A Kitchen Keeper Original - Small Plate Lamb Meatballs

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It's been a deliberately busy weekend. We spent Saturday wandering with  good friends through  Brownsville, and today a slew of visitors mercifully kept us away from the television set. Fortunately, I had soup, chili and meatballs in the freezer, so, no one went hungry, and I was able to sit and actually enjoy the company of my unplanned guests. As I was warming the meatballs, I realized I had never shared this recipe with you. I normally serve the meatballs as an appetizer, but tonight I stuffed them into slider buns to stretch them further. The recipe I use is my attempt to create meatballs like those we had at a favorite tapas bar in Toledo, Spain. These are close, very close. I suspect they are a bit different from others you've tried because they are made with lamb, rather than pork or beef. If you enjoy lamb, you'll love these. They are quite easy to make. I like to prepare them a day before cooking so the flavors of the lamb and mint can meld. That 24 hour timeout is a nice but not necessary step. The cooked meatballs freeze beautifully and while I prefer to defrost them in the fridge, the microwave makes a great substitute if you are pinched for time. Do try these. They are great for unexpected guest or a quick weeknight family meal. And you know what? Emptying the freezer today has freed up space for Thanksgiving make-aheads. Life is good! Here is how the meatballs are made.

Relish It - My Recipe Rotation - Lamb and Feta Patties

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Lamb is not particularly popular in the United States. Fortunately, my family never got the memo, so lamb makes regular appearances at our table. This recipe was originally developed for Gourmet magazine, and while it took me some time to get the patties from the page to the pan, the deed was accomplished just in time for a family reunion. They were praised and analyzed and the consensus was we had a keeper on our hands. I suspect you'll love the way these patties look and I know you'll be delighted by how they taste. I appreciate them more each time I make them. I hope you give them a try. Here are my original thoughts about these patties.

Leftover Lamb Salad

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I know that there are many folks who don't like lamb. I suspect their aversion has more to do with its preparation than the taste of lamb itself, and when its cost is factored in, it is easy to see why it is not served more often. My family loves lamb, so it is no stranger on my table, but that presents another problem. I call it leftover lamb syndrome. It is hard to find ways to use leftover lamb. There is, of course, shepherd's pie, and while that may be perfect for the winter table, it's awfully heavy for a summer day. So, when temperatures soar and I have leftover lamb, I use it in a salad or as a filler for sandwich wraps. My recipe is so simple that it needs no additional explanation. While any type of non-creamy dressing can be used to flavor it, I tend to use one of the two that are featured below. I like them both and the choice of which to use is always based on what is in the pantry. It is important to thinly slice the meat and let it marinate in the dressing for a while before it is served. I also like to serve the salad at room temperature rather than straight from the refrigerator. I know those of you who like lamb will enjoy this salad, so I do hope you will give it a try. Here is how the salad is made.

Ina's Easy Herb Roasted Lamb

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I rarely check the comments on an Ina Garten recipe. I'm so used to them being perfect that I've never seen the need. I did, however, have a concern when I read through the instructions for this one and saw the temperature at which this roast was to be cooked. Fortunately, I decided to scan the comments, and in doing so saved myself a very expensive mistake. Now, it may be a difference in the way professional and home oven cook, but if you follow Ina's recipe to a tee, you'll have a well-done mess on your hands and your kitchen smoke alarms will get a work-out they may or may not need. I've always been taught that lamb needs to be cooked at a low temperature. I'm still of that opinion, though I do sear my lamb at a high temperature for a short period of time. A quick read of the comments lead me to make some alterations to Ina's recipe. I decided to season the roast the day before I baked it, and save for that brief sear, I cut the oven temperature from 450 to 325 degrees. While I let the roast sit for a full day once it was seasoned, this is about as effortless as a company meal can get if you keep wait time in mind. I urge those of you who enjoy lamb to give this recipe a try. The version which appears below contains the changes I made to the original recipe. Ina's recipe can be found here.