Lamb Pizza With Peppers And Arugula

The Tri-Lamb Group contacted me over the summer and asked if I'd like to host three supper clubs, which entailed cooking a lamb recipe and inviting friends over for dinner to sample the lamb and learn more about cooking and eating lamb. I hosted my second lamb supper club over the weekend. For the first supper club, I was sent a leg of lamb and all the accompanying ingredients I'd need to make the lamb. This time was no different, except that I was working with ground lamb. Because this supper club recipe was a lamb pizza, I thought it would be fun to get a big group together for a potluck during which I'd serve the lamb pizza in appetizer-size portions.

Along with all the components for the pizza and the recipe, The Tri-Lamb group also sent me some fun place cards with lamb jokes. Since I wasn't doing a sit-down dinner, I dispersed these around the room and figured people would find them throughout the night as they mingled and ate. I definitely overheard some lamb conversation here and there. The Tri-Lamb Group also sent some great lamb recipe and info booklets that I encouraged my guests to take home with them.

The Tri-Lamb Group is hoping to increase awareness of lamb's nutritional value and how easy it is to cook. When you read through the pizza recipe, you can see how simple it is to cook the lamb. And after reading the recipe and some nutritional facts about lamb, hopefully you'll start thinking of ways to get a little more lamb in your diet.

So, what do you need to know about lamb?

• On average a 3-ounce portion of lamb contains:
• Only 175 calories and 8 grams of fat. 
• Greater than 20% of your daily value of protein (essential for immune function, muscle maintenance, and more). 
• 30% of your daily value of zinc (which contributes to growth and development). 
• 25% of your daily value of niacin (necessary for processing nutrients and proper enzyme function). 
• Approximately 40% of your daily value of vitamin B-12 (which functions as a co-enzyme for many important metabolic functions).
• The leanest cuts of lamb include the leg, loin, and shank.
• Lamb is a good source of iron (which supports brain function and cognitive performance).
• Lamb is an excellent source of selenium (an antioxidant that supports immune function).

(Info from the Tri-Lamb Group)

Lamb Pizza With Peppers And Arugula (courtesy of the Tri-Lamb Group)

Ingredients
1 pound whole-wheat pizza dough
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground lamb
1 medium shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup sliced pepperoncini peppers
3/4 cup goat cheese crumbles
2 cups (2 ounces) arugula

Preparation

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Brush rimmed baking sheet with 1 teaspoon oil. Using your hands spread dough over entire length of baking sheet. (I rolled and stretched mine a little first, and the dough came in two pieces, so I just flattened them side by side.)

Bake dough for 5 minutes, and then set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb, shallot, garlic, tomato paste, oregano, and salt and pepper. Cook until lamb is completely browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. (I then drained the lamb in a colander.)

Brush par-baked crust with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Evenly distribute lamb and pepperoncini over crust. Top with crumbled goat cheese.



Bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese looks slightly melted and edges of crust are golden brown.

Toss arugula with remaining 1 teaspoon oil, and sprinkle on top of pizza.

Cut and serve.

The pizza was delicious! I could tell everyone was enjoying it. And as you can tell from the recipe, it was a really easy way to incorporate lamb into a dish. The goat cheese and pepperoncini were flavorful complements to the seasoned lamb.

What's your favorite lamb dish?