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Well, we just made it through an incredible deep freeze of a week here in my neck of the woods (windchills up to -50C!!) and it feels like quite an accomplishment coming out the other side to some slightly warmer temperatures! In the dead cold of winter I often enjoy warm, bubbly, comfort foods like Shepherd’s Pie, Salisbury Steak, or big batches of soup (Beef Barley, Roasted Tomato, Potato Leek, and Curried Butternut Squash are some of my favs). But some days, I just want to pretend it’s summer and feast on something bright, fresh, bursting with crunchy vegetables and the taste of sunny days. This meal really does the trick, we enjoy it year round!

Kofta, a form of spiced meatball, originates from the Middle East and there are countless variations depending on the region. I have come to enjoy this Mediterranean style kofta which consists of ground meat, fresh aromatic herbs, onion, and garlic. They can be grilled on a barbecue (in the summertime), seared in a skillet, or cooked on an indoor grill, like this one (my preferred method in the winter!). Kofta is delicious served with Tzatziki, a fresh tangy cucumber yogurt dip, or Hummus (I went with hummus this time around, a delicious dairy free option!), warm pita or naan bread, and Greek Salad or fresh chopped vegetables. Sometimes in the winter I’ll throw a big pot of rice on to stretch out the meal for my hungry tribe of kiddos, but I don’t personally find I need the extra starch.

Whenever I make these, I always double the kofta recipe and freeze half of the patties raw for a later date. It’s so handy having pre-made Kofta ready to grill for a quick meal! This is also one of my favourite meals to make and give to new mothers or friends in need of a meal as it’s such a nice, fresh combination that’s a bit out of the ordinary compared to the standard casserole (don’t get me wrong, these serve a great purpose as well!!). The kofta can be made ahead and frozen and the tzatziki or hummus keeps for almost a week in the fridge. Throw in a bag of store-bought naan or pita bread (or homemade if you’re feeling adventurous!), and some fresh veggies or salad, and you’ve got a wonderful meal to bless someone with!

If you give this recipe a try, be sure to let me know how it went in the comments, I love hearing what you guys thought of it! I hope you are all staying warm and safe where ever you are; now, let’s eat some of this and dream of sunny days! 🙂

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5 from 3 votes

Beef Kofta with Tzatziki

A bright and flavourful dish we enjoy year round. This is delicious served with all your favourite pita toppings or a big fresh Greek Salad. Tzatziki (recipe below) or hummus are both delicious accompaniments.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword gluten free, ground beef, kebab, kofta, tzatziki

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Servings 6 people

Author Garnish at Home, adapted from Spoontang

Ingredients

Beef Kofta:

• 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef ground lamb works well also
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 2-3 tbsp fresh mint, minced fresh dill or cilantro work as well
• 2-3 tbsp fresh parsley, minced fresh dill or cilantro work as well
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp oregano
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup quick oats certified gluten free if necessary
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Tzatziki:

• 1 1/2 cups plain greek yogurt substitute plain coconut yogurt for dairy free
• 1 english cucumber, grated and drained (see below)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp lemon juice (I use the juice of 1-2 lemons)
• 2-3 tbsp fresh chopped dill mint, parlsey, and/or cilantro work also
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Optional accompianments:

• 6 naan or pita breads, warm use gluten free pita bread if desired
• Greek Salad (recipe linked below), OR
• Assorted chopped vegetables for pitas lettuce, tomato, cucumber, olives, feta cheese, fresh mint, parsley, dill, or cilantro, etc.

Instructions

Beef Kofta:

• Add all ingredeints in a large bowl and gently mix until just combined. Do not overmix or you will have tough/dry patties. Tip – the onion, garlic, and fresh herbs (including the stems!) can be pulsed in the food processor for quick work mincing!
  
• Form into torpedo shaped patties (about 1/3 cup beef mixture per patty). Cover and refridgerate until ready to cook. These also freeze well! Meanwhile, prepare Tzatiki or Hummus, and Greek Salad or chopped vegetables for pita toppings.
  
• Heat a large skillet, barbecue, or indor grill/press. Grill kofta's until nicely browned on each side and cooked through, about 5-8 minutes a side or 10-12 minutes on a George Foreman grill press. Complete in batches if necessary, do not crowd the pan. Remove to a plate and keep warm covered with foil until ready to serve.
  
• Serve with warm pita or naan bread and Greek Salad or fresh chopped vegetables for pita toppings.
  

Tzatziki:

• Be sure to drain grated cucumber before using. Set it in a colander and press and squeeze until all excess water has been drained out. This will keep your dip from being runny!
  
• Add all ingredeints to a bowl and stir until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Add more lemon juice for more tartness, more garlic, red chili flakes, or pepper for heat, and more salt for flavour. Keep in mind flavours will intensify the longer the dip sits and the flavours marry. Refridgerate until ready to serve. This can be made ahead and will keep for about 5 days in the fridge.
  

Featured in this Post:

This post includes affiliate links, meaning I made a small commission at no extra cost to you, should you decide to click through the links and purchase anything. These are my honest opinions and I would never recommend anything to you I didn’t absolutely love and use on a regular basis. Hope you find these lists helpful!

George Foreman Evolve 3 in 1 Multi Plate Waffle Grill– My sweet hubby and kids picked this out for me for Mother’s Day a few years back (I have an older model), and I have gotten so much use out of it! I think it’s safe to say the rest of the fam enjoys it as well 🙂 I don’t currently have a working barbecue, so this has become my go to grill for burgers, kebabs, marinated meats, etc. It has a slight tilt forward and a little tray that catches the drainage (the unwanted fat!) which makes for nice lean grilled meats. I love that it doubles as a pain press as well as a waffle grill with interchangeable plates. Less small appliances to keep in my tiny kitchen! 

Gluten Free Quick Oats – I switched to quick oats in my burgers, meatballs, and kofta years ago. It’s the perfect gluten free alternative to breadcrumbs and really helps hold the patties together. These ones are certified gluten free, perfect for Celiac diets.

Cuisinart 14-cup Food Processor– I have a KitchenAid food processor that is over 10 years old (and still going strong), that I love. However, reading the reviews and hearing feedback from friends who have purchased the newer models, it seems they aren’t made like they used to! I have heard rave reviews of the current Cuisinart food processor, both from food bloggers I trust and friends I personally know that have one, so this is the model I will recommend. It comes with a grating and slicing blade, as well as the usual spinning blade for blending. I use my food processor for making hummus, lara bars, almond flour, slicing scalloped potatoes, shredding cheese, and making cashew cream in a matter of seconds! I love the large capacity, would not want it any smaller.

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