MMmmmmmmm.... Meatza!

Once again, we forgot to take a picture of this, but we will for sure be making it again.


There's no need for carbs on a pizza. Make your Pizza on Meat! :)


So good. Thanks for the recipe Mark.


You can find the recipe here.

Tuscan Lamb with Garlicky Tomato Sauce & Polenta

Valentine’s Day.

Cancy knows I like lamb. He found this recipe in one of my Real Simple magazines and decided that he would cook dinner for us on Valentine’s Day. This was soooooo good.

We cheated on the polenta portion of this meal though. Instead of making it fresh we just just took a premade polenta log (found in the pasta section of the grocery store) and sliced it, sprinkled a little parmesan on it, and broiled it until the cheese was browned.

Spend some quality time in the kitchen with your significant other and make this meal. You will love it.

Tuscan Lamb with Garlicky Tomato Sauce & Polenta

1 teaspoon olive oil
8 small lamb loin chops (about 3/4 inch thick; 2 pounds total)
kosher salt and black pepper
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
3/4 cup instant polenta
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Heat oven to 400° F. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Season the lamb with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side; transfer to a plate. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings.

Add the garlic to the drippings and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, wine, rosemary, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken, 2 to 3 minutes.

Nestle the lamb in the tomatoes, transfer the skillet to oven, and cook, 10 to 12 minutes for medium-rare.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups water to a boil. Gradually whisk in the polenta. Cook, whisking frequently, until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in the butter, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Serve with the lamb and tomato sauce.

Jalapeno Grilled Lamb Tortas

Every once in awhile, I find a really interesting recipe at my grocery store. This was in the April magazine put out by HEB. I’m a huge fan of ground lamb and all things avocado so this seemed like a great fit. Cancy & I both really liked it and it’s perfect for the many spring/summer grilling evenings that we get in Texas.

Jalapeno Grilled Lamb Tortas


1 pound ground lamb
1 cup Diced Sweet Onion
1/2 cup cup fresh chopped cilantro
1 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
4 whole wheat bolillos (I used small loaves of Ciabatta Bread)
1 cup Grated Cotija Cheese
1 Avocado, thin sliced

Combine lamb, onion, cilantro, and jalapeño. Do not over mix or it will be tough. Shape into 4 patties 1 inch thick.

Heat gas or charcoal grill to medium 375°F to 400°F. Grill for 6 minutes, turning once and cooking to desired degree of doneness (145°F to 155°F internal temperature).

Place patty on half of bread, top with cheese, 3 to 4 slices of avocado, and the top of the bun.

Pasta with Meat Sauce (The Greek Way)

I found this in my Google Reader one day and starred it so that when the craving for lamb struck again, I’d have a great plan for it. This was a very flavorful meal that both Cancy & I really liked. It looks like a lot of ingredients, but it all comes together super easy. I think you’ll like it.



Pasta with Meat Sauce (The Greek Way)

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon red chili flakes

2 bay leaves

1 pound ground lamb

1 onion, chopped

1 teaspoon oregano

1 28 oz. can tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup red wine, or more if the sauce gets a little thick

2 red bell peppers, roasted, skinned and chopped

1/2 cup kalamata olives, sliced

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

1/2 cup feta cheese

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

Saute garlic, chilies and bay leaves in olive oil for 2 minutes. Add lamb and onion and cook until onion is translucent and meat is slightly browned. Add tomatoes, oregano and wine and simmer for 20 minutes. Add peppers and olives and simmer another 20 minutes. Add parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Serve over pasta and garnish with pine nuts, crumbled feta cheese and additional chopped parsley. Add crusty garlic bread because you won't want to leave a single drop of the sauce on your plate.

Lamb Skewers with Tahini Yogurt Sauce

I love Whole Foods.

I love lamb.

If Whole Foods lists a recipe using ground lamb, it’s got to be good, right? This was delicious. We topped it with Feta Cheese & chopped red onion. It was such a fresh tasting, light dinner. Give it a shot...



Lamb Skewers with Tahini Yogurt Sauce

8 bamboo skewers
1 pound ground lamb
8 ounces Greek style yogurt, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped mint
2 teaspoons Mediterranean seasoning
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons tahini
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Pita or lavash flat bread

Soak bamboo skewers in water at least 15 minutes.


Meanwhile, put lamb, 1/2 cup of the yogurt, cilantro, onions, mint, and seasoning into a medium bowl. Combine gently but thoroughly, then divide into 8 balls. Shape each ball into a long sausage shape and slide skewers through the center, lengthwise. Flatten slightly and refrigerate for up to several hours until ready to grill.

Prepare grill. Brush lamb with oil and cook over hot coals about 10 minutes, turning to brown all sides. While skewers are grilling, mix together the remaining yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic. Thin with water to make a smooth slightly thick sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Serve skewers with grilled pita or flat bread, drizzled with sauce.

Roast Lamb with Peppercorn Crust

I’m not sure why, but I was really craving lamb this weekend. Maybe it was because we just had great lamb @ Fogo De Chao for Cancy’s birthday…. Or maybe I was just having a carnivorous moment. In any case, Katie has a great recipe that I used for the marinade, but I made mine in the crockpot instead of roasting in the oven. I hope you like it.

Roast Lamb with Peppercorn Crust

6 Tbsp crush dried assorted peppercorns
4 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
2 Tbsp fresh mint leaves (I omitted)
10 garlic cloves
1/4 c. raspberry vinegar
1/2 c. soy sauce
1 c. dry red wine
2 boned leg of lamb (I used a shoulder roast instead)
4 Tbsp dijon mustard (I omitted)
2-4 Tbsp flour

In a large baking dish, combine 2 Tbsp crushed peppercorns, rosemary, mint, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, and red wine. Add the lamb and turn to coat with the marinade.
Marinate the lamb, covered, in the fridge 8-12 hours, turning occasionally.

 

Set the roast in a CrockPot and pour 1 c. of the reserved marinade carefully around but not over the roast; discard remaining marinade.

Cook in low for 6-7 hours (depending on the size of the cut of lamb)
Remove roast from pan, and cover with foil to stand for 20 minutes before carving.
Over medium heat, heat pan juices, adding 2-4 Tbsp flour to thicken, and serve over lamb slices to serve.

I drizzled just a little of the pan juices on it and sprinkled with some reduced fat Feta cheese. Also, because the lamb itself is a pretty rich piece of meat, I served this with a little bit of homemade Tsatziki to balance it out.

 

Remove lamb from the marinade and drain, reserve the marinade. Roll the roast, tying with kitchen twine. Pat 2 Tbsp of crushed peppercorns into the lamb

 

Elly's Greek Lamburgers

I knew I would find a great lamb recipe on Elly’s site. I love Greek food & Elly cooks Greek food. Pretty simple combination. I didn’t change a thing on her recipe. It’s wonderful just as she has it.

 

As for the presentation, I just served this with a simple Greek salad mixture. Tomatoes, Red Onion, Cucumber, & Kalamata olives (all topped with a little Feta cheese). To keep the carbs low, I just used 1/2 a pita for each burger. Cancy really liked these, and since it was Greek, I of course loved them.

Elly’s Greek Lamburgers

 

1 lb. ground lamb
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. allspice
1 Tbsp oregano
1/4 cup onion, finely minced or grated
2 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
ground pepper to taste
2 pitas, halved
olive oil

 

Mix all ingredients together and shape into four patties. (I actually made mine in half moons since we were eating them on pita halves).

Lightly grease and heat grill. Grill burgers approximately 4 minutes per side or until desired degree of doneness.

Brush or spray pita halves with olive oil and toss on the grill for about 30-60 seconds. Stuff pitas with patties and top with whatever you like!

 

 

Morrocan Spiced Stuffed Red Peppers

This is from Whole Food’s recipe section of their website.  I love that store. Despite being referred to around here as “Whole Paycheck’, you can find some surprisingly good deals there. I’m lucky enough to live close to this Austin based company’s flagship store in downtown Austin, TX.

 

I made this recipe last night. It was such an interesting combination of spices. But everything played nicely together. If you try this one out, really try to use the ground lamb. It brings such a different flavor to the party then ground anything else. It was really good. We just topped it with a little Feta cheese and a side of hummus. Yummy!!

Moroccan Spiced Stuffed Peppers

 

2 red bell peppers, cut down the center, cored and seeded

1/2 pound ground lamb

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 cup finely chopped mint

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup cooked short grain brown rice

2 cups chicken broth, divided

 

In a large saucepan, cover peppers with boiling salted water. Cover and simmer on low 5 minutes. Drain peppers upside down on towels.

 

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown lamb and garlic, breaking up lamb. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice, mint, spices, cooked rice and 3/4 cup of the broth. Stuff peppers with mixture.

 

Stand stuffed peppers in remaining broth in a large saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 15-20 minutes until peppers are just tender.