Weeknight Cooking- May-August 2010

By Dan and Kathleen Taggart

One Recipe, Two Dishes

Grilled Butterflied Leg of Lamb
Serves 4

1 boned and butterflied leg of lamb, 4 to 5 pounds
Leaves from 2 sprigs (about 6 inches each) fresh rosemary, minced
1 tablespoon ground pepper
¾ teaspoon salt

Remove skin and fat from the lamb. Mix the rosemary, pepper and salt together. Rub the seasonings into both sides of the meat, wrap the meat in plastic, and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours. Remove lamb from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling. Grill or broil the lamb until medium rare, 120°F to 130°F, about 10 minutes per side. Let rest 5 minutes before carving thin slices across the grain.

Lamb and Pita Sandwiches with Yogurt-Mint Sauce
Serves 4

Yogurt-Mint Sauce
1 ½ cups plain nonfat yogurt
½ cup sour cream (can substitute nonfat yogurt)
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup chopped fresh mint
¼ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 dashes red pepper sauce

4 pita breads
3 medium tomatoes (5 to 6 ounces each), sliced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 cups diced Grilled Butterflied Leg of Lamb
2 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
2 cups leaf lettuce, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces

Make the mint sauce: In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, sour cream, garlic, mint, salt and pepper, and red pepper sauce. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Wrap the pita breads completely in aluminum foil. Heat for 10 minutesif they are at room temperature, or 20 minutes if frozen. In a large bowl, gently toss the tomato slices with the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Place lamb, green onions, tomatoes, lettuce and sauce in separate bowls on the table. Remove the pitas from oven and cut each in half. Give everyone 2 halves and let them fill their own pitas.
©1999 Cooking for the Week by Dan and Kathleen Taggart et al