Spiced Match Meat Kebab

You know those spicy Persian ground meat kebobs? I’d been thinking for a while that Match Meat would lend itself well to this. So I decided to give it a shot. And I was right. Instead of making it into kebobs, I just formed it into patties and pan fried it. It would be even better on a grill. These were spicy and delicious. Here I’m eating it with Israeli Couscous from Veganomicon and some mixed veggies.

Spiced Match Meat Kebab

  • 1 lb. ground beef style Match Meat
  • 6 tablespoons grated onion
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons paprika
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
  • 2 teaspoons dried mint leaves, crumbled with your fingers
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine Match Meat and onion in a large bowl; set aside. Heat oil in a 10″ skillet over medium-high heat. Add paprika, salt, cumin, oregano, mint, and pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Pour the spice mixture over the reserved Match Meat mixture and mix thoroughly with your hands.

2. Divide mixture into 4 portions and roll each into a thin cylinder about 10″ long and 1″ thick. Slide a flat metal skewer (see page 100) into each cylinder and press the Match meat around the skewer. 

3. Meanwhile, build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to medium-high (alternatively, heat broiler and position rack 7″ from heating element or just form into patties and pan fry). Grill or broil the kebabs, turning once, until browned, about 4 minutes per side.

Adapted from this recipe.

Poor Bunny

Tak was in the backyard while I was cutting the grass. During one pass, I noticed she had something. Turned out to be a baby bunny. Oh no! I got it away from her. It was a little brown guy about 6″ long. He screamed a couple of times when I picked him up, but stopped when he realized the big hairless ape wasn’t going to hurt him. He had a scrape on his bottom and he was bleeding a little from somewhere. I walked him over to the fence and put him just on the other side hoping his mama would find him. Plus, I think they live out there and not in the yard. He didn’t move and it almost looked like his butt wasn’t working. I walked away and came back in a couple of min and he was gone. So hopefully he was just waiting for me to go away before he ran away. Hope the little guy will be okay. If there’s an upside, I got to hold a little baby bunny! So cute!

How to negate a healthy meal

As the weather gets warmer, I enjoy lighter dinners. After two nights of the avocado grapefruit salad and then sushi at Rusan’s I moved on to a lovely Mediterranean Kale Salad from Raw Food Made Easy. I love raw kale and I don’t know why I don’t eat it more.

So how did I negate any possible health benefits I got from eating this lovely plate of greens? I made peanut butter cookies. With chocolate chips in ’em. And ate four. If you haven’t tossed chocolate chips into your favorite peanut butter cookie recipe yet, you’re missing out.

Big Ol’ Salad

There’s something about going to DeKalb Farmer’s Market after having Soul Vegetarian brunch that made me end up with a cart full of fresh veg. Not a bad thing. So Monday night I had a salad the size of my head for dinner, the Grapefruit and Avocado Salad from Raw Food Made Easy. I also added a sprinkling of sunflower seeds just for the heck of it. Simple, tasty, filling. Well, along with the toast I had with it. 🙂

Match Meat Schnitzel

Before Cosmo’s Vegan Shoppe moved OTP (outside the perimeter for you non-Atlanta folks) I stocked up my freezer with fake meaty goodness. Sunday night we broke into the package of Pork Match Meat and made schnitzel. I skipped the cabbage part of the recipe and instead we ate it with mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus. I did make the sauce though and it rocked on the schnitzel and the taters. Half the package made 4 good sized schnitzel patties.