Grilled Lamb Loin Chops with Mint Sauce

Savory grilled lamb with a bright and herbaceous sauce

We invited our friends over for an Easter lunch yesterday and it was a beautiful spring day for grilling in our backyard. To me, you must serve lamb on Easter, and these grilled chops were a nice update from the traditional roasted lamb with mint jelly. I used lamb loin chops instead of the lollipop-style rib chops because I think they have more meat and flavor. The grilled lamb gets a nice char from the hot grill and bone-in cut helps it stay juicy. The mint and parsley sauce is bright from the lemon and fresh herbs and helps to cut through all the richness of the meat. It's the perfect dish for entertaining this spring and pairs well with fresh vegetable sides.


More Lamb Recipes:
- Crispy Lentils & Lamb
- Spiced Herbed Lamb Chops
- Lamb Bolognese


Grilled Lamb Loin Chops with Mint-Parsley Sauce:
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 to 3 lbs. bone-in lamb loin chops
- 1 lemon, zested and 2 tbsp. juice reserved
- 3/4 c. tightly-packed mint leaves
- 1/2 c. tightly-packed parsley leaves
- 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 garlic clove
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- aluminum foil

Recipe

• An hour before cooking, remove the lamb chops from the fridge and allow to sit at room temperature. Brush both sides of the lamb with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
• In a food processor, combine the mint, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and garlic and blend until a paste forms.
• Add in the olive oil and blend until smooth. Set aside.*
• Preheat your grill to high.
• Cook the lamb for 8-10 minutes, turning every 2 minutes, for medium doneness.
• Let the lamb rest, loosely tented with foil, for 10 minutes. Drizzle with the mint sauce and serve the rest on the side.

Serves four-five

*Can be made a day ahead and stored, covered, in a cool, dry place.

Little Gem Salad with Creamy Lemon Dressing

This quick side salad is the perfect mix of creamy and crunchy

Lately, I've been favoring sturdy lettuces in my salads instead of tender baby greens. There are tons of varieties of lettuce available at the grocery store and farmers markets nowadays, so you don't have to choose iceberg if you're looking for green with some crunch. My current favorite is little gem lettuce, which is like a mini version of romaine. Because it's less delicate than mixed greens, heartier lettuce can and should take on a heavier dressing. This creamy lemon dressing gets a richness from heavy cream but still feels light from the lemon juice. It's a great pairing with crunchy radishes and soft avocado and makes a lovely side salad to almost any main course.


Note: You can substitute little gem lettuce with romaine hearts and cream with creme fraiche or plain yogurt if needed.


Related Recipes:
- Green Salad with Grapefruit, Fennel, & Avocado
- Spring Pea Salad with Pea Shoots & Radish
- Butter Lettuce, Radish, & Gorgonzola Salad


Little Gem Salad with Radish, Avocado, & Creamy Lemon-Garlic Dressing:
Ingredients
- 4 heads little gem lettuce, chopped
- 6 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 ripe avocado, thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
- 2 tsp. heavy cream
- 1 tsp. dijon mustard
- kosher salt
- black pepper

Recipe

• In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, mustard, and a pinch of salt and pepper, until smooth.
• Slowly whisk in the cream and then the olive oil. Taste for seasoning.
• Add the lettuce and radish to a large mixing bowl and toss with the dressing.
• Arrange slices of avocado on top and top with freshly ground black pepper.
• Serve immediately.

Serves two-four (side dish)

Spicy Calamari Pasta

Linguine tossed with a quick and spicy tomato sauce and squid

This pasta is a weeknight winner to add the rotation of quick post-work dinners. It starts with a base of spicy tomato sauce, which the squid quickly simmers in before everything gets tossed with linguine. If you don't have much experience eating or cooking with squid, this is a great beginner recipe. The calamari has a similar texture to the al dente pasta and the spicy sauce tempers its flavor without overpowering it. To cook the squid, all you need to do is simmer it in the sauce for five minutes - just make sure not to overcook it or it will turn rubbery! This recipe is adapted from Williams-Sonoma's blog, which I've really been enjoying lately.

Note: You should be able to find squid that's already cleaned in the seafood section of good grocery stores. Buying cleaned squid will save you a ton of time and effort, and you can even ask your fishmonger to cut the bodies into rings for you.


More Calamari Recipes:
- Serrano-Lime Squid & Bok Choy Stir-Fry
- Linguine with Calamari, Shrimp, & Asparagus
- Grilled Japanese-Style Squid


Spicy Calamari Pasta:
Ingredients
- 1 lb. linguine pasta
- 1 lb. calamari, cleaned, bodies sliced into thin rings and tentacles left whole
- 1 small yellow onion, minced
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 c. bottled clam juice
- 6 oz. tomato paste
- 1/2 c. white wine
- 1/4 c. olive oil
- 3/4 tsp. red chile flakes
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- handful of minced parsley
- kosher salt

Recipe

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and add in the onion, garlic, oregano and red chile flakes.
• Cook, stirring often, for 4-5 minutes, or until softened but not brown.
• Add in the tomato paste and 1/4 tsp. salt and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the paste turns a slightly rusty color.
• Add the wine and let reduce for 2-3 minutes, then add the clam juice, lower to a simmer, and cook for 15-20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, season with salt, and cook the pasta until al dente.
• During the last 5 minutes that the pasta cooks, add the calamari to the pan with the sauce and cook until opaque.
• Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 c. pasta cooking liquid, and add the pasta to the sauce.
• Toss everything together, adding pasta water to moisten if needed.
• Check for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
• Divide onto plates and garnish with parsley.

Serves four-five