Lamb for Easter

In 2012 my family visited New York City for Spring Break. We stayed near Central Park

While we were there on our short stay, we noticed a longer than usual line at the food truck nearest the hotel. We walked around the city a bit (Madison Square Garden, Central Park) and didn't see another truck with such a long line. So on our way out of town, we decided to try a gyro from that particular truck and it was DELICIOUS! We speculated as to why these gyros were so delicious, and decided they must contain lamb meat.

Fast forward to last Easter, and I learned that my family was tired of ham! Imagine that. Well, that got me to thinking about Easter and what other kind of dish could I cook, when I thought about the delicious lamb in NYC. And the symbolism of lamb (of God) and Easter somehow appealed to me.

I went online and found this recipe for a lamb dish that I could make in a Dutch Oven. I'm not sure how I found this recipe, but it is credited to J.M. Hirsh, food editor for the AP, and blogger at LunchBoxBlues.com. The name pretty much says it all. It contains lamb, garbanzo beans, rosemary and tomatoes.

I was worried that I wouldn't like the garbanzo beans, as I don't usually like their consistency whole (hummus I love.) I also was afraid the rosemary would be overpowering, but it wasn't, and the garbanzo beans were not firm and waxy, but fell apart in my mouth. I used half as much lamb as the original recipe (2 lbs), but the rest was the same, and the results were tender and delightful.

This recipe is fairly easy. A little chopping, open the cans, and cook it up in about 15 minutes. The hardest part was separating and browning the lamb. Then for 2 hours you can let it cook and take in the aroma of your upcoming meal.

Enjoy!

Rosemary Lamb Tagine with Chickpeas and Tomatoes

Serves 8

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 head garlic, minced

1 lb ground lamb

2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

15 oz can chopped or diced tomatoes

15 oz can chickpeas, drained

¾ cup chicken broth

salt and ground black pepper

1 lemon, cut into wedges

chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

plain Greek yogurt, to serve

Directions:

In the base of a tagine or large Dutch Oven over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the onions and garlic, then saute until tender and lightly browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the lamb and brown on all sides, about 15 minutes.

Stir in the rosemary, tomatoes, chickpeas and broth, then bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to maintain a bare simmer and let cook for 2 hours, or until the lamb is fork tender.

Season with salt and pepper, then divide between serving plates. Squeeze 1 or 2 lemon wedges over each serving, then top with parsley and a dollop of yogurt.