With spring finally in our sights we begin to think about all of the great things that come with it. Getting outdoors, working in the yard, planting the garden, taking walks in the park, and of course, the arrival of bikini weather just around the corner. That means that we have to wake up from our winter long hibernation and start burning off the winter flab accumulated while cuddled up on the couch sucking back tubs of ice cream and bags of chips.

 

For our family it is less about starving ourselves and more about making the right choices. Rather than preparing meals with breaded meats and rich gravies, we rely on rubs, marinades and pesto to provide flavor. Instead of mashed potatoes or French fries, we look for ingredients like barley, wild rice or quinoa to provide us with sustenance without the fat packing carbs to go with it.

 

So this week, I share with you a delicious and flavorful dish that will satisfy your family, while helping you shed some of the winter fat, or at the very least, not add to it.

 

Tune in throughout the rest of the month of May, as I will be asking you for your BBQ horror stories and sharing a few tips of my own to avoid any backyard BBQ disasters this summer!

 

Arugula Pesto Rubbed Rack of Lamb with Quinoa Salad

 

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes

Feeds: 3-4 people

Special Tools: Food processor, Magic Bullet or mortar and pestle

 

2 whole         lamb racks

 

For the pesto:

2 cups                        arugula

¼ cup             fresh mint leaves

¼ cup             toasted pine nuts

¼ cup             parmesan

2 cloves         garlic

¼ cup             olive oil

½ pc.              lemon, juice only

¼ cup             water

TT                   S&P

 

For the quinoa salad:

2 cups                        quinoa

½ cup                        feta

2 cloves         garlic

1 pint             grape or cherry tomatoes

½ ea.              long English cucumber

¼ ea.              red onion

1 ea.                red pepper

½ cup                        kalamata olives, pitted

3 tbsp.            fresh basil

2 tbsp.            fresh mint

1 pc.               lemon, juice and zest

4 tbsp.            extra virgin olive oil

TT                   S&P

 

 

To begin we will prepare the pesto and then put the quinoa salad together and then cook the lamb racks, so let’s get started!

 

• Begin by picking the mint leaves, removing all of the stems
• Place a medium pan on medium heat
• Place the pine nuts in the pan and lightly toast, moving the pan back and forth to ensure they toast, but not burn, you will smell the light aroma of cooked popcorn as they approach being cooked
• Place all of the ingredients in the food processor and pulse into a coarse paste, adding the water as necessary to help smooth it out
• If using a mortar and pestle begin with the garlic, and pine nuts and salt, working it into a paste, then add the greens, parmesan and the oil and work into a paste
• Set aside and refrigerate, this can be made up to 2-3 days in advance, if you have excess leftover use it in a chicken dish or toss with some fresh pasta, it can last in the fridge for at least a week

 

Now for the quinoa salad

• Preheat the oven to 450F
• Place the grape tomatoes on a pie plate and lightly oil and season
• Place in the oven and roast, about 6-8 minutes
• Place a medium pot of water on high heat, add salt like you would for cooking pasta
• Once boiling, add the quinoa and stir to prevent it from sticking
• Cook until the quinoa is firm yet tender, about 10 minutes
• Drain into a fine mesh strainer and cool quickly with cold water, draining all excess water
• Place the quinoa in a bowl and lightly dress with the olive oil
• Chop the remaining vegetables into small dice
• Chop or break the feta into small pieces
• Chop the herbs
• Zest the lemon into the bowl of quinoa and then juice the lemon into the bowl
• Add all of the remaining ingredients and stir to combine, season
• Set the salad aside and refrigerate, this will taste good today, but even better tomorrow and will last well in the fridge for up to a week

 

When it’s time for dinner

• Preheat the oven to 450F
• Place a large oven proof frying pan on high heat
• Season the lamb racks well
• Lightly oil the frying pan and place the racks in
• Sear on the top side, flip over
• Generously smear the pesto on the top side of the lamb racks and place in the oven
• Roast in the oven to your desired temperature, I enjoy my lamb between medium rare and medium, or 130-140F, this will take about 10 minutes in the oven, if you have a meat thermometer, I recommend you using it rather than guessing
• Once the lamb is done, allow it to rest in the pan out of the oven, this will allow the cooking to be more even and allow you to enjoy a moist lamb rack
• Serve with the delicious quinoa salad and feel good about your choices

 

Who’s hungry?