Cevapi with Ajvar, Yogurt & Shopska Salata

Drawing upon Middle Eastern influences in Bosnian cuisine, tonight's dinner features grilled meat kabobs with some traditional garnishes and sides.

Cevapi are a mixture of beef, pork and lamb mixed with simple seasonings that don't overpower the flavors of the meats. Ajvar is a puree of roasted eggplant and red bell peppers, with garlic, lemon, parsley and other spices. The chopped shopska salad is made with 4 fresh Roma tomatoes and 2 green bell peppers. And, I drained some plain Chobani yogurt, just to remove any excess water and make it extra thick. We enjoyed all that goodness with some naan bread.

It took me a while to get my act together and cook, and still I was eating by 6:30 - not bad! Even if you're only slightly adept at multi-tasking in the kitchen, you too can pull this dinner together quickly and easily.

Here's how I made it:

Ajvar:
1 large purple eggplant
3 red bell peppers
1 small onion
1 head of garlic (but only use 3 cloves for this recipe)
1 lemon, juiced
3 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Cevapi:
3 lbs ground meat (I used lamb, beef and pork)
2 slices bacon, rolled together, frozen and grated
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
2 cloves roasted garlic, minced
1/2 cup seltzer
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 tsp smoked paprika
3 tsp dried parsley
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

For the ajvar, grill the eggplant, peppers, onion (rubbed with a little olive oil) and garlic (put the skinned cloves in a foil pouch with a little olive oil) over high flame till the skin is blackened and they're very soft. Cook's Note: The garlic won't take nearly as long to roast as the veggies, so put the pouch over indirect heat to prevent burning. When done, put the veggies in a bowl and cover with cling wrap till they cool enough to handle. Then, remove the charred skin and seeds and place the cooked flesh into a food processer. Add the remaining ingredients and blend till smooth.

Meanwhile, combine all the cevapi ingredients in a large bowl and mix well by hand. Shape the mixture into oblong patties about an inch in diameter. Grill over medium flame till nicely browned on all sides and cooked through.