Greek Lamb with Yogurt Mint Sauce

Courtesy of Ina Garten & Food Network

Two words describe this recipe -- Treat Yourself! This recipe was great and I've been wanting to make it for quite some time. I love Ina Garten and have seen the episode where she makes this lamb recipe...it just looked so delicious, and it didn't disappoint! I highly recommend marinating the lamb chops as long as you can -- she recommends up to overnight. I was able to marinate for about 8 hours and it was fantastic! Definitely give this a shot and enjoy!
NOTE: I asked the butcher to go ahead and cut the individual chops for me, off of the frenched rack.

Ingredients - Lamb Chops:
4 large garlic cloves
3 tb chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (3-4 lemons)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 racks of lamb, frenched and cut into 8 chops (I only cooked one for 2 people)

Ingredients - Yogurt Mint Sauce:
6 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
2 tb fresh chopped dill (the store was out, so I had to skip this one)
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 tb olive oil (I ended up using 2 tb)
1 tb lemon juice (I ended up using 2 tb)
7 oz greek yogurt (I used Fage Nonfat)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions - Lamb Chops:
Place the garlic, rosemary, oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until the herbs are finely minced. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, and red wine and combine. Place the chops in a glass or ceramic dish just large enough to hold them in a single layer. Pour the marinade over the chops, turning to coat both sides. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight. When ready to cook, prepare a grill with one layer of hot coals or turn a gas grill to medium-high heat. Remove the lamb from the marinade, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and grill for 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Remove to a platter, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and set aside to rest for 10 minutes. Serve hot with the cold Yogurt Mint Sauce.

Directions - Yogurt Mint Sauce:
Place the scallions, mint, dill, red pepper flakes, olive oil, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree until it's a coarse paste. Add the yogurt, salt, and pepper and pulse until combined. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to develop. NOTE: If this ends up too salty for you (mine did), I added a bit of agave nectar.

 
 

Seared Tuna Steak

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

This is a bit of a delayed post, but this is a super easy recipe for searing tuna. You can serve it with either a salad or whichever side you prefer - the recipe is for the tuna itself. This was super tasty and I was fortunate to have found some fresh tuna at the market - yum! Caveat - these are estimations as I roughly measured the ingredients.

Ingredients:
1-2 tuna steaks (personally I only buy when fresh)
1 tb sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium)
1 tb chopped ginger (I used the pureed ginger)
1/2 lime, juiced
dash of pepper
sesame seeds, for garnish after cooking (optional)
2 tb olive oil, for the pan (not for the marinade)

Directions:
Sprinkle the tuna steaks with a small dash of pepper (if desired). Mix the remaining sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Pour over the tuna steaks in a shallow bowl or dish so that the tuna steaks are laying flat. Flip the tuna steaks so that they are evenly coated. Let marinate for approximately 20 minutes. Do not marinate for too long or the citrus will start to cook the tuna. Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat with olive oil. Once the oil is heated, sear the tuna steaks for approximately 1-2 minutes per side. I prefer the tuna pretty rare, so this will allow it to be rare in the middle. If you'd like it cooked through more, sear for closer to 3-4 minutes per side -- that will cook it through more.

Salmon Baked in Foil

Courtesy of Plated Perfection
 
Once again, I know it's been a while! I've been cooking previously posted recipes lately but this one is new for once! It's super easy and one that you can just throw in the oven and walk away (for a bit anyways). The salmon comes out super moist and the seasoning turned out well I thought. I used fresh salmon (because that's the only way I roll). Give it a go - this is a pretty easy weeknight dinner! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 salmon fillets (mine were 6 oz. each)
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 tb olive oil
1 tsp italian seasoning (I used salt-free)
1 tb lemon juice
1-2 tb fresh mint, diced  (I didn't measure)
dash of salt
dash of pepper
aluminum foil

Directions:
Mix together the garlic, olive oil, italian seasoning, lemon juice and mint. Season the salmon fillets with a dash of salt and pepper. Place the salmon, skin side down, in a glass dish and pour the marinade over the salmon. Cover as well as possible. Place in the refrigerator for an hour (or as close to that as possible). Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove the salmon from the refrigerator and place each one in the middle of a square of aluminum foil. You want to be able to seal the foil on all edges, so make sure the sheet is big enough. Spoon whatever marinade is left over the fish and seal around all edges. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes. The salmon will be cooked through at this point, but remains very moist. If you'd prefer it cooked a bit under, reduce the cooking time by a few minutes.