Lamb and Tomatoes with Greek Pesto

September 3, 2013January 2, 2014paleoinpdx

I am so proud of myself — I am finally coming around with lamb! I never grew up eating it and did not like it the few times I’ve tasted it (the first time being last year), but haven’t given up. I realized earlier this year that lamb sausage is doable for me since it’s well spiced, but that’s been about the extent of my lamb intake.

Anyway, last weekend, Jesse and I went out to dinner and I decided to take the plunge and order a bunless lamb burger. It came with a minty olive oil spread on top and oh my gosh, it tasted out of this world with the lamb. I raved and raved about it! Now, I understand why lamb is often paired with mint. My goodness, the flavor is magical! Who knew that all I needed to do was taste lamb with mint to truly appreciate it?

Since that weekend, I took it upon myself to buy some grass-fed ground lamb (it is so easy to find grass-fed lamb too) with the purpose of pairing it with something minty. This recipe is what I came up with and truthfully, I have to pat myself on the back because it is so darn good! I couldn’t stop saying, “mmm…” with each and every bite. Cheers to a successful lamb recipe! Hope you enjoy it too.

For the Greek pesto:

3/4 cup loosely packed Italian parsley leaves
3/4 cup loosely packed mint leaves
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 large lemon, juiced
2 cloves garlic
Himalayan sea salt and black pepper to taste

Add all the ingredients to the food processor and blend for 20-30 seconds. Scrape down sides and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Blend again until everything is mixed well. Pour into a small bowl and set aside.

Yields: ~2/3 cup

For the lamb:

1 Tbsp grass-fed butter, ghee or coconut oil
1 small yellow onion, sliced into thin half moons
1 lb grass-fed ground lamb
1.5 tsp dried oregano
Himalayan sea salt and pepper to taste
1 large heirloom tomato, chopped
Greek pesto (recipe above)

Directions:

Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute 2-3 minutes, until softened.
Next, add the ground lamb and break up with a spatula. Mix in the salt, pepper and oregano.
Continue to cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until lamb is browned and cooked through (about 5-7 minutes).
Once lamb is done, remove pan from heat and stir in the tomatoes. Then, stir in the Greek pesto. I mixed in all of the pesto, but you can use less, if desired. Serve warm with vegetable of choice. I recommend zucchini noodles, cauliflower rice or a romaine & cucumber salad.

Yields: 3-4 servings