Sardinian lamb and couscous

Even though this is a really fast meal to prepare, it’s got the look and flavors of a show-off meal. I wouldn’t hesitate to serve it to anyone except my vegetarian friends! Above is a picture of the meat and vegetables in a heavy skillet, and below is a picture of it plated on top of the couscous.



Sardinian Lamb and Couscous

Olive oil
1/3 c pinenuts

3 cloves of garlic, chopped
Onion, chopped
Cauliflower (I used the orange variety), chopped
3 T lemon juice
2 t thyme
Salt and pepper

Small can of crushed tomatoes
2 c chicken stock
1/2 c currents
1 to 1-1/2 lbs lamb, cubed

1 to 1-1/2 c couscous (alternative: pre-cooked rice)
1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped

In a large heavy skillet (with a lid), brown the pinenuts in olive oil for a few minutes, and remove from the skillet. Set aside. Cook garlic through salt and pepper in the frying pan, adding more oil if needed. Add ingredients one at a time cooking for a total of about 10 minutes. Add canned tomatoes through lamb to the pan and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the couscous to the pan and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add more liquid if needed. Stir in the pinenuts and a bit more lemon juice if needed. Depending upon your preferences, you can add enough liquid to make this dish stew-like and serve it in bowls, or you can add enough couscous to soak up the liquid and serve it on plates. Garnish with parsley.

As a summer-time alternative, grill the lamb on skewers on the barbecue instead of stewing it.