Lamb Picadillo

I’m always looking for new recipes to cook with our lamb - especially ones that are full of flavor and quick to make. Picadillo is a traditional family meal with roots in Latin America. It’s one of those recipes that kids grow up to talk about their grandma’s version. The flavors of green olives, raisins and capers are unexpected but delicious. Traditionally served with rice and beans, I have added black beans to the Picadillo to stretch the meal. It is great as a filling for tacos, quesadillas, burger rolls and empanadas. 

1 pound Leyden Glen Farm ground lamb

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

½ red or green bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced, or more to taste

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce OR 2 T tomato paste with 1 cup water

2 (1.41 ounce) packages sazon seasoning or 1 Tablespoon homemade Sazon (recipe below)

1 tablespoon ground cumin (depending on your cumin love)

1 teaspoon oregano

8 large pimento stuffed green olives, cut into pieces to make 1/3 to 1/2 cup

1/3 to 1/2 cup raisins

1 to 2 tablespoons capers

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 can black beans

Brown the onion and bell pepper in a frying pan. Add the lamb and cook until browned for 7 - 10 minutes, breaking into pieces. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and spices and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the olives, raisins, olives, capers, sugar and black beans. Cook until heated through, adding water if it becomes too dry.

Serve with rice. 

Bonus! Homemade Sazon Seasoning

This will make enough for several batches of Picadillo. Try it on all kinds of food. No MSG!

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon ground annatto seed or paprika Mix together and

1 tablespoon kosher salt store in a lidded jar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1 1/2 teaspoons oregano

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Mix together and store in a lidded jar. 

Weeknight Coconut Lamb Curry with Winter Veggies and Greens

This is a simple curry recipe chock full of delicious winter veggies and perfect for weeknights. The coconut milk is a nice addition and adds an exotic note to the end of a long day. Peeling and chopping the vegetables will take the most time. If you are in a rush, peel and chop the veggies the night before or in the morning to save time at dinner time. Add the spinach just before serving. Serve on brown or white rice.

This is a large recipe loaded with lots of vegetables. It will feed at least 6 and makes great leftovers. If you want to make a smaller amount, cut down on the veggies.

1 medium onion
5 cloves garlic - minced
1 pound Leyden Glen ground lamb
1 1/2 Tablespoons curry powder *
1 Tablespoon grated ginger
1/2 butternut squash
4 small carrots 
1 sweet potato
1 cup chicken stock or water
1 can coconut milk (13 1/2 oz.)
Large handful of spinach or greens of your choice

Prepare the vegetables: Chop the onion. Mince the garlic. Peel the sweet potato, carrots and squash. Cut the orange veggies into pieces of a similar size so that they will cook at the same rate. The smaller the pieces are, the quicker they will cook. 

Cook onion in a large pan until just beginning to soften. Add the minced garlic. Cook for a minute. Stir the curry powder and grated ginger into the onions and cook until it begins to smell good - this doesn’t take long. Add the ground lamb. Break into crumbles and cook until it is no longer colored. Add the stock and coconut milk. 

Add the sweet potatoes, squash and carrots. Cook until all the veggies are done to your liking - about 15 minutes depending on the size of the veggies. If it gets too dry, add a bit more water. The goal is to have a bit of sauce to sink into the rice. Just before serving, add the handful of spinach and let wilt. 

The curry can stay overnight in the fridge. If holding it until the next day, omit the spinach. Warm on stovetop and add the spinach just before serving. Serve on white or brown rice with hot sauce. 

* Curry Powder - You can make your own curry powder. Here is a recipe I have made from one of my favorite cookbook authors Patricia Wells. Give it a try. 

Grilled Pitas Stuffed with Lamb Burger

It's always fun to find a recipe that is like nothing you have ever seen or eaten before. This recipe is adapted from the July 2014 issue of Bon Appetit Magazine. The preparation is easy - mix up some ground lamb with spices. Smoosh the lamb mix inside some round pita bread. Grill it over a hot fire. Serve it with our favorite yogurt sauce for dipping. 

These would work as an appetizer too - Cut the grilled and stuffed pitas into triangles and pass them with the dipping sauce as a finger food. 

1 pound Leyden Glen ground lamb
1 small onion, grated finely on a box grater
1 garlic clove put through a garlic press
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 medium pita breads (I used the Sahara brand)

Mix all ingredients except pita bread in a bowl and let set for an hour or overnight. 

About an hour before grilling, cut around the outside of each pita so they form a half open clamshell. Divide the ground meat mixture in 4 and using your fingers, smoosh the meat into the pitas, pushing it into all the crevices. The meat should be pushed to the edges of the pita - kind of like an oreo cookie. Press down on them and cover with plastic wrap until ready to grill.

Light the grill and preheat it to high. Brush both sides of each stuffed pita with a little olive oil. Grill the pitas for about 5 minutes per side until the meat is cooked through. You should have grill marks like on the photo. Serve with yogurt sauce for dipping and a green salad.

Yogurt Sauce
1 cup (8 oz) yogurt - regular or Greek
juice of half lemon
1 tsp. ground cumin1 tsp. kosher salt
pepper to taste
 
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and let sit to combine the flavors.