Lula Kabobs

Yes, Lula Kabobs!

I was reading a book and they were serving Lula Kabobs

Although the story had nothing to do with food, I, of course, had to know what this was all about

Step in Google

Now there are Lula Kabobs, Lola Kabobs, Shami Kabobs, I mean all kinds of Kabobs (and the spellings can be Kabob, Kebab, Kabab, etc.,etc.)

I compared different recipes and decided to make a variation of an Armenian Lula Kabob, based on ingredients that spoke to me

Now typically you would use lamb, I’m using 3 pounds of ground turkey – you can use whatever ground meat you like

3 pounds of meat sounds like a lot,  but with kids and all of their activities in full swing, we’ll need some leftovers to keep up

We will need 2 large eggs whisked together, 1 cup of plain breadcrumb, 1 large onion, 2 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, the juice from half of a lemon and some fresh parsley

Add the tomato paste to the eggs and whisk them together

Then add to the meat along with the bread crumbs and finely chopped parsley

Since these kabobs are smaller individual servings we wanted the onion and garlic to be small so it doesn’t over power them

So we placed the onion and garlic into a food processor and gave them a chop

Then we added that to the meat mix as well

Next up are the spices

We used 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon of chili powder, 2 teaspoons of cumin, 2 teaspoons of garlic powder, 2 teaspoons of onion powder, 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, 2 teaspoons of ground black pepper and around 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground nutmeg

Place all the ground ingredients into a bowl and then grate the fresh nutmeg in as well

Whisk to combine

Add the spice mix into the meat

Using your hands gently fold all the ingredients together until thoroughly combined

Line a baking sheet with wax paper that has been sprayed with cooking oil

Using a 1/2 cup measure, start scooping the meat mixture onto the pan into balls

Then roll them between your palms (like you would do with clay, only more gently), until you have about 6-7 inch logs

Repeat until the meat mixture is done

This yielded around 14 kabobs

Place these into a refrigerator for at least 30 minutes

This will make them easier to work with

Now I’m not sure if I’m breaking any rules here, but I’m making a sauce for these

You will need 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup of ranch dressing, 1 teaspoon of Harissa, 2 grated garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon each of kosher salt and ground black pepper

Harissa, by the way is an interesting spicy paste made from chili peppers, paprika and olive oil, it adds a nice bite to the sauce (but not that big of a bite)

Place all of this in a bowl

Whisk until combined, then refrigerate to allow the flavors to meld

Now it’s time to get the kabobs out of the refrigerator

We are using skewers which we soaked in water prior to help them not burn up to quickly on the grill

Push a skewer through each kabob

We are going to grill these over high,  direct heat

I’m talking around 450 F, so once you put them on, don’t go mow your lawn or clean the pool

Make sure your grill grates are greased well, also spray the kabobs with some cooking oil

Place them on the grates on an angle to get some nice grill marks and cook 6-8 minutes

Flip and cook another 4-6 minutes, (remember,  we’re using turkey here, which needs to be cooked through.  If using another meat, judge accordingly)

Once cooked, remove and let rest 10 minutes

Remember to remove the skewers

We served these family style with warm flat breads, sliced onion, cucumbers and tomatoes with our spicy yogurt sauce on the side!

Dig in!!!

Enjoy!!!

Tools used to make this recipe

Architec Carving Board, Gripperwood

KitchenAid 3-Speed Hand Blender

Mini Prep Glass Bowl

Pyrex Mixing Bowl

Royal Classique 10 Piece Stainless Steel Measuring Cups and Spoons Set with Silicone Handles

Wilton Recipe Right Non-stick Cookie Sheet Set, 2-Piece

OXO Good Grips Flat Wire Whisk

Stainless Steel Grater/zester

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