Kofta Skewers with Peppers

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1/2 lb. lean ground lamb
• 1 small onion, grated
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 medium bell peppers, any color, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
• 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

Special Equipment:

• 8 (12-inch) skewers

Makes 4 (2-skewer) Servings

1. In a large bowl, combine beef, lamb, onion, parsley, tomato paste, garlic, cumin, red pepper flakes and salt. Divide meat mixture into 8 equal portions. Form each portion into 6-inch sausage shape around a skewer.
2. In a medium bowl, toss peppers with oil.
3. Lightly coat a grill or grill pan with cooking spray and heat to medium-high. Grill meat, turning frequently, until browned on all sides and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Halfway through cooking, place peppers on grill and cook, turning frequently, until lightly charred on all sides, 8-10 minutes. Serve kofta hot with peppers.

WW POINTS VALUE: 9 pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. Kofta means pounded meat in Persian andusually consists of balls of ground meat (usually beef or lamb) mixed with spices and onions. Koftas are often enjoyed in Middle Eastern and South Asian countries. These meaty treats were delicious with the roasted red bell peppers I grilled. This was also the first time I had ground lamb but it was mixed in with the ground beef and I must say I enjoyed my meats. I also made grilled sausage for the first time and I was nervous but they turned out smoky, filling and delicious. These sausages will quickly fill you up and leave you satisfied. I do highly recommend using a grill basket when grilling your Kofta sausages and peppers so nothing will fall apart or fall through the gate.