June 17, 2018

The Ultimate Summer Dinner Party

Summer is among us, and what better way to ring in the new season than with a BBQ get-together with all my favorite friends and family. Think cozy outdoor vibes with set menus, red wine sangria, sun, and delicious food grilled over the BBQ. We made a selection of American Lamb Kabob skewers, American Lamb Koftas and roasted vegetables to go along with it.

These recipes are easy to cook (so you can spend time with your guests instead of worrying
about what’s next in the kitchen!), pack a punch of flavor and will impress anyone and everyone!
All you need is some American Lamb (you can find this in Whole Foods, literally the best quality
lamb EVER and makes for the perfect BBQ meat because it’s SO versatile and delicious) and
your favorite summer ingredients to whip up the perfect Summer Dinner Party. Thank me later.
Now… onto the menu + recipes.

We set up an outdoor tables-scape, with a low table on the floor with pillows & blankets filled throughout.

My cousin just had her baby girl, so we laid out a few more large blankets and played all day with her while we cooked and ate!

SO delicious!

Appetizers

bruschetta bar
seared ahi tuna lettuce cups
red wine sangria

Mains

spicy lamb koftas, lamb kabobs, vegetable kabobs with summer israeli salad with bell peppers & herbs. Roasted onions, tomatoes and jalapeño with sangkak and rice

Dips

sumac aoili with dill, roasted beets
with lebneh, cilantro chutney

Dessert

fresh farmers market fruits with vanilla ice cream

See below for the recipes from my summer dinner party + get cookin’!

Spicy Lamb Kofta Skewers

Ingredients

2 lbs Ground American Lamb
2 yellow onions minced
5-6 cloves Garlic, minced
1 T pepper
1 T salt
1 bunch Parsley
1 bunch mint
1 bunch cilantro
1/4th tsp Cayenne
½ t Chile flakes

Directions

Prep your marinade by finely chopping up your mint, parsley and cilantro. Mince your garlic and onions.

Next, take your ground lamb and mix in your minced onions, minced garlic, pepper, salt, the chopped parsley, mint, cilantro and add cayenne and chili flakes. (you want this mixture pretty dry so it sticks well on the skewers).

Marinate in the fridge for 1-2 hours. Start to assemble by placing on your skewers, hugging tightly all around with your hands and pinching the edges where the meat meets the stick, so it stays tight when cooking and doesn’t fall apart.

Heat a BBQ grill or skillet and add your skewers on, about 4-6 minutes on each side, until lamb is cooked through.

Cilantro Mint Chutney

Ingredients

1/3rd cup pine nuts
1 bunch large cilantro
½ -1 jalapeño depending on how spicy you like it
1 lemon juice
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
Little mint
2/3rds cup of water
½ tsp ginger powder (fresh ginger works too)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

All you have to do is place all of the above ingredients in a blender or food processor, blend and pulse until a sauce/chutney forms!

Lamb Kabob and Vegetable Skewers

Ingredients

2 T Chili flakes
2 T Paprika
2 T Garlic powder
1 T Olive oil
1 T Soy sauce
2 lb American Lamb Kabob/Stew Meat
Salt and pepper taste

Directions

For the lamb shank, its a mix of chili flakes, paprika, garlic powder, olive oil, salt and pepper and soy sauce. Mix it with your lamb stew meat and set aside to marinate for about an hour. Heat up your grill or skillet, place lamb meat on skewers with your favorite vegetables and grill and char on all sides until cooked through.

What better way to enjoy the start of summer?

The Ultimate Summer Dinner Party