Lamb burgers with tzatziki

Ingredients:

25g bulghar wheat
500g extra-lean lamb mince
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 garlic clove, very finely crushed (optional)
oil, for brushing
large burger buns, sliced tomato and red onion, to serve

For the tzatziki:

5cm piece cucumber, deseeded and coarsely grated
200g pot thick Greek yogurt
2 tbsp chopped mint, plus a handful of leaves to serve

Method:

1. Tip the bulghar into a pan, cover with water and boil for 10 mins. Drain really well in a sieve, pressing out any excess water.
2. To make the tzatziki, squeeze and discard the juice from the cucumber, then mix into the yogurt with the chopped mint and a little salt.
3. Work the bulghar into the lamb withthe spices, garlic (if using) and seasoning, then shape into 4 burgers. Brush with a little oil and fry or barbecue for about 5 mins each side until cooked all the way through. Serve in the buns (toasted if you like) with the tzatziki, tomatoes, onion and a few mint leaves.

Sizzling lamb koftas

Ingredients :

¼ of a red cabbage 
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 
1 tablespoon caster sugar 
50 g shelled pistachios 
1 teaspoon fennel seeds 
½ an iceberg lettuce 
50 g stale bread 
400 g minced lamb 
sweet chilli sauce 
4 small tortillas 
8 radishes 
fat-free natural yoghurt, to serve

Method :

These sizzling lamb koftas are a joy – as soon as they come off the grill they're rolled in smashed nuts and spices, before being wrapped up with pickles and crunchy veg in a soft tortilla. They're super simple to make, fulfilling, and in various shapes and sizes have been the ultimate street food for hundreds of years. These are brilliant in the summer, cooked on a barbecue to really enhance that beautiful, charred smoky flavour.

Lamb and Onion Stew

3tbsp. vegetable oil
2 lb. Lamb chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
3 c. thinly sliced onions
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1 10 1/2 -oz. can Lamb broth
1 c. water
1/4 c. red-wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 bay leaf

In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat until it begins to sizzle. Add meat and brown on all sides.
When browned, carefully remove meat with a spatula or a slotted spoon and set aside.
Put onions and garlic in the Dutch oven and cook until lightly brown.
Return meat to the Dutch oven.
Add tomato paste, Lamb broth, water, vinegar, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and bay leaf.
Mix well. Cover Dutch oven and turn heat to low.
Simmer stew about 3 to 4 hours, or until the meat is very tender.
Stir every 15 minutes to prevent meat from sticking to the Dutch oven.
The sauce will become very thick, almost like jam.
Remove bay leaf and serve.

Baklava

Greek favorite that makes everyone think you are a master chef and is sooo easy to make!! I taught a Greek friend how to make apple pie and she taught me this fabulous recipe. The phyllo dough for this recipe is found in the freezer section of most grocery stores. Add a little lemon zest to the sugar sauce, if desired." — NEONWILLIE

Ingredients

1 cup water
 1 cup white sugar
 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 1/2 cup honey
1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
 1 pound chopped nuts
 1 cup butter
 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.
Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.
Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.
Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.