Spice Rubbed Lamb Chops

My hubby LOVES lamb, and as a vegetarian, I've always been a little bit timid to try cooking it. The other day, the San Jose Mercury did an article on Indian inspired recipes. One of them inspired me, and I took the plunge. Amar had and awesome meal of spice rubbed lamb chops and whipped potatoes... made by yours truly.





Ingredients
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon finely grated garlic
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon coriander powder
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
8 lamb rib chops (about 1 pound, 4 ounces)
3 tablespoons canola oil

1. Mix together the ginger, garlic, salt, cayenne, cumin, coriander and turmeric to form a thick, slightly dry paste. Rub the chops well with this mixture and set aside to marinate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours in the refrigerator.

2. Grill the lamb chops over high heat, or to cook them on the stove, heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Sear the lamb chops to the desired doneness, 4 to 5 minutes on each side for rare. Let rest briefly before serving.

Recipe from Ruta Kahate"5 Spices, 50 Dishes"

Cilantro Pesto & Mashed Potatoes

I've been looking for good ways to "Indian-ize" some basic, American cooking. I found a great recipe for spice rubbed lamb chops, which I plan to try for my hubby in a few weeks, and was trying to figure out some good accompaniments for them. Lamb chops and mashed potatoes seem to be a popular combination, and taking some inspiration from the awesome sun dried tomato mashed potatoes at the Bellagio Buffet, I decided to try a substituting cilantro for basil in the pesto. Makes for some yummy cilantro mashed potatoes!

Cilantro Pesto

3 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled

1 to 1.5 bunches cilantro leaves

0.25 cup olive oil

0.25 cup lemon juice

pinch of red chili powder (more, if desired)

0.5 cup nuts (I like walnuts, but almonds or cashews work too)

0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt to taste

(1) Grind cilantro, nuts, and garlic in food processor until coarsely chopped and mixed.

(2) Add in lemon juice, cheese, oil, salt, and chili powder. Blend until smooth.

You can either add a few spoons of this into your mashed potatoes and mix to infuse the flavor and color, or you can use as a garnish / topping.

Photo source: http://img.timeinc.net/recipes/i/recipes/ck/pesto-potatoes-ck-522112-l.jpg