Keftedes With Trahana Food

KEFTEDES WITH RED SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread crumbs on cookie sheet and place in oven on center rack. Toss bread crumbs every couple of minutes, for about 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside to cool. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a saute pan over medium-low heat. Add onions, cumin, and season with salt and pepper. Saute onions until transparent, stirring occasionally about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat, set aside and cool. Place sliced bread in a bowl and add milk to cover. Soak until bread becomes soft, pressing on bread to absorb liquid. Drain excess milk. In a mixing bowl, combine ground meats and Sauteed onion with garlic, parsley, egg and milk-soaked bread. Work mixture with your hands until ingredients are well combined. Add toasted bread crumbs a bit at a time, thoroughly mixing with each addition. The meat mixutre should be moist to the touch, but not wet. Form meat into small balls about 1-inch in diameter. Set a large, heavy bottomed saute pan over medium heat and add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Heat until oil is hot, but not smoking. Cook meatballs, turning, until all sides are browned, about 5 minutes. Move meatballs from heat and drain on paper towels.;
• Place a sauce pot over low heat and add olive oil to warm. Add onions and saute, stirring, until translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add cumin and oregano and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper and add red wine. Reduce liquid by half. Crush tomatoes with your hands and add to sauce along with tomato juice. Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Skim sauce to remove any impurities from the top. Add chicken stock, stir to combine, and add meatballs. Cook 25 to 30 minutes, uncovered.
• To serve, plate 4 meatballs per person, sprinkled with additional cumin, fresh parsley and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

KEFTEDES

Steps:

• Break the baguettes into pieces, then grind the baguettes into crumbs in a food processor. Add the onions and parsley and mix again.
• Whisk all the eggs in a bowl. Add the pomace oil, salt, pepper and 1/8 cup water to the eggs. Add to the food processor, then turn on to low speed for 3 minutes. Mix this mixture and the garlic into the beef by hand in a bowl. Form into 2-ounce meatballs.
• Bring oil to 375 degrees F in a deep-fryer.
• Dredge the meatballs in flour and deep-fry for 5 1/2 minutes.

KEFTEDES WITH TRAHANA

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, warm milk over medium heat. Stir in trahana, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and let stand until all liquid is absorbed and trahana is soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Allow to cool.
• Place a sauté pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the onions, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for one minute. Add zucchini, cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, lamb, and vegetable mixture. Add softened trahana and remaining ingredients except bread crumbs. Add the bread crumbs a little at a time. Mixture should be moist but not wet. Form into small meatballs.
• In a large heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium heat, heat remaining oil (more, if needed); do not let it smoke. Gently drop meatballs into hot oil. Turn occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Serve with tzatziki and a salad.

KEFTEDES (GREEK MEATBALLS) WITH TRAHANA

Steps:

• 1. In a small saucepan, warm milk over medium heat. Stir in trahana, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and let stand until all liquid is absorbed and trahana is soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Allow to cool. 2. Place a saute pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the onions, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for one minute. Add zucchini, cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. 3. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, lamb, and vegetable mixture. Add softened trahana and remaining ingredients except bread crumbs. Add the bread crumbs a little at a time. Mixture should be moist but not wet. Form into small meatballs. 4. In a large heavy-bottomed saute pan over medium heat, heat remaining oil (more, if needed); do not let it smoke. Gently drop meatballs into hot oil. Turn occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Serve with tzatziki and a salad.

SIMPLE TRAHANA SOUP WITH LEMON AND OLIVE OIL

Steps:

• In a medium soup pot heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and add trahana. Stir until coated with oil, about 1 minute. Add water or stock and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring often, until trahana is tender and nutty tasting and the broth slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes if using home-made bulgur trahana (if you use semolina or flour trahana the time will only be 8 to 12 minutes and the mixture will be more like a porridge).
• Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Spoon into bowls and top with a drizzle of olive oil and a tablespoon of crumbled feta. Garnish with plain yogurt if desired and chopped fresh herbs such as mint, parsley or dill.