Lamb – Buen provecho…2022

Grilled Lamb Chops with Roasted Garlic Butter Baby Potatoes

Just came across this recipe in my DropBox and seemingly it was never shared here. In actuality, it is pretty straight forward, including the potatoes.

Fortunately I was able to buy local lamb, rather than the usual New Zealand. Enjoy!

Grilled Lamb Chops

(Serves 4-6)

8 lamb chops
1/2 cup olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp. of Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. of chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp. of fresh thyme
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tsp. of fresh ground pepper
sea salt & fresh ground pepper
lemon wedges
dried Greek oregano

1. In a shallow glass baking dish, add all the marinade ingredients (olive oil, garlic, mustard, parsley, thyme, lemon juice and black pepper) and stir to blend. Pour off and reserve about 1/3 of the marinade (for finishing the lamb chops). Add the lamb chops and ensure all of the meat is coated with the marinade. Cover and place in the fridge for 2 – 4 hours.

2. Return your lamb chops back to room temperature before grilling and pre-heat your gas or charcoal grill to a high heat (you want the meat to sizzle when it hits the heat). Ensure your grill surface is clean by brushing it and wipe it with vegetable oil. Season your lamb chops with salt and pepper.

3. Grill your lamb chops for 3 minutes a side (medium/pink inside) and brush on the reserved marinade on by sides when cooked.

4. Squeeze some lemon juice over the chops, sprinkle some fleur de sel and finish with some dried Greek oregano.

Easy Garlic Butter Potatoes

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. garlic powder or fresh garlic
4 Tbsp. butter
2 pinches Maldon Sea salt
2 pinches black pepper
24 oz. baby potatoes
fresh parsley optional, to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut creamer potatoes into halves and add them to a bowl.

Sprinkle 1 Tbsp. garlic powder, 4 Tbsp. melted butter, 2 pinches Maldon sea salt, and 2 pinches black pepper on the potatoes.

Mix potatoes with seasoning until fully coated.

Add seasoned creamer potatoes to an oven-ready cast iron skillet. Spread out evenly. Sprinkle with fresh parsley if desired.

Roast for approximately 1 hour for crispy potatoes. Enjoy!

Greek Moussaka

In the process of cleaning out our freezer and realized I had 500 gm of ground lamb. What to do? I have always liked moussaka in a Greek restaurant, but never made it at home. Good old Pinterest to the rescue, for what appeared to be an easy recipe and without the potatoes on top….less calories. The recipe looks complicated, but I decided to prepare the ground lamb ahead of time and put it in the refrigerator until I was ready to make the complete dish. It gave me time to prepare the eggplant while I was cleaning up from the lamb prep. The dish turned out perfectly, with our guests taking home this recipe! The photo below is from the Pinterest pinner…we got so carried away enjoying the dish that I forgot a photo. Check out Sniff It Out on Pinterest for more tantalizing recipes!

Greek Moussaka

About 500g of lean minced (ground) lamb
2 Aubergines (Eggplants) medium to large in size
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 heaped tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 rounded tablespoons tomato purée
3 fl oz. (75 ml) red wine or more
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the yogurt topping for the Greek Moussaka – I used a large CorningWare casserole dish and ended up doubling the yogurt in order to cover the top.

150ml Greek yogurt (double if necessary)

1 medium egg, beaten

50g feta cheese or more

25g freshly grated parmesan or more

Preparing the Aubergines

Leave the skins on and slice the Aubergines into approximately 10mm thick slices.

Put the slices into a colander and sprinkle them with about 1 level dessertspoon of salt. Stand the colander on a plate to catch the water which comes out of the Aubergines and put another plate on top of the aubergine slices.

You now need to weigh this plate down with something heavy (I find that a couple of tins of soup works quite well) and leave them for about an hour to let the juice come out.

After an hour, squeeze out any of the excess juice from the aubergines and dry them well in a clean cloth.

Spread the aubergine slices on a baking sheet and drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over them tossing them around to get a good coating.

Put the baking sheet in a pre heated oven (around 200 degrees) and roast the aubergines for 30 minutes or until they are browning at the edges.

I usually roast the eggplant simply because the baking tray is much bigger than the frying pan and I can get the slices done all in one go, but, if you would rather sauté the eggplant to use in the moussaka you can do that too.

Preparing the lamb for the Moussaka recipe (I did this step first)

Because the mince can have quite a lot of fat come out of it I usually dry fry the mince until it is nicely browned then remove it from the pan and put it to one side then discard any of the fat which has come out of it before using it to make the moussaka.

Then heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the onions, garlic and thyme gently, without colouring, for about 10 minutes.

Stir the minced lamb back in and add the parsley, cinnamon, tomato purée and red wine and stir to combine the ingredients. Season the mixture well and cook gently for around 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Prepare the topping for the Greek Moussaka recipe
It’s true that Moussaka isn’t the most healthy dish on the planet, that’s why I prefer a yogurt topping for my moussaka recipe because it is a bit lighter than others I have tried but that is purely my preference. Mix the yogurt with half of the cheeses and the beaten egg and season with ground pepper.

Putting everything together for the Greek Moussaka!
Line the bottom of a casserole dish with slices of aubergine, then spoon over some of the meat mixture. Build the layers of the moussaka up until all the meat and aubergine has been used.

Cover with the topping mixture and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180ºC / 350ºF for about 1 hour until golden and bubbling.

Let the Moussaka stand for about 20 to 30 minutes before cutting and serving and this will ensure that it keeps its shape when you serve it.

Lamb Liver and Bacon Casserole

Before you even get started on me, yes I love liver, but not the way my mother overcooked it after dredging it in flour! Quite a few months back we found a lamb store here and we purchased this lamb liver to try. Where else would I turn but Pinterest? The recipe could be made with any liver…well maybe not chicken…cluck cluck. Leftovers were great for breakfast with fried eggs on the top. Trust me!! Let me know if you try it…Chuck? LOL

Lamb Liver and Bacon Casserole

Ingredients:
– 500 g lamb’s liver, trimmed and cut into small pieces ( try baby beef)
– 2 tablespoons olive oil
– 230 g rind less smoked bacon rashes, cut into pieces
– 2 small onions, chopped
– 2 cups mushrooms, cut into quarters
– 2 tablespoons plain flour
– 150 ml hot water
– 1 teaspoon smoke sweet paprika powder
– 1 tablespoon soy sauce
– salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a casserole dish and stir-fry the bacon until crisp. Add the onion and continue frying until the onion is soft. Add the mushrooms and fry for another 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon (to make sure that oil and bacon fat will stay in the casserole dish), remove the bacon and vegetables and put aside.
Add the liver to the remaining fat and cook over a medium heat for about 4 minutes, turning so it’s seared and cook all around. Remove from the dish and keep warm.

Morrocan Shepherd’s Pie

What to do with ground lamb? Meatballs…maybe. Burgers…another maybe. In the end I came across this pie recipe on Pinterest…not a surprise. It was fantastic! You will never make a traditional shepherds pie after you try this one.

Moroccan Shepherd’s Pie With Sweet Potato (Our Four Forks)

Prep time 30 mins Cook time 40 mins Total time 1 hour 10 mins Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

1 lb. grass-fed ground lamb or beef (omit for vegan)
3 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2 15 oz. cans drained) (optional for meat version)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 white onion, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon honey (optional)
2 cups chopped plum tomatoes (about ¾ 28 oz. can, drained)
½ cup stock (vegetable, chicken or beef) + salt to taste
½ cup currants or raisins
½ bunch cilantro, stems removed, chopped

For the mash:

1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks (use white if you don’t have any sweet potatoes) OR…use the instant Idaho brand potatoes and just add the spices…
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons non-dairy milk (more if needed)

Instructions

Brown the ground meat in a large skillet over medium high heat.
Remove meat from skillet and set aside.
Add olive oil to the pan along with the onions, garlic, ginger, spices and salt and cook for 8-10 minutes until the onion is softened.
Return the meat to the pan (if using) along with the honey, tomatoes and stock.
Bring to a boil and simmer until the sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes more.
Add chickpeas (if using), currants, and chopped cilantro, stir and remove from heat.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the mash:

Boil the potatoes in salted water for 15 minutes or until tender.
Drain well and add the olive oil, cumin, garlic powder, salt and milk.
With a hand blender (or potato masher), blend until they reach a creamy consistency.

Assembly:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Fill a 13 in x 9 in casserole dish with the filling and spread the mash on top.
Bake for 40 minutes until the topping is beginning to brown.
Garnish with extra chopped cilantro, if desired.

Persian Saffroned Lamb

This is a great recipe for lamb lovers! If you are not into lamb then use beef… The sauce is incredible! I plated this dish with the saffroned rice over which I put the lamb and lots of sauce. For a complete meal, steam some great snow peas. Use any leftover sauce over some pasta for another meal the next day. So…what to serve for dessert? How about a wonderful strawberry rhubarb pie ice cream??? Watch for this recipe NEXT WEEK….

Persian Saffron Lamb, Slow cooker Style

• 2 – 3 pound boneless leg of lamb, or an equal amount of lamb shanks cut in cubes.
• 1 onion
• 2 Tablespoons butter, ghee, or neutral cooking oil of choice
• 2-3 Tablespoons pumpkin pie spice.
• 2 Tablespoons ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon coriander seed
• 2 Tablespoons saffron water (boil 1/4 cup water to the temperature you’d use to make tea. Add a pinch, approx. 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads to the water. Save the remaining water to add to whatever rice you choose to cook. I prefer Jasmine rice.
• 1 head of garlic, cloves peeled and left whole (6 to 8 cloves)
• 2 15 oz. cans chopped Roma tomatoes
• Salt and pepper to taste
1. Remove fat from lamb using a sharp knife.
2. Chop onion into half moons. In a large Dutch oven. cooking pot, or skillet, heat fat over a medium heat and add onion, stirring often.
3. Allow onion to cook about five minutes. As it cooks, salt and pepper the outside of the meat. Remove onion from the pan. Place meat in the pot and sear it for 2-3 minutes per side…enough to get a nice crust on it. Remove meat from the pan and place, carefully, on a heat-safe surface.
4. Place onion back in the pan and add all spices EXCEPT saffron. Stir often, and cook for about 30 seconds, or until you begin to catch the scent of the spices. Put onion into slow cooker immediately.
5. Add the whole garlic cloves.
6. To the slow cooker, add the lamb, canned tomatoes, saffron water, and a pinch or two of salt and pepper (you can always adjust salt and pepper later).
7. Cook on high setting for 30 minutes. Stir. Cook an additional 2.5 to 3 hours.. Once the meat is done, taste sauce, adjust seasoning accordingly, serve over saffroned rice, and enjoy!

Spring Rack of Lamb (GREAT for New Year’s Eve)

I know it is not spring, but this is the usual Christmas Eve dinner for Larry and I. Visit your friendly Costco for the rack of lamb. Our dinner is usually preceded by escargot in garlic and butter, with a touch of Black Sambucca liqueur to which we also add some crumbled blue cheese. Ok…we are blue cheese freaks! Our racks come with six bones and if we are hungry we each eat three (depending on how many escargots we have already eaten). The italicized remarks are mine…

The size of the eye of the meat will alter the time it takes to roast the chops. The thicker the eye, the longer it will take. In general, the rule of thumb is 15 minutes to the inch (2.5-cm).
1 rack of New Zealand lamb
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil

Marinade
2 tbsp (25 mL) grainy mustard
2 tbsp (25 mL) chopped fresh rosemary
2 tsp (10 mL) chopped garlic
¼ cup (50 mL) olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Crumbled blue cheese if you like that….I find it incredible when just drizzled over the lamb when served!

1. Season racks with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a skillet over high heat and add racks, fat-side down. Sear until golden, about 2 minutes. Pick up the racks with tongs and sear the back and each end as well. Place on baking sheet.

2. For marinade, combine mustard, rosemary, garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper. Spread over racks, including bones. Marinate for 30 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 450ºF (230ºC).

4. Bake racks for 12 to 15 minutes or until medium rare. Let sit for 5 minutes before carving down into chops. Serve 4 chops per person.

Sprinkle on the crumbled blue cheese!!!

Serves 4

I like to serve it with baby whole potatoes and fried asparagus….

Six Hour Boneless Leg of Lamb (LCBO Ontario)

Have done this recipe three times now and always works out stunningly. I gather the secret is in the slow cooking temperatures. Not to worry, you really do not taste the anchovies when this is cooked…Follow the directions as shown. If you must, serve with traditional mint jelly, but I liked the fresh mint leaves better. Unfortunately we cannot find rutabagas all the time, so I substituted baby potatoes with skins on. For those not in the know. the LCBO/LLBO in Ontario puts out a seasonal magazine called “Food and Drink” from which this recipe was taken. You can find it by doing a Google search –

http://www.lcbo.com/fooddrink/recipes.shtml

So here it is…

Six-Hour Leg of Lamb Autumn 2008
By: Lucy Waverman

This method of preparing lamb originated in the days of mutton, which needed to be cooked for a long time before it was tender. This is a superb dish with its long slow-cooking time of up to 6 hours, which gives a meltingly soft, sweet finish that can be cut with a spoon. You will need to make it 1 day ahead in order to remove all the fat from the sauce.

4 anchovies
2 cloves garlic
5 lb (2.2 kg) lamb leg on the bone or boneless leg of lamb
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp (25 mL) olive oil

Vegetables

12 shallots, peeled and trimmed (or one large white onion chopped)
4 carrots, peeled, halved, thicker ends cut in half
1 small rutabaga peeled, or baby potatoes with skins and cut into 2 inch (5 cm) pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup (250 mL) red wine
2 cups (500 mL) beef or chicken stock
1 cup (250 mL) canned tomatoes with juice
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs thyme or substitute two fresh rosemary sprigs
2 whole heads garlic, trimmed

Garnish ¼ cup (50 mL) chopped mint

1. Preheat oven to 250ºF (120ºC).

2. Chop anchovies together with garlic. Cut slits all over lamb and insert some of the mixture into each slit. Season well with salt and pepper.

3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb and brown all over, about 8 minutes. Remove lamb, reduce heat to medium and add shallots, carrots and rutabaga/potatoes. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly tinged with brown. Season with salt and pepper. Remove vegetables to a bowl and set aside, reserving skillet for sauce.

4. Place lamb in a large Dutch oven or heavy casserole with a lid.

5. Place wine, stock, tomatoes, bay leaf and thyme or rosemary sprigs in reserved skillet and bring to boil, stirring up all the little brown bits. Pour over lamb and cover tightly. Bake for 2 hours, turn lamb and add reserved carrots and rutabaga and bake another 2 hours. Turn again, add shallots and garlic and bake for remaining 2 hours or until lamb is so tender you can cut it with a spoon.

6. Remove vegetables from sauce and chill vegetables and lamb separately, covered, overnight.

7. Remove lamb from pot and skim fat from cooking liquid. Bring cooking liquid to a boil and reduce until full of flavour and slightly thickened, about 8 to 10 minutes.

8. Carve lamb from bone and reheat meat and accompanying vegetables in sauce until warm. Transfer to a serving platter and serve lamb garnished with vegetables. Sprinkle with fresh mint if desired.

Serves 8