Chicken Kefta with Wild Rice Tabouli and Tahini Yogurt
Last week, my cookbook finally went off to print, and I couldn’t be more excited. At times, I worried I would never finish, but somehow I got it done and am pleased with the finished product. Over the past two years, I have likely eaten my weight in butter from all of the delicious Iron Range dishes. Many of the recipes were made multiple times to ensure they looked and tasted the way I wanted. Due to space limitations, I had to cut many of the recipes, so I actually made far more than what was included. As much as I love our local cuisine, I now plan to occasionally explore a wider variety of global cuisines, and I wanted to make something light this week.
I spent more than two years in the Middle East, and recall how new and exciting it was to experience the uniquely spiced foods. I am aware that many locals may have limited experience with those flavors, so I came up with a subtly spiced version of a dish I enjoyed overseas. Kefta is usually a spiced chicken or meat mixture served with tahini yogurt sauce and tabouli, which is an herb and bulgur wheat salad. Instead of bulgur for the tabouli, I used ground wild rice. While I intended to do a grilled kebab-style kefta, with the current fire situation, I certainly was not going to light my grill, so I made the chicken mixture into patties and cooked them in a skillet.
