Moroccan-Style Lamb and Chickpeas

The first time I had Moroccan food was at Epcot at Walt Disney World.  I was about 8 or 9, and I just fell in love with the spiced richness of it.  Since I've been cooking, any recipe with "Moroccan" in the title goes onto the to-make list almost automatically. 

I didn't change much in this recipe, just added a little garlic, and swapped mint for the cilantro, since I really associate mint more strongly with Moroccan food than cilantro.  The original recipe suggests serving over couscous, but we had this over Moroccan Spiced Spaghetti Squash that I saw on the Jey of Cooking- delicious!  This was a really great meal, flavorful, fairly healthy, and a nice variation on the usual pasta with meat sauce.

Moroccan-Style Lamb and Chickpeas
adapted from Cooking Light

What's in it:

1 lb lean ground lamb
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 c diced onion
1/2 c (1/4-inch) diagonally cut carrot
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
2 c fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

1/2 c golden raisins
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon zest

1/4 tsp salt
1 (15 1/2-ounce can) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/3 c chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

How to make it:

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb to pan; cook until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove lamb from pan with a slotted spoon and discard drippings.

Add olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and carrot to pan and sauté until softened and beginning to brown. Add garlic, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, and pepper.  Continue to cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

Add reserved lamb, broth, and next 5 ingredients, through chickpeas, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer about 5 minutes or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in mint and lemon juice.

Serve warm over couscous, rice or anything else you'd like.

Lamb Kebabs with Potato Moutabel

What originally caught my attention in this recipe was the potatoes.  I love Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food, but I had never really thought about mashed potatoes as being part of that cuisine.  I was also intrigued by the vegetables and cheese in the lamb, which is pretty different from how I've generally seen and eaten it. 

But basically, the moutabel is like the love child of hummus and buttermilk mashed potatoes.  The nutty tahini and tangy yogurt go so well together here.  I also really liked how the peppers and mushrooms kept the lamb from being too rich.  With cumin-roasted carrots on the side, this was a great dinner that combined some more exotic flavors with familiar foods.  In the future, I think I may prepare the lamb as a meatloaf instead, for a fun twist on the classic meatloaf and mashed potato dinner.

Lamb Kebabs with Potato Moutabel
adapted from Serious Eats

What's in it:

 For the kebabs:
16 oz ground lamb
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 c finely chopped mushrooms
1 c (4 oz) finely chopped mozzarella
1/2 c coarsely chopped walnuts
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper

For the moutabel:
2 large baking potatoes, scrubbed but unpeeled, cut into rough chunks
3 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp yogurt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper

How to make it:

For the kebabs: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix gently.  Shape the kebabs onto flat metal skewers if grilling, using about 3 tablespoons for each, shaping the meat around the top end of the skewer; alternatively, if pan-frying, form oblong patties.  Grill or pan-fry for 6–8 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through.

To make the moutabel: Cook the potatoes in a large saucepan of lightly salted water over medium heat until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Coarsely mash the potatoes with their skins. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, tahini, yogurt and cumin. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve the lamb kebabs with the potato moutabel.

Lamb Burgers with Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Spread

Growing up, my mom often made lamb patties, usually served with couscous or tabbouleh.  I can't remember if I was particularly enthusiastic about them (I know I wasn't about tabbouleh), but I sure am now.  But now that it's getting hot out, boiling water and heating skillets just isn't appealing.  Lucky for me, though, anything patty-shaped can be turned into a burger and cooked outside. 

These were so good.  A little rich, but a lemony Greek salad kept the meal from being too heavy.  I used thyme, but I think that oregano, parsley or even a little mint would be delicious as well.

Lamb Burgers with Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Spread

What's in them:

1 lb ground lamb

1/4 c finely diced red onion

2 garlic cloves, minced, divided

2 Tbsp fresh thyme

2 tsp + 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/3 c crumbled feta cheese

2 tsp lemon juice

2-3 Tbsp mayo, to taste

1 red bell pepper, or 1/2 c jarred roasted red peppers

4 hamburger buns

fresh spinach for topping burgers

How to make them:

Combine ground lamb with red onion through black pepper, using 2/3 of the garlic and 2 teaspoons of the balsamic vinegar.  Form the mixture into four patties.

Stir feta, remaining garlic and balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and mayo together, making a chunky spread.

Grill lamb patties and bell pepper, if using, until burgers are medium well and pepper is well-charred.  Let burgers rest, and place pepper in a zip-top bag or paper bag to loosen skin.  When the pepper is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and seeds, and slice into strips. 

Stack a patty, then spinach then pepper on each bun.  Spread some of the feta mixture on the top half of each bun, place on top, and enjoy!