Sweet and Zesty Asian Lamb
1/8 cup ground Now Foods Whole Wheat Sesame Sticks
1/3 cup dried currants
1/3 cup Bron’s Bee Co. honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
½ teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 pound ground lamb
1 can (28 ounces) chop suey vegetables
1 teaspoon oil, for browning
Lettuce leaves
Raspberry-Rhubarb-Currant Sauce
½ cup dried currants
1 tablespoon Chinese hot mustard sauce
1 jar raspberry-rhubarb with orange and cherry reduced sugar jam
Crispy Sesame Strips
1 package (12 ounces) won ton wrappers
Egg white
Ground sesame snack sticks
First take the entire bag of sesame sticks and in batches put in gallon zip-lock bag. Use rolling pin to finely grind it (great job for a school-aged child to get them involved with dinner). Take 1/8 cup of the ground sesame sticks for this recipe; reserve the rest for the other recipes.
Put the currants in a microwave-safe bowl and cook on High about 30 seconds until they are softened. Mash the currents with a pestle if you have one otherwise use the back of a spoon to form a paste.
Mix the currant paste, honey, soy sauce, garlic, five-spice powder and hot pepper sauce; set aside.
Heat oil in fry pan or wok and brown the lamb, breaking it up as it cooks. Add the sauce simmer for 10 minutes. Add the vegetables and simmer for 5 additional minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
For the sauce: Puree all ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth; set aside.
For the strips: Slice about 20 won ton wrappers in long strips (Can also use egg roll wraps for longer strips). Put the egg white and ½ cup ground sesame sticks into separate shallow bowls. Dip strips in egg white then the snack crumbs. Fry in a deep fryer or in a deep skillet. Turn carefully with tongs until golden brown.
Serve the lamb mixture as lettuce wraps with Crispy Sesame Sticks and Raspberry-Rhubarb-Currant Sauce.
Serves four to six.
Karen Grobman