enjoy!

Baked Kibbeh with Pomegranate Molasses Caramelized Onions

Kibbeh generally comes in three forms: raw (yuck), baked, and fried. Of course, the fried version is the best, but it takes an incredible amount of time to form perfect miniature meat footballs stuffed with beef and nuts. The baked version takes out all of the hassle and results in a similarly delicious meat concoction. The traditional Lebanese recipe only uses allspice in the meat and they tend to use only lamb for both the shell and the filling. In this recipe, I use some ground lamb, however, if you are not a fan of the game-like taste of lamb, feel free to just use ground beef. I also use a lot more than allspice to spice the meat. For example, I use pomegranate molasses in the sautéed onions, which makes for delish and tangy onions. Although the ingredient list looks long, it is mainly a lot of spices. This is a fairly easy dish to make!

Baked Kibbeh with Pomegranate Molasses Caramelized Onions
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Bake Time: 45 minutes

Shell
1/2 lb ground beef
1 lb of ground lamb
1 onion
1 cup bulgur wheat (fine cut)
1 tbsp seven spice
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Filling
1 lb ground beef
3/4 cup of pine nuts
2 onions
1 tsp pomegranate molasses
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp seven spice
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp salt

Olive Oil

(1) In a small bowl, rinse the bulgur wheat well. Fill the bowl with water until the bulgur wheat is covered in water. Set aside.
(2) In a food processor, pulse one onion until it has a liquid texture. Add the ground beef and lamb in batches and mix well with the onions.
(3) In a large mixing bowl, use your hands to combine the meat mixture with all of the spices.
(4) Drain the bulgur wheat and remove all excess water. Add the bulgur wheat to the meat mixture. The meat should have a soft texture.
(5) For the filling, cut one onion into large slices. Dice the other onion.
(6) In a saucepan, melt a small pat of butter and brown the pine nuts. Set aside.
(7) In the same saucepan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add the slices of onion and the pomegranate molasses. Saute until the onions become soft. Remove and set aside.
(8) In the same saucepan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add the diced onion and minced garlic. Once the onions become soft, add the seven spice and quickly stir it into the onion mixture.
(9) Add the ground beef and salt. Cook thoroughly. Remove and add parsley.
(10) In another large bowl, combine the ground beef, pine nuts and sautéed onion slices.
(11) Now you are ready to assemble the kibbeh. In an oven proof casserole, lightly butter the bottom and sides of the pan. Take half of the lamb/beef mixture and press firmly into the bottom of the pan. Lightly brush with olive oil.
(12) Add the ground beef mixture on top of this layer.
(13) Press the remainder of the lamb/beef mixture on top of the ground beef layer. Lightly brush the top with olive oil.
(14) Cut the kibbeh in diagonal slices. I added a small slivered almond on top of each diamond but it is not necessary.
(15) Place in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. For the last few minutes, turn on the broiler to brown the top of the kibbeh. Enjoy!

Tabbouli

Nothing frustrates me more than seeing tabbouli being sold at grocery stores where the ratio of wheat germ to parsley is off. Tabbouli is suppossed to be green with wheat germ specks throughout, not the other way around.  Below is my version of tabbouli that can be catered to your own personal tastes by fiddling with the amounts of lemon juice, salt and olive oil.

Tabbouli
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

1 Head of curly parsley
2 Roma tomatoes
1/2 English Cucumber
1/2 Red onion
1/4 cup wheat germ (also called bulgur)
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
1 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper

1. Place dry wheat germ into a coffee mug. Cover the wheat germ entirely with boiling water. The wheat germ will absorb the water and expand while you prepare the other ingredients. Set aside.
2. In small batches, chop the parsley into very small pieces. If you are not good with a knife, use a food processor or chopper. Be careful to only use the pulse function, otherwise the parsley will turn to liquid in the processor.
3. Dice the tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion in to very small pieces.
4. Remove excess water from wheat germ. Be careful, often there is trapped heat in the wheat germ.
5. In a large bowl, combine chopped parsley, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and wheat germ.
6. Take turns adding a little bit of olive oil, salt and lemon juice to the bowl. You can always add more to taste. Add a small amount of fresh ground black pepper prior to serving.