Mediterranean Lamburgers & Crispy Dijon Brussels

Finally got to pick up the whole lamb that we ordered from Mirror Lake Organic Farm in Capac, MI. Since it was a perfect 60 and sunny fall day, I hit up the Royal Oak Farm Market where my favorite find was a huge stalk of brussel sprouts. It was kind of obvious what I was making for din. FIRE UP THE GRILL!

Lamburgers:

1 lb ground lamb (organic)
1 tbsp finely diced onion
1 egg
Breadcrumbs - a small handful
1-2 tsp seasoning of your choice (I used Bragg's Sea Kelp Delight)
Worcestershire sauce - few dashes
Salt & Pepper

Mash up, form into 4 patties and let sit for 20 min or so. Fire up the grill & you know what to do. :)

Sun Dried Tomato Aioli:

5 sun dried tomatoes (diced finely)
2 tbsp real mayonnaise (none of that fake crap!!)
1 clove garlic (diced finely)
Few DRIPS of fresh lemon juice

Stir.

Brussel Sprouts:

2 cups brussel sprouts (washed and quartered)
3 tbsp finely diced onion
1 tbsp butter
Dijon Mustard (1-2 tsp)
Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar (1-2 tsp)
Olive oil (1-2 tsp)
S&P

Heat a pan to medium. Melt the butter and add onions, stir for a minute or so. Add quartered brussel sprouts and cook until some are starting to get a nice golden-brown color. While cooking, Mix & whisk equal parts of dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar and olive oil (about a teaspoon or two of each) and add some salt & pepper. When the brussels are done cooking, pour in the dressing. Toss to coat & serve!



I served the lamburgers on whole wheat pitas (I used Trader Joe's) with some baby spinach, feta cheese & sun-dried tomato & garlic aioli. Tangy, delicious, nutritious. Maybe it's the local, grass-fed, hormone & anti-biotic free and just processed yesterday part, but there is something MAGIC about lamburgers! Enjoy!

Lamb Tagine with Chickpea Couscous Pilaf & Sweet Potato Mash

In support of the Moroccan protests, my friend Katie and I made Lamb Tagine.  Actually, my dear old Dad had cut this recipe out of the WSJ and gave it to me.  Our timing with making it just happened to coincide with the madness.  In any case, this is a dish that requires two days of preparation, a considerable variety of spices....and is WELL worth the effort! 

The first day is the prep work and cooking of the dish.  After a sleepover in your fridge, all that has to be done on day two is a slow re-heat. The result is falling-off-the-bone lamb in a rich, sweet sauce.  Apricots, prunes and buttery onions offer a decadent base, fresh ginger, garlic and cayenne pepper give it some heat, while coriander, cumin and cinnamon give it a tantalizing & exotic warmth.  

We served it with mashed sweet potatoes (seasoned with ginger, cumin, butter & brown sugar) and chickpea-couscous (turmeric, cumin, nutmeg, carrots, mint).   For a topping, I fried some almonds and also some mint for its pretty green color.  As for wine pairings, we chose some equally spicy, warm reds: Bogle Phantom (Petite Syrah, Old Vine Zin & Old Vine Mourvedre blend) and Valpolicella by Solane.

Let's just say that everyone was a member of the clean plate club.  Do yourself (and friends) a favor and host a Tagine Tuesday dinner party!

NOTE:  recipe calls for golden raisins, but the apricots we used instead were delectable.  I can't see how raisins would be better....then again I really dislike raisins....

Also, we probably spent 40% of a typical Whole Foods or Westborn grocery bill by shopping at small independent markets. The lamb was from Hoff's in Warren, and most everything else was from Dijla (12 & John R). They're a very modest Middle-Eastern market and have a great selection of high-quality dried fruits, nuts and "staple" vegetables.

The beautifully organized prep area. ;)

Lamb and seasonings in the pot before the stew....

Greek-Style Stuffed Peppers

 (pictured with spicy greens sauteed with onions & bacon fat...)

Not sure why, but I really enjoy stuffing vegetables.  Eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, squash...it's a good time!  Today I stuffed peppers (and one lonely tomato).   The filling has a bit of a Greek flare to it (lamb, oregano, feta...).   A lot of stuffed pepper recipes call for cooking the rice inside of the peppers for longer at a lower temp.  I'd rather know my rice is done and have peppers that look like peppers still, so I make my stuffing in a pan, which allows for a quicker bake time.

I picked up the ground lamb from my friends over at Mirror Lake Organic Farms. Their lambs are free-range & organic.   It's important to me to buy local, fresh foods and to know that my food is coming from a clean, healthy and humane environment.  Needless to say, I'm very happy to have found a local source for tasty lamb!  Bonus:  they also make awesome organic soaps and lotions!

On to the stuffed peppers....



Ingredients:

6 large bell peppers (shop for ones with even bottoms -  they'll stand up nicely)
1 lb ground lamb (or beef...but everything's better with lamb, IMO)
1/2 c dry wild rice
1 medium tomato (diced)
1 medium onion (diced)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
4 oz (1/2 a typical package) feta, crumbled
1 tbsp ketchup or tomato paste, whatever you have on hand
2-3 tbsp fresh oregano
Handful fresh chopped parsley (1/3 c)
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (add more for more of a kick!)
1/2 tsp cumin
Dashes of cinnamon & nutmeg
Salt & Pepper


Directions:

Cook the rice according to the package's directions. You'll end up with 1 1/2 c of cooked rice.   Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.  As your rice cooks, prep all veggies as stated above.  In a large saute pan, brown your lamb for 7-8 min (until no longer pink).  Now, add your tomato, onion, garlic, herbs and spices (everything except the cheese).  Let cook for another 8 min or so, stirring occasionally, until the onions are close to translucent.  Take the stuffing off the heat and sprinkle your feta over the mixture, stirring to combine.  Carefully slice the tops off of your peppers (and/or core your tomatoes).  Get rid of the seeds and pith, but reserve the tops.  Place the peppers in a glass baking pan and spoon the stuffing into your vegetables. Put a bit of water in the bottom of the dish. Place the pepper's tops back on and bake for 25-30 min .

Nutrition (per pepper):

367 calories
22 g fat
23 g carb
19 g protein