Cooking Light's Superfast Kofte

                                             (please forgive our iPhone picture and paper plates)

Usually, I'm a very skeptical human being. I don't believe in get-rich-quick scams, fad diets, dressing room mirrors, and recipe for meals in 30 minutes or less. However, I find myself still trying to get one of the recipes to succeed, even if I can't get the dressing room mirror to lie to me.

Since my hubby is still trying to lose unwanted pounds through Weight Watchers, I thought I would try some Cooking Light recipes in addition to the Weight Watcher ones. It seemed like an even trade off, or maybe I was hoping it would be after I saw the Superfast Kofte recipe in my email update.  I absolutely LOVE Mediterranean food. I really can't get enough of it. I love the grilled meats and traditional rice dishes served with warm breads. So when I saw this recipe, I just had to try it. It was light and Mediterranean!

                                                
                                                   (now this is some picture! courtesy of Cooking Light)




Now for the review.  I really liked this recipe a lot, so did the kids (except for my youngest son). I forgot to keep the onions and cilantro out of his portion, so that killed it for him. Yes, I subbed in cilantro for the mint. I knew I was already cooking for a picky crowd.  No need in pushing it. With the exception of my youngest son who ate cereal in lieu of the onion-laden lighter fare,  it was a hit. My eldest son devoured several helpings.

Cooking Light recommends serving the Kofte in pita bread topped with sliced tomatoes and a drizzle of fat-free or low-fat plain yogurt. My hubby hates tomatoes, so I left them off his (as you can see in our photo). The rest of us loved the slice of sweet cool tomato against the warm grilled meat. My oldest son even added ketchup to his sandwiches! I know that is a big no-no to this traditional dish, because it is not a hamburger. He just could not help his American tendencies. We also forgot to add the yogurt, but imagine that it would have tasted awesome in the sandwich. There is always next time. And there will be a next time,  because my youngest son said he loved the pita bread, which was low- carb, haha. All I have to do is keep out the onions and cilantro from his patties.

I served our Kofte with some some brown rice infused with ham seasoning and low-fat corn chowder (this recipe to follow).  It was an eclectic meal.  However, according to my hubby the Kofte may have been light, but NOT Weight Watchers-friendly. Half a pita sandwich was 11 points! Not including the sides. It may have been more than that, but don't tell him. I just noticed that one patty was placed in one pita half. I put two. Oopsies.  Lesson learned: light does not necessary mean diet-friendly. Portion control is key for meals like this one. Having half a serving helped a lot. 11 points versus 22 is a big difference!

Anyway, this was a fun and simple meal to make. If you have everything mostly prepped it will take no time to make as a weekday meal. Just be sure to leave out ingredients that may cause the little people to scrunch their noses up. You may also want to have some ketchup on hand just in case, too.

Tips for a faster meal:

1) Put meat out to defrost night before.
2) Take an hour once a week or so to pre-chop ingredients such as onions for future recipes. Can freeze them, too.
3) Frozen veggies are good sides. Green beans would be a great side for this dish. Or omit the sides.
4) Flavor plain yogurt with a drizzle of lemon juice. Good sauce for sandwiches and grilled meats.
5) Rice cookers are amazing! Add seasonings such as Goya Jamon flavoring to make plain rice a more exciting side. Use chicken broth instead of water to cook your rice in too.