Middle Eastern Lamb and Brown Rice
This is easy to make – and if there are leftovers, it tastes even better the next day. Alas – we tend to finish whatever I make – it’s that delicious! And the assembly of the spices is fun to do with kids – making sure that cooking with kids teaches them how things smell differently and how delightful that can be!
- 1 pound lean ground lamb
- 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cups onion sliced thin
- 1/2 cup baby carrots
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth ( I reconstitute “Better than Bouillon”)
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon rind
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice ( I use our Meyer Lemons from our farm)
1. Heat a pan to medium heat.
2. Add a teaspoon of olive oil and then add lamb to pan; cook for about 5 minutes making sure that the ground lamb isn’t lumpy and becomes more like crumbs.
3. Remove lamb from pan with a slotted spoon and drain off the fat.
4. Add the rest of the oil to pan.
5. Add onions and carrots to pan and fry for a few minutes.
6. Add cumin, cinnamon, coriander, and pepper and stir the mixture then add the lamb, chicken broth and all the rest of the ingredients except the cilantro and lemon juice and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let it cook, until the juices thicken.
7. Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro and lemon juice.
8. While the meat mixture is cooking, measure Brown Rice into a cup measure, and, following the instructions on the packaging, add the correct amount for the number of servings you want, to boiling water ( also measured out) with a teaspoon of butter and pinch of salt. Bring to a boil then simmer until all the liquid is absorbed. If the rice is not soft enough for you, add more liquid. I like to use chicken broth to cook rice in -not just water – and again, I use Better than Bouillon – BUT I omit the salt since the broth is salty enough. You can also add a sprinkling of chopped cilantro to the rice just before serving – enjoy!
