Ok, this is my new favorite recipe for REAL

I have to say that I have been cooking up a storm lately. I must admit that I am a bit burnt out from cooking. Maybe it is the time of year or maybe I am just burnt out.



We went and got a Xmas tree last weekend. The next morning we decorated. I have to say that this year we compromised on the size of the tree. I usually plead for a huge one and Dr Food usually hates that idea. I think we are both happy with this one though. So it was a lazy day and we opted for a lamb dish for dinner. I didn't feel like making a big deal out of it so Dr Food found a recipe for Crisp and Spicy Roasted Chickpeas with Lamb. This was a recipe from Mark Bittman's "The Food Matters Cookbook". Ok, this is my new favorite recipe. Shut up, I mean it this time. I know that I say that a lot but this time I mean it.



The recipe starts off with roasting chickpeas. I used canned because of my recent bout of apathy.



Other ingredients included orange rind and red onions and green beans.



I have to stop to talk about something. It is sorta embarrassing but I know that only my closest friends read this blog. I have this "issue" with oranges that have been denuded. Look at it. Now that they have these amazing rasps to zest an orange look at the little guy after it has it rind removed. It looks sorta vulnerable and pathetic. It bothers me. Ok ok...



So all that is really necessary is some roasting. I am telling you that this recipe (if you like lamb) is amazing. If you don't like lamb you could also do this with ground beef or ground pork. It would work just as well.

Crisp and Spicy Roasted Chickpeas with Lamb
The Food Matters Cookbook Mark Bittman

Printable Version

2C cooked or canned chickpeas, drained
3 Tbl olive oil
salt and black pepper
8 oz ground lamb
1 red onion
8 oz green beans, roughly chopped
1 Tbl minced garlic
Grated Zest of 1 orange
1 Tbl cumin
Cayenne to taste
Juice of 2 oranges
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley for ganish

1. Heat oven to 400F. Combine the chickpeas and 2 Tbl of the oil in a large roasting pan and bake, shaking the pan once or twice, until they're crisp and browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle salt and pepper, toss, and remove the chickpeas from the pan with a slotted spoon.

2. Add the reamaining 1 Tbl oil to the pan along with the lamb. Break it up a bit and roast until it is no longer pink and has cooked dry, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir, breaking it up more, and continue baking until it begins to crisp, another 5 minutes or so.

3. Stir the onion, green beans, garlic, orange zest, cumin, and cayenne into the lamb; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Return the roasting pan to the oven and continue roasting until the vegetables are tender and browned, the lamb is very crisp, and the spices are fragrant, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, stir in the chickpeas, and transfer everything to a serving dish.

4. Put the roasting pan on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the orange juice and cook, stirring and scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan, until warm and slightly thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Drizzle the orange reduction over lamb and chickpeas and taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with the parsley and serve.