Lunch / Dinner
Herbed Lamb and Spring Vegetables
If you're looking for a comforting and hearty meal, why not splurge on lamb? A healthy family choice and perfect for the slow cooker, lamb is available year-round but is best in the summer. The best cuts of lamb for your slow cooker include the shoulder, leg, shanks, and ribs to name a few, as their tougher consistency makes them perfect for slow and low methods of cooking and leaves them fork-tender and juicy.
Ingredients
FOR THE LEMON-MINT DRESSING:
Leftover Ideas
Toss warm peas with remaining dressing and serve over toast spread with goat cheese.
Slice leftover lamb for a sandwich; spread horseradish and mayo on bread slices, and top lamb with olive salad mix.
Instructions
Sprinkle lamb with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
Cook bacon in a large skillet, over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until crispy and browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon from skillet and let drain on paper towels; reserve drippings in skillet.
Add onion to skillet. Cook until tender and beginning to brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer onion to a 6-quart slow cooker; add carrots, celery, and leeks.
Heat oil in same skillet, over medium-high heat. Add lamb, browning on all sides. Transfer to cooker.
Whisk together 2 cups water and bouillon paste in a small bowl. Deglaze pan with water mixture, scraping brown bits from pan. Pour into cooker.
Cover and cook on high heat until fork tender, about 5 to 6 hours. Add potatoes in the last 2 hours of cooking and sprinkle with remaining ½ teaspoon salt and remaining ½ teaspoon ground black pepper. Sprinkle with bacon, and serve with Lemon-Mint Dressing.
For the Lemon-Mint Dressing
Combine mint, lemon juice, salt, pepper, mustard, and garlic in a medium bowl; slowly whisk in olive oil. Cover until ready to serve, or refrigerate for up to 3 days.