Aegean Lamb With Orzo Recipes

AEGEAN LAMB WITH ORZO

Steps:

• Trim fat from lamb. Place lamb in an electric slow cooker, and sprinkle with oregano, rind, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
• Pour in juice; top lamb with spinach. Cover with lid; cook on high heat for 1 hour. Reduce heat setting to low; cook 7 hours.
• Remove spinach and lamb from slow cooker, reserving cooking liquid; cool. Remove meat from bones; discard bones, fat, and gristle. Chop meat.
• Place a zip-top plastic bag inside a 2-cup glass measure. Pour drippings into bag, and let stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top).
• Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag.
• Drain drippings into a large bowl, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat.
• Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, lamb, spinach, orzo, and feta to strained drippings.
• Garnish with oregano sprigs and lemon slices, if desired.

BAKED LAMB AND ORZO (ARNI YOUVETSI)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Rub the lamb with olive oil and sprinkle very liberally with salt and pepper. Sear the lamb in a heavy bottomed skillet. Transfer to a casserole dish.
• Add a little olive oil to the skillet, then add the onions. Cook until tender, then stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook until they start to become incorporated with the onions. Add the diced tomatoes and broth and bring to a boil; season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the liquid to the lamb casserole. Cover it and bake until the lamb is very tender, about 2 hours 30 minutes.
• Add the orzo and stir. Add some hot water if it starts to look dry and continue to bake, uncovered, until the orzo is cooked, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Serve pieces of the lamb alongside the orzo and top generously with your choice of cheese.

ORZO WITH LAMB, LIMA BEANS AND FETA

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until tender, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper. Add to Dutch oven and stir until lamb begins to color, about 5 minutes. Add wine and tomatoes with their juices, breaking up tomatoes with spoon. Simmer uncovered until sauce is thick and lamb is tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Add lima beans and simmer until just tender, about 15 minutes. Add marjoram and season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before serving.)
• Cook orzo in large pot of rapidly boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain orzo well. Transfer to large bowl. Spoon lamb stew over. Sprinkle with feta cheese and serve.

GREEK EASTER ROAST LAMB AND ORZO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Place lamb in a roasting pan. Add mashed tomatoes, onion, olive oil, oregano, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Combine and make sure lamb is well coated. Cover pan with a lid or aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 3 hours. Remove from the oven and remove aluminum foil; leave oven on.
• Add water and orzo directly to the roasting pan. Return to the hot oven and bake until pasta is cooked and very little liquid remains, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Add feta cheese and mix until melted and combined.

GREEK LAMB WITH ORZO

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Cut the lamb into 4cm chunks, then spread over the base of a large, wide casserole dish. Add the onions, oregano, cinnamon sticks, ground cinnamon and olive oil, then stir well. Bake, uncovered, for 45 mins, stirring halfway.
• Pour over the chopped tomatoes and stock, cover tightly, then return to the oven for 1½ hrs, until the lamb is very tender.
• Remove the cinnamon sticks, then stir in the orzo. Cover again, then cook for a further 20 mins, stirring halfway through. The orzo should be cooked and the sauce thickened. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and serve with crusty bread.

GREEK LAMB AND ORZO

Steps:

• Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the lamb, and cook until browned and no longer pink, breaking up into crumbles, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and their juice, celery, orzo, salt, cayenne pepper, and garlic. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the orzo is tender and has absorbed the liquid from the tomatoes, about 12 minutes.

LAMB BAKED WITH ORZO

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add lamb, working in batches if necessary, and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Return lamb to skillet and add pureed tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, and sugar; season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium nonstick skillet. Add orzo and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer orzo to a large baking dish or six individual sized baking dishes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Transfer lamb mixture to baking dish or dishes with orzo. Carefully add hot water to dish and cover with parchment paper-lined aluminum foil. Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet and transfer to oven; bake for 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove baking dish from oven and top lamb with tomato slices and cheese; season with salt and pepper. Return to oven and bake, uncovered, adding a little more water if necessary, until liquid is almost completely absorbed and pasta is al dente, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately with more cheese, if desired.

GREEK LAMB AND ORZO

Steps:

• Cook lamb in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomatoes, celery, pasta, salt and red pepper. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low.
• Cover and simmer about 12 minutes, stirring frequently, until tomato liquid is absorbed and orzo is tender. Serve with yogurt.

"GREEK" LAMB WITH ORZO

Steps:

• In a good sized Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pan, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat until it is shimmering. Add the lamb and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a good grinding of black pepper. Cook, stirring to break it apart, until it is nicely browned. Remove the lamb with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate, reserving 2 tablespoons of the fat.
• Return the pot to the stovetop and add olive oil and the onion (still over medium-high). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic. Stir in the spices (cinnamon, oregano, cumin, coriander, and red pepper)and cook until they start smelling toasted and fragrant (1 to 2 minutes). Stir in the whole tomatoes, crushed by hand. Cook the crushed tomatoes in the spices, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Then, add the can of diced tomatoes and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
• Add the cooked lamb back to the pot, give it a good stir, then cover the pot and leave it to cook, stirring from time to time, for 20 minutes. At this point, stir in the fresh spinach and cook just a couple more minutes until the spinach is wilted. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste (keeping in mind you'll be sprinkling a touch of feta and olives on, which will add to the saltiness). While the lamb and tomatoes are simmering together and marrying their flavors, bring a large pot of well-salted water (it should taste like sea water) to a boil. Add the orzo and cook until al dente, about 7 or 8 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.
• Drain the orzo. Toss the orzo with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the lemon juice, and all of the parsley, adding a bit of pasta water at a time, if you feel it needs additional liquid.Spread the orzo out on an enormous serving platter. Spoon the lamb and sauce all over the top, then sprinkle with the feta and chopped olives. A good red wine, on the dry side, is a highly recommended companion here.

LAMB WITH ORZO

Steps:

• Cut roast in half. Place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Drizzle with lemon juice. Sprinkle with the garlic, oregano, lemon zest and salt. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until meat is tender. , Cook orzo according to package directions. Remove lamb from slow cooker. Shred meat with two forks; set aside and keep warm. , Skim fat from cooking juices if necessary; return 1 cup cooking juices to slow cooker. Add one package of spinach. Cook on high for 5-10 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Drain orzo; add to spinach mixture. Stir in reserved meat and 1/2 cup feta cheese. , To serve, arrange remaining fresh spinach on nine individual plates. Top with lamb mixture. Sprinkle each with remaining feta cheese.

GREEK LAMB WITH ORZO

Steps:

• In a stew pot over medium heat, heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil until it shimmers. Add onion, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and oregano, and saute 5-10 minutes, until onion is soft and translucent. Add garlic and saute 30 sec until fragrant. Transfer to a bowl.
• Add remaining oil to pot and heat until shimmering. Add lamb and brown on all sides. Return onion mixture to pot. Squish the tomatoes between your fingers to crush them thoroughly. Add tomatoes and red wine to pot, and add just enough water or stock to cover the lamb.
• Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook 2-3 hours. If the meat has bones, remove them and discard. Add orzo and simmer 10-15 minutes more, until orzo is tender. Season with salt and pepper and serve.