Recipe: Moroccan Style Lamb

I'm not a fan of cookbooks that imply "diet" in the title, but after taking a look at this Weight Watchers book at my sister-in-law's house, I had to get it. Over the past few months, it's become a weekly staple in our menu planning.

One of our favorite recipes is a lamb dish. I'm not the biggest fan of lamb, but if I didn't know any better, I'd swear it was beef. It's a simple recipe which allows for plenty of leftovers (how much you make is up to you) that can be eaten as is (our preference), or as the book suggests, frozen for future stir frys. Instead of a leg of lamb, we use a lamb tenderloin. And instead of oven roasting, my husband BBQs it. Less clean up for me ;-)

Moroccan-Style Roast Leg of Lamb
Leftover lamb freezes well. After defrosting, slice it thin and stir-fry with onion and red and yellow bell peppers for a quick supper.

Makes 6 servings

4 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
2 teaspoons paprika (not smoked)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch cayenne
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 (2-2.25 pound) half bone-in leg of lamb (preferably sirloin half), trimmed of all visible fat OR lamb tenderloin

Roasting Instructions:
1) Preheat the oven to 375F. In a small bowl, thoroughly combine the oil, mint, paprika, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Rub all over the lamb.

2) Place the lamb on a rack in the shallow roasting pan. Roast until tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the lamb (not touching the bone) registers 155F for medium, about 1-1/2 hours. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into about 12 slices.

BBQ instructions:
1) In a gallon zip-top bag, thoroughly combine the oil, mint, paprika, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper. I place the bag in a bowl, thereby allowing me to toss things in without the challenge of propping open the bag. Put the lamb in and marinate in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

2) When we BBQ it, we aim for medium/pink (an internal temperature of 145), so cook time depends on the size of the meat. Let stand 10 minutes.

Serve with some left over ratatouille.