Lamb Kabobs with Mint Chimichurri

Last summer, I went to a cooking event where teams prepared different dishes. One team prepared a dish quite similar to this one. Instead of pre-cut lamb, they cleaned and cut a boneless leg of lamb, which was very time consuming, but delicious. This recipe is a shortcut. I had some lamb stew meat from Wallace Farms in the freezer that, after thawing, I marinated in olive oil, salt, and pepper for an entire day. The result was a very tender meat. The mint chimichurri is excellent and uses several of the same ingredients as the cauliflower tabouleh. This is a great combination of flavors. If you are making this on a weeknight after work, I suggest roasting the cauliflower the night before. If not, you can prepare the rest of the meal while the cauliflower is roasting.

Ingredients
2 pounds lamb stew meat
bamboo skewers, soaked in water
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Put lamb in a bowl. Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper, tossing gently to coat. Marinade 1 hour or longer. The longer you marinade, the more tender the lamb will be. I marinated for an entire day.
2. Preheat broiler. Place lamb 2-3 inches under the broiler and broil until just cooked through, about 2 minutes.
3. Turn over and cook on the other side until the meat is brown, about 2 minutes. (Alternatively, grill on a grill for 2-3 minutes a side, until cooked through to medium rare).
4. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately with chimichurri.

Mint Chimichurri
Ingredients
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped*
2 cups fresh mint, chopped*
2 cups fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped*
1/2 tsp lemon zest
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 to 1 tsp sea salt
*I chopped in a food processor.

Preparation

1. Mix the garlic, mint, and parsley in a medium bowl.
2. Add the lemon zest and juice, oil, and salt. Stir to combine.
3. Transfer to a small serving bowl and garnish with a sprig of parsley or mint.

Lamb Burgers with Indian Spices

I have been experimenting with different types of burgers lately, while working through my stock of ground meats. This yummy burger is made with ground lamb and Indian spices. I realize that the spice list is long, but most or all should be in a well-stocked spice pantry. For a shortcut, you can substitute 2 tsp garam masala or Madras curry powder for all the ground spices here. Another shortcut is to buy jarred roasted red peppers. If roasting them yourself intimidates you, just give it a try...they are very easy to do and the taste is great. Don't let the cayenne scare you, these burgers don't pack a lot of heat. If you are doing dairy, try them with cucumber raita. We skipped the dairy and served them with roasted red pepper and red onion. Great served with curried cauliflower.

Serves 4.


Adapted from Cooking Light, July 2010.

Ingredients
1 pound ground lamb
1 Tbsp olive oil, divided
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
2 Tbsp minced garlic, divided
3/4 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
dash of grated whole nutmeg
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh mint, divided
3/4 tsp kosher salt, divided
2 red bell peppers
1 red onion
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Preparation

1. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and shallots; cook 15 minutes or until onions are golden, stirring frequently. Stir in 1-1/2 Tbsp garlic, cumin, and next 6 ingredients (through nutmeg); cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
2. Combine lamb, onion mixture, 2 Tbsp mint, and 1/4 tsp salt. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions, gently shaping each into a 1/2-inch thick patty. Cover and chill until ready to grill.
3. Preheat broiler.
4. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 9 minutes or until blackened. Place in a covered dish or zip-top bag; seal. Let stand 10 minutes. The skins should now peel off easily. Peel and cut each pepper portion in half.
5. Cut red onion into 4 thin slices. Save the rest for another use.
6. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
7. Sprinkle patties with remaining 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Place patties on a grill rack coated with olive oil; grill 4 minutes or until grill marks appear. Carefully turn patties; grill 3 minutes or until desired degree of doneness.
8. To serve, squeeze or drizzle lemon juice on each patty. Top with red onion and two red pepper strips.