Lebanese Ground Meat Dinner with Roasted Vegetables, Vermicelli Rice and Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients

• 500 g Ground meat
• 1 Red bell pepper (Roasted, peeled and chopped)
• 2 Onions (Roasted, peeled and chopped)
• 100 g Fresh spinach
• 3 gousses Garlic (Peeled)
• 15 g Fresh mint
• 15 g Fresh cilantro
• 1 c. à café Paprika
• 1 c. à café Ground cumin
• Chili pepper (To taste)
• 0.25 c. à café Ground cinnamon
• 1 c. à café Ground coriander
• Salt (To taste)
• Black pepper (To taste)
• 300 g White rice (Rinsed)
• 50 g Vermicelli (Vermicelli or very fine pasta)
• 15 g Butter (A small knob)
• 600 ml Boiling water (Approximate amount; adjust according to the rice)
• 250 g Plain yogurt
• 60 g Tahini
• 30 ml Lemon juice
• Sumac (For sprinkling before serving)
• 2 Green onions (Finely sliced)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Place the red bell pepper and whole onions on a baking sheet, then roast for about 20 minutes, until tender and lightly browned.

2. 2

   While the vegetables are roasting, peel the garlic and blend it with the fresh spinach, mint and cilantro until you have a coarse green mixture. It should retain some texture rather than becoming perfectly smooth purée.

3. 3

   Remove the bell pepper and onions from the oven. Let them cool enough to handle, then peel and finely chop them.

4. 4

   Place the ground meat in a large bowl. Add the herb and spinach mixture, chopped roasted vegetables, paprika, cumin, chili pepper, cinnamon, ground coriander, salt and pepper. Mix until evenly combined, taking care not to overwork the mixture.

5. 5

   Spread the mixture in an even layer on a baking sheet, ideally lined with parchment paper. Score portions with a knife on the surface to make serving easier after cooking.

6. 6

   Bake the meat at 200 °C for about 15 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned around the edges. Check that the internal temperature reaches 71 °C for ground beef, or 74 °C for ground poultry.

7. 7

   While the meat is cooking, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the vermicelli and toast, stirring frequently, until deeply browned and fragrant, taking care not to burn it.

8. 8

   Add the rinsed rice to the saucepan and stir with the toasted vermicelli to coat the grains with butter.

9. 9

   Pour in the boiling water, then season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook over low heat until the rice is tender and all the water has been absorbed, usually 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for a few minutes before fluffing with a fork.

10. 10

    In a bowl, whisk together the plain yogurt, tahini and lemon juice until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

11. 11

    Serve the roasted meat over the vermicelli rice. Add a generous amount of yogurt sauce, then sprinkle with sumac and finish with the sliced green onions.

Notes

The quantities were not specified in the original publication; the listed measurements are estimates adapted for 4 servings. The rice should cook covered over low heat until all the water has been absorbed. Serve the sauce separately or directly over the plates.

Nutrition per serving

• dinner
• main course
• Lebanese
• Middle Eastern
• meat
• hidden vegetables
• rice
• family-style