Grilled Lamb Crostini

Well, hello there! If this is your first time ever visiting this site, welcome! If this isn’t your first time, welcome back!! How do you like the new design? I am SO happy to unveil this new chapter of what was once Cheat Day to now LizeeAngel! A full lifestyle blog to give everyone who’s been asking a look into my crazy, creative mind. There will be food, fashion, beauty, more on my weight loss journey and SO much more! Thank you for your support and I’m looking forward to seeing where this goes.

To jump back into things, I am going to do a Father’s Day/Summer recipe that you can do for any BBQ or get together this summer that is sure to be a hit. The other great thing about this recipe is that the cooking time is short and the use is so versatile. Instead of crostini’s, you can serve this as the main meat in your dinner, on sandwiches or on a cheese platter. The possibilities are really endless! The other perk: There’s a video coming soon! 

I chose lamb for this Father’s Day recipe because for years I’ve been trying to get my Dad to try new foods. He’s very skeptical of new things, but I’ve never given him anything he hasn’t liked. This year, he finally tried lamb and guess what? He LOVES it! Lamb is actually one of my and my sister’s favorite foods, so we’re happy to add my Dad to the club. In this preparation, I took a boneless leg of lamb and stuffed it with fresh chopped mint, rosemary, garlic and shallots, then topped with salt and pepper, drizzled with olive oil and poured over some lavender honey.

I was actually inspired by Nancy Fuller’s Honey Braised Leg of Lamb and tweaked the proportions to match my tastes. I also decided to do this on the grill to keep with the summer flare and thinly slice to create crostini with red pepper fig jam, balsamic baby greens and french feta. The sweet and spicy jam paired with the tangy balsamic really compliments the earthy, herby flavor of this lamb. The char from the grill along with the distinct flavor of the feta rounds it all out to give you two bites that are a punch of goodness on the tongue.

This appetizer packs to many Mediterranean flavors in one bite and will make it really hard to eat just one! You can also make this in the oven if you don’t have access to a grill and still have a flavorful dish. I actually had issues with my apartment’s grill and had to finish in the oven, so I’ll provide those directions below. I am 100% sure when I make this dish for my Dad, he’ll fall in love with lamb even more 🙂

What are your go to Father’s Day recipes?

Grilled Lamb Crostini

• Author: Monique Manning

• Servings: Makes 32 Crostini

• Nutrition (per 2 crostini): 321 calories, 14g fat, 21.25 net carbs, 26.27g protein

Ingredients:

• 1 4lb Boneless Leg of Lamb, scored

• 1 1/2 tbsp pink himalayan salt (~1 tsp/lb meat)

• 1 tbsp black pepper

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 shallot, minced

• 1/3 cup rosemary

• 1/2 cup mint

• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided

• 1/2 cup lavender honey, divided

• 1 french baguette

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1/2 cup fig-red pepper jelly

• 2 cups baby arugula

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette

• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Method:

For lamb

1. Begin by prepping herbs. Remove rosemary from stems and chop finely. Repeat for mint and place herbs, garlic, shallots, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix to distribute evenly.

2. On a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet, place your lamb leg fat side down and unrolled. Sprinkle with the 2/3 of the herb mixture, being sure to get in the crevices of the meat.

3. Pour over half of the olive oil and honey.

4. Roll the lamb leg length wise tightly, being sure to replace any filling that may fall out. Tie with butchers twine and sprinkle remaining 1/3 of herb mixture on outside.

5. Place in fridge for at least 1 hour, up to overnight, uncovered.

6. When ready to grill*, preheat grill to around 350 degrees. If using a charcoal grill, set up a two station cooking area and place the lamb on the indirect heat side. If using a gas grill, place on the top rack of the grill.

7. Cover and cook for 30-35 mins or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 145 degrees for a medium rare lamb. Be sure to cook without opening the grill cover to maintain consistent temperature.

8. Allow meat to rest for 20 mins before slicing for serving to make sure all juices redistribute.

9. When ready to assemble crostini, very carefully slice thin slices of meat to be placed on top.

For Crostini

1. Slice baguette into 1/4 inch slices at an angle. Drizzle on both sides with olive oil.

2. Place on grill and grill until bread is toasted with light grill lines.

3. Dress baby greens with balsamic vinaigrette and set aside.

4. Spread fig jam evenly on all slices of the grilled baguette

5. On top of jam, place a small pinch of the arugula on the toasts.

6. Place lamb on top of the salad, distributing evenly across all crostini. About 2oz of lamb on each toast is sufficient.

7. Sprinkle feta on all toasts and a little extra salt and pepper if desired and serve.

8. Enjoy!

* To do in oven, roast on a baking sheet fitted with a rack on 375 for 30-35 mins until temp reached 145 for medium rare.*