lamb

Lamb Köfte
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Lamb Köfte

Whole foods had ground lamb on sale last week so we bought 2 pounds and froze in 1 pound packages. Our original intent was to make Gyros or as Lyn calls it Lambie Pie  but then she saw this Gojee.com, so we cut this recipe in half and had a delightful meal. The original recipe is from Mehan’s Kitchen. We enjoyed this and I can’t wait to make again making a few adjustmetns to the spice amounts to our likings.

Yogurt tahini

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  • 1 cup yogurt (I used Greek)
  • 2 T tahini
  • 1 T fresh lemon juice
  • pinch of salt

Mix this all together and set aside to come to room temperature

Ingredients

Steve note to me remember I cut this recipe in half made 9 meatballs

Kofte

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  • 2 lbs ground lamb
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/2 c fresh, chopped mint
  • 1/4 c coarsely grated onion (this was messy)
  • 6 garlic cloves, pressed (original recipe called for 4)
  • 3 T paprika
  • 1 T ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 t kosher salt
  • 1 t freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 cayenne pepper
  • 1 chopped green chili (optional)

 Caramelized Onions

  • 1 1/2 – 2 large onions, cut in half and sliced

 Muhammara

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  • 1/2 c finely chopped, drained roasted red peppers from jar
  • 1/2 c water
  • 2 T pomegranate molasses
  • 1 T freshly chopped flat leaf parsley

 

How

In large pan (I used a cast iron skillet) heat up some olive oil and sautee onions on medium-low (salt, pepper) and allow to caramelize, this should take about 40 minutes.

While this is cooking down combine all ingredients for the kofte in a large stainless steel bowl and form meatballs (however large you want, I made 20).  Place formed meatballs on pan (line it with something disposable).

Remove onions from skillet, place in a small serving bowl and set aside, next to the tahini yogurt.

Heat up oil in the same skillet on medium and in two batches cook the meatballs, turning them over halfway through the cooking process (about 15 minutes total).  Steve Note I found on my second batch  that more turning came out with a more evenly browned/ cook meatball. Let meatballs rest on clean pan and cover with foil.  Steve note I might try flatten the meatballs slightly making cooking a little easier.

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In the same skillet (don’t worry about cleaning it) sautee the chopped red peppers on medium high for a few minutes.  Pour in water, and then molasses and allow to reduce for about 5 minutes or so (It will start to glisten and get thick).  Toss in parsley.

Spoon out mixture into a small bowl and place next to the onions and tahini.  Toast up some bread, throw on some meatballs, spoon over some tahini, onions and muhammara and enjoy.

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Mehan's Kitchen

Mehan’s Kitchen

Related

Pomegranate-Glazed Lamb with Carrots and Parsnips Stevesacooking.com

Paprika Roast leg of Lamb Stevesacooking.com

Acorn squash ground lamb and kale  Stevesacooking.com

Roast leg of lamb lemon garlic and rosemary Stevesacooking.com

More lamb reciepes from Stevesacooking

 

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Pomegranate-Glazed Lamb with Carrots and Parsnips
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Pomegranate-Glazed Lamb with Carrots and Parsnips

Last week Lyn went shopping for a few things on her own and there were a few impulse buys. We all do that I did it yesterday and ended up with American Chop Suey nice comfort food for a snowy day. Anyway she got a 4 lb. boneless leg of lamb. I used 1 lb to make ground lamb last weekend for Gyros. Today we made this roast and it was well worth the impulse buy well worth it.

Ingredients

Glaze

  • 1 1/2 cup Pomegranate juice
  • 3 tablespoon Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Black pepper, freshly ground
  • 1/4 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
  • 1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon, ground

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Veggies

  • 4 whole carrots, peeled
  • 1 1/2 cups large parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced – STEVE NOTE I did not have parsnip so I used potatoes
  • 1/3 cup Water

Lamb

  • 3 lb Boneless leg of lamb, trimmed of excess fat
  • 2 teaspoon Minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoon Cumin seeds – STEVE NOTE I did not have used ground Cumin
  • 1 tablespoon Unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoon Chopped fresh mint

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How:

Look for a mini boneless leg of lamb roast that weighs approximately 3 lb. These small roasts sometimes come prepacked in netting. For a leaner, cleaner tasting lamb we like to trim the fat off the surface. This requires removing the netting, trimming the fat, and retying your roast. The extra work is definitely worth it.

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine pomegranate juice, sugar, 1/2 tsp. of the black pepper, red pepper flakes, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.

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Reduce heat to medium-high and simmer until mixture is thick and syrupy and reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 20 to 25 minutes.

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3. Cut carrots and parsnips in half lengthwise and then cut into 3-inch pieces. Place in a microwave-safe bowl with water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 2 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and toss vegetables with 2 Tbsp. of the pomegranate glaze.

4. Place lamb in the center of a large baking dish or roasting pan. Rub garlic into roast. Season with 1/2 tsp. of the salt, remaining 1/2 tsp. black pepper, and cumin seeds. Brush the top and sides of lamb liberally with pomegranate glaze. Distribute vegetables and their liquid around the roast. – STEVE NOTE – I rubbed the roast with garlic and the spices wrapped in plastic wrap and set in refrigerator for a few hours. Took out and let get to room temperature.

5. Roast for 40 minutes, stirring vegetables once or twice, until meat is cooked to about 115 degrees. Brush roast with any remaining glaze (if it has thickened, microwave for 15 seconds). Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees. Cook until meat begins to brown in spots and the temperature reaches about 125 degrees for medium-rare, 140 degrees for medium, and 160 degrees for well done, according to your preference (about 10 to 20 minutes).

6. If you prefer your lamb more well done and it begins to overbrown, lower heat to 475 degrees and cover meat loosely with foil.

7. Transfer lamb to cutting board, tent with foil and let rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, spread vegetables evenly over baking dish and return to oven to bake until all the juices have evaporated and vegetables have begun to caramelize, about 4 to 5 minutes; watch that they don’t burn. Remove baking dish from oven and stir butter and mint into the vegetables.

8. Remove strings and use a sharp knife to cut lamb into thin slices. Transfer vegetables and lamb to platter and serve warm.

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Source: Hannaford fresh Magazine, September – October 2008
Acorn Squash with Ground Lamb and Kale
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Acorn Squash with Ground Lamb and Kale

My brother in-law Mike (seems to be about 12 Mike’s in our families) usually has good taste in most things including food he posted this to his Facebook, I in turn pinned as it is called to my Pinterest and Lyn in turn batted her eyes and ask “Do you think you could…” So yesterday as we were drying some more Kiwi (metzah metz attempt) we went to Wholefoods to picked up so ground lamb and kale and as Lyn put it on the way home “ I am going to go home have a glass of wine while my husband cooks me dinner” Spoiled maybe but deservedly so, beside I love her ever so much.

From The Paleo Secret

Ingredients

  • 2 acorn squash halved and seeds removed (cut ends off both sides so they sit on a flat surface)
  • 1 to 1 ½ lbs of ground lamb
  • 2 bunches of kale (washed, de-stemmed and chopped)
  • 2 large onions (chopped)
  • salt and pepper
  • cumin
  • coriander
  • 4 Tbsp coconut or palm oil for cooking

Steve note: they do not give measurements I suggest from 2 Tsp to 1 Tbsp. or cumin and coriander. Also next time I am adding some cinnamon.

How

Preheat oven to 400 deg. Place acorn squash halves upside down in a baking dish and fill dish with a little bit of filtered water. Bake for 40 minutes or until soft and fork goes through easily.

While squash is baking, heat oil in a large skillet and sauté onions. Add kale and cover until it cooks down. Stir frequently. Heat oil in a second skillet and brown the ground lamb. Add salt, pepper, cumin and coriander to lamb while cooking. When kale is cooked down, add ground lamb to mixture with a slotted spoon. Stir and spoon into acorn squash bowls (once the squash halves are cooked). Drizzle with olive oil and serve. If you want extra meat, add a helping of meat mixture to the side of the bowl. Enjoy!

Other lamb recipes from stevesacooking.com

BBQ Masala Yogurt Marinated Butterflied Leg of Lamb

Leftover Lamb Flatbread Pizza drizzled with Pomegranate Molasses

Roast Leg of Lamb with Lemon, Garlic, and Rosemary

Lamb Stew with Spring Veggies

Gyros Sandwich “Lambie Pie”

 

Kale

What's New and Beneficial About Kale from Wholefoods
  • Kale can provide you with some special cholesterol-lowering benefits if you will cook it by steaming. The fiber-related components in kale do a better job of binding together with bile acids in your digestive tract when they’ve been steamed. When this binding process takes place, it’s easier for bile acids to be excreted, and the result is a lowering of your cholesterol levels. Raw kale still has cholesterol-lowering ability–just not as much.
  • Kale’s risk-lowering benefits for cancer have recently been extended to at least five different types of cancer. These types include cancer of the bladder, breast, colon, ovary, and prostate. Isothiocyanates (ITCs) made from glucosinolates in kale play a primary role in achieving these risk-lowering benefits.
  • Kale is now recognized as providing comprehensive support for the body’s detoxification system. New research has shown that the ITCs made from kale’s glucosinolates can help regulate detox at a genetic level.
  • Researchers can now identify over 45 different flavonoids in kale. With kaempferol and quercetin heading the list, kale’s flavonoids combine both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits in way that gives kale a leading dietary role with respect to avoidance of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress.
Leftover Lamb Flatbread Pizza drizzled with Pomegranate Molasses
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Leftover Lamb Flatbread Pizza drizzled with Pomegranate Molasses

We had cooked a leg of lamb and frozen the leftovers. I took out of freezer for one of our weekday meals and when I opened the frig and saw it staring at me my gut started to say what do I have in here to make an interesting meal. Leftover spaghetti sauce (Lyn secret recipe), Tandoori NAAN All natural flat bread, feta cheese, pine nuts, scallions, fresh oregano, cherry tomatoes, pomegranate molasses . Note: The cherry tomatoes not in the frig of course but always on the counter, just started had the first two from the patio mmmmmmm nothing better. Ok inventory taken now what I asked myself looking at the clock Lyn would return soon from work she has the 50 mile commute and I have the 3.2 mile commute she does not get how difficult it can be stuck behind a school bus as opposed to 1-2 hours of stop and go traffic. Anyway… sauce on stove with minced lamb and some chopped fresh oregano added, brought to bubble and then turned off. Meanwhile I sliced scallion whites and greens, quartered the cherry tomatoes, slightly roasted a handful of pine nuts, crumbled the feta, and preheated oven to 400◦. I spread the sauce over the flat bread top with the other ingredients then drizzle with pomegranate molasses and into to oven for about 10 minutes or until I thought looked done.

The unique sweet taste of the molasses was a perfect complement.

Turned out great hot or cold.

Sorry I do not have any measurements I kind of went into auto mode isn’t that what leftover meals are all about?

Scallions are most commonly referred to as green onions in the United States. They are a variety of young onions with a long, thin white base that has not yet developed into a bulb and long straight green stalks that look like giant chives. Both the white base and the green stalks are commonly eaten. (about.com)

The pomegranate is a focal symbol in the legend and lore of many different cultures. Some hold that it was the pomegranate which was the fruit of temptation (remember the Punic apple?) leading to the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden in the Bible.
With its abundance of seeds, the fruit has long been a symbol of fertility, bounty, and eternal life, particularly to those of the Jewish faith. Many paintings of the Madonna Virgin and Child prominently display a pomegranate. Ancient Egyptians were buried with pomegranates in hope of rebirth.
The Hittite god of agriculture is said to have blessed followers with grapes, wheat, and pomegranates. The seeds were sugared and served to guests at Chinese weddings. When it was time to consumate the marriage, pomegranates were thrown on the floor of the bedchamber to encourage a happy and fruitful union.
Berber women used pomegranates to predict the amount of their offspring by drawing a circle on the ground and dropping a ripe pomegranate in the center. The amount of seeds expelled outside the ring allegedly prophesied the number of her future children.
Mohammed believed pomegranates purged the spirits of envy and hatred from the body and urged all his followers to eat goodly amounts.
When Persephone was held captive in Hades, the Greek goddess of spring and fruit swore she would not partake of food until her release. However, she could not resist the tempting pomegranate, consuming nearly the entire fruit before halting herself and leaving only six seeds uneaten. It is from this story that believers think our yearly cycle of six months of growth and harvest followed by six months of winter is derived. (about.com)

Related articles
Lamb Stew with Spring Veggies
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Lamb Stew with Spring Veggies

Lyn had been wanting a stew which was unusual for her she is not much of a stew person. Years ago we had made an Irish lamb stew but for the life of us could not remember where we saw it. So we must have look at a dozen recipes and I came up with this which was heavily influenced by Wholefoods. This stew came together easily, simmering on top of the stove for a couple of hours made another day of growling tummies.

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. fine sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 2 pounds lamb stew meat, cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • —
  •  1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 Tbsp. dried rosemary
  • 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
  • —
  • 2 cups chopped carrots
  • 1 pound small red or white potatoes, halved or cut into chunks
  • —
  • 1 cup fresh peas or frozen green peas, thawed
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • —
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (About 1 scallion)

Double click to enlarge

 How:

Combine flour, salt and pepper in a large bowl or plastic bag. Add lamb and toss to coat well.

Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium high heat.

If needed working in batches (setting aside first batch in bowl), add lamb and brown on all sides set all lamb aside for a moment. Add the garlic and cook until you smell about 15 seconds to 1 minute.  Add chicken broth, wine, rosemary and oregano. Stir to combine add the lamb and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Stir in carrots and potatoes. Cover and continue to simmer 1 hour longer.

Stir in peas and mustard and simmer 3 to 10 minutes or until peas are just cooked through (frozen peas do not take as long to cook).

Ladle stew into bowls and garnish with green onions.

Lamb and Veggie Stew with bread

Note from Steve: The only thing I might change is using fresh springs of oregano and rosemary and removing the stems after cooking.

Reality check
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Reality check

I am trying to see how I am doing, so far just a few comments not that I expected hundreds this early on or ever, and I am just overwhelmed that I have 67 followers between Facebook and my blog I could not imagine when I began that anyone would be interested in what I cook or write about.

I am learning things everyday about writing recipes, taking pictures, cropping pictures the list goes on….

I need your help.

What I am looking for is how am I doing, any suggestions, what might you like to see, what improvements would you suggests, what should I stop doing? I have so many recipes that I don’t prepare any more but they were/are good, should I share those? I could go on but I won’t….

I am asking is that if possible, would you could you make the comments on the blog site not Facebook, I know it’s an extra click and wait but hey it’s for a friend right. Use the comment section at bottom of recipe and let me know what you think. Exchange ideas to try. Rate the dish if you tried it, there is the “Rate this” section below the Title then others might think to try.

But most importantly I encourage you to enjoy cooking and eating and watching for that smile on someone’s face when they take the first bite and shake their head.

Thanks so much!

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Pork Kebab with Orange and Thyme

Summer time brings out the grill, although I grill all year round, and kabob are always fun. Swords filled with veggies, meats, chicken, and fish grilled to perfection and then piled high on the plate on maybe a bed of rice pilaf. This one is my wife’s favorite and she is mine so I post this among the first of my post. Fish, beef, pork, chicken vegetable give me a skewer and I can make a kabob that is worth eating.

Pork Kebab with Orange and Thyme

Prep easy about 10 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice, plus 1 tablespoon freshly grated zest, and orange wedges for garnish
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh thyme, plus sprigs for garnish
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/4 pounds boneless pork loin, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
  • 4 to 6 skewers wood or metal – Remember if using wood skewers soak them first to prevent them from burning right up.

How

1. Whisk together orange juice and zest, garlic, thyme, mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Whisking constantly, pour in oil in a slow, steady stream; whisk until blended well. Add pork and coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and let pork marinate about 20 minutes at room temperature.

2. Heat the grill medium-hot. Thread 5 or 6 cubes of pork onto each of the skewers; season with salt and pepper. Discard marinade. Grill pork, turning occasionally, until cooked through and slightly charred, about 12 minutes.

Serve on a bed of rice or rice pilaf with a side salad. I also like to make a few veggie kabob with red,yellow, orange bell peppers, mushroom., onions, zucchini etc.

Options : You could use chicken or lamb

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Gyros Sandwich “Lambie Pie”

I borrowed some pictures from the web for but will put mine in soon

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Serve in bread or on a bed of lettuce. You could make french fries, homemade potato chips or we usually have kettle baked salt and vinegar potato chips.

Ingredients:

  • Meat Mixture:
  • 1 lb. ground lamb
  • 1/4 cup minced red onion
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, minced  (depends on how much garlic taste you want)
  • 2 tsp. salt (I did only 1 tsp. salt)
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • 1 1/2 tsp. cumin
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • I added about 1 tsp. of fresh mint minced.
  • 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
  • Sandwich:
  • 4 rounds of flat bread or pita. Still looking for the best flat or peta bread to use any suggestions. It has to be soft and pliable. I usually heat mine in low oven or toaster oven. Microwave can make rubbery.
  • Lettuce shredded
  • tomato; sliced very thin or chopped
  • Have also added crumbled feta cheese.
  • Tzatziki Sauce see below

Preparation:

Meat mixture
1. Thoroughly combine all ingredients in a bowl. At first I did this and refrigerated for about 3-6 hours not sure if this helped or not but we were not having until dinner and I thought maybe the flavors would come together. Now that it is a staple Monday night dinner I mix  it on Sunday

2. I roll out on parchment paper until very thin into oblong patty, 1/4″ or thinner. Refrigerate for an hour. Then divide into 4 parts.

3. I tried on broiler but could not get the crispness I was looking for at least with my broiler. I have been grilling it for about 3 minutes per side it got crisper. I might try the new 360 cookware pan Lyn ( my wife)  got us to see how that crisps up. You can see i am still looking for that crispness the open flame spit cooking method gets.

Sandwich

3. Grill patties over a hot fire for 2 – 4 minutes per side.

4. Spread tzatziki sauce down the center of a flat bread round, add a lettuce , add some sliced or diced tomato, some very thinly sliced onion (optional) and some crumbled feta cheese (optional), fold the bread over the lamb wrap with tin foil, and enjoy.

Note: wrapping in foil helps hold things together while you eat it.

Tzatziki” is the Greek name for this yogurt-based sauce recipe.

Makes 1 cup.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup plain Greek style yogurt
  • 2-4 garlic cloves to taste; roasted and finely chopped (see below)
  • If you want a bit more pungency, add a small clove of finely chopped garlic instead of roasting
  • 1/2 lemon juiced about 2-3 tbsp.
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped cucumber without seeds
  • Salt to taste

Optional:

  • 2 tsp. finely chopped mint
  • A pinch or two of cumin to this.
  • I also have added Dill to mine.

Preparation:

1. Place whole, un-peeled garlic gloves in a small, un-oiled skillet over medium low heat and cook for about two minutes per side – until lightly browned. Peel and chop finely.

2. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

Note: The sauce is better if you allow it to sit in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before using.