Mediterranean Beef and Barley Koftas with Tahini Yogurt Sauce

by Carol Harrison, RD

Extra sauce makes a great spread for wraps or a dip for raw vegetables and you can cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. If sauce thickens, add another tablespoon of water.

Keep the kitchen cool this summer. Make a big batch of barley in a rice cooker using the same 2:1 liquid to barley ratio. It keeps in the fridge for 3-5 days and makes a great base for salads. Try a tasty barley tabbouleh salad.

Ingredients

Koftas

• 1 lb (500 g) lean ground beef
• 3/4 cup (175 mL) cooked barley
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp (5 mL) finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp (5 mL) finely grated lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) each salt and pepper
• 12 wooden skewers, soaked in water for 1 hour before using
• 4–6 small (6 inch) whole wheat pita breads

Tahini Yogurt Sauce

• 1/2 cup (125 mL) Greek style plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) tahini, well stirred
• 2 tbsp (25 mL) lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp (25 mL) water
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) each salt and pepper

Toppings

• 2 cups (500 mL) shredded romaine lettuce
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup (250 mL) thinly sliced cucumber rounds
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced (optional)

Cooking directions

1. Koftas: In a medium bowl, add beef, barley, garlic, rosemary, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Mix to combine. Using hands, mound about 1/4 cup (60 mL) of meat mixture around a wooden skewer. Mound well to adhere to skewer. Place skewers on a foil-lined baking sheet. Continue until all meat is used. Cook immediately or cover and refrigerate skewers for up to 1 day.
2. Preheat greased grill to medium-high heat. Grill koftas for 6 minutes on each side, turning once, until grill marks appear, and beef is thoroughly cooked to 160°F (71°C). Warm up pita rounds on grill over medium-high heat turning once, after 1-2 minutes.
3. Tahini Yogurt Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, rosemary, garlic, water, salt and pepper. Set aside until ready to use.
4. Spread Tahini Yogurt Sauce on grilled pitas, add koftas. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. Dollop koftas with extra tahini yogurt sauce.

Makes 12 skewers, 4-6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Barley is an ancient grain grown by over 23,000 Canadian farmers. Together, they produce over eight million tonnes of barley each year. Barley is a very versatile food eaten as a healthy and affordable grain and even utilized in distilleries to make beverages like whiskey and vodka. Most Canadian barley is used for agricultural purposes and malt for the beer industry.

Barley is rich in soluble fibre, which helps lower blood cholesterol and control blood glucose levels. It also contains insoluble fibre, which helps with regularity. Barley provides a variety of vitamins and minerals and it is low in fat, sodium and sugar. Barley is also a good source of food for livestock because of its high starch and protein content. Barley-fed beef has a fine texture and is marbled with white fat – the look and tasty flavour in beef that consumers around the world enjoy.