Grilled Lamb Kabobs with Tomato Tzatziki, Roasted Eggplant, and Cous Cous

May 11, 2011

Pin It

Prep Time	Cook Time	Total Time
20 min	10 min	30 min
Servings:  2
FAGE Used:		FAGE Total Classic Product Info

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb ground lamb
• 1/4 cup minced green onions
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 2 large cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• dash cinnamon
• 1 cup plain FAGE Total
• 1 tomato
• 1 shredded small carrot
• 1 bunch fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Preparation Directions:

1. To start, make the meat mixture and shape the meat into rolls so they can set in the fridge while the rest of the meal comes together. To do this, slice up the onions and mince the garlic with the microplane. Using the microplane makes the garlic extremely well minced and releases all its juices, meaning that the potency of the garlic will be able to spread throughout the entire mixture.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the lamb with the sliced green onions, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, salt, black pepper, cumin, and a touch of cinnamon. Mix it together by hand until all the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. Then, shape the mixture into small rolls, about 2 inches long and 1 inch tall. Once all the meat is used up, put the rolls into the fridge and let set for about an hour.
3. While the meat is setting, we moved on to the eggplant. Dice the eggplant up into small cubes, about one inch by one inch, and then coat with olive oil. Toss the eggplant cubes with salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, and a touch of curry powder until the eggplant is nicely coated. Spread the eggplant out over a baking dish in one layer, and place it into a preheated oven at 375 degrees. Let it roast until the rest of the meal done, 15-20 minutes, until the eggplant is soft and lightly caramelized.
4. To make the tzatziki, we used plain greek yogurt, since its much thicker than regular yogurt.
5. Into the yogurt mix the chopped tomato, shredded carrot, chopped parsley, and garlic, again minced on the microplane. Stir this vigorously until everything is incorporated, and while stirring, drizzle in some olive oil.
6. Then seasoned with salt and pepper. We tasted it after each addition of salt and pepper until it was just right. Then, put it into the fridge and let it chill.
7. Finally, grill up the kabobs. We speared the lamb with two bamboo skewers, so it was easier to handle them. Then, pre-heat your grill pan until it is nice and hot, almost smoking. Place the kabobs onto the hot plate so that the ridges of the grill are perpendicular to the length of the lamb rolls.
8. Cook for about 5-7 minutes on one side, and then turn over and cook the other side. You should see some nice caramelization of the grill marks.
9. You want the lamb to be still a little bit pink on the inside so it's nice and juicy, but not too pink. The juices should be running pretty close to clear when the lamb is cooked.
10. We laid down a bed of the tzatziki sauce and laid the skewers on top, with the cous cous and the eggplant on the side. This is a really great combination. The subtle heat from the garlic and onion in the lamb kabobs is complemented wonderfully by the coolness of the tzatziki. The tzatziki itself is quite delicious given its simple preparation - the tomato, parsley, and garlic come through nicely and are held together well by the greek yogurt.
11. Overall this is one we'll likely be coming back to over and over as the summer starts to arrive. It's simple, but very satisfying. Give it a try!

* These recipes were submitted by our users. We are not responsible for any errors or suggestions.