Turning up the cozy level here with Crockpot Lentil Lamb Stew and a side of couscous. Anyone else trying to hibernate this winter? I sure am. Something about not as many sun hours and cold weather makes me want to cozy up with my favorite blanket and Netflix. Netflix is a blessing and a curse. Why? For one, I love being able to watch shows without commercial interruptions. I’m also the type of person that loses interest in a show if I have to wait an entire week for the next episode. My dreams have come true because now I can watch entire seasons. Yes, I know, welcome to 2018. The negative? I usually watch entire seasons in one sitting. And without commercials, I don’t really do much else, other than binge on whatever latest and greatest series I’ve decided to commit to. I know I’m not the only one who gets the dreaded “Are you still watching?” notice on the screen. Yes, I’m still here, 4pm, in the same PJs I had on since last night snacking and watching. Thanks for the reminder that I’ve accomplished next to nothing today. (more…)
Lamb
Garlic Herb Lamb Skewers with Mint Yogurt Sauce
I love lamb. I’ve seldom met an Arab who doesn’t like lamb. [I said seldom, so if you’re one of the few that are Arab and don’t like lamb, you may want to skip to another one of my lamb-less recipes]. Have you ever seen that scene in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” when Ian, the fiancé, tells Aunt Voula he’s vegetarian. To which Aunt Voula thinks for a minute and exclaims “that’s okay, I make a Lamb!” Yea, that basically sums up the Arab-Lamb relationship. You eat it and you enjoy it, or you eat it and you don’t enjoy it. The common denominator here is that you eat the lamb no matter what.
I’ll spare you the story about the first time I met a whole raw lamb on our kitchen table … but you’re more than welcome to read about it. It was an experience I won’t forget. (more…)
Bamiya [Okra Stew]
I always feel an immense sense of accomplishment when I make Arabic food and it tastes like my mom’s cooking. Likely because Arabic food only tastes good when my mom or tayta make it, in my personal opinion. So when I realized we had some fresh okra hanging out in the fridge, I decided to try a very well known Arabic dish; Bamiya. Bamiya is basically okra stew.
Don’t let the okra deter you. Most people don’t like it because it can get pretty slimy. But if you prepare the okra properly, I promise you a slime-free meal. (more…)
Garlic Rosemary Lamb Chops
Simplicity is so underrated.
When it comes to cooking, the less steps, the better. At least in my personal opinion. Roasted lamb chops sounds pretty complicated, but in fact, it isn’t. I’m telling you, your friends and family will be so impressed when you bring out this elegant-looking dish. They’ll have no idea that it was actually easier to whip up than some of your side dishes. (more…)
Yogurt Marinated Leg of Lamb
It’s not everyday that I cook lamb. Although, it’s rare to find an Arab household that doesn’t cook lamb. I’m told it’s an acquired taste. I can’t attest to said acquired taste because I grew up eating lamb before I even knew that it was any different from beef. (more…)
Lamb Kabob Patties with Skinny Garlic Aioli
I’m not sure why I was craving Ground Lamb Kabobs, but I took the meat out of the freezer the day and put it in the fridge in anticipation that I was going to use the meat for something delicious. So I decided to make “Lebanese style” ground lamb patties for lunch today.
Unless I’m lying around the house with no plans to leave, I usually put my contacts in first thing in the morning. Well, this week I’m on “Winter Break” so, I wasn’t planning to put my contacts in until I planned the leave the house later this afternoon. (I use the quotes because since the beginning of my winter break I’ve been doing at least four hours of work daily. Some vacation.) Contact-less, I got working on my ground lamb patties. First, I diced the onion. Bad idea. My eyes instantly became sore and started tearing. I didn’t realize that my contacts shielded my eyes from onion-cutting irritation – until today.
Minus the eye irritation, the lamb patties turned out well and my Skinny Garlic Aioli was de-licious!
Lamb Kabob Patties with Skinny Garlic Aioli Recipe
Ingredients
1 lb Ground Lamb ½ Bunch Parsley finely chopped 1 Medium Onion, finely chopped 1 tablespoon Seven Spice (can be found at your local Middle Eastern Grocery)Directions
Mix together ground lamb, seven spice, parsley and onion. Form into round patties. Grill in a grill pan or a cuisineart Panini grill. Serve in Arabic Bread with Skinny Garlic AioliTo make the Skinny Garlic Aioli, mix together 6oz plain fat-free greek yogurt, ¼ cup light mayo and 5 cloves garlic, minced.
Servings: 8-10 patties
Nutrition Information: Cals 123. Carbs 2g. Fat 9g. Protein 8g. Sodium 34mg. Sugar 1g.