Spiced Lamb Balls and Savory Beancakes

Whenever we draw a West African country for our chosen country-of-the-month, we always tend to take a deep sigh in the angst over our perceived notions of its sparseness.  Africa, that vast continent, is an enigma for which most Americans tend to know almost nothing - especially in terms of cuisine.  And in a city with a plethora of the world's fare within grasp, we could sadly count on one hand the number of African restaurants which reside here (most of which are Ethiopian, Moroccan or South African - clearly NOT a West African option).  So, when we chose Burkina Faso, I must honestly admit that my heart sank a little and I deemed it something we would take on "later."  That lack of urgency carried me to the very last day of the month before I finally made a Burkinabe meal.  It's a terrible shame to admit such procrastination...especially when the result is so mouth-wateringly good! 

Spiced lamb balls, the West African equivalent of traditional meatballs, are an even more flavorful variation in that they use an addition of six spices to add an exciting depth to their flavor.  And the savory beancakes also possess depth, though they are a bit heavier than I really cared for in a large portion.  After a few bites, the bean flavor was a bit overwhelming.  However, the meal was filling and better than expected.  At the end, a simple banana posed as our dessert (okay, so this might be cheating, but after combing the internet for weeks in search of a non-existent Burkina Faso dessert recipe, a banana was really the only logical and seemingly appropriate choice).  All in all, our meal a la Burkina Faso was a success.  The meatballs will definitely be put into a steady rotation in our house.  The beancakes, not so much.  But, at least we tried something new....as always, that is better than the alternative.

Spiced Lamb Balls - Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 pounds ground lamb
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs

Instructions:

1. Saute onions, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, red pepper, coriander and salt in oil until the onion is soft.  Cool and combine with ground lamb. 
2. Add eggs and crumbs to meat mixture.  Mix well.  Form into small balls.  Chill for 1 hour. 
3. Bake or saute until browned (if baking in the oven, bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, turning a couple of times).  Serve warm.

Savory Beancakes - Ingredients:

• 1 can of black-eyed peas
• 1/2 of an onion, chopped
• 2 small carrots, chopped
• 1 egg
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• flour for coating beancakes
• oil for frying

Instructions:

1. Drain the beans and rinse.  Place the beans, onions, carrots and egg into a food processor or blender and season to taste.  Blend until it becomes a smooth paste. 
2. Shape the mixture in flour until a small patty is formed.  Shallow fry in a skillet, cooking until brown on both sides (about 10 minutes) turning occasionally.

(The original recipe for spiced lamb balls came from this site: http://recipes.wuzzle.org/index.php/26/136)
(The original recipe for savory beancakes came from this site: http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-burkinabe-savoury-beancakes)

Flank Steak with Red Wine Sauce

More times than not, my husband requests that I make a dinner of "meat and potatoes."  And, more often than not, I feel rather blasé about the whole thing.  After all, I have a whole kitchen's worth of interesting gadgets and shelves full of cookbooks - why should I settle for eating the standard fare?!  Easily explained: there is one variation of the old standard that is worth settling for. 

Last year, after having bought my first cookbook by Italy's favorite young food maven, Giada De Laurentiis, I ventured into the new practice of making sauces.  Not the typical Chef Boyardee kind.  Rather, sauces that had wine in them.  And special kinds of vinegar.  And exciting herbs I had never before tasted.  They were wonderful new concoctions, similar to experiments in chemistry and potion-making.  I felt so envigorated and inspired.  Her book was a wonderful expansion to my newly-opened culinary world.

With that said, one of the favorite recipes that we discovered from Giada's book was, incidentally, a "meat and potatoes" kind of meal.  Not just any meat, though - flank steak.  Added with an onion-infused red wine sauce on top.  Then a side of rosemary-seasoned polenta.  And, wow!  I must say, not many meals have made me as speechless!

I have served this to my parents.  My husband.  My three year old.  And everyone - EVERYONE - asks for seconds.  It is simply that good!  So, now we (in our family) know that there is more to Italian food than canned Spaghetti O's.  And there is more to "meat and potatoes" than just a hunk of beef and a starchy side for dinner.

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter
• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/8 cup tomato paste
• 1 1/4 cups red wine
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. flank steak or tri-tip steak

Instructions:

1. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt.
2. Add the garlic and oregano and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Whisk in the wine. Simmer until the sauce reduces by half, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
4. Remove the skillet from the heat. Strain the sauce into a small bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids in the strainer and return the sauce to the saucepan and bring back to a slow simmer.
5. Cut the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter into small 1/2-inch chunks and whisk in the sauce a little at a time. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.
6. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the steak with salt and pepper and drizzle with the 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook the steak to desired doneness, about 8 minutes per side for medium-rare (the steak shrinks as it cooks).
7. Remove the skillet from the heat and let the steak rest in the skillet for 10 minutes.
8. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board.  Thinly slice the steaks across the grain. Divide the steak slices among 6 plates. Drizzle the sauce over the steak, drizzle a little more extra-virgin olive oil and serve.

(This original recipe came from "Everyday Italian" by Giada De Laurentiis)