This recipe is inspired by a vegan recipe from the blog, Rainbow Plant Life.
In our version, we add our own lamb to the delicious flavor combination of za’atar, beans and sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are one of our favorite storage crops and a frequent ingredient in cozy winter meals. You can opt to prepare by baking or if you prefer you can dice the potatoes and roast them instead.
While the original recipe includes the ingredients to make your own za’atar, we opted to use the organic, ready-made Syrian Za’atar spice mix from Gryffon Ridge Spice Merchants.
We used canned white beans, which proved challenging to dry as the original recipe directed. We laid the beans out between two layers of paper towels, but were far too hungry to be picky! Likely the dryer they are, the crispier they will get, and the next time we make this we’ll likely use grass-fed fat instead of olive oil for that step.
We served the lamb, beans, and potatoes atop a mound of arugula, but feel free to customize it! Options might include adding rice, topping it with microgreens, or serving it alongside braised greens such as kale or spinach.
When we make it again, I’m going to top mine with crumbled feta cheese from Copper Tail Farm – and I’m gonna get a good photo!
Ingredients
- 4-5 tablespoons Za’atar seasoning from Gryffon Ridge Spice Merchants*
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
- 2 small onions, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 large sweet potatoes
- 1 pound Apple Creek Farm ground lamb
- 1 15-ounce can of cannellini or other white beans, rinsed and dried. The drier the surface of the beans, the better they will crisp up.
- Juice of 1/2 medium lemon or 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
*Please note: when reducing the ingredients to make a smaller portion, use less za’atar.
Optional Ingredients
- ¼ cup tahini (for topping)
- Grated watermelon radish (for topping)
- Hot Pink Kraut from Gracie’s Garden (for topping)
- Arugula, microgreens or sauteed greens
Directions
Sweet Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 400°F
- Cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise and place them on an oiled baking sheet
- Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until they can easily be pierced
- Cool the potatoes, remove the skin and cut into bite-sized cubes
Lamb
- Dice one of the onions and add to a saucepan with 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- Sweat the onions and then add the ground lamb
- Stir over medium heat, just until lamb is cooked not browned
Beans
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil (or grass-fed fat) in a medium saucepan
- When the oil is hot, add the second diced onion and salt
- Cook for 5-7 minutes until the onion is golden brown and soft
- Add the garlic and cook for another minute stirring frequently
- Remove the onions and garlic from the pan and set aside
- Add the remaining oil (or grass-fed fat) and the beans to the hot pan in a single layer
- Let the beans cook without stirring for 3 minutes
- Flip and let cook on the other side for another 3-5 minutes, in order to get them a little crisp
- Stir the lemon juice, za’atar seasoning, onion mixture and the cooked lamb into the beans
- Reduce the heat and cook for no more than 2-3 minutes to allow the flavors to mingle
Combine the potatoes with the lamb and bean mixture. Toss together and serve over your choice of greens. Top each serving with a drizzle of the tahini. Then add crumbled feta cheese or the radish and kraut – to your taste.
