Mediterranean Lamb Kebabs

When I’m feeling the need for red meat this is one of my go-to recipes. In Los Angeles where I live, it’s easy to find reasonably priced high quality New Zealand and Australian grass fed lamb. Grass fed organic ground beef would work with this recipe too, but I’m a fan of lamb.

This recipe for Mediterranean ground lamb kebabs is easy to prepare and delicious. It pairs well with my cauliflower "couscous" recipe. Lamb is high in omega-3 and omega-6 and an excellent lean source of protein. This recipe is low calorie and works well with these diets: keto, paleo, Whole30, anti inflammatory, anti-cancer, gluten-free. The spices turmeric, ginger and cinnamon have cancer fighting properties.

You can grill them on an outdoor grill but I use a cast iron stovetop grill. It’s much more convenient and it’s always good to cook on iron and introduce more iron into your food, particularly if you tend to be anemic as I was during the chemo phase of my treatment for breast cancer.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp salt + 1 pinch

1 lb grass fed ground lamb

3 tbsp grated onion

2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp ground ginger

freshly ground black pepper

olive oil, for brushing the kebabs and grill

skewers - wooden or metal

Preparation

Mix garlic, salt, meat, onion, parsley and spices. If using wooden skewers, soak them handle side down in a glass of water for at least 15 minutes.

Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Divide the meat mixture into 28 balls - using a meatball scoop if you have one. Mold each one into a 2” oval. Thread 3 or 4 on each skewer, making sure to cover the point. Lay the threaded skewers on the pan, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.

Before cooking them brush the kebabs with a little oil, and heat the grill pan or outdoor grill. Brush grill lightly with oil. Cook over medium heat being careful not to burn or brown them too much — this can introduce potential carcinogens and we don’t want that!

Working in batches, grill the kebabs and turn occasionally until they are brown all over and just cooked, approximately 6 minutes. Overcooking will dry them out.

Transfer to a serving platter and serve with cauliflower “couscous” or real couscous if gluten isn’t a problem. Other sides that pair well are tzaziki, if you’re eating dairy, kalamata olives, Israeli salad and fresh flat breads. Below is the finished dish served with cauliflower “couscous.”