Mt. Olympus Lamb Chops

My sister Michele sent me some fabulous salts and seasonings. When I opened the package I was so excited to find these very special seasonings.
One of the seasonings she sent is Mt. Olympus Greek Style Seasoning.  Michele loves lamb, and she swore that this seasoning would transform a chop into something fabulous!

Here's what I did to make the lamb chops.

2 tablespoons of Mt. Olympus Greek Style Seasoning
3-4 cloves crushed garlic
3-4 tablespoons of fine minced onion
1 teaspoon of dried rosemary
1/2 cup of olive oil
Juice from 3 lemons
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all together and then let the lamb chops sit in the marinade. It will be more like a paste.  Let them rest in the mixture for at least an hour, and then flip them over and let them rest for another 1/2 hour or so. I like to let my meat stand at room temperature before cooking.
Put the lamb chops on a baking sheet and place them in a 425 degree preheated oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes turn the chops over and bake another 10 minutes. These chops were a good 1 1/2 inch thick. My family likes them medium to medium rare. If you prefer them to be cooked at a different temperature, just keep them in the oven a few more minutes.
Take them out of the oven and let them rest for a few minutes. (This rarely ever happens in my house. )
Place the lamb chops on a platter and serve with some fresh sliced lemon.
I served these with some fresh spinach and a rutabaga and leek puree.  Very yummy!

Enjoy!
Buon Appetito
xoxoxo
Lorraine

Gyros

I can't believe my baby daughter, Zoe is leaving for college in two days.  If you looked in her bedroom right now you wouldn't think she is going anywhere. Clothes are thrown all over the floor, her closets are busting with articles of clothing spilling out, and let's not even talk about what's under her bed. It makes me crazy! Oddly enough it really doesn't bother her at all. I know that when she leaves she'll be taking what she wants, leaving behind an enormous mess for someone else to clean up!
Zoe has always had an eclectic palate. She has always loved soup. Always wants to eat soup. She can eat soup every day for every meal, and she adores oatmeal! Normal food, right? But in the same breath while asking me to make chicken soup, or Beef with Barley Soup (her favorite), she could easily ask me to make octopus salad, calamari with linguini, cavetelli with broccoli or osso bucco!
I had asked family to come over on Sunday so they could see her off before she leaves.  I thought it would be nice to include her in the planning of the menu. I wasn't totally surprised when she asked for a Greek themed meal. I was actually thrilled! She wanted lamb gyros, with tzadziki sauce ( a sauce made from greek yogurt and cucumbers), spanakopite ( a spinach pie) , saganaki (cheese), and a salad.

I purchased a boneless leg of lamb and marinated it over night in a homemade buttermilk ranch dressing. I know some of you may be cringing at this thought, but I have to tell you that it really tenderizes the meat and adds some excellent flavor.  I also seasoned the leg of lamb with salt and pepper, and a chopped onion!

I cooked the lamb until it reached an internal temperature of 140 degrees (This will be medium rare)  and then let it rest for a little bit. I tented the lamb with foil to retain the heat. It continues to cook a little bit this way too. It was delicious, juicy and cooked to perfection!

The lamb was sliced thin, and then the assembly of a gyro went into action. The Pita was grilled on an open flame.  The tzadziki sauce was slathered on the grilled pita. Lamb was piled on with tomatoes, red onion, cucumber and feta cheese. YUM!  For those of you who don't like lamb, try making a gyro with chicken or pork. You'll be glad you did!

Thanks for stopping by!
Kali Orexi!
xoxoxo
Lorriane