Sunday, September 25, 2016

Beef Kofte with Herby Couscous Salad


Subscription boxes are all the rage now and goodness knows they have them for just about anything your heart desires (food, makeup, planners, pets, fitness, etc.)  One of my favorite subscription boxes is Hello Fresh, a weekly food subscription box that comes with all the ingredients for three recipes.

I've been a member of Hello Fresh for about a year. Each week they post six recipes and you can choose up to three recipes for delivery.  I must admit that when I'm working I really love this service.  I never feel like running to the grocery store after work and the Hello Fresh boxes give me a break, but also give me something fun to look forward to when I come home.

I was super excited when I heard that Hello Fresh partnered with an IHCC chef, Jamie Oliver. Now I can order a Jamie Oliver recipe each week and have it delivered right to my doorstep. This week was a particularly busy week with lots of running around and I did not have time to think about what I was making for my blog, much less go to the grocery. It was so nice when the ingredients and recipe came in the mail for Jamie's Beef Kofte with Herby Couscous Salad.

Everything you need comes packaged in a cute little meal kit, the ingredients are fresh and delicious, and everyone usually raves about the food. This Beef Kofte with Herby Couscous Salad was packing some major heat with a very fiery red chile, but the creamy tzatziki sauce helped to cool things down a bit. We loved mixing little bits of spicy meat with the lettuce and couscous and dipping it in the sauce. It was a fun meal that everyone loved!

Have you tried a food subscription box? If so, how was your experience?


Beef Kofte with Herby Couscous Salad
Recipe by Jamie Oliver 
courtesy of Hello Fresh
Serves 2

10 ounces ground beef
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 cup couscous
1/2 red onion
1/2 a cucumber
1 romaine heart lettuce
1 lemon
1 fresh red chile
1 bunch of fresh mint
4 ounces ripe grape tomatoes
1/2 cup plain yogurt

Fill a small pot with water, place over a high heat and bring to a boil

Meanwhile, pick the thyme leaves into a bowl, then add the beef, garam masala and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well to combine, then with wet hands divide into 4 portions. One at a time, squeeze each portion in your fist so it forms a ridged oval shape.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat, then add the kofte and fry for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned on all sides, turning occasionally, then set the pan aside off the heat.

Meanwhile, place the couscous into a bowl, pour over 1 cup of the boiling water, cover with a plate and set aside.

Peel and coarsely grated the onion into a bowl. Halve the cucumber length ways, scoop out the seeds with a small spoon and discard then coarsely grate into the bowl.  Season well with salt and leave for 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, trim and cut the lettuce into wedges, then arrange on a nice, wide platter.

Squeeze out the excess salty liquid from the cucumber and onion, then add half the lemon juice and a pinch of pepper.

Halves and seed the chili on a large cutting board, then pick over the leaves from 3 sprigs of mint. Finely chop it all together, mixing as you go. Fluff up the couscous with a fork, stir through 1 teaspoon of olive oil, the chili and mint mixture, then season with salt and pepper. Roughly chop the tomatoes, then stir half through the couscous.

Pick and finely chop the remaining mint leaves, then place into a bowl with the yogurt. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and mix well.
Spoon the couscous onto the salad and lay the warm koftes on top.  Scatter the rest of the tomatoes in and around the plate, then drizzle over the minty yogurt. 











5 comments:

  1. The subscription box is definitely a brilliant idea! I cannot take my eyes off this Beef Kofte though it's only breakfast time here. I want to bookmark this considering how delicious yours look :)

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  2. I don't believe we have that sort of service here, but it does sound as though it would be convenient for some people.

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  3. This looks delicious! And how convenient it is to have ingredients and recipes delivered right to your doorstep! With Jamie Oliver's recipes, looks like every meal will be a winner!

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  4. Subscription meal box is a great concept. It's like having a personal shopper and a sous chef all at once. Delicious dinner prepared quickly without stepping out of the house. A great time saver without compromising on a home-cooked meal. Brilliant!

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  5. We do a mix of Plated and Blue Apron, depending on the recipe options for the week, but now I'm thinking I'm going to have to look into Hello Fresh! Sounds like a great meal.

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