5 Reasons...

...to get the March issue of Cooking Light. I tore through it last weekend, flagging about 15 recipes. Needless to say, every meal I made last week came straight from its pages. With that in mind, I wanted to share what I made last week since I didn't really create any of my own recipes!

1. Spicy Shrimp and Grits - this really was spicy and filling, and surprisingly good leftover. I think I went a little heavy on the parmesan, but it was worth it :)
2. Lamb and Chickpea Tagine - These were some unique flavors for me to use, and I even went a little heavier on the spice. Enjoyed with a zinfandel like they recommended, which was wonderful.
3. Pasta with Asparagus, Pancetta and Pine Nuts - Simple, delicious, and we ate too much. I crisped the pancetta in a skillet instead of the oven and then cooked the garlic in the drippings for extra flavor - yum :)
4. Maple and Soy-Glazed Flank Steak - this was great since I already had all the sauce ingredients in my pantry. Word of warning though, when you add the glaze, make sure not to get it on the pan or it will burn when you broil it! I'd recommend adding the glaze after the steak is done cooking.
5. Austin, TX! That's right, my sassy city has been featured in this month's Cooking Light. I haven't tried any of the recipes included on the featured restaurants yet, but I'll definitely be giving Hoover's Eggs Blindfolded over Garlic Cheddar Grits a try soon :)

Lamb Kebabs with Greek Yogurt Sauce

The great thing about living in Texas is that you can grill pretty much any time of the year. I had some Greek yogurt in the fridge, a hankering for lamb, and an itch to use the grill. What seemed more perfect that to make some tasty lamb kebabs with a Greek yogurt dipping sauce? This was a really flavorful meal that was super simple to create.

Lamb Kebabs with Greek Yogurt Sauce

Lamb
1 1/2 pounds leg of lamb, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch pieces
5 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Vegetables
10 small red potatoes, halved as needed
1 green bell pepper, halved, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
20 mushrooms
20 cherry tomatoes

First, soak about 20 wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes. Start the grill and let the coals go for 30 minutes. When skewers are ready, thread 5 to 6 pieces of lamb on 6 skewers, reserve about 15 skewers for vegetables.

Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl and brush 1/2 of the mixture over the lamb, reserving the rest for later. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Grill lamb for about 6 minutes on each side until browned and medium to medium rare in the middle.

For the vegetable kebabs, thread assorted veggies on skewers. Brush with the remaining canola oil mixture and grill 10 to 15 minutes. Be warned, the potatoes may take longer, so you may want to cook them separately to prevent scorching of the remaining vegetables.

Greek Yogurt Sauce

1/2 cup Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh oregano
2 tablespoons cilantro
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and serve on the side of lamb kebabs for dipping. Enjoy!

My Big Fat Greek Lamb Burger

My girlfriends and I like to get together for mini dinner parties from time to time, and for this occasion we were planning on catching up on the latest episode of Project Runway. In honor of the crazy challenges the contestants have to do on the show, I decided to challenge myself with something new as well-ground lamb.

I've long been intrigued by the art of the lamb burger (especially since cheeseburgers are one of my all time favorites), but for some reason I've made burgers out just about everything except lamb: beef, chicken, turkey, salmon and black beans. My boss Emily brought me some great cookbooks with several lamb burger recipes in them, so I decided to take inspiration from those and try my own recipe.

My fellow apron adventurer Karen

Ingredients
Oven fries
2 russet potatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil
Cumin

Lamb Burger
3/4 lb. ground lamb
1 shallot, diced, divided
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons cumin
2 roma tomatoes, diced, divided
Fresh mint, divided
Salt and pepper
6 ounces fresh spinach
1 cup button mushrooms
Feta cheese
4 whole wheat pitas

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash potatoes and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Place in a foil-lined baking sheet and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle cumin on as well, about 1 1/2 tablespoons. Drizzle with olive oil, about 1/3 cup. Toss to evenly coat potatoes. Bake in oven about 20 minutes.

Spray a skillet with cooking spray and place on medium high heat. Combine lamb, 1/3 cup shallot, garlic, cumin, 1 diced tomato, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint and salt and pepper in a bowl. Shape into 4 patties. Place patties in skillet and cook 5 minutes on one side; flip and cook until done on other side (about 4 or 5 minutes).

In the meantime place a smaller skillet on a medium heat burner. Saute remaining shallot and mushrooms 3 minutes. Add spinach and fresh mint. Stir around and place lid on skillet to wilt spinach, about 2-3 minutes.

Warm pitas and then add patties (but into chunks for easier eating), spinach mushroom mix, feta cheese and extra tomato.

The final table including champagne (because you can't watch Project Runway without it!)

So now my question for you - what's your favorite kind of burger?