Lamb Chops for Dinner

Last night we had some wonderful lamb loin chops that I picked up at Price Chopper. I was originally going to make veal chops (which were on sale and they were out of), so I opted for these beautiful chops that were almost 2 inches thick. They were every bit as good as they looked. The whole meal was actually quite simple, but it looked elegant!

For the chops, I mashed some fresh garlic with kosher salt, added 2 Tbsp. of EVOO, a sprinkle of lemon zest and about a TBSP of chopped fresh rosemary from my herb garden. Then I slathered that all on the chops and put them in a plastic bag in the fridge for the rest of the day. They marinated a good 6 hours.

When we were ready for dinner, I put them under the broiler about 4-5 minutes per side. (I was too lazy to fire up the grill!) Perfect!

To serve with the chops, I chose orzo pasta. I put 2 Tbsp of butter in a heavy skillet and added a cup of orzo. I sauteed that until it started to get a bit golden. To this I added 14 oz. of water and 1/2 tsp of salt and brought it to a boil. I then turned down the heat and let it cook until all the water was absorbed. When the pasta was ready, I added some chopped fresh basil (again from my herb garden....did I mention that I love my herb garden?) and sprinkled in a little fresh Parmesan cheese. YUM! Added some fresh steamed broccoli on the side and we had a lovely dinner.

Since it was the weekend and I was in the cooking mode, I treated us to a fresh peach cobbler that was nice and warm when we ate it. The husband had his with Edy's Slow Churned Pecan Praline Ice Cream. It paired well since I had toasted some pecans and added them to the cobbler. None of this took a particularly long time, yet it was a dinner that was definitely company worthy. It only goes to prove that you don't have to be a slave in the kitchen to make a beautiful looking and delicious tasting meal.