Same same different

I bought 750 g of lamb mince and couldn't decide what to do with it.  Looking into the fridge and spice cupboard, I decided to make a sort of  kofta.  Then I decided I had made too much, so ended up making 2 meals for 2 different days  which used the same ingredients differently.  The first night, we had lamb kofta, 1/2 sliced red capsicum, 1/2 Roma tomato, sliced lengthways, and 1/4 large fennel,sliced,  with a cucumber yoghurt sauce on burritos.

 

The second night, we had lamb meatballs, couscous with red capsicum, onions and fennel, and the cucumbers and yoghurt sauce:

Lamb Kofta/ lamb meatballs

Ingredients :

750 g lamb mince
3/4 cup couscous
I small onion
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Ground salt
Ground black pepper and green pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground dried chillis
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard seeds
1/ teaspoon rosemary
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 egg, beaten
I clove garlic, chopped finely
1 handful of parsley, chopped
4 pre- soaked bamboo skewers

Method:

Pour 3/4 of hot water on couscous and leave, while preparing the rest.
Mix together other ingredients, then mix in the couscous.
For koftas:  place 1/2 of the mixture on  skewers, squeezing each into a sausage shape.  Grill for about  10 minutes or until cooked, turning occasionally.
For meatballs:  preheat oven to 180 degrees. Roll into walnut sized balls and place on a tray lined with baking paper.  Cook for about 15 minutes or until cooked.

Cucumber and yoghurt sauce:

Ingredients:

1grated Lebanese cucumber
1 small tub natural/ Greek yoghurt.
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
Salt
Pepper
A dollop of olive oil.

Method:

Mix all together.

Vegetable Couscous:

Ingredients:

olive oil
1/2 red capsicum, diced
1 small onion, diced
1/4 large fennel, diced
1 cup couscous
1  1/2 cup boiling water
Pepper

Method:

Heat olive oil in pan.  Add vegetables and cook on medium heat until tender.  Turn off heat.
Pour in stock and then add couscous and stir.  Leave for about 4 minutes stirring occasionally until soft, but with seperate grains.

Other dishes cooked this week were banana cake, grilled oysters, potato and leek soup (courtesy of a friend's recipe):

and turmeric fish with vegetable couscous:

By the way, this turmeric fish is very tasty and very simple. I used white snapper, cut into chunks and mixed it in a bowl with a sprinkling of turmeric and curry powder, salt, pepper, shredded coconut and natural yoghurt.  Heat some olive oil and heat the fish mixture, stirring constantly until cooked through.

Of course, the ladies who lunch lunched.  We went to the old favourite, New Farm Deli and Café where we tried the poached egg and mushroom

salmon omelette

omelette and fennel

orange and almond cake

and berry muffin.

We also discovered the very trendy, Leaf, where we shared a quick baba hanouj and toast, thick chips and dip, and toasted cheese on bread.  Nice!  Plus, we could sticky beak at the cooks preparing the evening's meal.