Grilled lambchop dinner...

 

I love to grill loin chops because they don't take very long and never dry out, and they are a perfect individual serving size of deliciousness!  Normally I would season with rosemary, salt and pepper, basil, and some garlic and onion powder.  They always taste delicious this way, but this time I wanted to try something different.  The other day, I made an artichoke/lemon sauce for my stuffed fish that was delicious.  I had some left over so decided to lather it on the lamb chops as a marinade.  I actually did add the rosemary, salt and pepper as well.  Let them sit out to reach room temperature, roughly an hour or so.

If you don't have the ingredients to make the sauce, simply use some olive oil, a little lemon juice, and some fresh garlic.  You could also use your favorite Italian dressing instead.  I usually make a batch of Good Seasons Italian dressing and use that.  

In the meantime, I cut up some sweet potatoes and some new potatoes to roast.  Once in the pan, I coated them with olive oil, salt and pepper, and some garlic and onion powders.  I really wanted the flavor of the potatoes to come out, instead of tasting the herbs (such as basil or oregano that I normally add).  I decided to start cooking them in the convection oven, just to save some time.  It's unbelievable how fast things cook!  After about 20 minutes, I reverted back to a regular oven and let them bake for 30 minutes, moving them around every so often.  You want to make sure they get brown and crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.  When they are done, remove from the oven and add a little butter.


I love Caprese salad, and seeing as I happened to have some sliced fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil in my fridge, I thought it would make a great side dish.  So simple....slice the tomatoes and layer with the cheese and fresh basil.  Salt, pepper, fresh chopped parsley and some dashes of Balsamic vinegar, and set aside.  Don't add the olive oil until right before you are going to serve it, because it will only wilt the basil and cause the tomatoes to become soggy.




Time to grill the chops.  Make sure to pre-heat your grill so that it is really hot.  Once you have placed the chops on the grill, close the cover and let them cook for about 5 minutes.  Turn and cook for another five minutes.  I then turn down the grill a bit and let them smolder a few more minutes on each side, just to get some color.  That's it!  They will finish cooking through as they rest on the serving plate, covered in foil.

And here's my dinner.  Very easy....not many ingredients or fancy seasonings... just really delicious flavors.