Rosemary Lamb Chops

Ingredients

• 1 rack of lamb, about 2 pounds
• 2 tbsp finely chopped rosemary
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• freshly ground Himalayan salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Prepare

1. First, heat a cast iron skillet to medium high and melt the butter until it almost begins to brown.
2. Cut the rack of lamb into individual chops and set aside.
3. Place the finely chopped rosemary into the cast iron skillet and stir for about 30 seconds to release and yet retain some of the flavor.
4. Next, lay each lamb chop in the pan in the form of a circle, with the bones facing towards the center and cook for about 6 minutes until the meet on that side begins to become golden/brown. In the meantime, preheat an oven to roast at 450 degrees.
5. Then flip the chops over and cook the other side for another 6 minutes.
6. Take the cast iron skillet and roast it at 450 degrees in the oven for another 6 minutes to ensure that the center of the chops is thoroughly and safely cooked all the way through.
7. Finally, remove the lamb chops from the oven and allow to cool for at least 5 – 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

The post Rosemary Lamb Chops appeared first on Florida Girl Cooks.

In keeping my comfort levels high, I stuck to less than a handful of her recipes and kept repeated them and some others from magazines along the way. This recipe for Greek Meatballs in Wine Sauce was not one of those recipes, and I greatly regret it.

Sometime after I moved back home and the years had passed, I had eventually gotten rid of the cookbook as I have this obsession with constantly purging and replacing things. Now after 16 years, I found myself wandering my favorite thrift store and come across this once sacred cookbook, priced at $0.99. After flipping through it’s pages, not only was I filled with nostalgia but also with a new lens of wonder as now the recipes called to my attention.

My 16 years of cooking experience has expanded my horizons so far that these once exotic sounding recipes now sounded more familiar and were no longer intimidating. With new bookmarks, I am now ready to revisit this cookbook and make some new delicious meals.

Greek Meatballs in Wine Sauce

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound ground lamb

• 3/4 pound ground beef or ground veal

• 1 small yellow skinned onion, minced or grated with hand grater

• A handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped

• Salt and pepper

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1 tablespoon (1 turn of the pan) extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 cup dry white wine

• 1/2 lemon

Prepare

1. Firstly, preheat a medium skillet over medium high heat.
2. Next, combine meats, onion, parsley, salt, and pepper. Add butter and oil to pan and begin rolling small, bite-size balls, adding balls to pan as you roll them. Cook balls 10 to 12 minutes, shaking pan occasionally to brown equally on all sides. Deglaze pan with wine and allow wine to reduce by half, 1 or 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon over the meatballs.
3. Finally, garnish with additional parsley and serve in a bowl.

The post Greek Meatballs in Wine Sauce appeared first on Florida Girl Cooks.

In addition to these tasty meatballs, you can serve them alongside some pita bread, arugula, lemons, sliced red onions, and tzatziki sauce. Speaking of tzatziki sauce, much like you can lather up these meatballs with this magical sauce, you can lather just about anything with it. Whether it be Easter, a family dinner, or a casual lunch, these Greek Lamb Meatballs are just what you need for quick and delicious comfort food! Enjoy!

Greek Lamb Meatballs

Ingredients

• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs plain
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1¼ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 egg

Prepare

1. Firstly, preheat your oven’s broiler. Set the oven rack about 7 inches from the heat. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly grease it with vegetable oil.
2. Next, in a large bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, lemon zest, oregano, coriander, cumin, salt, and pepper. Add the ground lamb and egg and use your hands to mix until combined.
3. Now, divide the mixture into 12 equal portions, roll into balls, and arrange on your prepared baking sheet.
4. Broil until browned and cooked through, flipping halfway, 10 to 12 minutes.
5. Finally, serve these delicious meatballs with tzatziki sauce, arugula, lemon, red onion, and wrap it all up in pita bread.

The post Greek Lamb Meatballs appeared first on Florida Girl Cooks.

Ever since I attended my first Greek Fest in 1999 I have fallen in love with Greek Lamb Gyros Tzatziki Sauce. The last few years I have attempted making the gyros with chicken and with lamb as well but I have never been able to find the real deal lamb like that of what I’ve tried at St. Catherine’s Greek Orthodox Church Greek Fest. Having Greek friends I naturally asked where I could find the gyro lamb meat and they directed me to Gordon. Gordon is mainly a restaurant wholesaler/supplier since the majority of their store sells items in bulk and specific restaurant specialty items. They sell this soft and deliciously magical gyro lamb meat, pre-sliced in a box in the frozen food section at $25 for 5 pounds. All you have to do is thaw it out, bake it or grill it, and add it to your toasted pitas with tzatziki sauce, red onion, spinach, and chopped grape tomatoes. They make a delicious weekday dinner possible. Until Greek Fest rolls around again, we will be enjoying this right in the comfort of our own home! 

Greek Lamb Gyros Tzatziki Sauce

Ingredients

1.5 lbs gyro lamb meat
6 pitas
1 red onion, julienned
1 pint grape tomatoes halved
16 oz. spinach
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
tzatziki sauce (see recipe below)

Prepare

1. Bake or skinny grill, the lamb until crispy along the edges and tender in the middle. Oven 380 degrees for 20 minutes, grill for 3 minutes per side on med-high heat.

2. Toast the pita bread on a griddle with grill marks for a minute per side to soften the bread.

3. Layer each pita with a handful of spinach, 6 slices of the gyro lamb meat, red onion, tomatoes, a dollop or two of the tzatziki sauce, and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Enjoy a second, third, and fourth helping if desired! Haha!

Tzatziki Sauce

Ingredients

1 medium cucumber, peeled and grated, seeds picked out
11/2 cups plain full-fat Greek yogurt
2 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon minced fresh dill
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Prepare

1. Peel and grate cucumber. Pick out any seeds that you see. You can also pulse it in a food processor. Pour through a wire mesh strainer to drain the extra liquid.

2. Add cucumber to Greek yogurt and stir to combine.

3. Add minced garlic, olive oil, salt, white vinegar, and lemon juice to yogurt cucumber mixture.

4. Chop the fresh dill and add it as well.

5. Stir to combine and chill at until ready to serve. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Greek Lamb Gyros

2017-11-25 10:04:12

Serves 6

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Prep Time

30 min

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time

1 hr

Prep Time

30 min

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time

1 hr

Ingredients

1. Ingredients
2. 1.5 lbs gyro lamb meat
3. 6 pitas
4. 1 red onion, julienned
5. 1 pint grape tomatoes halved
6. 16 oz. spinach
7. sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
8. Tzatziki Sauce
9. 1 medium cucumber, peeled and grated, seeds picked out
10. 11/2 cups plain full-fat Greek yogurt
11. 2 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
12. 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
13. 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
14. 1/2 teaspoon salt
15. 1 Tablespoon minced fresh dill
16. 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Greek Lamb Gyros
2. 1. Bake or skinny grill, the lamb until crispy along the edges and tender in the middle. Oven 380 degrees for 20 minutes, grill for 3 minutes per side on med-high heat.
3. 2. Toast the pita bread on a griddle with grill marks for a minute per side to soften the bread.
4. 3. Layer each pita with a handful of spinach, 6 slices of the gyro lamb meat, red onion, tomatoes, a dollop or two of the tzatziki sauce, and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Enjoy a second, third, and fourth helping if desired! Haha!
5. Tzatziki Sauce
6. 1. Peel and grate cucumber. Pick out any seeds that you see. You can also pulse it in a food processor. Pour through a wire mesh strainer to drain the extra liquid.
7. 2. Add cucumber to Greek yogurt and stir to combine.
8. 3. Add minced garlic, olive oil, salt, white vinegar, and lemon juice to yogurt cucumber mixture.
9. 4. Chop the fresh dill and add it as well.
10. 5. Stir to combine and chill at until ready to serve. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

By Teresa Gonzalez

Florida Girl Cooks https://floridagirlcooks.com/

The post Greek Lamb Gyros Tzatziki Sauce appeared first on Florida Girl Cooks.

Roasted Lamb with Pears and Pistachios

INGREDIENTS

8 medium lamb shanks (8–10 lb. total)
1/4 cup kosher salt plus more for seasoning
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrots
10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 3″–4″ cinnamon stick
5 cups pomegranate juice
1 cup natural unsalted pistachios, toasted, divided
8 small whole Seckel pears, or 4 large Bosc pears, halved
1 teaspoon rose water
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
PREPARE

1. Place lamb in a large roasting pan. Sprinkle 1/4 cup salt over; toss to coat. Loosely cover with foil or plastic wrap and chill for 24 hours.

2. Preheat broiler. Divide shanks between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Broil lamb 1 sheet at a time, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 15 minutes per batch.

3. Reduce oven to 350°. Heat oil in a large roasting pan over 2 burners set to medium-high heat.

4. Add onion, carrots, and garlic; sautée until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

5. Add ground cardamom and cinnamon stick and season generously with salt; cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

6. Stir in pomegranate juice and 3 cups water, scraping up browned bits.

7. Add 3/4 cup pistachios and reserved lamb, arranging the meatier part of the shanks in the liquid with bones facing upward.

8. Cover pan tightly with a double layer of foil.

9. Transfer roasting pan to the oven.

10. Cook, basting and turning shanks every hour, until meat is tender and almost falling off the bone, about 3 hours.

11. Uncover pan. Add whole pears, pushing to submerge; let cool completely at room temperature.

12. Cover; chill overnight. Chop remaining 1/4 cup pistachios; cover and store airtight at room temperature.

13. Preheat oven to 450°. Scrape fat from surface of braising liquid in pan; discard.

14. Heat lamb mixture over 2 burners set to medium heat, occasionally shifting shanks and stirring juices, until warmed through, 10–15 minutes.

15. Gently transfer shanks to a large rimmed baking sheet. Spoon 1 cup braising liquid over. Roast, basting occasionally, until glazed, 15–20 minutes.

16. Meanwhile, add rose water to roasting pan with pears and bring to a simmer. Cook until sauce thickens, 10–12 minutes.

17. Remove pears and reserve. Without pressing on solids, strain sauce into a bowl or measuring cup. Skim fat from surface.

18. Place 1 lamb shank in each bowl. Drizzle sauce over lamb. Sprinkle with herbs and reserved pistachios and serve with pears.

Roasted Lamb with Pears and Pistachios

2015-07-21 16:44:10

Serves 4

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Prep Time

48 hr

Cook Time

4 hr 27 min

Total Time

52 hr 27 min

Prep Time

48 hr

Cook Time

4 hr 27 min

Total Time

52 hr 27 min

Ingredients

1. 8 medium lamb shanks (8–10 lb. total)
2. 1/4 cup kosher salt plus more for seasoning
3. 1/2 cup olive oil
4. 1 cup chopped onion
5. 1 cup chopped carrots
6. 10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
7. 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
8. 1 3"–4" cinnamon stick
9. 5 cups pomegranate juice
10. 1 cup natural unsalted pistachios, toasted, divided
11. 8 small whole Seckel pears, or 4 large Bosc pears, halved
12. 1 teaspoon rose water
13. 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
14. 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

Instructions

1. 1. Place lamb in a large roasting pan. Sprinkle 1/4 cup salt over; toss to coat. Loosely cover with foil or plastic wrap and chill for 24 hours.
2. 2. Preheat broiler. Divide shanks between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Broil lamb 1 sheet at a time, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 15 minutes per batch.
3. 3. Reduce oven to 350°. Heat oil in a large roasting pan over 2 burners set to medium-high heat.
4. 4. Add onion, carrots, and garlic; sautée until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
5. 5. Add ground cardamom and cinnamon stick and season generously with salt; cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
6. 6. Stir in pomegranate juice and 3 cups water, scraping up browned bits.
7. 7. Add 3/4 cup pistachios and reserved lamb, arranging the meatier part of the shanks in the liquid with bones facing upward.
8. 8. Cover pan tightly with a double layer of foil.
9. 9. Transfer roasting pan to the oven.
10. 10. Cook, basting and turning shanks every hour, until meat is tender and almost falling off the bone, about 3 hours.
11. 11. Uncover pan. Add whole pears, pushing to submerge; let cool completely at room temperature.
12. 12. Cover; chill overnight. Chop remaining 1/4 cup pistachios; cover and store airtight at room temperature.
13. 13. Preheat oven to 450°. Scrape fat from surface of braising liquid in pan; discard.
14. 14. Heat lamb mixture over 2 burners set to medium heat, occasionally shifting shanks and stirring juices, until warmed through, 10–15 minutes.
15. 15. Gently transfer shanks to a large rimmed baking sheet. Spoon 1 cup braising liquid over. Roast, basting occasionally, until glazed, 15–20 minutes.
16. 16. Meanwhile, add rose water to roasting pan with pears and bring to a simmer. Cook until sauce thickens, 10–12 minutes.
17. 17. Remove pears and reserve. Without pressing on solids, strain sauce into a bowl or measuring cup. Skim fat from surface.
18. 18. Place 1 lamb shank in each bowl. Drizzle sauce over lamb. Sprinkle with herbs and reserved pistachios and serve with pears.

By Michael Solomonov

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Florida Girl Cooks https://floridagirlcooks.com/

The post ROASTED LAMB WITH PEARS AND PISTACHIOS appeared first on Florida Girl Cooks.