Soba Noodles with Cumin Spiced Lamb

Even though I'm back to work, and a steady paycheck, I'm still employing some of my government shutdown practices. This includes keeping my grocery bills low and going through existing proteins in my freezer, and in this case, small amounts of boxed ingredients sitting in my cabinet. This past week, I opted to work with the 8 oz. of ground lamb I had in my freezer, in addition to some soba noodles. This was a good lunch meal...with a healthy dose of vegetables.

Soba Noodles with Cumin Spiced Lamb (serves 3-4)

Ingredients:

7 oz. uncooked soba noodles

1/2 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

2 TB rice vinegar

4 1/2 tsp hoisin sauce

1 tsp minced garlic

1/4 tsp five-spice powder

8 oz. ground lamb

1 TB dark sesame oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1 cup snow peas, trimmed

1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper

9 baby carrots, halved lengthwise

Directions:

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse; drain well.

Combine chicken broth, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, garlic, and five-spice powder in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Heat a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb; cook 2 1/2 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove lamb from pan with a slotted spoon; set aside.

Return pan to medium-high heat. Add sesame oil to drippings in pan; swirl to coat. Add cumin and red pepper; cook 30 seconds or until seeds begin to pop, stirring frequently. Add vegetables to pan; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add lamb and broth mixture; cook 1 1/2 minutes or until liquid is slightly reduced. Serve over noodles.

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.