One of my new year’s resolutions is to learn how to cook with different herbs and spices, specific to Greece, India and Spain. I want to understand the staple flavors that make each ethnicity so unique. Yes, I know most people want to lose weight in the new year. But for a foodie, that’s practically impossible. So, why wait until January 1, 2011 to start my culinary adventure with herbs? I’m just going to dive right in. Opa! Opa!
Ingredients
1 cucumber
2 medium tomatoes
1 red onion
16 ounces of sour cream
3 tablespoons finely chopped mint (divided)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon white pepper (divided)
3 teaspoons salt (divided)
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil
2 tablespoons finely chopped oregano
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons black pepper
4 lamb steaks
4-6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
¼ cup lemon vinaigrette
To make tzatziki sauce: peel the cucumber and slice long-ways, take out the seeds and chop into slivers. Quarter the tomato, take out seeds and pulp and slice into slivers. Chop half the red onion into slivers. Mix vegetables, sour cream, mint, lemon juice, white pepper and salt in bowl. Set aside.
In a small bowl add basil, oregano, mint, chives, olive oil, lemon zest, black pepper, white pepper and salt. Add lamb and coat well. Let marinate for 30 minutes to an hour in refrigerator.
Grill lamb on either a grill pan or BBQ. Cook 1 ½ minutes on each side for medium rare. Take off heat and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice against the grain.
While lamb is resting, mix romaine lettuce and feta cheese with lemon vinaigrette.
To serve: plate a handful of salad, top with a generous portion of tzatziki sauce and sliced lamb. Garnish with tomato and lemon wedges, two pieces of chives and a mint leaf.
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