Baby Lamb Chops With Spinach and Hummus

Photo: Giselle Cagli

Ingredients

Hummus Ingredients

1 cup of fresh cooked chickpeas (please cook your own chickpeas, it makes a tremendous

1/4 cup of chickpeas cooking liquid for desired consistency

2 small thinly minced garlic cloves

1 1/2 tablespoons of tahini

1 juice of medium lemon (I like it tangy)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Baby Lamb chops ingredients

8 tablespoons of hummus

8 baby lamb chops

1/2 cup baby spinach leaves

8 date tomatoes lightly sautéed in extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons of pine nuts

Extra virgin olive oil

3 finely diced garlic cloves

salt and pepper to taste

3 fresh thyme sprigs

3 rosemary sprigs

Preparation

To prepare hummus, combine all ingredients using a blender or food processor. If you want a velvety consistency, blend the mixture for about 2 - 3

Minutes (be patient, it pays off!!), adding more extra virgin olive oil if necessary.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with extra virgin olive oil. Add sliced garlic cloves, thyme, and rosemary to infuse their aromas into olive oil. Remove herbs and garlic from the skillet and place baby lamb chops in batches of four. Cook until lamb chops are golden. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile drizzle baby spinach with some extra virgin olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

On a plate arrange hummus by forming a four-petal flower. To form a petal, place a tablespoon on one edge and drag the sauce to the center of the plate. Repeat this process for the remaining three petals.

Place spinach mixture on the center of the plate.

Arrange each tomato on the narrow end of each petal.

Place lamb chops in between petals.

Sprinkle with pine nuts.

Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.