Minted Lamb Rolls with Lemon-Herb Sauce
Rolls
1 pound ground lamb
1 cup brown rice
Olive oil
1 large yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups loosely packed spinach
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
⅔ cup Greek yogurt
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound phyllo dough
5 tablespoons butter, melted
Sauce
6 tablespoons lemon juice (about two lemons)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon water
½ tablespoon basil
2 tablespoon parsley
3 tablespoons dill
Salt
Brown the lamb and drain off any excess fat. Cook the rice according to the package.
Using a small amount of olive oil, sauté the minced onion and garlic until soft, then add to the cooked lamb and rice. Steam/wilt the spinach in water, then strain and reserve the liquid. Coarsely chop the wilted spinach, and mix it and the mint into the lamb. Add the Greek yogurt and season with salt and pepper. If the mixture is too dry, add some of the reserved spinach water.
Lay out a sheet of phyllo dough and brush with melted butter. Repeat until you have four layers. Cut the dough in quarters so that you have four stacks of four sheets. Place a quarter of a cup of filling near one end of the dough and roll up. Repeat until all of the dough is used.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the rolls, seam side down, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with melted butter and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
While the rolls are baking, add all of the sauce ingredients to a food processor and puree. Shake well right before drizzling over the rolls, otherwise the lemon juice and olive oil will separate out.
Serves 4 as a main dish, 6-8 as a side dish.