Hello from TINA KASHIAN! I hope everyone had a blessed Easter. Preparing Easter lamb is traditional in Mediterranean and Greek households, and I’m happy to share our family recipe. It’s not hard to prepare but cooking lamb can be tricky. If it’s overcooked, it can be dry and tough. If it’s undercooked, it can be gamy. It is also best served with rice or potatoes.
Ingredients:
1 (5-6 pound) semi-boneless leg of lamb
5 garlic cloves
2 tbsp dried parsley
2 tbsp dried rosemary
2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
½ cup olive oil
Kitchen equipment:
Food processor
Directions:
Pat lamb dry and score fat by making shallow cuts in lamb with a sharp knife. Place garlic parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, pepper and olive oil in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Place lamb on a rack in a roasting pan. Rub the spice rub all over the lamb.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Roast lamb for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to
350 and cook for about 1 ¾ hours or until a cooking thermometer (placed 2
inches into the thickest part of the meat) reads 135 degrees F. Remove from the oven. Let the lamb rest for 15 minutes.
Then cut the meat against the grain.
Serve lamb with roasted potatoes or any type of rice pilaf. (I served it with bulgur pilaf here, and I'll share that recipe another time.) Enjoy!
“On the Lamb” is my Easter cozy mystery in the best-selling Kebab Kitchen series. To win a signed, print copy of the book (U.S. Only please), please leave your email address and comment. What is your favorite dish for Easter of Passover?
Lucy Berberian is busy preparing her family’s Mediterranean
restaurant for Easter on the Jersey Shore—but a batch of sweets is to die for .
. .
Bikers are thundering into the seaside town of Ocean Crest for the annual
Bikers on the Beach gathering that raises funds for injured veterans. It’s a
big boost for the Kebab Kitchen, as well as for local businesses like Melanie
Haven’s candy shop. But Melanie is about to find herself in a sticky situation.
When Melanie and Lucy attend a beach bonfire, a local landlord is found dead
after apparently choking on a piece of salt water taffy. Melanie, who was known
to have a contentious relationship with the victim, is quickly skewered as the
prime suspect. But Lucy is determined to prove her friend’s innocence before
the real killer coasts free . . .
Recipes included!
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Tina Kashian is an attorney and a former mechanical engineer whose love of reading for pleasure helped her get through years of academia. Tina spent her childhood summers at the Jersey shore building sandcastles, boogie boarding, and riding the boardwalk Ferris wheel. She also grew up in the restaurant business, as her Armenian parents owned a restaurant for thirty years. Tina still lives in New Jersey with her supportive husband and two daughters.
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Your recipe for Mediterranean Leg of Lamb sounds wonderful. I've never eaten lamb, but with your directions, I think I'm going to have to give it a try.
ReplyDeleteAs far back as I can remember, our most often and favorite Easter meal was made with a delicious baked ham. On of our traditional sides was the Green Bean and Shoepeg Corn Casserole. And dessert was my Mom's fresh grated coconut cake.
This is the recipe for the side dish. Now that there are just the two of us, I don't make it as often as we use to, but Easter is a day for special meals and them not so often dishes that not only taste delicious but also bring back so many wonderful memories of Easters past.
Green Bean & Shoepeg Corn Casserole
Serves 8
Ingredients
1 can French style green beans, drained
1 can white shoepeg corn, drained
1 can celery soup, undiluted
1 ½ cups grated Mild Cheddar
½ cup sour cream
½ cup chopped onion
1 can water chestnuts, finely chopped
1 roll or tube of Ritz crackers
1 stick of butter, melted
Spray casserole dish with non-stick spray.
Place drained green beans in casserole dish.
Top with drained shoepeg corn.
In bowl mix celery soup, cheddar cheese, sour cream, onions and water chestnuts until combined. Spoon on top of veggies in casserole dish.
Crumble crackers in bowl and drizzle with melted butter. Stir to coat crackers. Sprinkle over top of cheese mixture in casserole dish.
Bake in a 350 degree oven uncovered for 40 minutes.
NOTES: This goes great for a potluck dish. It’s great hot, warm, or room temperature. It never seems to make it to the refrigerator as leftovers but I’m sure it would reheat nicely too.
Thank you for the wonderful opportunity to win a copy of “On the Lamb”! Shared and would love to be the fortunate one selected. Gladly leave honest reviews on the books I read.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
Hi Kay! Thank you for sharing your green bean and shoepeg corn casserole recipe! It looks delicious. I'm also a fan of coconut and your mother's coconut cake sounds even more fabulous! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
DeleteThank you for sharing your recipe. I remember the first Easter with my husbands family. My mother in law served lamb. I didnt pay much attention to the meat as I was paying more attention to our first son. I put a little of everything on my plate. I took a mouthful of meat. I thought I would gag. I excused myself and went to the bathroom. Spit it in the toilet and flushed. Washed my hands and rejoined the family. I dont know if they knew or not. But I didn't finish my meat. Our family has traditionally had ham for Easter. After my mom died, my sister and I were the ones cooking, so we made it easy on ourselves. Or so we thought. You know, crock pot meals. Until everyone else revolted and we had to go back to ham. This year, my nephew made the ham and everyone brought a little something, pot luck style. Neither my sister or I had to cook. It was wonderful. quilting dash lady at comcast dot net
ReplyDeleteHi Lori! Your story made me laugh. We often have a fresh ham for the holidays and I love it, too. We will most likely have grilled burgers and dogs for the next holiday, Memorial Day. An easy and fun day!
DeleteMy husband, granddaughter, and I love lamb. My daughter doesn't. So I usually have to cook something else for her when we have it.
ReplyDeleteYesterday she was working so the three lamb lovers had rack of lamb for dinner! (On sale at Aldi's)
libbydodd at comcast dot net
Hi Libby! I enjoy a good rack of lamb as well, especially when it goes on sale. Hope you had a great holiday!
DeleteThis looks like a winning recipe. Do you think it would work for boneless butterflied leg of lamb?
ReplyDeleteHi MaryAnn! Yes, you can use this spice rub on any type of lamb. Hope you had a wonderful holiday!
DeleteIt seems like we always have ham for Easter. With mashed potatoes and either green beans with bacon and eggs or corn. Rhubarb salad if the holiday is late enough and the rhubarb is ready, circus peanut salad if not.
ReplyDeletekozo8989(at)hotmail(dot)com
Hi Alicia! I do enjoy fresh ham as well. Your holiday dinner sounds yummy. I haven't had rhubarb salad in a long time, but you have me craving it
DeleteI love lamb. But some others in the family who didn't grow up eating lamb don't enjoy it, so we usually end up with ham.
ReplyDeletewskwared(at)yahoo(dot)com
I do think it's an acquired taste. If you haven't had lamb in a while or never tried it, you have to get used to it.
DeleteI love lamb. We always had it for Easter growing up. Hubby didn't eat it except occasionally...with mint jelly. He's not a huge fan so now I usually make a ham.
ReplyDeleteHi Peg, mint jelly compliments lamb wonderfully. I will have to add that to the dinner next Easter
DeleteThanks for sharing the recipe! Never had lamb. We always have ham on Easter. Thanks for the chance! Excited to read this book!
ReplyDeletejarjm1980(at)hotmail(dot)com
Hello! My cousin asked for ham this year as well. I told him next year!
DeleteWe usually have a baked ham with our Easter meal. I love all the ways you can use ham in recipes later in the week!
ReplyDeleteNancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
Hi Nancy, You make a great point. You can use ham in many recipes. My great-aunt would make split pea soup with leftover ham
DeleteWe always have ham, polish sausage, peroigis and sauerkraut and all the usual stuff served for a Polish Easter dinner.
ReplyDeletediannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com
You are making me hungry! I love Polish sausage and sauerkraut
DeleteI really like lamb. My mother always had lamb for Easter along with mint jelly. I haven't felt confident in cooking a lamb dish other than ground lamb patties. I kept the meal simple this year as it was just me and my husband. I baked a ham and prepared a honey mustard sauce, made mashed potatoes, and sauteed asparagus. We ended the meal with a chocolate mousse. bluedawn95864 at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteHi Bonnie. Wow! That doesn't sound like a simple meal but a delicious one. Ending with the chocolate mousse must have been perfect!
DeleteI had pizza yesterday. cheetahthecat1986ATgmailDOTcom
ReplyDeleteMy kids love pizza and would have preferred it to lamb, ham, or anything else. :)
DeleteLamb is one of my faves! My husband grills lamb chops often, but we'll have to try making a leg of lamb sometime. Your recipe looks great!
ReplyDeleteHi Mia! Grilled lamb is delicious
DeleteWe usually have ham. My husband smoked it
ReplyDeleteOh! Smoked ham must have been great and flavorful
DeleteNo cooking for me yesterday since I broke my arm, but usually ham in an orange-mustard glaze, cheesy scalloped potatoes, and asparagus. Last leg of lamb was too dry, so will try your recipe next time! lola777_22 at hotmail dot com
ReplyDeleteHi Lynn, I'm sorry to hear you broke your arm. Hope you are on the mend and feel better soon!
DeleteOur dinner is always ham - dotted with cloves, pineapple and maraschino cherries drowned in ginger ale (preferably mint ginger ale; sweet potato casserole topped with brown sugar, butter and marshmallows and deviled eggs. lindalou64[@]live(dot)com
ReplyDeleteHi Linda, your ham sounds great, especially with the pineapple and cherry and ginger ale
DeleteThanks for offering this giveaway! We always had big Easter get togethers with many different types of meats, pasta dishes, salads, and tortas! lindaherold999(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteour favorite is lamb! thanks for the chance!
ReplyDeleteJess
maceoindo(at)yahoo(dot)com
We always do a ham with all the fixins' for Easter. JL_Minter(at)hotmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteMy favorite would have to be good old baked ham. It goes well with asparagus and potatoes cooked many ways. Then it can be used in so many things from omelets to pasta salads ending with the bone in a big pot of pinto beans! sssusieqAThotmailDOTcom
ReplyDelete