pesto crusted lamb chops

the last post i wrote was about my new found love for arugula pesto.

this week i'm going to show what to do with the leftover pesto to make a fancy schmancy friday night supper. serve with a simple salad and potatoes au gratin to make it elegant enough for dinner guests or delicious enough for kids aged 2 to 6 to gobble up. just trust me on this one...i'm talking from my own experiences :)

here we go.

ingredients:
1/4 cup arugula pesto
2 racks of lamb, cut into individual chops (ask the butcher to do this for you)
olive oil
slat and pepper

directions:
preheat oven to 400 degrees.

heat olive oil in large frying pan over high heat. liberally season chops with salt and pepper. sear 2 minutes per side and place on baking sheet. brush with pesto and roast to desired doneness, about 10 minutes for medium-rare.

brush with more pesto before serving. enjoy!

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lamb meatballs with cumin mint yogurt sauce

i came up with this recipe after having a dream one night about being in the mediterranean enjoying the fine fare. the next morning i scoured the internet looking for lamb meatball recipes. i took different ideas from each recipe and created my own version. the meatballs turned out really well - they were moist and rich with flavor. the mint, garlic and feta paired so nicely with lamb.  the cumin mint yogurt sauce gave the dish that extra oomph - creamy, yet refreshing. i served this as a dinner, but could also be a great appetizer.  make the meatballs smaller and serve with cocktail toothpicks.  

ingredients:
1 pound ground lamb
¼ cup breadcrumbs
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
3 teaspoons fresh mint, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 egg, beaten
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ small yellow onion, minced
6 ounces non-fat greek yogurt
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ tablespoon lemon juice
s&p
pita bread, cucumber slices, tomato slices

directions:
preheat oven to 400 degrees. combine lamb, breadcrumbs, feta cheese, 1 teaspoon mint, parsley, egg and s&p in a bowl and blend together with hands.  mix until combined, but do not over mix.  shape into equal portioned meatballs, should make about 15.  place on cookie sheet greased with non-stick cooking spray and bake for 15 minutes.

meanwhile in a small mixing bowl, combine greek yogurt, cumin, garlic powder, 2 teaspoons mint, olive oil and lemon juice.  season with s&p. refrigerate until ready to use. to assemble, place 3-4 meatballs on top of pita with cucumber and tomato slices.  dollop with yogurt sauce.

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