Disney Marinated Lamb Chops with Couscous Tabbouleh and Mint Mojo

Serves 4

Lamb Chops
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
8 to 10 lamb chops
Light olive oil, for cooking

Couscous Tabbouleh
2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
1 (10-ounce) box couscous
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 small red onion, finely diced
1/2 European cucumber, seeded and finely diced
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Mint Mojo
1 1/2 cups mint jelly
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 bunch mint leaves (about 1 packed cup)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For lamb chops:  Whisk together oil, lemon zest and juice, oregano, cumin, and pepper in a shallow dish. Add garlic. Add lamb chops and turn to coat.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.

Remove chops from refrigerator and shake off excess marinade. Set aside.
Heat a large grill pan or skillet over high heat. Brush pan lightly with oil. Add chops and cook 2 1/2 minutes per side for medium-rare.

For couscous tabbouleh: Bring vegetable stock to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Meanwhile, place couscous in a medium heatproof bowl. Drizzle with olive oil. When stock boils, carefully pour over couscous; cover tightly with plastic wrap and set aside 5 minutes.

Uncover and fluff couscous with a fork. Stir in lime zest and juice, cumin, salt, and pepper. Add tomatoes, garlic, onion, cucumber, cilantro, and chickpeas. Stir to combine.

For mint mojo:  Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until well combined.

To serve: Spoon a portion of couscous into the center of a plate; place 2 lamb chops onto the couscous. Drizzle mint mojo around the plate and garnish with a sprig of mint, if desired.

Starting something new

I have been enjoying recipes I find on Pinterest for quite a while. I am also going to be printing this blog into a book for my birthday, so I figured I could not only share the recipes I am enjoying from Pinterest, but also make it easier to access them again once they are in my recipe book in January. Starting today, I will be posting atleast 1 recipe every other day, if not more often. Here is today's:

Puffed squares

½ cup butter

1 cup corn syrup

1 cup white sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

6 heaping TBSP. cocoa powder

1 tsp. vanilla

10 cups puffed wheat or Puffed Rice for GF version

Measure the puffed wheat into a large mixing bowl and set aside. 

Melt the butter with the corn syrup, sugars, and cocoa powder in a large saucepan over medium heat. 

Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 minute. 

Remove from heat, add the vanilla, and stir well.

 Pour the mixture over the puffed wheat and mix until the puffed wheat is evenly coated.

 Press into a 9×13-inch pan that has been lightly sprayed with non-stick spray.

Allow to cool and then cut into squares. 

Store in an airtight container to maintain ooey-gooey freshness!

*TIP*

If you put water on your spatula or spoon, it works better than butter on your hands while pressing flat in the pan.

Quinoa Pizza bites

Ingredients:

1/2 c. uncooked quinoa

1 large egg

1/2 c. chopped onion

1/2 c. fat free shredded mozzarella

1 t. minced garlic

1 T. dried basil

1 t. dried oregano

pinch of salt

pizza sauce for dipping

Directions:

1. Cook your protein-filled quinoa! Boil the quinoa and 1c. water and cover. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes (until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender).

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all of your ingredients (except the pizza sauce) in a mixing bowl until it is well mixed.

3. Lightly spray the bottom of a mini-muffin tin with olive oil spray. Using a Tablespoon, scoop ~1T. into each muffin tin, it should fill almost all of them!

4. Bake them for 15-20 and let cool. Serve them warm with pizza sauce to dip in!

*You can also toss in 1/4 c. diced cherry tomatoes, mini pepperoni slices, diced peppers...