Middle Eastern Lamb Bowl

We love the simplicity of bowl meals and you can customize based on what's in your pantry and fridge. Ground lamb and mutton, especially grass-fed, Wisconsin-raised Icelandic lamb and mutton is delicious and versatile.

Don't feel guilty about taking shortcuts - buy tzatziki sauce if you don't want to make it, or just use plain Greek yogurt. I rarely measure, so feel free to season to taste. This is delicious with ground Wisconsin-raised Icelandic lamb or mutton, but you can use cubed lamb, skewered and grilled, too.

Middle Eastern Lamb Bowl

Ingredients:

Meat

• 1 pound of lamb or mutton, ground
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ onion, diced
• 1 T olive oil
• 2 tsp Penzey’s Turkish Seasoning
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Turmeric Rice

• 1 c. jasmine rice, rinsed until water is clear
• 1 ½ c chicken stock
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ onion, diced
• 1 T butter or ghee
• 1 T olive oil
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

• 1c plain Greek yogurt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 4” English cucumber, shredded and squeezed dry with paper towel
• 1 T olive oil
• Salt to taste

Additional garnishes

• Halved kalamata olives
• Diced tomatoes
• Sliced cucumber
• Crumbled feta

Prep ingredients for easy cooking flow – mince garlic, chop onion, dice tomato, shred cucumber and squeeze dry in paper towel, slice cucumber for bowl.

In a sauce pan, melt butter/ghee and heat up with olive oil. Add the diced onion and cook until soft, add garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add rice and turmeric and stir until coated. Add chicken stock and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to low and cook for 15 minutes.

Heat up olive oil in skillet. Sautee onion set aside for lamb until soft. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add lamb and brown. Drain fat, and then add 2 tsp of Turkish seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

 Take last clove of garlic and put in a bowl. Cover with salt and mash with back of spoon. Add yogurt, shredded cucumber, lemon juice, olive oil and stir. Taste and add salt as needed.

 Assemble bowls – rice, lamb, tomato, feta, cucumber, and kalamata olives. Serve with a side of pita and hummus. Dig in!