I'm back. I promise.
The Captain and I have have been very busy.
We're doing some home renovations so the house is turned upside down. We've gone on a few trips. Las Vegas, a cruise to the Bahamas. A few other personal medical issues we've been dealing with as well. One constant throughout has been good meals and good friends!
Lately I've been craving comfort food, even though I am Italian, my comfort food cravings have no ethnic boundaries.
Back in my single days I lived in Whitestone, Queens (NY) in a crooked second floor apartment. Nearby was a fantastic Afghan restaurant. I used to order a dish called Ashak. It was a thin skinned dumpling stuffed with scallions and leeks. It was covered with ground lamb in a spicy red sauce then covered with a garlic, mint yogurt sauce. It was delicious and quickly became one of my comfort foods. The restaurant closed shortly after I moved from the neighborhood. I was then diagnosed with Celiac Disease so any type of "dumpling" was out of the question anyway and I soon forgot about Ashak.
Until I was reminded.
I was reading the NY Times Dining and Wine section (as any good "foodie" does) and came across this article : Turkish Dumplings, Deconstructed . It brought back to my mind Ashak.
This is my gluten free version of this Turkish/Afghan dish.
Keep in mind this is a very rich, very stick to your ribs ( and thighs) kind of meal. Best served on a chilly, rainy evening.
Also please keep in mind I'm not very precise about the exact measurements. I'm just not that kind of cook..so please feel free to adjust any ingredient to your taste. A pinch of this, a dash of that makes cooking so much more exciting than following a recipe to a T,unless of course you are baking.....which I don't do!!
Here's what you need:
1 Lb. Ground lamb
2 minced garlic cloves
2 or 3 Leeks
5 or 6 Scallions
Olive Oil for sauteing
1 Tub Greek Yogurt (8,12 or 14 Oz.)(Fage is a good brand if you can't get fresh. StonyField Farm makes one as well but it is a little watery)
1/2 stick Butter
1 Lb Gluten Free pasta ( I like Glutano Gluten-Free Pasta Tagliatelle)
Fresh mint (or dried, if you must)
Sea salt (course)
Cayenne Pepper
What to do:
Stir fresh, chopped mint 1 minced garlic clove into yogurt, add a few sprinkles of cayenne pepper and a shake of sea salt. Stick it in the fridge and let the flavors mix.
Brown ground lamb with remaining minced garlic- pour off all excess oil. Set aside.
Prepare leeks:
Cut off the fibrous root
If the dark-green outer leaves are very tough and/or spotty, remove them
Trim the ends of the remaining leaves
Cut the leek in half length-wise, then chop (a little larger than postage stamp size)
Place in a bowl of warm water and swirl around to help the dirt fall to the bottom
Take the leeks out, place in a colander, and rinse again. Don't just pour them into the colander as the dirt at the bottom of the bowl might get trapped in the leaves again.
Chop scallions.
Saute leeks and scallions in olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter until soft. Set aside.
Boil pasta according to directions on package- drain. Mix pasta with leek/scallion mixture. Add ground lamb, add remaining butter. Stir gently so the butter gets in there and melts well.
Serve hot with a healthy dollop of yogurt and fresh chopped mint on top.
I'll have to photograph it next time I make it...It always goes so fast!!
