lamb kabobs w/curry mayo + grilled veg couscous salad
Lamb Kabobs with Curry Mayo
Inspired by Marcel Vingeron’s dish from Season 2 of “Top Chef”
Ingredients
- 1 lb lamb loin or boneless leg of lamb meat (depending on what your butcher has) cut into large cubes.
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoons yellow curry powder
- 1 ½ cups mayonnaise (I actually like using low-fat because the lamb is so rich anyway and it keeps things light)
- ½ tablespoon sugar (or ½ tablespoon honey)
Directions
1.) Toss the lamb with some extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt, a few cracks of black pepper and ½ tablespoon of the curry powder. Refrigerate and let marinate at least 30 minutes.
2.) Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, remaining curry powder, and sugar. Taste for seasoning and refrigerate.
3.) Once the lamb is done marinating, carefully alternate the meat cubes with a cherry tomato onto metal skewers. Season well with salt and pepper.
4.) Heat a grill pan, stovetop grill (if you’re lucky enough to have one) or charcoal grill to medium-high and grill kabobs for about 2 minutes per side for rare to medium rare. Serve with curry mayo for dipping.
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Grilled Veggie Couscous Salad
Inspired by Jamie Oliver’s couscous salad from the Naked Chef episode “Picnic on the Pier” (no longer available on the Food Network website).
This really is a “kitchen sink” dish where you can throw in any herbs, veggies or even some leftover roast chicken and whatnot lying around. My only advice is to grill everything you throw in (if you can) because it just adds such an awesome layer of flavor to the dish.
Ingredients
- 1 10-oz box instant couscous (I use Near East Original Plain flavor)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 ½ lemons
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 handful Italian parsley, chopped fine
- ¼ cup chopped spring onions
- 2 tablespoons minced chives
- 1 small green zucchini, sliced on an angle
- 20-25 thin asparagus spears with the woody ends cut off
- A small handful of cherry tomatoes, halved (you can use the leftovers from the lamb kabobs)
- ½ small white onion, sliced
Directions
1.) Prepare the couscous as per directions and set aside.
2.) Heat a grill pan, stovetop grill or charcoal grill to very hot, where you can hold you hand 3 inches above the heat for less than 3 seconds. Toss the asparagus, red pepper, onion, and zucchini in a large bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper.
3.) Grill the red pepper first, making sure it gets extremely charred and blackened on all sides. It should look burnt. Once done, put in a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap. The steam will make the blackened skin loosen when you peel them later.
4.) Once the pepper is done, grill the remaining veggies until they get some nice color and char on them. I like mine super grilled but you can grill as little as you like here. Once everything is done, chop all the veggies up into bite-sized pieces and toss into a large bowl with the couscous. Add the parsley, chives and tomatoes.
5.) Peel the red pepper. You can (hopefully) just rub the skin right off and discard the seeds and stem. Chop into small, bite-sized pieces and add to the bowl with the couscous.
6.) Squeeze the lemons over the entire salad and add a few glugs of olive oil. Toss together and taste for seasoning, then season as needed. Serve alongside lamb kabobs or just eat on its own – it’s that good!
