Kefta Lamb Kebabs: Mediterranean Paleo Cooking Review

Remember that time I decided I was going to cook one cookbook a month in 2015 a la Julie & Julia? I can’t believe January has flown by already. For my first review in January, I made my way through Mediterranean Paleo Cooking. And it was AWESOME.

Back when the book was released in October of last year, I wrote a review of this fantastic cookbook, which you can check out here. There was a LOT of oogling/drooling over the beautiful pictures, bursting-with-flavor recipe combinations, heart-felt family stories, plus genius tricks from the chef and nutritionist’s tips. Oh, and did I mention there are modifications for every recipe for the Autoimmune Protocol, Nut-free, Egg-free, SCD/GAPS, or lower-carb?! These guys definitely covered all the bases and hit a grand slam with this one.

So I won’t gush as much as I normally would over this book, only because I’ve already done that. A lot. Over this book. For more gushing, see this post. But going through the book a second time has been even more fun because I’ve been able to make so many more of the recipes! 16 in total, to be exact.

 Mediterranean Paleo Cooking really challenged me to be more adventurous in my cooking and use a bunch of different herbs and spice blends I don’t normally dabble with. I tried eating liver (in meatballs) for the first time. Didn’t tell my family about it and they ate it anyway. And guess what? IT WAS DELICIOUS. Admittedly, I was a tiny bit (a lot) grossed out at first. I think it’s just the texture, i didn’t think it tasted weird or anything. Tongue and heart might be a different story, because let’s be real I’m not THAT adventurous with food. Maybe someday. Maybe.

In January while cooking through the book, I was also taking part in a whole30 challenge and doing the paleo autoimmune protocol, and both were really easy to stick to while cooking through the recipes in this book. So kudos to Caitlin, Chef Nabil and Diane for that! I didn’t get to go through the dessert section, but that’ll be for another time FOR SURE when I’m not doing a whole30. Because those desserts look beyond fantastic.

Check out all the things I made/devoured from Mediterranean Paleo Cooking! The recipes marked with ** are ones that I made multiple times and/or disappeared immediately because they’re SO dang good.

Chicken Olive Tagine (p.196) The cover recipe. It did not disappoint! Leftovers the next day were even better!

Autoimmune-friendly Banana Pancakes (p.100)** These are ridiculously good. I omitted the honey and they were still sweet enough for me! 

Sweet Potato Ginger Salad (p.132)** I made this about once a week, we got addicted to it. The flavors come together so well, and it feels refreshing yet warming at the same time from the squash. 

Cilantro Pumpkin Soup (p.152)

Creamy Cilantro Salmon (p.288)** So simple, yet so packed with flavor! This extremely fast preparation of the salmon has become my go-to ever since. 

Mediterranean Paleo Pizza Crust (p.166) The almond flour version tasted more like a savory tart crust to me. the AIP pizza crust (below) was my favorite.

AIP Pizza Crust (p.171) Even better than the original crust, in my opinion. This is made with tapioca starch and gelatin, which allows the crust to FOLD! This is a big deal if you’re from New Jersey/New York. Yaknowhaddimean.

Fig & Ginger Tagine (p.204)

Liver Meatballs with Mushroom Gravy (p.312) Packed with flavor and you can’t detect a “liver” taste at all. Never would’ve thought to make a gravy out of mushrooms and broth – divine! 

Siva’s Cauliflower & Meatballs (p.234)

Shish Kebabs (p.248)** I made these into burgers and served them with avocado and tzatziki sauce (p.390). Devoured. 

Lemon-garlic Shrimp (p.264) Again, such a simple recipe, but melt-in-your-mouth good. I had mine with spaghetti squash. 

Cauliflower Couscous (p.332)** – A fun spin on cauliflower rice. I turned this into my own unique recipe: “Curry” Cauliflower Rice (autoimmune-friendly)!

Beef broth (p. 388)

Easy Falafel (p.130) with Tzatziki sauce (p.390) I used the autoimmune modifications for the falafel, which uses plantains instead of eggs. So fun to make at home! 

Za’atar spice blend (p.401)

And here’s another one of the fantastic recipes from Mediterranean Paleo Cooking: the Persian Kefta Lamb Kebabs!

Persian Kefta Lamb Kebabs

 

Print

Prep time

2 hours

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

2 hours 10 mins

 

Chef's note: This version of a kebab uses spices common in Persia (modern-day Iran), a cradle of ancient civilization where many Mediterranean dishes originated. The variety of fresh herbs in this dish results in amazing flavor that will make you feel like you're eating restaurant food at home!

Dana: Mediterranean Paleo Cooking

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 medium white onion, peeled
• 2 lbs ground lamb
• 2 tsp ground cumin*
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp nutmeg
• 2 tsp paprika*
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper*
• ½ loosely packed fresh parsley leaves
• ½ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
• ½ cup loosely packed mint leaves
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil, unsalted butter, or ghee, melted

Directions

1. In a food processor, pulse the onion until finely chopped. Add the ground lamb, spices, and herbs to the food processor.
2. Pulse the lamb mixture several times until well mixed, and place in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 10 minutes.
3. Split the lamb mixture into 3-oz pieces. Form each piece into the shape of a sausage, then place it on a metal or wooden skewer.
4. Heat a grill pan on the stovetop or an outdoor grill to medium-high heat. Brush the grill pan or grill grate with the melted fat.
5. Place the skewers on the grill pan or grill and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side for medium doneness, or until cooked to your preferred temperature.

Notes

*For AIP, omit the paprika and black pepper. Use 1 tsp turmeric in place of the cumin, and 1 tsp ground ginger in place of the nutmeg and paprika.

3.2.2925

Want to follow along as I cook through more paleo cookbooks this year? Sign up for my weekly newsletter that’s chalk-full of delicious recipes at the top or bottom of the page!