Rolla’s Kafta Casserole

Rolla’s Kafta Casserole is a Middle Eastern recipe. We call if Kafta, but it is known as Kofta in Middle Eastern countries.  My friend Rolla is from Lebanon and she has introduced me to a whole new world of flavours.  Now being Sicilian, we have that Middle Eastern influence, but some of the dishes are specific to Lebanon.  In my life I have been very lucky to travel most of the world, live in many places, but most of all make friends.  Rolla came into my life at the yoga studio here in Leamington and over the past 5 years, we have become members of her family.

Family comes together at the table.  Food is such an important part of Rolla’s culture just like our Italian culture.  At the table we share stories and make memories. Her family is kind and loving and we share meals, laughter, love and of course recipes. I miss her and her family and this recipe brings them to my table, even if they can’t come at the moment.

Kaftas are part of the meatball family.  On a shopping trip to Lebanese markets, I picked these up with Rolla at a butcher shop catering to Middle Eastern cuisine.  Our Kafta’s are made of lamb and pork.  The butcher  ground the meat with parsley and garlic.  I loved watching him; it reminded me of growing up in Little Italy. When I got home, I rolled the meat into oblong shapes and flattened them a bit.

Kafta can can also be placed around a skewer and grilled on the barbecue.

How to make the Kafta from ground meat at home:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TplfK-dweMo

Today I am cooking them in a casserole type dish.  Another good meatball casserole type dish https://recipesatmytable.com/drunken-turkey-meatballs/

Ingredients

• 2 lbs Kafta
• 3 medium sliced onions
• 6 medium sliced potatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning ( anything with oregano, anise, red pepper chilli flakes)
• 2 tbsp olive oil ( grease the casserole with it and pour some over the casserole before placing it into the oven.

The Process

My Kafta is frozen and I remove it from the freezer.

I peel and slice the onions and place them in the bottom of a greased casserole dish.

Peel and slice the potatoes.  I used the mandolin, but they are about 1/4 inch thick. Ensure that you season each layer.

In a casserole dish, place the onions, followed by the potatoes and then place the Kafta on top.  Season each layer with salt and pepper.

Mix the stock with the tomato paste and pour over  the sides.  Today I used 1/2 vegetable stock and 1/2 marinara.  You can vary your sauce.

Place a piece of parchment paper and then a piece of aluminium foil over the casserole dish.Bake at 375F for 50 minutes.Remove cover and bake for another 20-30 minutes.

You can serve this with rice or pitas.  Today I served it with falafel and cucumber salad.