I’m excited to be a sharing a recipe for Mushrooms Canada today – a “Blend & Extend” recipe featuring mushrooms and Ontario Beef. Mixing mushrooms with ground beef is a great way to add an extra serving of vegetables to dishes without even noticing! Finely chopped mushrooms look similar to ground beef so they blend in easily – adding mushrooms also “extends” your beef. Mushrooms and beef together are a powerful combination that provides important nutrients and antioxidants. I shared a recipe using the Blend & Extend concept earlier in the year – beef and mushroom tortilla pie – and today I’m bringing you a recipe that’s perfect for summer entertaining – a beef and mushroom kofta served in pita bread pockets with minted yoghurt and beet “slaw”.
I love the concept of “build your own” dishes, especially for outdoor entertaining around the BBQ and these little kofta are the base for a great outdoor dish. They’re simple to make and so very tasty…
Given they have finely chopped mushrooms in place of some of the ground beef, they are a little tricky to put together (the mix is a lot softer than if it was simply ground beef) but with some patience (especially when you are grilling them – really make sure they are properly seared on one side before you try to flip them otherwise they might fall apart) they might just become your new favourite summer grilling dish.
I’m serving this with a tangy lemony beet (and other vegetable) “slaw” and some minted yoghurt…
It’s pretty darned tasty – sounds like a lot going on but the flavours really work well together.
- 200g mixed mushrooms
- ½ cup fresh cilantro
- 3 green onions
- 400g lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground mild paprika
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 egg
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- For the yoghurt:
- 1 cup plain Greek yoghurt
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint
- For the "slaw"
- 1 small carrot
- 1 small beet
- ½ cup grated cabbage
- ½ red onion
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- zest and juice of 1 lemon (you might not need all the juice)
- 8 pita bread pockets
- Make the kofta:
- Soak 8 bamboo skewers in water (completely immersed).
- Place the mushrooms in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade.
- Pulse until the mushrooms are finely chopped.
- Remove mushrooms from food processor and place in a large bowl.
- Place cilantro and green onions in the bowl of the food processor (no need to rinse it out).
- Process until finely chopped.
- Add the cilantro and green onion mixture to the mushrooms.
- Add the beef, ground coriander, cumin, paprika to the mushroom mixture.
- Now add the egg and breadcrumbs.
- Mix with your hands until all ingredients are combined.
- Using your hands, take approximately 2 heaping tablespoons of the mixture and form a sausage-shape around a wooden skewer. Now place a second sausage-shape of the meat on the same skewer. The mixture will be a little softer to handle than straight ground beef but do your best!
- Repeat with remaining beef/ mushroom mixture until you have 8 skewers each with 2 sausage-shapes.
- Place on a platter, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
- Make the yoghurt:
- Finely chop the fresh mint and stir into the yoghurt.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
- Make the "slaw":
- Grate the carrot, beet, cabbage and red onion using a box grater.
- Combine with the lemon zest, olive oil and about ½ of the lemon juice.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate
- To cook:
- Pre-heat the BBQ to medium-high heat.
- Grill the kofta skewers, turning occasionally, until cooked through (do not rely on touch for these - the mushrooms make them much softer than regular burger patties or similar - you will have to cut them open to see if they are done).
- Remove from the grill and let them rest as you organize all the other ingredients.
- To assemble:
- Split a pita pocket and place a spoon of the yoghurt in the bottom, then add 2 of the kofta, topped with some of the "slaw" and a dollop more yoghurt.
- Enjoy!
Portable, tasty and outdoor friendly – the perfect summer combination, wouldn’t you say?
Disclosure: I received compensation from Mushrooms Canada in exchange for developing two recipes using the Blend & Extend concept. Mushrooms Canada have not reviewed this post prior to publication and as always, opinions are 100% my own.
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These were delicious!
No wine pairing, as they were gobbled in a break from gardening (garden-fresh rock melon and tomatillos later in the season, anyone?).
However they’d be fairly open to a lot of interpretation in the wine department, due to all the flavours going on. Outdoors in the summer I’m a huge fan of quality DRY rose. Something from the Southern Rhone would go beautifully, I think. Otherwise I had an Ontario Gewurztraminer this past weekend that was sublime, and would work well with the spices. (Possibly – might be overload.) In reds I’d suggest just try something not overly jammy – otherwise go with whatever captures your fancy this time of year.
I think these pair well with anything cold! They are hot weather fare!
I love it! It’s low on calories too! lean beef and mushrooms! Nicely done!
A great combo, right?
No that I exactly know what I’m doing in the kitchen (normally, I’m not allowed in there) but for (as you say) a lot going on, it looked pretty simple when finally plated.
Yep, around the BBQ, I think.
Yes it’s a simple dish with lots of flavour – my favourite kind!
This is a great recipe and it looks delicious.
Thanks!
The perfect flavours for a tasty summer meal! I know I’ll be enjoying these a lot this summer. Thanks Mardi!
-Shannon
A perfect summer dish!
I will have to share this over at Tasting Jerusalem! This looks so great Mardi!