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10 Legs in the Kitchen

~ Food. Dogs. Life!

10 Legs in the Kitchen

Tag Archives: yogurt sauce

lamb chop vs. Lamb Chop

10 Saturday Mar 2018

Posted by Stacey Bender in family gatherings, the kitchen

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Easy Lentils, roast eggplant, Yogurt roasted lamb, yogurt sauce

cove low res

Sometimes, introducing someone new to the family can make tensions flare. Since introduction, the flames have tapered down, but haven’t fizzled out yet. So rather than worry about the sparks, we decided to light a candle instead. A birthday candle, that is.

Zoe came to visit about a month ago.  Yes, another sweet dog in a sad situation in need of a good home.  “Two is a couple, three is a crowd,” Tom said.  “Don’t bring another dog home.”

I didn’t listen.  A trait that doesn’t always work out well for me.

“She’s not staying,” I assured him.  “We are just watching her for a few days.”

Winston was very jealous.  He pouted.  He hid under the bed.

Ginger was very aloof.

But Zoe wanted to stay forever.  She showered Tom and I with kisses and love. So many kisses.

Winston wanted Zoe to go back to from wherever she came.  Harrumph.

Zoe tried to win him over with her charm.  She rubbed past him and tilted her rump up near his face.  Submissively, she rolled over and kicked up her feet in play.  She thought he was swell.

Nothing but pouts.  His once perky ears, flat as pancakes.

Then one day, Winston decided to play!  Soon they were romping and rolling and running around the couch.  On every completion of the race course, Winston would stop and keep looking to me for permission to continue; a big sloppy smile with tongue hanging out of his mouth.

There is some barking.  We are working on that.  There is tension, sometimes; like when Ginger blindly stumbles into Zoe, she attacks.  Or when it is time to lick the bones from the lamb chops . . .  Everyone is happily licking away; two lamb chops, three dogs, four hands . . . (insert dog fighting noises here) you can imagine those sounds.

What happened?  Who knows but two bones went in the trash immediately, one dog skulked off as one was lifted quickly out of harms way.  The third dog, Ginger, was clueless, where did everyone go?

Zoe has wiggled her way into our hearts though and Winston, albeit still a bit jealous, has found that it is kind of nice to have a spry gal pal that plays and loves.

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“Zoe, no bark!!!”

Welcome to your forever home Zoe and Happy 9th Birthday!

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“I like salmon cake!” No lamb for them tonight.

 

lamb chop3

LAMB CHOPS seared with dijon, garlic & herbs

Here’s the deal: I love lamb. Lamb chops, lamb roast, ground lamb . . .  I used to call Buddy “Lamb Chop” sometimes. He was so scrumptious and delectable. We used to kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss!  How we miss that kid.

He was also known as “Peanut”, so now that we have Zoe, I think “Pine Nut” seems to be a more appropriate fit for her, since she is half his size.

To make a tasty lamb chop, it can be as simple as sprinkling them with salt, then smothering the little chops in dijon, lemon juice, garlic and herbs.  A hot grill or skillet sears each side, leaving the middle cooked as rare as you prefer.

I use a scant 1/2 tsp of salt + 1 chopped garlic clove per pound of lamb. Pepper is free-flowing  from the grinder and a dab of Dijon mustard with a small handful of fresh herbs. Mint, thyme, rosemary, tarragon or parsley are all good choices.

Drizzle with olive oil, rub in the seasoning and let sit for an hour, covered at room temp.  On a heated grill or a very hot skillet, cook for a few minutes on each side, making sure they are browned nicely before turning them over.

This is wonderful served with al dente cooked green beans, tossed in cooked lentils, tucked over thick, roasted eggplant and a dollop of creme or a good-quality feta cheese.

Alternatively, you can roast a leg of lamb like I did here and serve it tossed in lentils and arugula, as I did here.  Still, roast the eggplant on the side and make the following sauce to drizzle over:

YOGURT SAUCE

This is a super-simple sauce.  All it takes is the best yogurt you can get, plus, cumin, coriander, grated parmesan and cucumber.  That said, I used a new yogurt that was AMAZEBALLS!!!  (called White Mountain Organic Bulgarian Yogurt from Austin, TX).

Mix together the ingredients below:

1/2 cup yogurt (see brand above, or use the best available to you)
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground corriander
1 TB finely grated parmesan
1 TB lemon juice
1 TB grated cucumber
Fresh ground pepper to taste

ROAST LAMB, ARUGULA, LENTIL SALAD

So, another way to slice this is by doing a nice salad of arugula and lentils topped with yogurt roasted lamb and roast eggplant.  Not so much a recipe a recipe as a way to serve some great things all together as a meal.  Improvise!

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“Nothing to see here.  Party on!”

end photo

Pine Nut vs. Lamb Chop!

k e b a a a b

04 Friday Apr 2014

Posted by Stacey Bender in the kitchen

≈ 42 Comments

Tags

fiesta Friday, food, kebab, naan, Pork, yogurt sauce

20140404-155136.jpgKebab, kebab, kebab

I just wanted to be able to say k e b a a a b. It’s very catchy. It sounds quirky if said with a certain twang and mysterious if an accent is used. Plus, I really do just like the way it sounds.

I also didn’t want to feel left out since it seems to be rather popular as of late. Everybody’s making them. I might not jump from a cliff if everyone were jumping but I would make a kebab…and so I did. Twice actually. I will spare you the lengthy goings on of my beet powder chicken kebabs tucked into naan with grilled asparagus and fresh mozzarella. Instead I will tell you about my, “I really want to make kebabs right now so I can bring them to Angie’s party kebab”. Kebab, kebab…k e b a a a b!

Lemony Pork Kebabs tucked in naan with spinach, hummus and green olive yogurt sauce

This pork mixture is delicious pan sautéed as well, which sometimes I make tossed in parpadelle with sautéed spinach and a quick pan sauce made with wine and lemon juice. You can form approximately 25-30 pieces from this mixture so if you don’t plan on using them all, they freeze nicely for a night when you need something quick and tasty for dinner.

I am assuming you know how to make hummus, or at least know where to buy a good one, so I am going to save my not-so-secret hummus recipe for another time (I do use a secret ingredient though). I used the humus from Whole Foods for this dish because it is actually quite good and saved me an extra step (I am picky about my humus so I was happy to find one that I liked).

INGREDIENTS (for kebabs)

1 lb ground pork
3/4 cup freshly made breadcrumbs (using olive bread will score brownie points)
3 thin slices fresh lemon, chopped (peel in tact, seeds discarded)
Juice of said lemon which in my estimation, is around 3-4 TB
1/4 of a preserved lemon
3 cloves chopped garlic
4-6 green olives (such as picholine). pits removed, chopped
2 TB Dijon mustard
1 TB grated Pecorino Romano cheese
A few pinches sea salt along with freshly grated pepper
A large wad of fresh cilantro, chopped

INGREDIENTS (to finish)

1-2 naan per person
1-2 TB hummus per naan
1 handful baby spinach per naan
1-2 TB yoghurt sauce per naan (recipe to follow)
1 kebab skewer per naan

TO PREPARE

Combine all of the ingredients for the kebabs in a mixing bowl except the salt and pepper; using your hands, gently but thoroughly mix together. Grind over the pepper and sprinkle with a little salt. You won’t need much due to the olives, cheese and preserved lemon.

Form into small balls and flatten ever so slightly.

20140404-153924.jpgOddly formed, I know.

Thread three pieces onto each skewer (I like using the small skewers). I don’t bother soaking them in water first but you may if you wish.

Over hot coals, on an oiled grate, grill the skewers approximately 8-10 minutes, until cooked through. Turn them a few times to evenly brown.

20140404-155709.jpgAs they are cooking, I grill the naan alongside.

20140404-161730.jpgI had good company.

TO ASSEMBLE

Spread the humus on each piece of warm naan. Top with spinach, then dollop over a spoonful of sauce. Place one skewer on top.

You can serve, skewer in tact, and let each person remove the skewer before picking up the naan, folding it in half to eat like a sandwich.

Ahhh, comfort food.

INGREDIENTS (for yogurt sauce)

4 green olives, pitted and chopped
1 fingertip wad of fresh cilantro, chopped (approx. 1TB)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 thin slices fresh lemon, chopped
1 tsp chopped preserved lemon
1 cup plain yoghurt
2 TB grated Pecorino Romano cheese

PREPARE (yogurt sauce)

Combine everything except the yogurt and cheese in a small bowl. Put the yogurt in another bowl and add the olive mixture then the cheese, adding a little more cheese to taste if needed.

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20140404-154608.jpgWait, not so fast…

Before heading over to the Novice Gardener for Fiesta Friday, take a few minutes for a Friday chuckle.

20140404-153152.jpg I like the way he says kebab; check it out here. If you don’t want to hang around for the whole thing, fast forward to about 2 minutes, 5 seconds into it.

20140404-164613.jpgOh yeah, I forgot that an accent can also make kebab sound sexy

If you still need to finish your drink before heading out, take a look here (go about 1 minute, 45 seconds in).

Okay, now, run to the party (It’s Fiesta Friday). We are already late.

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