5 November 2020 Greek Lamb Sausages (Keftedes)

Greek Lamb Sausages (Keftedes)

November 5, 2020 By

I love Greek food and while I’m not of Greek decent, I do pretty well fixing Greek food at home. I just love the idea of a share platter of mezes, little bites, that my guests can share before dinner.

One of my favorite Greek mezes is Greek meatballs/sausages, keftedes in Greek. Some folks make them round like a meatball, I prefer to make them a little oblong in shape for more grilling surface – the shape is up to you!

There are many variations, some of the meatballs get coated in flour and fried, some get baked but my top way of making keftedes is to grill them. I like the charred outside and the moist, juicy inside when made this way.

These Greek sausages can be made with a combination of lamb and beef, but I like the all-lamb version. These keftedes are great served with tzatziki sauce, a cucumber/yogurt sauce and pita bread.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground lamb
  • ½ of a medium onion chopped or grated (I like a chunkier texture)
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
  • Zest of a lemon
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • ½ tsp. each salt and fresh ground pepper
  • Tzatziki sauce (optional but essential)

Directions:

  1. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients (except Tzatziki sauce) until just combined – overmixing will cause the meatballs/sausages to be dense. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes to make it easier to form the meat into your preferred shape.
  2. Form about a tablespoon of the meat into balls or sausages. I like to NOT use breadcrumbs when possible to keep the sausages light and fluffy, but if your mixture is too loose, add 2 teaspoons of breadcrumbs. Refrigerate for 30 – 60 minutes.
  3. Oil your grill and preheat on medium-high heat.
  4. Cook the sausages directly on the grill, about 4 minutes on each side.
  5. Serve hot or warm with Tzatziki sauce, if using.

Makes 15-20 sausages.

Filed Under: Appetizers, Greek, Lamb, Snacks, Starters Tagged With: , ,
21 August 2015 Rigatoni with Lamb Bolognese and Mint Ricotta

Rigatoni with Lamb Bolognese and Mint Ricotta

August 21, 2015 By

Rigatoni with Lamb BologneseI love lamb and am always looking for new ways to prepare it at home. This past weekend, I have ground lamb left and since my guy had asked me to make meat sauce, I decided to use the lamb to make it, but add some lamb-friendly flavors. I did add some ground pork as the lamb is just too lean, in my opinion, for this type of sauce.

The rigatoni I like to use is by Delverde Pasta, the best dry pasta I’ve come across. The dollop of mint sheep’s ricotta just adds a new texture to the dish and amazing flavor. There will be sauce leftover after this recipe is made and it can be frozen for up to 2 months.

Sauce Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 medium carrots, finely diced
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 3/4 pound ground pork
  • 3/4 pound ground Lamb
  • 3 28-ounce can Italian-style tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 6-ounce can of tomato paste
  • ½ cup Marsala wine
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp. each, dry mint and salt
  • ½ tsp. pepper

Assembly Ingredients:

  • 1 cup sheep’s milk ricotta (could use high quality cow’s milk ricotta), at room temperature
  • 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
  • 16-ounce box of rigatoni, cook to al dente, water drained and pasta returned to the cooking pot

Sauce Directions:

  1. In a heavy-bottom saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high, warm the olive oil. Add carrots and onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Reduce heat to medium and cook until vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Increase heat to high, add meats and sauté until no longer pink, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add tomatoes and their juices, the tomato paste, wine and the spices and stir well. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours.

Assembly Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta and the mint.
  2. Add enough cooked sauce to the pasta in the pot to coat it, about 4 cups for the six servings.
  3. Serve the pasta in bowls and add a tablespoonful of ricotta to each bowl. Combine the ricotta with the pasta to create a creamy mixture.

6 Servings.

Filed Under: American, Entrees, Italian, Lamb, Sauce Tagged With: , , ,
29 October 2013 Lamb and Beer Stew

Lamb and Beer Stew

October 29, 2013 By

Lamb Stew FinishedThe fall’s chill is in the air and winter’s right around the corner and I’m thrilled for one reason – hearty, comfort food. Stews, soups and roasts have such appeal to me and one of my favorites is lamb stew. Lamb simmered in beer – what’s not to love!? This recipe is simple to make and slow cooks until dinnertime comes. Serve this stew with crusty bread and mashed potatoes.

Raw IngredientsIngredients:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp. each salt, pepper and thyme
  • 3 pounds boneless leg of lamb, cut into 2” cubes
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 ½ cup cipollini onions (or pearl onions), peeled
  • 4 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1 tsp. rosemary
  • 1 bottle of dark beer
  • 1 cup beef broth

Veggies and BeerDirections:

  1. On a large plate, combine the flour, salt, pepper and thyme. Coat the lamb in the flour and shake off excess.
  2. In a heavy pot or Dutch oven, warm the oil over medium-high heat. Brown the lamb in batches for about 4 minutes, making sure to not crowd the pot. Transfer browned lamb to a plate for later use.
  3. Stew SimmeringAdd the onions, carrots and garlic to the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes ensuring the garlic doesn’t burn. Add the tomato paste and rosemary and coat the veggies in the mixture then cook for 1 minute. Deglaze the pot with the beer and the broth, scarping brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Return the lamb to the pot and cook for 1 ½ hours, partially covered.

Serves 8.

Filed Under: American, Entrees, Irish, Lamb Tagged With: , , , ,
13 April 2012 Herb Grilled Rack of Lamb over Minted Pea Purée

Herb Grilled Rack of Lamb over Minted Pea Purée

April 13, 2012 By

It’s springtime and for me, that means the official start of grilling season (I grill in the winter, but less often).  Using fresh spring produce is such a treat and when peas are in season, I’m drawned to rack of lamb, grilled simply over a mound of sweet, minted pea purée.

Ingredients:

  • 2 – 3/4 pound each racks of lamb, frenched and silver skin removed
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp. each fresh rosemary, mint, salt and pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • Minted Pea Purée
  • Mint oil (combine ¼ cup of olive oil and 1 Tbsp. fresh mint in food processor and pulse for 1 minute)

Directions:

  1. Place the lamb in a large resealable bag and add the olive oil, herbs and garlic.  Seal the bag and massage the olive oil mixture into the meat.  Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
  2. 30 minutes before grilling, take the lamb out of the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature.  Coat grill grates with cooking spray then light and warm to medium-high heat.
  3. Place lamb on grill and cook for approximately 10 minutes, turning once, until a meat thermometer registers 145 degrees for medium-rare or 160 degrees for medium. If the bones begin burning while grilling, wrap them in aluminum foil.  Let the lamb stand, covered in aluminum foil, 10 minutes before slicing into chops.
  4. Serve lamb over pea purée with a drizzle of mint oil.

6 servings.

 

Filed Under: American, Canadian, Entrees, French, Greek, Lamb, Vegetables Tagged With: , , , , ,
27 July 2011 Opa Burgers

Opa Burgers

July 27, 2011 By

Opa Burger

If you follow my blog, you must know by now that I love Greek food, and wines.  I try to incorporate typical Greek flavors in many of the food I make and when it came time to create a special burger to pair for a wine tasting, I opted for a Greek version of the American classic.

Burger Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground lamb
  • 2 Tbsps. fresh mint, chopped
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ tsp. each, salt and pepper
  • 2 Tbsps. olive oil, preferably Greek
  • 4 small pita pocket bread, often referred by the name Pitettes, sliced in halves horizontally

Topping ingredients:

  • 8-ounce block of Halloumi cheese, cut into 8 slices then lightly coated in olive oil
  • 8 tsps. Tzatziki sauce, homemade or store-bought
  • 1 heirloom tomato, cut into 4 slices

Directions:

  1. Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the lamb, mint, garlic, salt and pepper and form into four medium patties. Be sure not to overwork the meat causing it to be tough after grilling.
  3. Lightly coat the four patties with the olive oil, and then grill for 3 minutes on each side.
  4. While lamb patties are grilling, place the eight slices of Halloumi cheese on the grill and sear for one minute on each side.
  5. Lightly toast each of the Pitettes halves on the grill.
  6. To assemble, place a lamb patty on a Pitette half, top the meat with two teaspoons of Tzatziki sauce, 2 slices of Halloumi and a slice of tomato. Top with another Pitette half.  Assemble the remaining three burgers.

Makes 4 burgers.

Notes:  Halloumi cheese is ideal for this burger but it can be replaced with crumbled Feta if unavailable.  There are many good quality Tzatziki sauces in the supermarket deli section, so don’t pass on making this burger because you don’t want to make a homemade batch.

Filed Under: American, Cheese, Entrees, Greek, Lamb, Sandwiches Tagged With: , , , , ,