Rosemary-Garlic Lamb Loin Chops

Tonight's dinner felt fancier than normal. Perhaps it is because I used New Zealand lamb and served it with an awesome wine (more on that in a minute.)  But really, this is a meal that is easy to make and will impress. The meal: Rosemary-Garlic Lamb Chops, Tomato Mixture, Tomato-Balsamic Rice and Cannellini beans.

 Rosemary-Garlic Lamb Loin Chops (recipe from Better Homes and Gardens)

 

Ingredients

1  recipe  Tomato-Balsamic Rice, (recipe below)
4    lamb loin chops, cut 1-1/2 to 2 inches thick (1-3/4 to 2 lb. total)
1  tablespoon  snipped fresh rosemary
3  cloves  garlic, minced
1/2  teaspoon  salt
1/2  teaspoon  ground black pepper
1  tablespoon  olive oil
2  cups  cherry tomatoes
1  teaspoon  balsamic vinegar
    Rosemary sprigs 

Directions

1. Prepare Tomato-Balsamic Rice. Meanwhile, arrange oven rack so that the top of the chop surface is 4 to 5 inches from the heat when placed on a broiler pan. Make sure to account for the height of broiler pan and chops. Preheat broiler.
2. Coat the top of broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray. Rub both sides of the chops with half of each of the the snipped rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper. Broil chops for 18 to 20 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in chops registers 145 degrees F (medium-rare doneness), turning occasionally to brown evenly.
3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add tomatoes and remaining half of the snipped rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook about 5 minutes or until the tomatoes just begin to soften. Stir in vinegar.

4. Serve chops with tomatoes, and Tomato-Balsamic Rice. Top with rosemary sprigs. Makes 4 servings.
Tomato-Balsamic Rice: In a medium saucepan combine 2 cups water, 1 cup uncooked jasmine or long grain rice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 18 to 20 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Stir in one 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, drained; 1/2 cup frozen peas; and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar. Cover; let stand 5 minutes to heat through. Makes about 4 cups.

The wine that I served it with was Frank Family Vineyard's 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. Their wines are so delicious. I picked it up at Total Wine. I've wanted to buy one of their wines for a couple of years now. Back story on this: When I was in Napa in 2009, someone who wishes to remain anonymous needed to use a restroom while we were driving around on a dirt road with no stops in sight...until we came across this winery. They had nice, clean bathrooms and no objections to us using them. They were used and then we left promptly. The next day we found ourselves in the same predicament and stopped back at FFV. This time they gave us a free tasting. We loved the wines but we're in a hurry to make a reservation and said we'd be back to actually buy something. We never went back. So I've always felt that I "owed it them" to buy some of their wine.  While it is kind of pricey, it is SO worth it. I will definitely be buying more in the future. This bottle was purchased as a Valentine's gift for my hubs.

Lamb Korma

Do you get those random cravings for Indian food? I get them all the time. Unfortunately for me, the good places aren't close enough for a takeout run. So, I decided to try out a recipe for Lamb Korma. And it did not disappoint. I've seen it made quite a few different ways. This one was slightly different than the traditional kormas that I've had but I loved it. I served it over Jasmine/Basmati rice.

Lamb Korma
produces 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup onions, chopped
1 cup butter (melt and skim of milk solids)
4 to 5 large cardamom pods (remove green skin)
2 lb. lamb, cubed
7 garlic cloves, crushed
1/8 - 1/4 tsp fresh ginger, minced 
1 1/2 Tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp red chili powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
8 oz. plain yogurt, lightly whisked
pinch of saffron

Steps:

1) Brown onions in butter until deep golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and pulse in a blender to form a paste. Crush the cardamom. This can be done by using a mortar and pestle, pounding it on a sturdy board, or using a coffee/spice grinder. Mix it into the onion paste.
2) Add meat to the saucpan; stir over medium-high heat. After a few minutes, add garlic, ginger, coriander, chili, and salt. Stir for a few minutes. Mix in yogurt. Cover and cook over very low heat, 1 to 1.5 hours.
3) Add the paste to the saucepan for the last five minutes of cooking time. Serve over rice and enjoy! (Preferably with some Naan and Raita)

Lamb Burgers

Over the weekend, I decided to make a recipe for Lamb Burgers with yogurt sauce that I actually found in an old issue of Glamour. This recipe is a keeper!

Lamb Burgers source: Glamour
Makes 8 burgers

2 tbsp. vegetable oil
For burgers:
2 lbs. ground lamb
1/2 cup diced shallots
1 cup chopped mint
1 1/2 tsp. each celery salt, ground cumin, ground paprika, and chili powder
1/4 cup ketchup
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
For yogurt sauce:
1 cup Greek yogurt ( For Atlantans, my favorite is Atlanta Fresh Greek Yogurt )
1/4 cup chopped mint
Hot sauce
For assembly:
Pitas (I like Whole Wheat), tops cut off
Chopped lettuce (I prefer mixed greens)
Minced red onion
Diced tomatoes


1. In a bowl, combine burger ingredients until just incorporated-you don't want to overwork the meat. Take 1/2 cup of mixture and shape into a small patty. Repeat for the rest of meat.
2. Make yogurt sauce; in small bowl combine Greek yogurt, mint and enough hot sauce to taste.
3. Heat saute pan over medium heat, add 2 tbsp of vegetable oil and cook patties for a total of 8 minutes to achieve a medium-rare doneness, or longer if desired.
4. Place everything in individual serving dishes and let your guests assemble their own burgers.