Moh-Ro-Co Lamb Dinah

It's winter. At least it is everywhere else, except for LA. This is the time of year conjures cravings for stews, curries, soups and hearty one dish meals. When I lived in London, I made Moroccan Tagines (a sweeter, lighter version of curry) with lamb, dried apricots and shaved almonds.  


They are called Tagine because of the funnel pot it is cooked in. Moroccan cuisine isn't very popular in LA and is best eaten in cold weather. I've missed it terribly...


So, I made a quickly thrown-together, Moroccan inspired dinner, with a spice mix recipe I found on CookingLight.com, called Ras el Hanout. 


I bought New Zealand lamb leg steak from Trader Joe's and marinated it with the rich and sensual Ras el Hanout, olive oil and fresh mint. Then I grilled it in a pan. On the side, I made a lentil salad with garbanzo beans, onion, garlic, tomato and the special spice mix. It was fantastic! Lastly, I threw together some whole wheat cous cous with cranberries, fresh mint and shaved almonds on top. Very tasty and easy meal!

Juicy Lamb, Cous Cous, Lentil Salad and Fresh Mint

Recipe for Ras el Hanout:

Yield: 1/4 cup (serving size: 1/4 teaspoon)

Ingredients

• 2 1/2  teaspoons  kosher salt
• 2  teaspoons  ground cumin
• 2  teaspoons  ground ginger
• 2  teaspoons  freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  ground cinnamon
• 1  teaspoon  ground coriander
• 1  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 1  teaspoon  ground allspice
• 1  teaspoon  saffron threads, crushed
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground cloves
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground nutmeg

Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.