Greek Lamb Pilaf

I wasn't expecting this meal to be as awesome as it turned out.  For me, this is comfort food at it's finest and a perfect fall dish.  It only takes about a half hour to cook if you chop up stuff ahead of time and you can make it in one pan.  The leftovers didn't last long in our house!

If you're not a big fan of lamb or haven't tried it before, lean ground lamb is a good introduction to the flavor without it being overbearing.  If you're particularly averse, you could use lean ground beef in its place.  The dish is gluten free (as long as you use GF broth) and the nutrition information from Cooking Light says this is about 440 calories/serving and 26 grams of protein.

Greek Lamb Pilaf (4 servings)

(from Cooking Light 6/08)

2 c. chopped onion (about 1 large)

3/4 c. chopped carrot (about 1 large)

3 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 pound lean ground lamb

1 c. uncooked long-grain rice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 (14 oz) can chicken broth (low-sodium)

1 c. chopped plum tomato (about 1)

1/4 c. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 T chopped fresh mint

3 T fresh lemon juice

3/4 tsp. salt

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Add first 4 ingredients to pan; cook 5 minutes, stirring to crumble lamb.  Stir in rice and cinnamon and saute for 2 minutes.  Stir in chicken broth; bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Remove from heat; stir in chopped tomato, parsley, mint, lemon juice and salt.  Cover and let stand 5 minutes before serving.