LAMB APPETIZERS

Matt, Andre and Jackie enjoy the salads

There seems to have been a lot of celebrating going on lately! Gathering around the table with family and friends is the heart of this blog, but you might think that occasionally,  we would run out of reasons for celebrations.  Luckily for us, it never seems to happen!  Of course, our gatherings are always accompanied by a lot of eating, and therefore, a lot of cooking.  This week, we were able to hand over the cooking spotlight to others to do the majority of the work. But we can never be left out of the fun of preparing a great party - and besides, we love grilling! We thought that we would try grilling a few lamb appetizers this week, for 2 very special parties that we were part of.

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Grilling at night! Beautiful!

We asked Ryan and Carly from MamaPapa Catering to organize the food for a dinner with the lawyers at Sorbara, Schumacher, McCann. Ryan made a wonderful buffet which included grilled beef striploin with herb jus, potato pave, roasted winter vegetables, green bean and savoy cabbage hash and more. His dessert buffets are legendary and include small pots of creme brulee, pot de creme with fruit compote and cream, and cookies. No kidding, you can have one of each and not feel guilty! The Grilled Lamb Chop Appetizers were my favorite. Ryan buys top quality lamb chops from Charles Quality Meats of St. Agatha, and grills them quickly over high heat. He told me how he prepared them, and I hope that I do him justice with this simple recipe.

Ryan made full use of The Broil King, grilling the striploins and lamb chops on the back deck, while he used the oven for the vegetables and potato pave

Medium-rare, just the way we like it!

Grilled Lamb Chops

Carly could not serve the Lamb Chops fast enough!

This is a wonderful appetizer, easy to prepare and serve to a large crowd. They are best eaten medium-rare and cook quickly, so do not walk away from the grill, since you do not want them to be over-cooked (or burnt).


Preheat grill on HIGH for 5 minutes. Brush grids with vegetable oil. Meanwhile, rub lamb chops with olive oil, salt & pepper, garlic and fresh herbs(optional). Reduce heat to medium and place lamb chops on grids. Grill for 2 minutes, flip and grill for 2 more minutes, turn and flip the chops again and grill for 2 more minutes, finally, flip the chops and grill for 2 more minutes (total of 8 minutes). Remove from grill and let rest, covered with foil for 5 minutes. Serve.



 HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHARU!!

The other special celebration this week was Charu's 30th birthday. Jordan invited family and friends to join him in surprising her with a dinner party. He grilled a couple of beef tenderloins, Charu's mom prepared some wonderful Indian dishes, and the rest of us brought salads and appetizers. We made the grilled mini lamb burgers and served them on mini pitas with mango chutney.

Jordan and Dave supervise the grilling of the Beef Tenderloin

Surprise!

Abby and Madeleine keep the guests fed!

Vijay can not believe that his daughter is 30!

Grilled Mini Lamb Burgers with Spicy Mango Chutney

 1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 tbsp cumin

1 tsp cinnamon

 ½  tsp allspice

1 ½ tsp salt

2 lbs ground lamb

2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

½ cup raisins, chopped

3 tbsp toasted pine nuts, chopped

½ cup panko bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

2 packages mini pita bread

1 bottle  Pataks Major Grey Chutney

Preheat barbecue on MEDIUM-HIGH for 10 minutes. Brush the grids with vegetable oil.  Reduce heat to MEDIUM.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté the onions , until soft and translucent,  about 4 minutes. Add garlic and sauté another 2 minutes. Add cumin, cinnamon, allspice and salt and cook another minute. Cool.

Combine the ground lamb, onion mixture, cilantro, bread crumbs, raisins, toasted pine nuts and egg.  Mix gently with hands until well blended. Form into small 1 ½ inch mini patties.  You should be able to make about 36 mini burgers from this mixture.

Grill 7-8 minutes, turning once.  Serve with mango chutney in mini pitas.

RENU  NEVER STOPS COOKING

ABBY AND GRANDMA ENJOY THE EVENING