Easter dinner was always ham when I was growing up. My favorite part was the pineapple rings my mom would put on it with a maraschino cherry stuck in each center. And I loved her scalloped potatoes. I was never much interested in the ham part of the dinner. When Eric & I moved far away from the families and couldn’t make it home for Easter weekends, I was fine with him making something other than ham for Easter dinner. We didn’t have any special traditional items that we would make for the holiday. We would experiment with something new every year.
For the past few years, a lamb dish has been our choice for Easter dinner. I had never eaten lamb before Eric made it for me. It has always been one of his favorites. Sheep have long been a dietary staple as well as a textile source in Asia, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. In the Middle Ages, farmers learned that sheep was the most productive crop, providing meat, wool for clothing, skins for parchment and milk for butter and cheese. The first sheep were brought to North America by Spanish soldiers under the command of Cortez in 1519.
Lamb is a popular menu item for Easter and Passover. Last year, our Easter lamb dish was Herb Crusted Leg of Lamb. This year, we are going with some lamb chops.
Minted Lamb Chops
Minted Lamb Chops (adapted from The Low-FODMAP 28-Day Plan: A Healthy Cookbook with Gut-Friendly Recipes for IBS Relief from Rockridge Press)
4 lamb loin chops- 1/4 cup garlic oil
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- dash cayenne pepper
Preheat the broiler to high. Place the lamp chops on a broiler pan. In a small bowl, mix the mint, cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper & cayenne pepper, just until combined. Add in the garlic oil and mix until you have a uniform paste.
Mix all the spices & mint together before adding the oil.
Spread the mixture on the top side of each lamb chop and allow them to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Coat one side of each chop with the spice mixture.
Broil the chops, turning once after about 5 or 6 minutes, until they are browned on both sides and the meat reaches an internal temperature of 145º, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
A wonderful Easter tradition!
Happy Easter weekend! ~Linda
Minted Lamb Chops (adapted from The Low-FODMAP 28-Day Plan: A Healthy Cookbook with Gut-Friendly Recipes for IBS Relief from Rockridge Press)
- 4 lamb loin chops
- 1/4 cup garlic oil
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- dash cayenne pepper
Preheat the broiler to high. Place the lamp chops on a broiler pan. In a small bowl, mix the mint, cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper & cayenne pepper, just until combined. Add in the garlic oil and mix until you have a uniform paste. Spread the mixture on the top side of each lamb chop and allow them to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Broil the chops, turning once after about 5 or 6 minutes, until they are browned on both sides and the meat reaches an internal temperature of 145º, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.