MIDDLE EASTERN LAMB SAUCE WITH PINE NUTS AND CURRANTS
from the cookbook On Rice by Rick Rodgers, submted by Jen, the Swiss Miss Apx 30 minutes to prepare (and less to eat!)

Ingredients:

½ cup (2 ounces/50 grams) pine nuts
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium (apx 1 pound total/440 grams total) zucchini, scrubbed, cut into small cubes
2 medium carrots, cut into cubes
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ pounds (625 grams) lean ground lamb
¾ cup (2 dl) beef or chicken broth
1/3 cup (2.7 ounces/70 grams) dried currants or raisins (Jen's note: mix of golden
and dark raisins is yummy)
2 tablespoons (30 ml) tomato paste
2 teaspoons (10 ml) dried oregano
¼ teaspoon ground all spice
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

steamed rice

makes 4 to 6 servings

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook,
stirring almost constantly, until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.
Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Add the oil to the skillet and heat. Add the onion, Zucchini, and carrots.
Cook, stirring often, until the onion is golden, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic
and cook for 1 minute. Add the lamb and increase the heat to medium-high.
Cook, breaking up the lamb with a spoon, until it loses it'' pink color, about 6
minutes. Tilt the pan to pour off excess fat. (With very lean lamb,
there might not be anything to pour off – don't worry, it just means you got good lamb.)

Add the broth, currants, tomato paste, oregano. And allspice, stirring to
dissolve the tomato paste. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered,
until the liquid almost completely reduces, but the meat sauce is still moist,
about 10 minutes. Stir in the pine nuts. Season with the salt and pepper.

Spoon the rice into individual bowls, top with the lamb sauce, and serve.