Lamb Pita Pizza

I too find it hard to believe I've never cooked with lamb before. My early interactions with the meat had not been good ones. Bless her, but my grandmother didn't really season the meat when we'd have it during the holidays and she would effectively cook it to death. Which is a funny phrase when you think of it, considering when you're cooking meats, they are most often quite dead. But I digress...

So the first time I ever had lamb and enjoyed it was at a Mediterranean tapas place on the Hill that closed many years ago. It was a spiced, lamb kebab. Cooked to perfection. And I thought, "Wow this is what I've been missing!" Since that day, I've occasionally had a lamb chop or a kebab here and there, but had yet to cook with the meat. That all changed last week when I found this great recipe that was perfect for weekday lunches. It's simple and tasty. Try it out for a different kind of lunch!

Lamb Pita Pizza (makes 4 pita "pizzas")

Ingredients:

• 6 oz. ground lamb
• 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
• 1 TB minced fresh garlic
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 3/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped seeded tomato
• 1 1/2 TB fresh lemon juice
• 2 (6-inch) pitas
• 1/2 cup plain hummus
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 TB pine nuts, toasted

Directions:

Preheat broiler to high.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb to pan; cook 3 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble lamb. Remove lamb from pan.

Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion to pan; sauté 4 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin, oregano, salt and cinnamon; sauté 1 minute. Stir in tomato; bring to a simmer. Cook 4 minutes or until tomatoes begin to soften. Stir in cooked lamb.

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 4 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice.

Split each pita into 2 rounds. Place pita rounds on a baking sheet. Broil 1 minute on each side or until crisp.

Spread 2 tablespoons hummus on each round. Top each serving with about 1/3 cup lamb mixture. Sprinkle evenly with cilantro and nuts.

Freakin' Fantastic Food Friday: Greek-style Chicken and Couscous

In my second installment of Freakin' Fantastic Food Friday, I revisit a dish I've made half a dozen times, and I have no idea what to call it, but the end result is always tasty and it's ridiculously easy to make.

Basically you simply grill chicken (sometimes I'll marinate it in Greek dressing, other times I'll just use garlic powder, salt and pepper) and the mix it in with the other ingredients. This takes about 20 minutes start to finish and is great for work lunches. You've got your proteins, your carbs, and some vegetables. It's relatively healthy, but with great flavor. Just what this girl needs for work during the week.

For the complete recipe, visit my previous post here.

Israeli Couscous with Mediterranean Flavors

I was a lucky girl last week. I had someone cook for me, I was treated to dinner out by an old friend, and I had a fun-filled weekend where I didn't have to lift a finger in the kitchen. On Sunday, I played in an alumni kickball game with some old friends and was pleasantly surprised to hear that some of them had either tried one of the recipes I've featured in this blog, or regularly read it because like me, they love food! So this gave me some renewed energy to get back in the kitchen this week.

Tonight's recipe was incredibly easy, taking me maybe 20 minutes from start to finish. This was perfect for an easy weeknight dinner and hit the spot after hitting the dirt for a run on the Mall.

Israeli Couscous with Mediterranean Flavors (serves 3)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup uncooked Israeli couscous
• 6-8 oz cooked chicken breast
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 (7 1/2-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, undrained
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Season chicken with salt, pepper and a little bit of garlic powder. Cook in a skillet until done.

Bring water and chicken broth to a boil in large saucepan. Stir in couscous. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until tender.

Remove from heat; stir in tomatoes and remaining ingredients.