Middle Eastern Kofta Kebabs with Lemon-Tahini Sauce

Name: Middle Eastern Kofta Kebabs with Lemon-Tahini Sauce
Total time: 25 min
Yield: Serves 4 (serving size: 2 skewers and 1 tablespoon sauce)
Ingredients: Cooking spray; ½ cup packaged cooked quinoa; ⅓ cup coarsely chopped sweet onion; ¼ cup fresh mint leaves; ¼ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt, divided; 2 teaspoons cumin; 1 ¼ teaspoons minced garlic, divided; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon; ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; ½ teaspoon smoked paprika; 1 pound 90% lean ground sirloin; 1 tablespoon water; 1 tablespoon tahini (roasted sesame seed paste); 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice; ½ teaspoon honey; 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced (about 1 cup); 1 large ripe tomato, sliced; Lemon wedges

4 Ratings
3 Reviews

Cooked quinoa acts as a binder for these kebabs, packing them with extra protein and some whole-grain goodness.

By Ivy Manning

Recipe by Cooking Light May 2015

Gallery

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Lindsey Lower, Claire Spollen

Recipe Summary

hands-on:

25 mins

total:

25 mins

Yield:

Serves 4 (serving size: 2 skewers and 1 tablespoon sauce)

Nutrition Info

Directions

Step 1
Preheat broiler to high. Position oven rack 6 inches below heating element.

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Step 2
Line a baking sheet with foil; set a wire rack on top of foil. Coat rack with cooking spray. Combine quinoa, onion, mint, 2 tablespoons yogurt, cumin, 1 teaspoon garlic, and next 5 ingredients (through paprika) in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Add beef; pulse until well blended.
Step 3
Divide mixture into 8 equal portions. Form 1 portion of beef mixture into a 3 1/2-inch-long patty around an 8-inch metal skewer; place on prepared wire rack. Repeat with remaining beef mixture. Place baking sheet in oven; broil 4 minutes. Turn skewers over; broil 3 to 4 minutes or until browned.
Step 4
Combine remaining 2 tablespoons yogurt, 1 tablespoon water, tahini, juice, honey, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon garlic in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.
Step 5
Arrange cucumber and tomato on a platter. Top with kebabs; drizzle with sauce. Serve with lemon wedges.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

291 calories; fat 14.5g; saturated fat 4.9g; mono fat 5.8g; poly fat 1.3g; protein 27g; carbohydrates 13g; fiber 3g; cholesterol 74mg; iron 4mg; sodium 569mg; calcium 66mg.

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EllenDeller

06/06/2016

My only change was to skip the skewers (totally unnecessary) and cook in my grill pan. What great flavor! I did add dash of red pepper. The fresh mint is essential. Served with pitas, the suggested salad, and steamed green beans. Added Frey basil and dash of red wine vinegar to the salad. Loved the sauce! Perfect meal

sukeedog

08/30/2015

Lots of ingredients, and my kebabs wouldn't form around the skewers so I just made them into ovalish meatballs. Great flavor, but not sure I'll go through the effort to make these again.

marchez

04/21/2015

I prepared these exactly according to the recipe for dinner. They were good, but not 5 star good. There was one leftover, which I had for lunch the next day. That was 5 stars! The flavors had melded, and you could really taste the mint and spices. I will make these again, but will try preparing them the day before.

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