HELPFUL HINTS
- Leave about 1/4-inch space between the cubes of meat on the skewers to help them cook evenly.
- An easy way to toss linguine with the sauce is with tongs.
- Look for low-fat pesto sauce in the supermarket.
COUNTDOWN
- Place water for linguine on to boil.
- Make mint pesto sauce.
- Make kabobs.
- Make linguine.
Wine suggestion: Lamb and pesto- savory, flavorful stuff, calling for deeply flavorful wines. Lamb always goes well with funky, dark flavored Rhone wines or with some of the fuller-bodied Riojas from Spain.
SHOPPING LIST
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for tonight’s Dinner in Minutes.
To buy: 1/2 pound lamb cubes, cut from leg, 1/4 pound zucchini, 1 small package grape or cherry tomatoes, 1 bunch fresh mint, 1 container reduced-fat pesto sauce and 1 small package fresh linguine.
Staples: Garlic, olive oil, olive oil spray, 4 kabob skewers, salt and black peppercorns.
This is a quick lamb kabob with linguine in a mint pesto. The meal is made even quicker using prepared pesto sauce mixed with chopped fresh mint.
Use lamb cubes cut from the leg. If it is not on display, ask the supermarket meat cutters for some or a substitute. The kabobs can be cooked either on the grill, stove-top grill or under the broiler.
Although kabobs that have a colorful array of vegetables and meat are very attractive, I always find that the meat and vegetables don’t cook in the same amount of time, the vegetables usually falling off before the meat is cooked. For this recipe, place the lamb on 2 skewers and the zucchini and tomatoes on 2 skewers.
This meal 621 contains calories per serving with 31 percent of calories from fat.
Lamb and Zucchini Kabobs
3/4 pound lamb cubes, cut from leg
1/4 pound zucchini washed and cut into 1-inch slices (about 1 cup)
8 cherry or grape tomatoes
Olive oil spray
4 kabob skewers (If using wooden skewers, soak in water first.)
Preheat broiler, stovetop grill or barbecue grill. Place the lamb cubes on two skewers. Place the zucchini and tomatoes on two other skewers, alternating them. Spray the grill and the kabobs with olive oil spray. Grill lamb 15 minutes turning once during the grilling. After the first 5 minutes, add the zucchini and tomatoes and grill for 10 minutes, turning once after 5 minutes. Or, if using the broiler, line a baking tray with foil and place the kabobs on the tray. Broil meat 15 minutes and vegetables 10 minutes. To serve, either remove the vegetables and lamb from the skewers and place on a serving plate or serve the skewers on individual plates. Makes 2 servings.
Per serving: 275 calories (38 percent from fat), 11.5 grams fat (3.4 grams saturated, 5 grams monounsaturated), 108 milligrams cholesterol, 35.9 grams protein, 5.8 grams carbohydrates, 1.7 grams fiber, 120 milligrams sodium.
Mint Pesto with Linguine
1 cup fresh mint leaves, washed and dried
1/4 cup reduced-fat prepared pesto sauce
1/4 pound fresh or dried linguine pasta
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Place mint leaves, in the bowl of a food processor. Process to chop the leaves. Add the pesto sauce and process to combine.
When the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook 3 minutes if fresh or 9 minutes if dry, or follow package instructions. Drain the linguine, return to the saucepan and add the pesto sauce. Toss to mix well. Serve with the kabobs. Makes 2 servings.
Per serving: 346 calories (25 percent from fat), 9.7 grams fat (1.8 grams saturated, 3.6 grams monounsaturated), 5 milligrams cholesterol, 12.5 grams protein, 50.4 grams carbohydrates, 6.0 grams fiber, 265 milligrams sodium.
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