Greek Lamb Souvlaki, Garlicky bean mash and Tzaziki

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Delicious lamb skewers, perfect for any occasion.

Makes about 8 – 10 Skewers

INGREDIENTS:  Lamb Souvlaki

  • 2 lbs. lamb, cubed,  cut from leg or shoulder
  • 5 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic, grated
  • 1/4 tsp. Chili flakes
  • 1/2 lemon (juice)
  • 1 tbsp. fresh Oregano, or 2 tsp. dried
  • 1 tbsp. fresh Thyme, leafs only, or 2 tsp. dried
  • 1/2 tsp. dried mint (dried works better than fresh in this case)
  • 1/2 tsp smoked sweet paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 10 metal or wooden skewers (soak wooden)

INGREDIENTS:  Tzaziki sauce

  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/4 of a cup extra virgin olive oil
  • IMG_128018 oz. thick Greek yogurt
  • a squeeze of lemon juice
  • a pinch of salt

INGREDIENTS Garlicky Bean mash 

  • 2 cans of white beans
  • 1 tbsp. + 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped fine
  • 5 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 sprig of rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. chicken stock powder

INSTRUCTIONS:Lamb Souvlaki

  1. Prepare the marinade for the lamb Souvlaki. Soak the skewers if they are wooden to prevent burning.
  2. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients without the salt! Adding the salt at this stage would result in dry meat as it will extract the moisture from the lamb.
  3. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate overnight for the best result. If you are in a hurry, just marinate while you prepare your coals.
  4. Remove the lamb from the marinade and thread the pieces onto your wooden or metal skewers. Season the lamb generously with salt just before grilling.
  5. When the coals are covered in a thin layer of grey ash, it’s time to grill. Make sure there are no flames. Grill the lamb for about 4-5 minutes, (depending on how big you’ve cut the cubes), turning to grill evenly.

Tip: Place Pita bread or flat bread on the Bbq to heat up for a minute or two. Serve with a Greek Salad and Tzaziki

INSTRUCTIONS: Tzaziki

  1. Remove the skin and the seeds of the cucumber and grate it into a large bowl. Season with salt and leave aside for 10 minutes.
  2. Wrap the grated cucumber in a towel and squeeze as hard as you can to remove the liquid. Place the cucumber in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients.
  3. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Leave to chill for a while in the fridge if you can. Left overs must be stored in the fridge.

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INSTRUCTIONS: Garlicky Bean Mash

  1. Start by frying 4 garlic slices for decorating the bean mash.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a little saucepan. Peel and slice the cloves of garlic in thin slices.
  3. Fry gently in the oil until golden. Be careful not to burn them as they will taste very bitter. It should take about 3  minutes on medium heat. Remove from oil and transfer to kitchen paper to drain. Pour the oil into a little bowl and reserve. We will add this to the mash later.
  4. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan a gently fry the onion until golden, about four minutes. Add the sprig of rosemary and the remaining garlic. Fry for another minute before adding the cumin and the drained beans.
  5. Cook the beans for about 10 minutes adding a little water if necessary. Remove from heat. Also remove the rosemary.
  6. Transfer to food processor. Process until the mash is smooth. Add one tablespoon of water and 1 tablespoon of the reserved garlic infused oil. Return to pan to heat up gently if necessary.
  7. Put in a bowl and drizzle with some of the remaining oil and scatter over the fried garlic slices. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

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Not quite what you’re looking for? How about this Skewered Chicken Ras el Hanout on home made Flatbread with Sun dried Tomato Hummus and Garlic Dill Yoghurt dip.

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