Photo by Deb Lindsey for The Washington Post
This is a simple, sumptuous plate of lemony pea hummus topped with marinated, grilled lamb, garnished with fresh mint leaves. You’ll need to soak short wooden or bamboo skewers for 10 minutes before grilling the lamb, which also can be cooked on an outdoor grill. Serve with warm whole-grain pita for a satisfying, quick weeknight dinner.
Make Ahead: The meat can be marinated (in the refrigerator) up to 8 hours in advance. The pea hummus can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Pea Hummus With Grilled Marinated Lamb
Ingredients
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds lean lamb tenderloin or leg meat, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 pound (3 cups) fresh shelled or frozen, defrosted peas
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
Directions
Combine 2 tablespoons of the oil, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, half of the garlic, the cumin, crushed red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper in a medium bowl. Add the lamb and toss to coat thoroughly. Let it sit as you prepare the hummus, or cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.
To make the pea hummus, if using fresh peas, boil them until tender, 6 to 10 minutes; drain and allow to cool. Place the peas in a food processor with the remaining 4 tablespoons of lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of the oil, the tahini, the remaining garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of water; puree until smooth.
Soak 12 wooden skewers in water for 10 minutes, and preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Thread 3 or 4 pieces of meat onto each skewer, then grill, turning once or twice, until the meat is cooked to medium-rare and grill marks have formed, about 6 minutes total.
To serve, spread about 1/3 cup of the pea hummus on each plate. Top with 2 lamb skewers. Garnish with the mint and drizzle each plate with 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining oil.
Serve warm.
Makes 6 servings
Per serving: Calories 370; Total Fat 23 g; (Sat Fat 5 g); Protein 28 g; Carb 14 g; Fiber 4 g; Cholesterol 70 mg; Sodium 390 mg
