When family fun goes wrong - Ben O'Donoghue's Lamb Kofta

When Tony and I decided to take Chris and Bill on a trip to Springbrook, little did they know that they would get drenched walking under a waterfall, get eaten alive by mosquitoes, or have frozen kofta wraps, which Tony now calls Kofta Ice Blocks.

The top tip for these is to make sure you thaw them before travel, or at least don't pack them in too much ice before the picnic.

Kofta mix:

* 500gm lean lamb mince
* 1 large red onion grated or finely chopped
* 1 heaped tsp ground coriander
* 2 tbsp sweet marjoram, chopped
* 1 egg
* salt and pepper
* 8 whole meal flat breads
* 1 tub of hummus (store bought)
* 1 recipe of Tzatziki - I used bought but I have included the recipe below if you wanted to make it yourself
* 1 recipe of Quinoa Tabouli - I used regular tabouli and some salad greens, but this one could be good to use up all that Quinoa you may have bought on a whim.
* 1 recipe of Harissa - I didn't use the Harissa, but you could spice up the dish this way.

Method:

Combine the mince with the onion, ground coriander, sweet marjoram and egg. Season well and mix thoroughly with clean hands.

Make large egg size balls and throw from palm to palm to make nice firm balls. Then shape them onto metal shish skewers or into long sausage shapes and cook them either under the grill or over the BBQ until well done.

To make the Koftas, spread the center of the flat bread with a generous amount of hummus and then top with the cooked lamb kofta. Top with one or two tablespoons of Tzatziki and your salad and Tabouli. Season with salt and pepper, then lashings of Harissa for a hotter taste.

Fold over the bottom edge to stop all the ingredients from falling out of the bottom and then fold over one edge of the flat bread to encase the filling and continue to roll firmly.

Extra recipes:
Tzatziki:

* 250gm unsweetened Greek yoghurt
* 1 cup of chopped cucumber
* 1 clove of chopped garlic
* 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander or mint
* Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients together and season to taste. Refrigerate until required.
Quinoa Salad:

* 2 cups black Quinoa
* 3 garlic cloves, chopped
* 1 cup curly parsley, Washed and roughly chopped
* 1 cup flat-leaf parsley, Washed and roughly chopped
* 1 cup of basil leaves, washed and roughly chopped
* 2 ripe vine tomatoes, chopped
* Juice of 1 large lemon
* 50ml extra virgin olive oil
* Salt
* Freshly ground black pepper

Wash and boil the Quinoa until soft, drain and refresh under cold water, then allow to drain well.

Mix the garlic, parsley, basil in bowl, and then add the chopped tomatoes.

Add the drained Quinoa and lemon juice, and combine. Season with salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil.
Harissa:

* ½ tsp cumin seeds
* 1 tsp sea salt
* 1 large garlic clove, peeled
* 5 long red chillies, stems removed and roughly chopped
* 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
* 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Place the cumin seeds and sea salt in a mortar and pound to combine. Add the garlic and pound to a paste. Add the chopped chilies and continue pounding.

Pour in the white wine vinegar, followed by the olive oil, and pound until combined.

This sauce is best used straight away and can be made as and when it’s needed. It will keep for up to 1 week if stored in an airtight container. When re-using, allow the sauce to come back to room temperature.