Ćevapi

Last summer while traveling through Bosnia & Herzegovina, I ordered more than my fair share of ćevapi.  These delicious sausages are filled with ground beef and lamb, and they're traditionally served with chopped onions and kaymak over pita.  It has taken me almost a year to create my own version of this delicious dish, but it's finally here.    

I've never been a big fan of raw onions, so I made mine with some sweet, caramelized onions and topped them with sour cream.  Since traveling to Istanbul in 2012, I look for kaymak at all international food markets, but my success has been minimal.

This dish is a great one for grilling--perfect for summer.  We actually have a Balkan Bistro in Charlottesville, but I haven't had ćevapi quite as good as the dishes I had in Sarajevo's Baščaršija.  

For some tunes, here's the Dead Boys' "Caught with the Meat in Your Mouth." Don't worry--I know what they're actually singing about.  But what better way to introduce you to this late 1970s Cleveland punk band?

Ingredients:

--1/2 lb. ground lamb

--1/2 lb. ground beef

--1 clove garlic, finely minced

--1/2 c. freshly made breadcrumbs

--1/2 c. half & half

--2 eggs

--2 tsp. paprika

--1-2 tsp. s&p, depending on taste

--2 large yellow onions, julienned

--1 tsp. granulated sugar

--4 tbsp. unsalted butter

For the meat:

Mix together lamb, beef, garlic, breadcrumbs, half & half, eggs, paprika, and s&p.  Mix *just* enough to combine--don't overmix or the meat will be tough.  

Shape into 3-inch sausages, and grill until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.  You'll have to flip/turn them once or twice to get all sides grilled.  (These are delicious on a grill, but you can also pan-fry them with some olive oil.)

For the caramelized onions:

Heat 1 tbsp. butter over medium heat in a saute pan.  Once the butter has melted, add the onions and continue to cook over low-medium heat.  Add another tbsp. of butter, and continue to stir frequently.  Continue to add remaining butter as the onions soak it in.  After cooking for approx. 10 minutes, add 1 tsp. granulated sugar to speed the caramelization process, and reduce heat to a simmer.  Continue to cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently.  All in all, cook for approx. 20-25 minutes.  The onions will be very soft and will have turned a very lovely shade of sepia.

Serve the ćevapi with the caramelized onions, sour cream, and warm pita.

Lemon Zest Cheesecake with Strawberry Basil Sauce

Is it summer yet?  It's starting to feel that way in Virginia.  Our grass is growing at breakneck speed and bees are buzzing around the back porch, but more importantly, we have fresh basil growing again!  What better way to welcome the warm weather than with a citrus treat featuring freshly picked herbs?

This cheesecake is an adaptation from one of Giada's cheesecakes, and let me just say, a ricotta cheesecake is pretty darn delicious.  Just FYI, you've gotta make this in advance because it needs about 8 hours in the refrigerator.

I've adapted the original recipe to take advantage of one of my favorite flavor trios: strawberry-basil-lemon.  In fact, I've made this cheesecake before with a strawberry base and a lemon-basil sauce, and you might remember a strawberry basil pie from last spring.  I just can't get enough.

So what other song than Depeche Mode's "Just Can't Get Enough"?

Ingredients:

Crust:
--1 1/2 c. crushed honey graham crackers
--3 tbsp. unsalted butter
--1-2 tsp. honey

Filling:
--2 8-oz. packages cream cheese or neufchatel
--1 c. whole milk ricotta, at room temp
--1 c. freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice (about 3 whole lemons)
--3 tbsp. lemon zest (zest from about 3 lemons)
--4 eggs
--3/4 c. turbinado sugar

Strawberry Basil Sauce:
--1 c. chopped fresh strawberries
--large bunch fresh basil
--1/2 c. turbinado sugar
--3/4 c. water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor, pulse the honey grahams, butter, and honey until the crust ingredients start to stick together.  Grease a 10" springform pan, and cover the bottom and edges in aluminum foil.  Press the crust mixture onto the bottom of the pan, pressing down to make it even.  Bake for about 7-9 minutes at 350 degrees F and remove from oven to cool.

For the filling, beat together the cream cheese, ricotta, and turbinado sugar until cream.  Add the eggs one at a time, continuing to beat.  Once those are combined, add the lemon juice and lemon zest, beating at medium speed until the mixture is creamy.  Pour onto the crust in the springform pan.

Next, take a roasting pan and fill it about 2-3 inches with warm water, or enough to come about halfway up the sides of the springform pan.  Place the springform pan (unbaked) in the roasting pan, and put the whole thing in the oven.  Bake for about 1 hour 30 min., or until the cheesecake is set (it won't wiggle when you shake the pan).

Remove from oven and allow to cool.  Cover and place in refrigerator for approximately 8 hours.  (It will stay good for a few days in the fridge, too!).

For the sauce:

In a small saucepan, heat the turbinado sugar and water over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, forming a simple syrup.  In a food processor, combine the simple syrup, strawberries, and basil.  Pulse until you've got your desire consistency (I like the basil very finely chopped and incorporated).  Store separately, and pour over each delicious piece of cheesecake.

Bison Stew

Before it gets too warm outside, you've got to try this bison stew.  I found the recipe in a Cowboys & Indians magazine issue, plucked from the kitchen of the Good News Cafe.  

I made a few changes to the recipe to make it my own, but this stew makes for a great (and healthy!) comfort food.  And it's delicious over orzo pasta.  I made mine in a cast-iron Dutch oven, but you could use a roasting pan in the oven (or even a stock pot on the stove).  Just a quick note: the buffalo meat needs to marinate for quite awhile, so start prepping this dish 1-2 days in advance.  

Did I mention that I made this stew soon after returning from the arid landscape of West Texas?  Recipes like this one bring me back to the tungsten-colored fields that are expansive enough to make me believe that, on a clear day, I can see forever.  Here's the Mountain Goats' "Jeff Davis County Blues," from the amazing concept album All Hail West Texas.  

Marinade ingredients:
*adapted from Carole Peck's recipe featured in March 2013 Cowboys & Indians
--2 c. olive oil
--1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
--1 tbsp. fresh English thyme, chopped
--1 tbsp. fresh sage, chopped (I love sage in almost any cold-weather dish)
--1 tsp. ground coriander
--1 tsp. allspice
--1 clove fresh garlic, finely chopped
--1 tsp. each salt & pepper
--approx. 4 lbs. buffalo should or rump steak, trimmed and cubed (I bought mine from our local Whole Foods, and it was pre-trimmed and pre-cubed.  In fact, I couldn't find it anywhere else or in any other form!).  

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients.

Add the olive oil, whisk, toss the meat to coat it, and allow buffalo to marinate in your refrigerator for 24-48 hours.   

Stew ingredients:
--8 plum tomatoes
--1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
--1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
--2 c. large green olives, chopped
--1 lb. cooked orzo pasta (or whatever suits your fancy--pasta, rice, potatoes)

Wash, core, and then blanch the tomatoes to remove their skin.  (To blanch a tomato, place it in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, then remove it to a bowl of cold water until it's chilled.  You'll be able to peel the skins right off.)  Then slice into quarters and set aside for the stew.  

Next, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Take approx. 1/4 c. of the marinade and pour it into the bottom of a cast-iron Dutch oven.  Over medium heat on the stovetop, cook the onion pieces until they're soft, approx. 5-7 minutes.  Next add the olives and the balsamic vinegar.  Now place the buffalo (and 1/4 to 1/2 c. of the remaining olive oil marinade) into the pan to brown on all sides, for approximately 10-12 minutes.  Remove from heat, add the tomatoes, cover, and bake in the oven for approx. 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the buffalo is very tender and flaky.

Serve over the orzo.  Yum!