Lamb Feta Mint Salad Food

GREEK GRILLED CHEESE WITH GROUND LAMB, FETA AND MINT

Steps:

• To make the lamb, in a cast-iron or other heavy skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the lamb and cook, stirring to break up the meat with a wooden spoon, until it begins to brown. Add the salt, oregano, and mint and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes, until the lamb is cooked through. Remove from the heat.
• To make the salad, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix well.
• To fry the chickpeas, pour the oil to a depth of 1 to 2 inches into a heavy saucepan or deep sauté pan and heat to 350 degrees F on a deep-frying thermometer. Add the chickpeas and fry for about 5 minutes, until browned and crisp. Drain the chickpeas on a plate lined with paper towels. Transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle with the chili powder and salt and toss to coat evenly.
• Line up half of the bread slices on a work surface. Top each slice with 2 ounces (about 1/3 cup) of the cheese, one-fourth each of the lamb, salad, and chickpeas, and then finish with another 1 ounce (about 2 1/2 tablespoons) of the cheese. Close the sandwiches with the remaining bread slices.
• Line a large platter with paper towels. In a skillet over high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Turn down the heat to low, add 1 sandwich, and cook, turning once, for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until browned and crisp on both sides and the cheese is melted. Transfer to the prepared platter to blot the excess grease. Repeat with the remaining butter and sandwiches.
• Cut the sandwiches in half, plate, and serve.

LAMB AND COUSCOUS SALAD WITH CHICKPEAS, MINT AND FETA

Steps:

• Combine the couscous and raisins in a large bowl. Pour 1 1/4 cups boiling water over the mixture. Cover and let stand 5 minutes; fluff with a fork.
• In a bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, cumin, garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil.
• Add the lamb, chickpeas, tomatoes, feta, mint and scallions to the bowl of couscous. Pour the dressing over the mixture and toss well. Taste and add more lemon juice and salt if necessary.

WARM SHREDDED LAMB SALAD WITH MINT AND POMEGRANATE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• On the stovetop, brown the lamp, fat-side down, in a large roasting pan. Remove when nicely browned across its middle (you won't get much more than this) and set aside while you fry the shallots, garlic and carrot briefly. Just tip them into the pan - you won't need to add any more fat - and cook them, sprinkled with the salt, gently for a couple of minutes. Pour the water over and then replace the lamb, this time fat side up. Let the liquid in the pan come to a boil, then tent with foil and put in the preheated oven.
• Now just leave it there while you sleep. I find that if I put the lamb in before I go to bed, it's perfect by lunchtime the next day. But the point is, at this temperature, nothing's going to go wrong with the lamb if you cook it for a little less or a little more.
• If you want to cook the lamb the day you're going to eat it, heat the oven to 325 degrees F and give it 5 hours or so. The point is to find a way of cooking that suits you: you know what sort of pottering relaxes you and what makes you feel constrained; how much time you've got, and how you want to use it. Don't let the food, the kitchen or the imagined expectations of other people bully you.
• With the homily over, about 1 hour before you want to eat, remove the lamb from the pan to a large plate or carving board - not that it needs carving; the deal here is that it's unfashionably overcooked, falling to tender shreds a the touch of a fork. This is the best way to deal with shoulder of lamb: it's cheaper than leg, and the flavor it deeper, better, truer, but even good carvers, which I most definitely am not, can get unstuck trying to slice it.
• To finish the lamb salad, simply pull it into pieces with a couple of forks on a large plate. Sprinkle with more sea salt and some freshly chopped mint, then cut the pomegranate in 1/2 and dot with the seeds from 1 of the halves. This is easily done; there's a simple trick, which means you never have to think of winkling out the jeweled pips with a safety pin ever again. Simply hold the pomegranate 1/2 above the plate, take a wooden spoon and start bashing the curved skin side with it. Nothing will happen for a few seconds, but have faith. In a short while the glassy red, juicy beads will start raining down.
• Take the other 1/2 and squeeze the preposterously pink juices over the warm shredded meat. Take to the table and serve.
• What I do with the leftovers is warm a pita bread in the microwave, and then spread it with a greedy dollop of hummus, then take the chill off the refrigerated lamb in the microwave and stuff the already gooey pita with it. Add freshly chopped mint, black pepper and whatever else you like; raw, finely chopped red onion goes dangerously well.

FLATBREAD TOPPED WITH MINT, FETA, AND LAMB

Steps:

• Make the flatbreads: Combine yeast and water in a mixer bowl. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add oil, sugar, and salt. Mix with the dough hook on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed to low. With the machine running, add flour, a little at a time, and mix until dough comes together. (You will need more flour in warm weather than in cold.) Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface, and knead until smooth and supple, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to an oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight).
• Remove dough from refrigerator, and bring to room temperature. Place a pizza stone or baking sheet on the floor of the oven. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
• Make the topping: Melt butter with oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and scallions; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in parsley and mint.
• Add lamb to the same skillet, and set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring and breaking meat into small pieces, until browned, 6 to 7 minutes.
• Divide dough into 4 portions. On a lightly floured surface, gently stretch 2 pieces into 14-by-7-inch rounded rectangles; keep other portions covered. Place dough rectangles on a parchment-lined peel or inverted rimmed baking sheet. Brush with oil, and spread each with 1/4 of the leek mixture, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top each with 1/4 of the lamb, then sprinkle with 1/4 cup feta. Season with salt and pepper. Carefully slide parchment with flatbreads off the peel or sheet onto the pizza stone. Bake until flatbreads are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Garnish flatbreads with fresh mint, and drizzle with oil. Cut into thick slices, and serve immediately.

LAMB CUTLETS WITH LENTIL & FETA SALAD

Steps:

• Cook peas in boiling water for 3-4 mins until just tender, then drain. Mix with the lentils, vinegar, sugar and mint, then crumble in the feta and season well.
• Heat a griddle pan, brush the cutlets with a little oil and season. Cook in the hot pan for 4 mins on each side until browned and the middle is pink. Divide the salad between four bowls, then top with a couple of cutlets per person.

SPICY LAMB & FETA SKEWERS WITH GREEK BROWN RICE SALAD

Steps:

• Soak 12 wooden skewers in water for 30 mins. Cook the rice following pack instructions, then rinse under cold water and drain thoroughly.
• Heat the grill. Mix the mince with the harissa, feta, grated onion and seasoning. Form into 12 sausage shapes and thread onto the skewers. Lay on a non-stick baking tray and grill for 6-8 mins, turning until cooked through and slightly browned.
• Mix the brown rice with the remaining ingredients and some seasoning. Serve alongside the hot skewers.