Post by Amani on Jul 8, 2012 16:45:24 GMT -5
Grilled Leg Of Lamb & Eggplant With Tomato-Cucumber Salad
Ask your butcher to butterfly the leg to an even thickness, about 2-3 inches thick. Alternatively, cut the meat into large cubes and marinate, then place on skewers, interspersed with onion chunks. Grill for a few minutes per side. Prepare the Tomato-Cucumber Salad before you start grilling.
The Lamb & Vegetables:
1 yellow or white onion, peeled, trimmed and cut into eighths
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
2 teaspoons kosher salt + more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper + more to taste
2 1/2 pounds butterflied leg of lamb
3 sweet or red onions, peeled and halved through the root (quartered if very large)
2 large globe eggplants
Olive oil
Extra virgin olive oil
Lemon juice to taste
1/4 teaspoon finely minced garlic
The Salad:
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved or 3 medium-size heirloom tomatoes, diced
1 large English cucumber, quartered lengthwise then chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice + more to taste
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1/4- 1/2 cup crumbled feta (optional)
1 loaf country-style Italian bread
For the grilled lamb and vegetables: Place yellow onion in a food processor and process until chunky. Add yogurt, salt and pepper and puree until quite smooth. Place lamb in a shallow dish and cover with the marinade.
Refrigerate and marinate at least 4 hours to overnight, turning frequently.
Start a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill to medium-high heat.
Toss the sweet onion pieces and eggplants with olive oil. Remove lamb from marinade, shaking excess off. Place the lamb on the grill and cook to medium-rare, 12-15 minutes, turning once during cooking.
At the same time, grill the eggplant and onion pieces on cooler parts of the grill and cook, turning frequently, until the onion is nicely browned all over and one of the eggplants is softened but not collapsed, 10-12 minutes.
Remove this eggplant from the grill and continue cooking the other until very soft, 3-5 minutes more.
Tent the meat with foil and rest at least 10 minutes, then slice thinly against the grain before serving. Meanwhile, slice the firmer eggplant into 1/2-inch thick pieces and place in a shallow bowl. Season well with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic and salt to taste, tossing gently.
Set aside two of the onion halves and about 1/3 of the sliced meat for the Lamb Fattoush.
Peel the very soft eggplant and set aside the pulp for the Baba Ghanoush with Falafel.
For the salad: Toss together the tomatoes, cucumber, garlic, oregano, extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice plus salt and pepper to taste. Adjust with more lemon juice, if needed.
Set aside 1/3 of the salad for the Lamb Fattoush. Top the remaining salad with the feta cheese, if using.
Serve the lamb with the eggplant slices and grilled onion and a scoop of the salad, drizzling some of the salad juices over the meat.
Serve with the bread.
PER SERVING: 735 calories, 51 g protein, 76 g carbohydrate, 24 g fat (7 g saturated), 121 mg cholesterol, 765 mg sodium, 8 g fiber.
Serves 4.
Ask your butcher to butterfly the leg to an even thickness, about 2-3 inches thick. Alternatively, cut the meat into large cubes and marinate, then place on skewers, interspersed with onion chunks. Grill for a few minutes per side. Prepare the Tomato-Cucumber Salad before you start grilling.
The Lamb & Vegetables:
1 yellow or white onion, peeled, trimmed and cut into eighths
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
2 teaspoons kosher salt + more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper + more to taste
2 1/2 pounds butterflied leg of lamb
3 sweet or red onions, peeled and halved through the root (quartered if very large)
2 large globe eggplants
Olive oil
Extra virgin olive oil
Lemon juice to taste
1/4 teaspoon finely minced garlic
The Salad:
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved or 3 medium-size heirloom tomatoes, diced
1 large English cucumber, quartered lengthwise then chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice + more to taste
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1/4- 1/2 cup crumbled feta (optional)
1 loaf country-style Italian bread
For the grilled lamb and vegetables: Place yellow onion in a food processor and process until chunky. Add yogurt, salt and pepper and puree until quite smooth. Place lamb in a shallow dish and cover with the marinade.
Refrigerate and marinate at least 4 hours to overnight, turning frequently.
Start a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill to medium-high heat.
Toss the sweet onion pieces and eggplants with olive oil. Remove lamb from marinade, shaking excess off. Place the lamb on the grill and cook to medium-rare, 12-15 minutes, turning once during cooking.
At the same time, grill the eggplant and onion pieces on cooler parts of the grill and cook, turning frequently, until the onion is nicely browned all over and one of the eggplants is softened but not collapsed, 10-12 minutes.
Remove this eggplant from the grill and continue cooking the other until very soft, 3-5 minutes more.
Tent the meat with foil and rest at least 10 minutes, then slice thinly against the grain before serving. Meanwhile, slice the firmer eggplant into 1/2-inch thick pieces and place in a shallow bowl. Season well with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic and salt to taste, tossing gently.
Set aside two of the onion halves and about 1/3 of the sliced meat for the Lamb Fattoush.
Peel the very soft eggplant and set aside the pulp for the Baba Ghanoush with Falafel.
For the salad: Toss together the tomatoes, cucumber, garlic, oregano, extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice plus salt and pepper to taste. Adjust with more lemon juice, if needed.
Set aside 1/3 of the salad for the Lamb Fattoush. Top the remaining salad with the feta cheese, if using.
Serve the lamb with the eggplant slices and grilled onion and a scoop of the salad, drizzling some of the salad juices over the meat.
Serve with the bread.
PER SERVING: 735 calories, 51 g protein, 76 g carbohydrate, 24 g fat (7 g saturated), 121 mg cholesterol, 765 mg sodium, 8 g fiber.
Serves 4.