Yesterday was astonishingly beautiful out. The perfect day for lunch outdoors. Heidi had planned a staff lamb lunch potuck, but we had not planned on the great weather!

Heidi’s idea for a staff potluck was spurred when she read Paleo blogger, Melissa Joulwan’s  Deconstructed Gyros recipe on her site The Clothes Make the Girl. Everyone loved and the idea and signed up to contribute a little something to the gyros lunch. Heidi made the lamb shoulder, I made hummus, Ross made fresh pita bread, Mike made tatsiki sauce, and Jen brought all the fixings for the gyros.

The combination of everyone’s contributions created a delicious and filling staff lunch. We will definitely be planning and enjoying more lunches like this in the near future! Find the recipe Heidi used to cook the lamb for the Deconstructed Gyros below. Enjoy!

photos by Sara Sheehy

Paleo style!

Deconstructed Gyros from Melissa Joulwan

Ingredients:
Lamb “Gyro”:

• 3-4 pounds lamb shoulder roast
• 2 tablespoons dried mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper
• 1 tablespoon coarse (granulated) garlic powder
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 2/3 cup lemon juice
• water

Directions:
With a sharp knife, cut the lamb shoulder into 3- to 4-inch chunks. You don’t want them bite-sized. Place the lamb pieces in a large ziplock bag.

In a small bowl, rub the mint and oregano leaves between your palms to crush them. Add the cumin, Aleppo pepper, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper; mix with a fork until blended. Add the spice blend to the bag, zip it closed, and shake assertively until all the lamb pieces are coated with the spices.

Place the lamb in a large, deep pot. Pour the lemon juice into the bottom of the pot, then add water to just cover the meat.

Place the pot on high heat and bring the water to a rip-roaring boil. When it’s rolling, reduce the heat to keep a steady, strong simmer with the pan uncovered. The liquid should bubble a fair amount, but should not be a vigorous boil. While it’s cooking, it will look like uninspired soup. Do not be discouraged! As the water evaporates, the acidic qualities of the lemon juice tenderize and flavor the meat.

At about the 2-hour mark, check the pot. The water should be much lower and maybe even almost gone. Allow all the water to cook out of the pan and watch as the meat magically fries and caramelizes in the fat and fruit juice.

Carefully turn the hunks of meat — without shredding them — to brown all sides, then remove the hunks to a plate and let them rest for 5 minutes before eating.

If you are looking for something special for your Easter leg of lamb or rack of lamb (or other great cuts) be sure to browse through the recipes section of our website. I have also done some browsing on my favorite recipe sites and blogs for ideas to share with you.

Since I will be having an intimate holiday gathering, I plan to cook rack of lamb. I keep going back and forth on the idea of sticking with a traditional recipe or going with something new. Sometimes when I am cooking for others I like to stick with what I know in order to guarantee a winning main course, but a little adventure doesn’t hurt either. No matter what direction I take, the rack of lamb will be delicious. It is hard to blunder lamb that has such wonderful grass-fed, all natural flavor.

So, here are some ideas for your Easter main dish if you are cooking leg of lamb or rack of lamb. I have included the list of ingredients below the link to each recipe so you know what you are getting yourself into. Keep it traditional or spice it up! Enjoy!

Leg:

Oprah – Grilled Leg of Lamb with Pearl Onion and Plum Chutney

• boneless butterflied leg of lamb
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• ground cumin
• ground coriander
• dried mint
• red or white pearl onions
• olive oil
• garlic
• fresh ginger
• red pepper flakes
• honey
• sherry vinegar
• purple plums
• fresh cilantro

Saveur – Roast Leg of Lamb with Potatoes

• leg of lamb
• extra-virgin olive oil
• crushed red chile flakes
• dried oregano
• garlic
• 1 bunch parsley
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• large russet potatoes

Chez Us – Roasted Leg of Lamb with Sumac

• boneless leg of lamb
• fresh garlic
• sumac
• maldon salt
• fresh cracked black pepper
• olive oil

Rack:

Primal Palate – Pan Seared Lamb Chops with Rosemary and Garlic

• rack of lamb
• garlic
• fresh rosemary
• coconut oil
• Salt and pepper

CKs – Chimichurri Rack of Lamb

• 3 racks of Lava Lake Lamb
• Kosher salt, black pepper, rosemary-olive oil
• Italian parsley
• garlic
• Kosher salt
• red chili flakes
• black pepper
• fresh oregano
• shallot
• olive oil
• sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• fresh lemon juice

Sunset – Two Step Rack of Lamb

• 3 racks of lamb
• dry red wine
• port
• balsamic vinegar
• shallots or onion
• dried thyme
• fresh-ground pepper
• Salt

Since parting ways from Lava Lake and Idaho last June, I’ve missed many things. Winter, snow, sunshine, friends and family. And lamb. I came for a visit a few weeks ago and had a fabulous time catching up with old friends, playing in the snow, and working on puzzles with my nephew.

For my departure dinner, I wanted to express my gratitude to my family with a special lamb dish. Lamb Tagines have always been my favorite dish, so I decided to try a new recipe from Bon Appetit for a tagine with apricots and chickpeas. The dish was a fabulous reminder of how much I love Lava Lake Lamb. Meltingly tender lamb, sweet apricots, warming spices and chickpeas for texture. The recipe has you cook dried beans, but feel free to just add a can of chickpeas to save time. The recipe calls for a number of spices. If you are missing one, don’t worry too much. This mixture is traditionally called Ras-El-Hanout, and in Morocco involves the best spices of the day rather than a set list, so you can be flexible with the spices you use.

Lamb Tagine with Apricots and Chickpeas (Bon Appetit)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup dried chickpeas
• 5 garlic cloves (2 whole, 3 chopped)
• 2 large cinnamon sticks, broken in half
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Lava Lake Lamb shoulder, cut into 2 inch pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
• 1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
• 3 cups low-salt chicken stock
• 1/2 cup whole dried apricots

Ras El Hanout – Spice Blend

Directions:

Cover chickpeas in a pan with 2 inches of water. Let soak overnight.

Drain chickpeas and return to the pan. Add 2 whole garlic cloves and a cinnamon stick. Cover chickpeas with two inches of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer until chickpeas are tender, about 45 minutes. Drain water and set aside.

Put together Ras-El-Hanout mixture: Blend all spices (coriander, cumin, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, paprika, cardamom, ginger and turmeric) in a small bowl.

Preheat oven to 350°. Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season lamb with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown lamb on all sides. Transfer lamb to a medium bowl. Add onion to pot; reduce heat to medium, sauté until soft and beginning to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add remaining garlic, spice mixture, and ginger. Stir for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, remaining cinnamon stick and lamb with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil. Add 2 1/2 cups stock. Return to a boil and transfer to oven for at least two hours (preferably three). The longer you cook this, the better it will be. With about thirty minutes left before serving, stir in apricots. Stir in chickpeas after an additional 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust.

Serve with couscous and chopped cilantro.

Don’t wait to order your Easter lamb, you’re running out of time! The last day to order from Lava Lake Lamb to ensure Easter delivery is this Sunday, April 1st.

Order one of our Easter Lamb Packages. They include either our Leg of Lamb or Rack of Lamb and our Sausage Sampler for $109.95. Perfect for your celebratory dinner. And when you buy either one of the Easter Packages you will receive free shipping on your entire order.

Looking to order a leg? Buy 2 Legs of Lamb and receive 20% off.

We just introduced our Appetizer Package for those of you who would like to include traditional lamb in your Easter meal but not as the main course. The Appetizer Package will be available for a limited time only.

The package includes 2 packages of lamb ribs and 2 packages of our favorite rosemary garlic lamb sausage for $49.95.

The much anticipated film adaptation of the novel The Hunger Games comes out today. Well, it actually came out last night at midnight and I was able to snag a seat in the local theater to see it! That is an upside of living in Ketchum, Idaho. While people line up for hours in the big cities for the first midnight showing, I was able to show up to the Magic Lantern theater at 11:50pm and slip right into the perfect back row seat.

The film was wonderful as was the acting. I loved the vibrancy of the costumes and the set design! I truly felt that the movie was the visual representation of what I had envisioned as I was reading the book.

What does The Hunger Games have to do with Lava Lake Lamb you ask? Well, in terms of the film, nothing directly but, in the book lamb plays a role. Katniss, the heroine, remarks that her favorite thing about the Capitol is the stew of lamb and plums. This is the meal she consumes before the Games to build up her strength. The descriptions of the food in the book are as graphic as some of the other scenes. The lavish meals Katniss is presented with when she is in the Capitol are described in such a way that a reader could recreate the dish. That is what many loyal readers and fans have done in particular with Katniss’ favorite lamb dish!

Its a wonderful thing when the love of lamb makes its way into main stream pop culture. Even though Katniss’ favorite lamb dish did not make in into the movie it has made its way around the internet for fans and food lovers alike to enjoy. The Gourmand Mom prepared the most appetizing version of this dish I have seen so far. Try her recipe featured below and serve it before you head out to the see The Hunger Games on the silver screen. The stew will give you the strength you need to make it through the emotions this film will invoke in you as well as the anxiety you will feel in some of the intense scenes! Enjoy!

photo from thegourmandmom.com

Moroccan-Style Lamb Stew with Dried Plums

Ingredients

• 2-2 1/2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, well-trimmed of exterior fat and cut into 1″ cubes
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup carrots, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2″ cubes
• 1/2 cup dried plums (prunes), diced
• 1/4 cup dried apricots, diced
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 6 fresh mint leaves, chiffonade

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Toss the lamb in the flour. In a large dutch oven pan (or oven-safe stock pot with a tight fitting lid), heat olive oil over medium/medium-high heat. Add the lamb to the pan in a single layer and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until lightly browned. (Cook in batches, if necessary. Do not overcrowd the pan.) Remove the lamb from the pan and set aside. Reduce heat to medium. Add the carrots and onions to the pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until tender and golden. Sprinkle the cinnamon, cumin, ginger, salt and pepper over the carrots and onions. Stir to coat. Cook for one more minute. Then, return the lamb to the pan. Add the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then cover and place the pan on the middle oven rack. Cook for 1.5 hours, then add the sweet potatoes and dried fruits. Cook for 20-25 minutes more, until sweet potatoes are tender, but not mushy. Finally, stir in the fresh mint. (If the sauce is thicker than desired, use additional chicken stock or water to thin it out.) Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, as desired.

Serve over hot buttered noodles or with crusty bread.

I was browsing on Facebook yesterday and found Gourmet’s Guinness-Glazed Lamb Chops recipe. I decided this was the perfect recipe for the pending Irish holiday! I titled this recipe adaptation ‘Lambrocks,’ a fun play on words term from Lia K., a member of our Facebook community. When we were brainstorming St. Patrick’s Day recipe ideas she cleverly said “I’m not sure about the ingredients yet, but ya gotta call ‘em “Lambrocks” to rhyme with shamrocks!” So to be a bit kitsch for St. Patrick’s Day I used Lava Lake Lamb Loin Chops in order to serve them in a 4 leaf clover shape!

This recipe was a bit of a sensory adventure for me. I had no idea what I was getting, but once I began crushing the black peppercorns and coriander seeds in my mortar and pestle I became intrigued with where these flavors would take me. I continued to crush and the coriander began to release a sweetness I hadn’t noticed before. A perfect contradiction to the biting spice of the peppercorns.

The real fun began when the Guinness went into the pot. After I carefully measured out only the stout and not the foam and poured it into the pot, in went the light brown sugar. The beer foamed unexpectedly and made a bubbly head, it felt very much like the first time you made chemicals react in science class!

Tap into your sense of smell for a minute…

Imagine a light essence of roasted malt with hints of coffee beans releasing as it heats up and the sugar melting and sweetening the aroma. Now add in that spicy and subtle sweet crushed mixture of coriander seeds and freshly crushed black peppercorns. How wild is your nose going and how much excitement is it triggering for you?

This glaze is exciting! Yes it takes 20-30 minutes for it to reach a syrupy consistency but thats 20-30 minutes of sweetness filling your kitchen and plenty of time for that hunger to build in your stomach. Feel free to taste test as you let the mixture reduce to subside your over-excitement, I did!

Because I only use four chops I played with quantities of the ingredients for the glaze to better suit the amount of lamb I was using. I should have made the full amount so I could use this incredible glaze over and over! Instead I just drank the remainder of the beer while I cooked and while I devoured the delicious chops.

To stick with my Irish holiday theme I served the chops with a side of boiled red potatoes tossed in olive oil, fresh cracked black pepper, salt and freshly chopped cilantro. I had to throw a bit of green in there!

Enjoy your St. Patrick’s Day and make sure to try the Guinness-Glazed Lamb Chops recipe from Gourmet Live found below!

Guinness-Glazed Lamb Chops