Fig- Stuffed Boneless Leg of Lamb

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 pounds boneless leg of American lamb
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
  • 1 cup mixed herbs combined (parsley, mint, thyme)
  • 2/3 cup olive oil
  • 5 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
  • 7 Orchard Valley Choice Mission Figs
  • 3 tablespoons pistachios

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Start by making the marinade.

In a food processor you’ll add the garlic, lemon juice, herbs, olive oil, seasoning and a dash of nutmeg (optional).

Remove the marinade and leave about two tablespoons of it in your food processor, to which you will add the filing ingredients. 

Add the feta cheese, pistachios and the figs. 

Process the filling in the food processor until it’s chunky.

Take your boneless leg of lamb and place it on a piece of parchment paper.

Spread the marinade all over the outer part of the lamb, and then flip the lamb to the other side. 

Spread the filling evenly all over the other side (the inside). 

Use the parchment paper as a guide and roll the lamb like a cylinder, tucking it well as you roll using the parchment paper.

Use kitchen twines cut into 6 inch ropes to tie the lamb very well about half an inch apart.

Place the lamb in the oven and right away drop the temperature to 350 degrees F.

Roast the lamb uncovered for about 50-60 minutes. Use a meat thermometer and make sure the internal temperature is 145 degrees F for medium rare, then let the lamb rest for at least 3 minutes before slicing.

Serve the lamb with an extra side of rice, some dried figs and a sprinkle of pistachios.

A platter of sliced, seasoned meat garnished with lemon slices and herbs, served over a bed of rice, surrounded by dates and a bowl of nuts, with pink flowers and a fabric napkin in the background.

Shepherd’s Pie

INGREDIENTS

FILLING

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1-1/2 pounds ground American lamb
  • 1- 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2-3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cup beef broth
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn

TOPPING

  • 3-4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (more or less, to taste)

DIRECTIONS

Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron pan over medium low heat. Add the onions and saute until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.

Add the carrots to the onions and cook for another 5 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a plate or just push off to one side of the pan.

In the same pan, add the ground lamb, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Season with the salt and pepper, then mix the lamb with the vegetables and cook, stirring and continuing to break up the chunks of meat frequently, until the lamb is browned, about 10 minutes.

To the lamb and vegetable mixture, add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, rosemary, thyme, red pepper flakes, and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Sprinkle with the flour, then stir in to the meat mixture until evenly dispersed, cooking for 1-2 minutes.

Add the beef broth and cook for 3-5 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed. Then stir in the frozen peas and corn. Remove from heat and let cool while working on the mashed potatoes. Either leave in the cast iron pan, if it is oven safe, or transfer to a square baking dish.

Place the potatoes in a large pot with enough salted water to cover them by about an inch. Bring to a boil and cook for 12-15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender enough to be easily pierced with a fork. Drain well.

Add the warmed cream, butter, and salt to the potatoes and mash using a potato masher or ricer, then use to top the shepherd’s pie filling in either the cast iron pan or a square baking dish, spreading to the edges and leaving craggy swirls on top instead of smoothing out.

Bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees F until hot all the way through and the mashed potatoes on top have nicely browned spots in a few places. You may want to place a pan under it in case any filling drips out. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Close-up of a spoonful of shepherd's pie taken from a cast iron skillet, showcasing layers of mashed potatoes, ground meat, and vegetables.

Lamb Dumplings in Spicy Ginger Broth

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 pound ground American lamb
  • 1/2 cup minced mushrooms (crimini or button)
  • 1 Tablespoons fresh grated ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
  • 1 Tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 green onion, minced
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 package fresh wonton wrappers
  • 1/4 cup sesame seeds
  • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Broth

  • 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
  • 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
  • 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1-2 Tablespoons chili oil, for serving
  • Green onions, sliced, for serving

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, combine the lamb, mushrooms, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, green onions, and a pinch of salt and black pepper.

To assemble: Add about 1 teaspoon lamb filling to each wonton wrapper. Brush water around the edges of the wrapper then fold the edges up around the filling and pinch to seal. Add sesame seeds to a small bowl or shallow dish. Brush the bottoms of the dumplings with water then dip in sesame seeds.

Heat 1 TBSP sesame oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the shallots and cook until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and cook another minute, until fragrant. Add the broth, soy sauce, and the rice vinegar. Season to taste with pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Keep warm.

Heat 2 TBSP vegetable oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the dumplings and cook until the bottoms are golden brown, 4-5 minutes. Carefully add 1/4 cup water to the skillet, and cover immediately. Reduce heat to medium-low and let the dumplings steam for 5-6 minutes*.

Ladle broth into bowls and top with wontons, green onions and chili oil. Enjoy!

*Note: USDA recommends cooking ground lamb to 160 degrees.

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Spicy Lamb Coconut Curry Ramen

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons sambal oelek

2 shallots, peeled and halved

6 cloves garlic, peeled

1 (2 inch) piece ginger, peeled and sliced

1/4 cup cilantro stems, chopped

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil

2 (14 ounce) cans unsweetened coconut milk

2 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

Kosher salt

Spicy Lamb (recipe below)

2 (3 ounce) packages instant ramen noodles, flavor packets discarded*

2 eggs

1 bunch scallions, very thinly sliced

1 lime, sliced into wedges

Cilantro, for garnish

FOR THE SPICY LAMB

1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil

1 pound American ground lamb

2-3 teaspoons sambal oelek, depending upon how spicy you’d like

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ginger powder

Kosher salt

DIRECTIONS

Puree sambal oelek, shallots, garlic, ginger, cilantro stems, coriander, turmeric, curry powder and 3 tablespoons water in a food processor until a smooth-ish paste forms.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the above paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 4-5 minutes. Whisk in coconut milk and broth and season generously with Kosher salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook for 20 to 25 minutes. Add fish sauce and brown sugar, and cook for at least 5 more minutes. Pour soup through a fine mesh strainer and discard solids. Return soup to the pot and keep hot.

Meanwhile, cook eggs: bring water to boil in a medium saucepan. Lower heat to a rapid “hard simmer”. Carefully lower eggs into water and cook for exactly 6 1/2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove eggs from water and place in an ice bath (bowl filled with very icy water). Let eggs cool completely, then carefully peel and slice in half.

Meanwhile, cook spicy lamb: heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb and season with Kosher salt, breaking into small bite-sized pieces as it cooks, until no pink remains, about 6 minutes. Stir in sambal oelek, garlic powder, and ginger powder and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and set aside until soup is done.

Cook ramen noodles in boiling water until just cooked through (if you cook too long, they will turn to mush).

Divide broth between bowls. Add ramen noodles, spicy lamb, scallions, and garnish with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges. Devour immediately.

NOTES

*You can also feel free to use another type of noodle-like thicker stir fry rice noodles or even spaghetti!

**If you have extra soup and lamb leftover, refrigerate and reheat for a future meal!

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Roast Leg of American Lamb with Potatoes & Lemon

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 bone-in leg of lamb, about 5 pounds
  • 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • 12 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut in half
  • 1 teaspoon + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 pounds yukon gold potatoes, quartered
  • 2 organic lemons, cut into eighths
  • 3/4 pounds shallots, peeled and cut into quarters
  • 3 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine

DIRECTIONS

The night before cooking, use a paring knife to make 24 1-inch punctures around the leg of lamb. Rub it inside and out with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Place ½ clove of garlic inside each puncture. Cover and refrigerate the leg overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1 tbsp salt, oregano, rosemary, and ½ tsp black pepper.

Toss together the potatoes, lemons, shallots, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, and ⅔ of the spice mixture in a large roasting pan.

Rub the leg of lamb with the remaining spice mixture, and place it on top of the veggies in the pan. Pour the vegetable stock, lemon juice, and white wine into the bottom of the pan.

Place in the oven and roast until the internal temperature of the lamb leg reaches 140 degrees F, about 90 minutes, using a metal ladle to spoon the pan juices over the vegetables every 30 minutes.

Remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving + serving.

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