By GEORGE Z. CLONDAS
You’ve made it through the winter and come out the other side relatively unscathed. With Thanksgiving and Christmas well behind us, the next major holiday on the horizon is Easter. Coming from a Greek Orthodox household, this means one thing: lamb. One of my favorite ways to enjoy lamb is in the form of shish kebob or souvlaki. I know what you might be thinking: “Lamb? But it’s so strong and gamey!” While that can be true, when marinated and prepared properly, it can be absolutely delicious. Don’t worry—this recipe can also be used with beef or chicken.
Greek Marinade
1 cup olive oil
1 cup fresh lemon juice
2 large cloves of fresh chopped garlic
2 tablespoons fresh or dried oregano (Greek if you can find it)
Place the lamb in a Ziplock bag, pour in the marinade, remove the air and let the lamb marinate in the refrigerator for about 4 hours (I prefer overnight).
For The Kebabs
Serves 4-5
2 Pounds of lamb cut in about 2-inch cubes
2-3 Peppers and yellow onions cut to 2-inch squares.
Tomatoes, roughly 1 per skewer cut into 4ths. I like to use grape tomatoes. I find they stay on the skewer better.
Building the skewers:
If using bamboo skewers, be sure to soak them in water beforehand. Carefully press the ingredients onto the skewers, starting with the peppers and onions, followed by the tomatoes, and then a chunk of lamb. Avoid packing the kebabs too tightly—when they are packed too closely the meat takes longer to cook, which can cause the vegetables to burn and dry out. A little charring on the edges is fine and adds to the unique flavor of this style of cooking.
Preheat your grill to 350-400°F. Place the kebabs on the grill, turning every 10 minutes, until they reach your desired doneness. Once cooked, remove them from the grill, cover with aluminum foil, and let them rest for 10 minutes.
Traditionally, at Yiayia’s house, the kebabs were served with a Greek salad and white rice. However, having a daughter in culinary school has made us more adventurous in the kitchen, and change is good! Instead of rice, try pairing the kebabs with a fresh spring quinoa salad.
Quinoa salad
ingredients
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed in a fine-mesh colander
2 cups water (I swap this out for chicken broth for extra flavor.)
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained… Not a fan of chickpeas? Try substituting asparagus instead this can also be grilled for more flavor. 1 medium cucumber, seeded and chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
¾ cup chopped red onion (from 1 small red onion)
1 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (from 1 large bunch)
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice (from 2 to 3 lemons)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Other ingredients you can try: adding fresh feta cheese or pitted Kalamata olives
Rinse the quinoa thoroughly in a fine-mesh strainer. In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa, water or chicken broth, and kosher salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender and all the liquid is absorbed. Once done, remove from heat, uncover and fluff with a fork. Allow the quinoa to cool. If you are short on time, spread it on a baking sheet and refrigerate until completely cooled.
While the quinoa cools, chop the vegetables into approximately 1/2-inch pieces. To make the dressing, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar and garlic in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a large bowl, combine the cooled quinoa and chopped vegetables, tossing them together. Pour the dressing over and mix until evenly coated. For an extra touch, top with crumbled feta and/or Kalamata olives, and garnish with coarsely chopped parsley.
Time for dessert!
This rhubarb crisp recipe comes from my wife’s family and is a true sign of spring. We eagerly await the arrival of this sweet, gooey treat, affectionately known as “Ick” for reasons we cannot quite explain. While I am not sure how it got its nickname, one thing is certain: it is delicious no matter what you call it. We typically enjoy it in early May, celebrating my wife’s birthday with this instead of the traditional cake. The recipe is simple and quick, requiring just a few ingredients.
Rhubarb Crisp “Ick”
1-1½ pounds rhubarb
2 cups white sugar
1 cup flour
1 egg beaten
4 tablespoons melted butter
½ teaspoon nutmeg
Chop the rhubarb and combine it with 1 cup of sugar and 3 tablespoons of flour. Place the mixture in a buttered baking dish.
For the crumble topping, beat 1 egg in a separate bowl, then add 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of flour. Mix well and evenly distribute the topping over the rhubarb. Lightly dust the topping with nutmeg.
Preheat the oven to 375°F and bake for approximately 30-35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Allow the rhubarb crisp to rest; the longer it rests, the thicker it will become.
Spoon onto a dish and serve with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
Springtime is a great time of the year to start cooking with fresh ingredients again. Whether you are cooking for you family or planning a dinner party for friends, I hope you love this springtime menu as much as I do.