Monday, September 10, 2012

Lamb Lettuce Wraps

This is a nice Greek-Turkish fusion dish.  I ran across the recipe in Cooking Light magazine and adapted it slightly with a little less cinnamon and a bit of oregano.  And while they suggested hummus mixed with yogurt and a parsley/tomato/cucumber salad as toppings, we went full-on gyro with some tzatziki and a sprinkling of feta.  Speaking of, it would be yummy in a pita bread, although these lettuce wraps make it friendlier to folks avoiding the dreaded carbohydrate.

Lamb Lettuce Wraps
Makes 4 servings.
Adapted from Cooking Light magazine.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
6 ounces ground lamb (If your grocery doesn't carry, buy a 10 ounce bone-in lamb chop, strip off the bone and grind in your food processor.)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 Boston lettuce leaves
Garnishes: tzatziki sauce, feta cheese, toasted pine nuts, chopped mint

Heat a large skillet over high heat.  Add oil and swirl to coat.  Cook onion for 2-3 minutes until just starting to turn translucent.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add lamb, cinnamon, oregano, salt and pepper to pan.  Sauté until lamb is done, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly.

To serve, place about 1/4 cup lamb mixture in each lettuce leaf and garnish as you see fit.

No comments: