WRITTEN ON April 23rd, 2009 BY Meredith AND STORED IN Dinner, Lamb, Middle Eastern
I went to the grocery store last night with lamb chops on the brain. Um, yeah. Not so much. Six small chops would have run me about $35, even if I had bought the rack and cleaned it myself. There were tougher cuts of lamb available, but I didn’t have the time to braise it, and besides, I really had something lighter in mind. It was at that point that I noticed they had freshly ground lamb. Nice. Lamb meatballs, here I come. This recipe is quick and easy; served on a bed of arugula and paired with a yogurt sauce and some fresh sourdough or pita, you basically have a one plate meal. Clean up is a cinch. Perfect for mid-week. Make some extra and you can take them for lunch in a pita pocket. The best part? The lamb itself was $2.50, and even with all the other ingredients, I got out of there in under $15. If only my life were this easy. Oh wait. This is my life. Cool.
Lamb: It's what's for dinner
Lamb Meatballs (serves 2)
½ lb ground lamb
½ c. bread crumbs
1 egg
2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 tbsp mint, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1 package fresh arugula
½ lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
freshly ground pepper (four turns of the pepper mill)
Combine first 10 ingredients until fully incorporated. Form into medium sized meatballs (there should be enough for about 12 meatballs). Place meatballs on a hot, well oiled grill (or grill pan), or on a well oiled baking rack over a baking sheet in a 400 oven. Cook, turning on all sides (if you are using a grill. If they are in the oven, you can leave them be), about 8 minutes This will be medium (while I love my lamb chops medium rare, I prefer ground lamb a bit more cooked). While the lamb is cooking, toss the arugula with the lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange on a platter and place the lamb directly from the grill/oven onto the arugula.
Yogurt Sauce
1 8 oz container lowfat plain Greek style yogurt
1 garlic clove
3 tbsp chopped mint
1 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
In a 400 degree oven, place foil wrapped garlic clove and roast about 15 minutes until soft (I find raw garlic to be too strong, generally, so I prefer to roast it. If the taste of raw garlic doesn’t bother you, you can omit this step). Once garlic is soft, remove from oven, mince, and combine all ingredients. Let stand 15 minutes. Serve along side lamb or dollop on top.
