Mediterranean lamb skewers

A new study published Sept 2016 at the University of California Los Angeles showed that a healthy body mass index, physical activity and Mediterranean diet delayed the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s. Another recent Australian review of 18 papers published between 2000 and 2015 showed that following Mediterranean diet was associated with better memory and less cognitive decline.

Consequently, this summer the French media has focused on these results, and many Mediterranean recipes with a new twist have been published in France.
The following recipe is adapted from a French magazine. I have somewhat modified the recipe according to my preferences, but the basic Mediterranean diet principle remains: there is less meat and the meat is complemented by the vegetable protein, from lentils in this recipe. Carré Frais , one of the ingredients in the recipe, is a soft cheese. In this recipe, I have used fat-free Carré Frais.  If you cannot find Carré Frais in your shops, replace it with Philadelphia Light cheese.

2 servings

About 200 g lean tender lamb, cut into chunks
1 small organic lemon
4 tbsp. olive oil
2 red bell peppers
1 tsp dried Provençal herbs
1 clove garlic, peeled and pressed
100 g feta
100 g Carré Frais 0% fat (or Philadelphia Light)
A small handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
100 ml brown or green lentils

Make the marinade by mixing the lemon zest, 1 tbsp. lemon juice, 3 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tsp Provençal herbs, the pressed garlic clove, and black pepper. Cut the lamb about 2,5 x 2,5 cm cubes and add to the marinade. Cover and let marinate in the fridge for a few hours.

Wash and dry the bell peppers. Cut them in halves and remove all the seeds. Roast them in the oven 210 degrees Celsius about half an hour until the skins are partly blackened. The skins are now easy to remove when the peppers have cooled down. Set the skinned peppers aside.

Cook the lentils in 400 ml water. Add the lentils in cold water in a casserole and bring to the boil. They normally need 30 minutes cooking time, add some water during the cooking if needed. Then cover and keep warm.

Make the feta-bell pepper purée with a hand-held mixer. Slice the peppers and place in a bowl. Add the feta cheese, Carré Frais, 1 tbsp. olive oil, black pepper, and most of the chopped mint leaves. Save some chopped mint leaves for decoration. Don’t make a very fine purée. Divide the purée in individual small bowls.

Thread the lamb cubes onto skewers. Grill in a medium hot grill pan, turning occasionally, until nicely browned on all sides. This will take about 7- 8 minutes for medium (still pink inside, rosé) lamb.

Divide the lamb skewers, lentils and feta- bell pepper purée bowls on the plates. Decorate with chopped mint leaves and serve a green side salad with a French dressing.