Appetizers

31. Jan, 2010 0 Comments

I’ve been wanting to do a series of posts on Paleo/Primal appetizers. Here’s the first one with two of my current favorites.

Mondavi Spicy Mini Lamb Burgers

During my visit to Napa Valley in the the spring for 2009, I had a chance to tour the Roberto Mondavi vineyards in Oakville, California. It included a wine tasting paired with food at the conclusion of the tour. One of the course pairings was a Napa Valley Cab with spicy Lamb Burgers. While the Cab didn’t do much for me, the lamb burgers were simply out of this world. I got a chance to talk to the chef after the tour and snag a copy of the recipe.

Ingredients

1lb Ground Lamb (You can get grass fed Lamb at the Austin Farmer’s Market)

1/2 Chili pepper finely minced (Serrano or Jalapeno)

2 Tbsp Fresh Mint finely chopped

2 Tsp Fresh Cilantro finely chopped

1/2 Small red onion finely chopped

1 Free range Egg

4-5 Garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Shape mini burgers around 2″ round and cover. Add olive oil to a skillet and cook the burgers for 1.5 to 2 minutes on each side. Serve warm with the mint sauce.

Mint Sauce

Ingredients

1 bunch Fresh Mint Leaves

1/3 bunch Fresh Cilantro Leaves

1/2 Lemon

1/4 Small Onion

1/4 Chile (serrano or thai pepper)

Sea salt to taste

Mix the ingredients in a food processor, squeeze half a lemon and grind until you get a smooth paste. Add salt to taste. Start with a 1/4 Serrano or Jalapeno pepper and adjust the spice level as needed.

Carrots with Baba Ganoush

Prior to going Paleo, you could always find a large jar of Sabra Hummus from Costco in my refrigerator that I would eat with practically everything from carrots to pita bread to rice crackers. I’ve found Baba Ganoush to be a worthy replacement and here’s a simple Scotty Hagnas

recipe for it.

Ingredients

• 1 large Eggplant (I typically use Chinese Eggplants from the Asian store)

• 2 Tbsp Tahini (I get this freshly made from Whole Foods)

• 1/2 Lemon

• 2 cloves Garlic

• 1 Tbsp Olive oil

• 1/2 cup Parsley, plus extra for garnish

• sea salt to taste

Coat the eggplant in olive oil and baked at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes until the skin peels off. Add the eggplant to a food processor with other ingredients. Blend until you get your preferred consistency – chunky or smooth. Serve with sliced carrots.