Greek Style Roast Lamb With Pasta Food

GREEK ROAST LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 180 °F.Use a sharp knife to cut slits into the leg of lamb. Stick the garlic slivers into the slits. Place the lamb in a large roasting pan. Combine the lemon juice and olive oil together and pour it all over the lamb. Season the lamb on both sides with salt, pepper, and oregano. Add the rosemarry sprigs and the onions to the pan. Pour the water into the pan. Cover the lamb with a sheet of parchment paper and then tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 3-4 hours or until the meat is soft and almost falling off the bone. Remove the foil and parchment and place the pan back into the oven and onto the middle rack. Turn the broiler element on and broil for 5-10 minutes or until the top is golden. Keep a close eye on it so that the lamb does not burn. Serve with roasted lemony potatoes, tzatztki, and Mediterranean Rice pilaf. Enjoy and Kali Orexi!

"GREEK" LAMB WITH ORZO

Steps:

• In a good sized Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pan, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat until it is shimmering. Add the lamb and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a good grinding of black pepper. Cook, stirring to break it apart, until it is nicely browned. Remove the lamb with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate, reserving 2 tablespoons of the fat.
• Return the pot to the stovetop and add olive oil and the onion (still over medium-high). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic. Stir in the spices (cinnamon, oregano, cumin, coriander, and red pepper)and cook until they start smelling toasted and fragrant (1 to 2 minutes). Stir in the whole tomatoes, crushed by hand. Cook the crushed tomatoes in the spices, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Then, add the can of diced tomatoes and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
• Add the cooked lamb back to the pot, give it a good stir, then cover the pot and leave it to cook, stirring from time to time, for 20 minutes. At this point, stir in the fresh spinach and cook just a couple more minutes until the spinach is wilted. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste (keeping in mind you'll be sprinkling a touch of feta and olives on, which will add to the saltiness). While the lamb and tomatoes are simmering together and marrying their flavors, bring a large pot of well-salted water (it should taste like sea water) to a boil. Add the orzo and cook until al dente, about 7 or 8 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.
• Drain the orzo. Toss the orzo with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the lemon juice, and all of the parsley, adding a bit of pasta water at a time, if you feel it needs additional liquid.Spread the orzo out on an enormous serving platter. Spoon the lamb and sauce all over the top, then sprinkle with the feta and chopped olives. A good red wine, on the dry side, is a highly recommended companion here.

PERFECT ROASTED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Bring the leg of lamb to room temp. Take the leg of lamb out of the refrigerator and leave in room temperature for about 1 hour. In the meantime, prepare the remaining ingredients and make the lamb rub.
• Prepare the seasoning. To make the rub or seasoning, in a food processor, combine the rub ingredients. Blend until smooth. Set aside (or in the fridge, if preparing in advance).
• Salt the meat. When ready, pat the lamb dry and make a few slits on both sides. Season with salt and pepper.
• Sear the Lamb. Turn the oven on broil. Place the leg of lamb on a wire rack and put it directly on the top rack so that it's only a few inches away from the broiler element. Broil for 5-7 minutes on each side or until the leg of lamb is nicely seared. Remove from the oven, then adjust the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• Apply the seasoning or rub. When the lamb is cool enough to handle, insert the garlic slices in the slits you made earlier. Now cover the leg of lamb on all sides with the wet rub and place it in the middle of a roasting pan with an inside rack. Add two cups of water to the bottom of the roasting pan.

GREEK LAMB STEW

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Into the largest saucepan or casserole you have that will go into the oven, pour 3 tablespoons of the oil. Brown the meat in batches over high heat and remove with a slotted spoon to a plate nearby. You may need more oil as you do this. The onions will certainly need it, so pour the remaining oil or add more, add the onions, sprinkling a little salt over them and cook then until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, celery, thyme, and oregano. After a couple of minutes or so, when the smell of garlic wafts up, remove half the mixture. Add the meat to the mixture in the pan, cover with the remaining half, add the bay leaves, carrots, tomatoes, stock and wine. I use a big but flattish casserole and this amount of liquid covers the meat, but if you find you need more liquid, add water- you want a lot of liquid, because you will, eventually, be cooking some pasta in it. Bring to a boil, remove scum, and let bubble for about 3 minutes. Then cover, transfer to the oven, and bake for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or cook on a very low heat. The meat should be tender and yielding. Remove the carrots (and eat, cook's treat) and bay leaves, too, if you want, and season, to taste, with the salt and pepper.
• Of course you can proceed to the final stage now, but I am presuming you're not going to. In which case, let the stew cool and keep it in the refrigerator until you want it. Skim the fat off the top, and do remember to take it out of the refrigerator a good 1 to 2 hours before you cook it again. You can reheat this in the oven, but because the pasta will be put in on the stove, I tend to heat it there. Make sure the stew is piping hot. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. When it boils, add the salt and then pasta. Cook this until it's nearly but not quite cooked; it should have a couple of minutes still to go.
• Then drain the pasta and add it quickly to the bubbling juices in the casserole, making sure first that there are enough bubbling juices. You don't want the meat to be drowned, but you want enough for the pasta to be covered. The pasta will absorb some of the liquid as it finishes cooking, of course.
• In a couple of minutes, the pasta should be cooked. Crumble some feta and put in a bowl with the chopped parsley, oregano, or basil. Stir to combine and then leave the spoon with it, so that people can sprinkle the herb-spiked cheese over the stew as they wish. Ladle the stew into shallow soup bowls.

ROAST LEG OF LAMB, GREEK STYLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• Under running water, trim the outer layer of fat from the lamb and blot dry. Allow the lamb to reach room temperature and squeeze the juice from the lemons over the lamb. Slice cloves of garlic, lengthwise.
• Put salt and pepper into a small container. Cut 6 small slots into each side of the leg of lamb, about 1-inch deep. Insert garlic slivers, followed by salt and pepper, into the lamb. Lightly sprinkle top of lamb with oregano. Pour the water into a roasting pan, add lamb, and cover with foil. Roast on lowest rack of oven for 40 minutes to 1 hour.
• Remove foil, lower heat to 375 degrees and roast for 40 to 50 minutes, or until lamb reaches desired temperature. Remove and let lamb stand about 30 minutes as the lamb continues to cook. To test the temperature of the meat, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the leg without touching the bone. For rare lamb, the thermometer should register 140 degrees. For medium, the thermometer should register 145 degrees.

GREEK ROAST LAMB

Steps:

• Heat oven to 240C/fan 220C/gas 9. Pound the garlic, half the oregano, lemon zest and a pinch of salt in a pestle and mortar, then add the lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil. Stab the lamb all over with a sharp knife, then push as much of the herb paste as you can into the holes.
• Tip the potatoes into a large roasting tin, then toss in the remaining olive oil and any remaining herb paste. Nestle the lamb amongst the potatoes, roast for 20 mins, then reduce the temperature to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Roast for 1 hr 15 mins for medium-rare, adding another 15 mins if you prefer your lamb medium. Baste the lamb once or twice with the juices and toss the potatoes. When the lamb is done to your liking, remove from the tin and let it rest. Throw the rest of the oregano in with the potatoes, scoop from the tin and keep warm.
• Place the roasting tin over a medium flame, add the canned tomatoes and olives to the pan juices, then simmer for a few mins. Serve the lamb with the potatoes and sauce and a simple salad.

GREEK EASTER ROAST LAMB AND ORZO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Place lamb in a roasting pan. Add mashed tomatoes, onion, olive oil, oregano, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Combine and make sure lamb is well coated. Cover pan with a lid or aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 3 hours. Remove from the oven and remove aluminum foil; leave oven on.
• Add water and orzo directly to the roasting pan. Return to the hot oven and bake until pasta is cooked and very little liquid remains, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Add feta cheese and mix until melted and combined.

GREEK LAMB WITH ORZO

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Cut the lamb into 4cm chunks, then spread over the base of a large, wide casserole dish. Add the onions, oregano, cinnamon sticks, ground cinnamon and olive oil, then stir well. Bake, uncovered, for 45 mins, stirring halfway.
• Pour over the chopped tomatoes and stock, cover tightly, then return to the oven for 1½ hrs, until the lamb is very tender.
• Remove the cinnamon sticks, then stir in the orzo. Cover again, then cook for a further 20 mins, stirring halfway through. The orzo should be cooked and the sauce thickened. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and serve with crusty bread.

BARBECUED GREEK LAMB WITH TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Mash the garlic to a paste with a pestle and mortar. Mix with the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, thyme and bay, and season with a little salt and plenty of pepper. Place the lamb in a large porcelain dish. Pour the marinade over the lamb and massage into the meat. Leave the lamb for at least 1 hr at room temperature, or longer in the fridge, but no longer than overnight or the meat will become too soft.
• To cook the lamb, fire up the barbecue, or heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. To cook on the barbecue, wait for the coals to turn ashen, then lay the lamb on the grill and cook for 15 mins on each side for meat that is pink, or 20 mins on each side for well done. To cook in the oven, place the lamb in a shallow roasting tin and roast for 30 mins for pink or 40 mins for well done, turning the lamb halfway through. Leave the meat to rest for 10 mins before carving.
• Meanwhile, make the tzatziki. Coarsely grate the cucumber, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and squeeze out all the liquid. Tip into a bowl with the yogurt, garlic and mint, and mix well. Carve the lamb into thick slices and serve with the tzatziki wrapped up in warm flatbreads.

GREEK SPAGHETTI W/LAMB

Steps:

• Cook Spaghetti as directed to desired firmness. Drain and set aside.
• While noodles are cooking, chop garlic clove, slice Green Pepper and Red Onion, and preheat olive oil enough to cover bottom of a frying pan. Drop half of the garlic into preheated oil, and add your lamb. If all 4 chops cannot be cooked at once, don't worry. Just cook as many as your pan can hold at one time. When chops have been thoroughly browned on both sides, set aside and let set 5 minutes.
• In another pan, cook veggies and remaining garlic lightly with olive oil until tender. Once cooked, remove from heat.
• When Chops have sat, cut into thin slices. Depending on what cut you have cooked, you may have some bones to negotiate. Make sure you have removed all bones and tough fat.
• Lightly grease a large casserole or lasagna pan; preheat oven to 400.
• Spread half the noodles evenly across pan. Then, layer 1/2 your veggies, lamb, tomatoes and olives, and roughly 1/3 of your feta.
• Cover with remaining noodles.
• Cover that with all remaining veggies, lamb and olives and tomatoes, while covering everything with the remaining feta. Lightly stripe with dressing.
• Bake until feta turns golden brown. Likely 11-15 minutes, but varies, so keep an eye on it.
• Once cooked, remove from oven and add more salad dressing, to taste.
• Serve and enjoy!

LAMB WITH ORZO PASTA (GREEK)

Steps:

• In a stove-top Dutch oven brown the boneless lamb shoulder in the olive oil.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Add enough stock to come halfway up the side of the meat and simmer, covered, until very tender, about two hours.
• Remove the meat from the pot and set aside, covered, to keep warm.
• Remove the fat from the stock in the pan and add more stock if necessary to make up four cups.
• Remove the stock from the pan and set aside.
• Heat the Dutch oven again and add half cup olive oil.
• Add the orzo pasta and toss for a minute.
• Add the chopped onion and garlic sautee until the onion is clear.
• Stir in the tomatoes, dillweed and parsley.
• Return the meat to the pot along with the 4 cups of stock.
• Cover and simmer until the broth is absorbed and the pasta is tender, about 30 minutes.
• NOTE: if the dish is too wet when the pasta is tender continue to cook for a few more minutes with the lid off to reduce the sauce.

GREEK STYLE ROAST LAMB

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 220C.
• Place lamb in a large baking dish.
• Use a sharp knife to make 10 x 4cm incisions in lamb.
• Juice 1 lemon half.
• Combine with 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, salt and pepper.
• Cut remaining lemon into 10 small pieces.
• Push lemon pieces into incisions.
• Brush lamb with oil mixture and roast for 15 minutes.
• In remaining oil, toss potatoes, oregano, salt and pepper.
• Arrange potatoes around lamb.
• Return to oven and roast for 40 minutes.
• Add carrots to roasting pan with lamb and potatoes.
• Roast a further 20 minutes.
• Remove lamb from oven.
• Increase oven temperature to 230C Cook potatoes and carrots a further 15 minutes or until crisp.
• Cover lamb loosely with foil and rest for 15 minutes.
• Carve lamb.
• Serve with potatoes and carrots.

GREEK LAMB & MACARONI BAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and cook for 10 mins until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 min more, then tip in the lamb mince, turn up the heat and brown, breaking up the mince with a wooden spoon.
• Once the lamb is browned, add the cinnamon, crumbled stock cube, tomatoes and oregano. Stir well and simmer for 15 mins, covered, then for 15 mins, uncovered, until the sauce has thickened and the tomatoes have cooked down.
• Meanwhile, cook the macaroni following pack instructions. Drain well. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Mix together the ricotta, most of the parmesan and the milk with plenty of seasoning, and stir into the macaroni. Tip the mince into a large baking dish, top with the macaroni mixture, and scatter over the remaining parmesan. Bake for 30 mins until golden and bubbling. Serve hot with garlic bread, if you like.