Lamb and Kalamata sausages with minted tomato sauce
Prep: 30 minutes Cook: 30 minutes
Makes: 4 to 6 servings Use coconut aminos (available at Whole Foods or on the internet) to season the dipping sauce if you are avoiding soy. Serve the kebabs with basmati rice, or try cauliflower rice sauteed with garlic, cumin, salt and crushed red pepper flakes. 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium leek, trimmed, halved, rinsed, chopped 1 can (28 ounces) unsalted crushed tomatoes, undrained 4 cloves garlic, crushed 3 tablespoons coconut aminos or 1 or 2 tablespoons soy sauce 3⁄4 teaspoon ground cumin 1⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint Salt 1 egg 1⁄2 cup panko breadcrumbs, see note 1⁄3 cup finely chopped pitted Kalamata olives 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley Finely grated zest of half a lemon 1 pound ground lamb 1wooden Immerse six 12-inch long bamboo or skewers in a dish full of water; let soak about 20 minutes.
2 Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and leek. Cook and stir until leek is softened and a bit golden on the edges, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat; transfer half of the leek to a bowl.
3 Add the tomatoes to the leek remaining in the skillet. Put over medium heat, and stir in half of the garlic, the coconut aminos (or soy), cumin and red pepper flakes. Simmer until thickened to the consistency of ketchup, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in mint, taste for seasoning, adding salt as needed. Cool. 4 Stir egg, breadcrumbs, olives, parsley, remaining garlic, lemon zest, lamb and 1 teaspoon salt into the leek in the bowl. Use clean hands to mix lightly until mixture is homogenous. Shape about 1⁄4 cup of the meat mixture into a log about 1 inch in diameter and 3 inches long. Repeat to make 12 sausage logs. Run a skewer through the long ends of the logs, putting 2 on each skewer. Place the skewers on an oiled perforated broiler pan or rack set over a baking sheet. (Uncooked sausages can be refrigerated up to several hours.) 5 Heat oven to 400 degrees on convection or 425 degrees conventional. Cook skewered sausages, turning once, until the juices run clear, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter. Serve hot with the tomato sauce on the side for dipping.
Note: If desired, substitute gluten-free old-fashioned oats for the breadcrumbs. Simply put the oats into a food processor and process with on/off turns to chop them finely before using.
Nutrition information per serving
(for 6 servings): 293 calories, 17 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 81 mg cholesterol, 18 g carbohydrates, 4 g sugar, 17 g protein, 727 mg sodium, 4 g fiber