Turkey Kibbeh with Cucumber Salad & Mint-Yogurt Sauce

Kibbeh is a traditional meat preparation found throughout the Middle East and Northern Africa. It’s usually made with ground meat combined with bulgur (an ancient whole grain). A combination of turkey, apricots and Middle Eastern spices bring this dish to a new level.

Makes 2 Servings

Ingredients:

8 Oz Ground Turkey 

1/2 Cup Bulgur

1/2 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt

1 English Cucumber 

1 Lemon

1 Yellow Onion

1 Large Bunch of Mint

1 Large Bunch of Italian Parsley

1 Tbsp Za'atar (recipe to follow)

1/4 Tsp Aleppo Pepper

1/4 Tsp Cumin Seeds

1/8 Tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 Oz Dried Apricots

2 Tbsp Pine Nuts

Za'atar Recipe

1/2 Tsp Fresh Minced Thyme

1/2 Tsp Toasted Sesame Seeds

1/4 Tsp Ground Sumac

1/8 Tsp Sea Salt

Stir ingredients together in small bowl.

How to Make:

Step 1:

Put bulgur in a strainer, rinse with warm water. Fill small sauce pan/pot with 3/4 cup of water, add salt, bring to a boil. Once boiling, add bulgur, cover and remove from heat. Let it sit for the duration of your cooking time approximately 18-20 minutes.

Step 2:

While the bulgur cooks, wash and prep vegetables. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, use spoon to scoop out seeds, thinly slice.

Peel and dice the onion.

Using a peeler or a zester, peel lemon rind, avoiding the pith, mince to get about 2 tsp of zest. Cut the lemon in quarters and remove seeds.

Pick the mint and parsley leaves off the stems. Chop the parsley.

Dice the apricots into small cubes.

Step 3:

In a large nonstick pan heat 2 tsp of olive oil on medium high. Once hot, add the onion, lemon zest, za'atar and aleppo pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes until onion is soft and spices are fragrant.

Add apricots, pine nuts and half the parsley, cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer to large bowl. Wipe out pan.

Step 4:

Add the ground turkey and cooked bulgur to the bowl of onion mixture. Add cumin seeds, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Thoroughly combine.

Form into patties about 2" in diameter and about a half inch thick. Makes about 12 patties.

Step 5:

In pan used to cook the onion mixture, heat a thin layer of olive oil on medium high. Once hot add the turkey patties. Cook until browned on both sides and cooked through, approximately 3-5 minutes per side. Remove from heat.

Step 6:

While the turkey cooks, in a medium bowl add the yogurt, chop and add the mint and the juice of all four lemon wedges. Add about a tsp of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste, mix thoroughly.

In a medium bowl, Add the cucumber with a quarter of the yogurt sauce, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Plate your dish and enjoy :)