Celebrate the start of spring with sauteed lamb

With thoughts of spring, ten- der lamb gently sauteed and served with fresh mint rice is a perfect quick dinner. Cubes of lamb cut from the leg are best for this recipe. You may have to ask the meat depart- ment to cut the lamb for you. To save time, go to the meat department first and ask for lamb cut from the leg or for sh ishka bob lamb. You can do the rest of your shopping while they prepare your order.

This dish works best with a light tomato sauce made from fresh tomatoes. Ripe plum tomatoes are the best type to use at this time of year.

Fresh mint with cool cucumbers gives the rice a bright flavor and crunchy texture.

Helpful hints:

■ To save washing an extra bowl, mix the yogurt sauce for the rice in a serving bowl. Then simply toss cooked rice right in the same bowl.

■ A quick way to chop mint, is to wash, dry and snip the leaves with a scissors right off the stem. Countdown:

■ Pre parerice.

■ While rice boils, prepare other ingredients.

■ Complete rice dish and then sauté lamb.

Shopping list:

To buy: 3/4 pound defatted, lamb cubes (cut from leg ),6 to 8r ipe plum tomatoes, 1 bottle dried rosemary, 1 package microwave brown rice, 1 cucumber, 1 bunch fresh mint and 1 cart on nonfat, plain yogurt.

Staples: olive oil, garlic, salt and black peppercorns.