Lovely Lamb Chops & Salad

Makes 2-4 serves

Ingredients

• ¼ cup olive oil • Juice of 1 lemon (about ¼ cup lemon juice) • 2 teaspoons dried oregano, or ½ cup chopped fresh • 4 cloves garlic • light pinch of salt (optional) • ½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper • 8 lamb chops • 1 tablespoon of olive oil for cooking Salad: • ½ lettuce • 2 tomatoes • 1 red onion • ½ cucumber • 4 sprigs of parsley • 1 avocado (optional)

Method

Using paper towels, pat chops dry and discard any shards or bone fragments. Squeeze the lemon. Finely chop or mince the garlic. Mix the ¼ cup of olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, garlic and pepper in bowl. Arrange lamb chops in the bowl with the mixture, making sure the mixture covers all of the lamb, rubbing it into the meat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for 30 minutes, or for a deeper flavour, marinate overnight in the refrigerator, turning the chops from time to time (Chops will be even better if they are left to marinate in the mixture overnight before cooking). Before cooking, let the lamb chops sit at room temperature for 30 minutes).

“I would recommend this because anyone can do it and because there are veggies, it’s healthy. Easy to follow and understand, and you can alternate with chicken.”

Cooking options: Heat oil in a pan over high heat until the pan is just starting to smoke. Fry the lamb in the pan in 2 batches for 3-4 minutes each side, depending on thickness until done to your liking. (Usually, at 3 minutes per side for medium-rare, and at 4 minutes they are medium-well.) If your frying pan is a lightweight one, you can cook the chops under a hot grill for about the same amount of time as frying (watch closely as the fat could catch fire!). Or bake in oven, pre-heat the oven to 220°C for 15-25 minutes. Sprinkle with a little extra dried oregano for added flavour and a little extra lemon juice (optional). Wash all salad ingredients, then shred the lettuce, slice the tomato, onion, avocado, cucumber. Break up or chop the parsley, toss them into a large bowl to share. Salad Dressing Ideally you would put 4 table spoons of balsamic vinegar, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, half a teaspoon of pepper, a pinch of salt (if desired) and a clove of crushed garlic into a jar, then shake it until blended. Pour onto the salad before it separates. You may need to use just a squeeze of lemon juice or purchase a pre-prepared salad dressing, depending upon ingredient availability.