Recipe Make-Over ~ Emeril Lagasse North African Lamb Kebabs

I'm starting a new Saturday Recipe Make-Over series. You can submit your favorite recipes (send to Bryan dot Fiona at gmail dot com) and I will make them over so that they are tasty yet healthy and lower in fat. If you have favorite made-over recipes that you would like to share please send them in and we will post them for all to see. Since I'm not a laboratory scientist I wont be providing caloric details but it is quite amazing how a recipe can change for the better with just a little tweeking here and there.

Today, I'll be making over one of my favorite recipes from Emeril Legasse. You can find this online at FoodNetwork.com. This is a dish my family loves and is perfect for the summer grilling season. I'll highlight the changes I made in red.

North African Lamb Kebabs

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 to 2 1/2 pounds boneless leg or shoulder of lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes with some of the fat attached
• (2 cups whole cherry tomatoes)
• 6 warm pita breads, for serving (I substitute Lettuce tossed with a bit of fresh squeezed lemon juice here)
• Yogurt Dipping Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the onion, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, cilantro, mint, salt, cumin, paprika, pepper, and olive oil. Add the lamb to the marinade and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.

Soak 8 to 10 bamboo skewers in warm water for about 1 hour before assembling the kabobs.

Preheat the grill to high, and lightly oil the grill grates to prevent sticking. Thread the lamb (and cherry tomatoes) onto the soaked skewers and place on the grill, turning to evenly cook, about 12 to 14 minutes.

(DELETE THIS PART - Drizzle the pitas with sauce, then wrap the pita around the meat on the skewer, fold over and twist the skewer off the meat.) (Twist the skewer off the meat onto the salad and drizzle with yogurt sauce. Keep in mind that lamb is higher in fat than many other meats so you may want to be conservative with your serving sizes.) Serve.

Yogurt Dipping Sauce:

• 1/2 cup plain (non-fat) yogurt
• 1/2 cup (non-fat or low fat) sour cream
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.