Monday, January 6, 2014

A Stupid Easy Recipe-- "Lamburger Helper"

We just got pommeled with an enormous snowstorm, it's below 0 degrees Fahrenheit out there, and all the stores are closed, so I'm cooking from the pantry and the bottom of the fridge tonight. I left the big pot of borscht at our priest's family's house (thinking, mistakenly, that we were off to a romantic getaway in a cabin out in the middle of impassable nowhere, and that we would not be at home to eat the borscht) or we'd be eating that. So I made some simple lentil soup which seems to be turning out well, and here's what I did with half a head of cabbage and a pound of ground lamb. I used Moroccan-inspired spices (alas, with no saffron threads,) before I paused to reflect that perhaps they don't have cabbages in Morocco. It doesn't matter. This tastes great and you could use any spice combination that you like. These ones go particularly well with lamb.

Maybe go easy on the initial saute oil if you're using beef. Lamb isn't as fatty.

Lamburger Helper

Oil of your choice to saute (I used lard and olive oil)
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Cinnamon, about 1 tablespoon
Ground cumin, about 2 tablespoons
Grated ginger, about 1 tablespoon
Turmeric, about 1 tablespoon
Salt to taste
1/2 head cabbage, any variety, cut into thin strips
1 lb ground lamb (or beef)

Heat oil on medium heat. Saute onion, ginger and garlic until translucent. Stir in the other spices. Brown the lamb. Add the cabbage. Stir about, throw salt on there, reduce heat, and cover. Stir occasionally, aiming for tender cabbage. That's all.

I will serve it with yogurt like I always do.



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