There are two types of people; those who LOVE lamb and those who just aren’t fans. We LOVE lamb. It pairs great with all these kind of mediterranean/middle eastern flavors.
1/2 large white onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 pat butter
1 lb ground lamb
sprinkle cumin (optional)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 can (14 oz) fire roasted diced tomatoes
salt/pepper to taste
to serve:
tortillas
1/2 cup crumbled feta or other cheese of your choice
in a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter and olive oil
dice onion and mince garlic and add to the skillet, sauté
then add the lamb and let it brown on the bottom before turning
add in cumin and red pepper flakes
once it’s all pretty evenly browned, add the tomatoes and turn it down to a simmer for 30ish minutes to let flavors develop, then turn the heat really low for another 15 minutes
These were inspired by some whole foods chicken meatballs I tried that had quinoa in them. The quinoa keeps them moist and gives them an interesting texture. Using quinoa also makes the meat go much further so it’s a very affordable and healthy way to go about making meatballs.
4 garlic cloves
1 lb ground chicken
1 cup + 1 tbsp cooked quinoa (preferably cooked in chicken broth)
I really love tahini. If you don’t know what it is, it’s a Middle Eastern paste made of ground sesame seeds and it’s delicious. It’s one of the key ingredients in hummus but I really like the roasty flavor it acquires when it is baked. It’s great baked with meat (can you say lamb?!), beans or vegetables.
10 small carrots
12 small brussels (halved)
1 lemon
1 lg garlic clove
2 tbsp tahini (depending on thickness)
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp tamari (can substitute soy sauce)
1/4 cup cannelini beans
1 tbsp water
olive oil
black pepper
in a small bowl mix tahini, tamari, cumin, lemon juice and water
pre-heat oven to 350°F
mince garlic and add to the sauce, juice half of the lemon into the sauce as well
line a baking dish and spread the carrots, beans and brussels in it; drizzle them with a little olive oil and sprinkle with pepper
pour tahini sauce over everything
bake for 20 minutes or until tahini starts turning golden brown and brussels are roasted to your liking
This was another attempt to use up large amounts of greens before they wilted past the point of no return. I love making warm wilted greens in the winter instead of salads. It’s so much more satisfying and comforting. The combination of sweet dates and savory spiced garbanzo beans adds complexity and takes these healthy greens to a whole new level. If it wasn’t already good enough, another reason to eat chard is its’ plethora of health benefits. It has lots of antioxidants, vitamin C (for immunity), vitamin K (for bone strength), omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin A, calcium, potassium and iron (red blood cell production).
According to “nutrition-and-you.com”, regular inclusion of chard in the diet has been found to prevent osteoporosis, iron-deficiency anemia, and vitamin-A deficiency; and believed to protect from cardiovascular diseases and colon and prostate cancers
1/2 can garbanzo beans
2 cloves garlic
1 large bunch green chard
about 8 cups-worth spinach
1/4 cup water
10 dates
2 tbsp olive oil
salt pepper
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1tsp red chili flakes
1 lemon (juice)
heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat and mince garlic
add garlic to the pan with the cumin paprika and chili flakes
drain garbanzos and add them to the skillet, stirring to coat them in the spices
continue cooking, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, until garbanzos start to brown a little bit
slice chard and spinach and add chard in batches to the skillet, pit and slice dates
in the first batch add the water and cover for 1 minute
then remove cover and add more chard, flipping so that the already cooked greens are on top
continue this process until all of the chard and kale are cooked about evenly, turn the heat down
add the sliced dates and mix in, remove from heat and move to a large mixing bowl
squeeze lemon juice in and mix, adding salt and pepper to taste
