Adana Kebabs

These can be made with beef or lamb mince, and are utterly delicious on the barbecue or under the grill; there is no need to add a load of olive oil either, as with many other kebab recipes, so they are pretty healthy too. 

They are really tasty and what's more, they are one of the easiest kebabs to make, don't take hours of marinating either so can be made just ahead of cooking which might appeal if you're a spontaneous cook. These should have a chilli kick, I use dried chilli flakes, but you could use fresh red chilli instead. 

I made these with my Chicken Shish Kebabs, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Cacik, some Turkish couscous and a big salad; a fantastic feast in the sunshine. 

The below makes x4 'main meal' kebabs, or you could make smaller ones to feed a crowd as part of a feast.

Adana Kebab

Adana Kebabs and Healthy Shish Kebabs

Here's how:

• 500g minced beef or lamb (try not to use the really reduced fat versions or the kebab will dry out a little during cooking)
• 1 white onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• Big handful parsley (leaves and stalks)
• Handful dill fronds
• 2 tsp sumac
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1.5 tbsp dried chilli flakes 
• 1 tbsp tomato puree or Harissa paste
• 1 tbsp ice cold water
• 1 lemon

Firstly if you are using wooden skewers, immerse into water as soon as possible before cooking, to prevent them from catching alight on the barbecue or under the grill. You can pick up the metal kind for just a couple of quid during the summer months, and ours get plenty of use so they are a good investment if you like a lot of barbecues. 

Into a big mixing bowl throw the minced beef or lamb. Now finely dice the onion as small as you can, and peel and mince the garlic and add all of this to the mixing bowl. 

Now roughly chop the parsley and dill and add to the mixing bowl. Add the 1 tbsp of icy cold water at this point too.

Add the cumin, sumac, salt, pepper, chilli flakes and tomato puree and roughly begin to mix with a spoon or a fork. 

Now you need to work the meat a little with your hands, to also combine it, but also to tenderise it. So get your hands stuck in and work it a little, as if you would with a dough, pushing together, and ensuring all of the meat has a good array of the seasoning. Now wash your hands, cover the bowl with cling film and pop into the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour before cooking. 

When you are ready to cook the kebabs, separate into mounds of however many kebabs you are making. Then take each mound individually and work it again, and roll it into a kind of sausage shape. Really squeeze it into a tight sausage and then thread it onto one of your skewers. Once on the skewer again squeeze it tight to the skewer and set on a plate or board until ready to cook. Repeat the process until each Adana Kebab is ready. 

Now place onto a hot barbecue or under a hot grill and cook for 6-8 minutes on one side, before turning and repeating on the other side. Check the meat is cooked through, by cutting into one of them in the centre. Try not to overcook as this will dry out the meat. Once cooked and dished up onto a serving platter, finish off the kebabs with a quick squeeze of lemon juice. Enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus and Cacik Dips

If you love Turkish food, you'd be surprised to know just how simple it is to create some of your favourite dishes at home.

I've already shared the Lamb Shish Kebab, Beef Kofte Kebabs and Healthy Chicken Shish Kebabs but what about the delicious dips to go alongside? So here are two of our favourite dips that would be fantastic with some fresh bread and any of those dishes; Roasted Red Pepper Hummus and Cacik.

Cacik is very similar to Tzatziki (although this of course originates in Greece) except rather than using mint (although in some cases mint is used), in my experience this is often flavoured with fronds of dill.

As I am on a never-ending quest to shift some weight, I often use low fat or fat free yoghurt for Cacik, but you will get a creamier version if you use full fat natural yoghurt, and if you are lucky enough to live close to any shops that stock Turkish produce, I strongly recommend finding a Turkish Yoghurt which is super thick and creamy and makes for a really authentic Cacik.

Cacik and Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Cacik

Here's how:

• 3 tbsp yoghurt (fat free if you want a lower calorie version, Turkish or Greek full fat if you want the authentic version and to tell with the calories)
• 1 cucumber
• 1 clove of garlic
• Pinch of salt
• Handful of dill fronds, finely chopped

In a small bowl add the yoghurt and salt. 

Grate the cucumber down and add to the yoghurt. 

Peel and mince the garlic and add to the yoghurt. 

Finely chop the dill fronds and add to the yoghurt then give it all a good mix and spoon into your serving dish; or cover and place into the fridge until you need. 

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

There are tons of varieties of hummus out there, but this is our favourite, taking flavour from those delightful jarred roasted red peppers. If you don't have any and/or can't get hold of them, you can simply place a whole red pepper into the oven at a very high heat and roast until charred all over. Then remove from the oven, allow to cool, and peel off the charred skin and remove the lid, and the seeds inside. 

Here's how:

• 1 large roasted red pepper
• 1 tin of chickpeas
• 2 tbsp tahini 
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 clove of garlic
• Pinch of salt and black pepper
• Olive oil

For this you will need a food processor or if you have one, a Nutribullet. 

Firstly drain off the tin of chickpeas and add 90% of the tin to the Nutribullet or blender (save a few for garnish). Add the tahini and squeeze in the juice of the lemon.

Now peel and mince the garlic and add with the salt and pepper and the roasted red pepper. 

Pour in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Now put the blender lid on and blitz. You will most likely need more like 4-5 tablespoons of olive oil to get a smoother, runnier consistency, but if you add a little at a time, and just blend until you are happy with the consistency.

Once ready, place into the fridge for later with a lid on or dish up into you serving dish and scatter over the remaining chickpeas. If you are making ahead of time, and you find the hummus has gone a little dry in the fridge, just add a few drops more olive oil and mix again with a fork or spoon or give another quick blitz.

A London Lunch No. 9: Pilpel – Falafel heaven

A friend and fellow blogger Leila of Swallower of Lives introduced me to Pilpel last summer and I really should thank her for that!

Falafel and hummus are the stars of the show here – it’s a great example of sticking to a small selection of lunch options and executing them very, very well.

You can either opt for a filled pitta or my preference which is a container, filled with your choice of salads, dressings and either hummus or falafel, or if you are anything like me, both.

The salads include everything from cucumber, pickled cabbage, tomatoes, feta and those Middle-Eastern staples of chickpeas, tabbouleh and an irresistible smoked aubergine that I’ve never tried outside of Pilpel which is frankly divine.

The falafels themselves are fantastic – crispy and with crunch on the outside, but moist on the inside and filled with flavour. The hummus is immense – hence why I never opt for the either/or situation – it just has to be both. They also offer guacamole if you fancy mixing it up as well as labneh which is also incredibly moreish but my preference is a good drizzle of tahini and some chilli sauce for a bit of fire.

Pitta comes with the container option and believe me that it’s always a very filling and satisfying lunch.

Everything is priced around the £5.00 mark so it offers good value for money in the centre of the city too – a definite lunch recommendation.

The Pilpel I visited is located on Brushfield Street just off of Spitalfields Market but has another concession inside the market, as well as a branch at St Pauls.

A London Lunch No 6: Hummus Bros, Soho

As regular readers will know, Soho is my general stomping ground, whether work related or otherwise. The area is undoubtedly my favourite part of London, and some of my preferred eateries, not to mention watering holes, exist in this area.

Wardour Street is host to numerous delights and for a delicious and filling lunch I can thoroughly recommend Hummos Bros.

Open since 2005, it pretty much does what it says on the tin and makes bloody good hummus, with a seriously impressive selection of toppings.

My absolute favourite is to have the ‘chunky beef with tzatziki’. This is casseroled, large pieces of beef cooked in a rich stew-like sauce and each time I’ve had this I’ve been in heaven. The meat has been mouth-wateringly tender and falls apart. The beef sits on a bed of the delicious hummus, here it is rather smooth, although not as smooth as commercially produced packet hummus. It has that wonderful garlic hum, without being over powering. Two pitta bread pockets come alongside in a regular dish and all priced at £7.65 – a bargain.

I can never stick to one dish, especially when they are as flavourful and moreish as they are here, so I generally grab either the tabbouleh salad, or if I’m hungover and in need of stodge, the falafel salad – both of which are flavoured with my favourite herb, coriander which just makes everything taste incredibly fresh and, at least to me, delicious.

Although I am often a creature of habit, ordering the same dish when I return to restaurants, I feel almost smug in the fact I can also suggest the chicken, guacamole and mushroom version of the hummus topper, as I have also eaten and enjoyed all of these.  

The concept here is simple and it works. To me, this just proves that a simple menu can work well if you perfect the dishes on there and don’t deviate too much or try to over complicate.

If you’re a lover of hummus, don’t delay, head to Hummus Bros.