My lamb salad

Hi everyone

On the weekend we were cooking out of our old motorhome lovingly called the Lovell Tardis. We shared dinner with some friends on Saturday night and I made a lamb salad. When your working out of a motorhome you get inventive with what you make. We did all the cooking on a small portable bbq. One of our friends has asked for the recipe so here it is:

Ingredients:

1 x eggplant cut lengthwise into strips
2 x zucchini (Courgettes) again cut into strips lengthwise
a mix of lettuce leaves - I had rocket (Arugula) and some iceberg shredded but choose what suits you.
haloumi cheese sliced - greek cheese that you can fry it is so yummy and can be found in most supermarkets in the specialty cheese section these days
2 x lamb rumps or a butterflied leg of lamb - you could have just one rump if making the salad for a smaller group or served as a side. The dish I made on the weekend was the main and sides all in one so I had a lot more meat in it.
100gm pinenuts toasted in a dry pan (optional)
3 Tablespoons Olive oil
salt and pepper

Dressing

150 gm pesto - I used your basic basil pesto 

100 gm lite sour cream or plain yoghurt if you prefer

1 -2 tablespoons lemon juice

So how to pull it together. Ive been asked for clear instructions (for the least culinary inclined) so will bullet point them.

• Heat the bbq to medium heat
• Mix 1 tablespoon of olive oil with the eggplant and zucchini in a bowl. Place the strips on the bbq plate and cook them until soft and tender. You have to watch them as you don't want them to burn.  If you think they are too dry you can brush more olive oil on them as cooking. 
• Once the veges are cooked place on paper towels to absorb any excess oil
• Rub the lamb with olive oil and season with some salt and pepper. Place on the same bbq and drop the lid (fi you don't have a lid on your bbq put some foil over the top of the lamb. 
• Once the meat is on turn the bbq down to med/low. If using rump Id cook 15 mins on the first side and 10 mins the other side depending on thickness. If cooking a butterflied leg of lamb cook on non skin side for 10 mins and the other side for 15 mins. Don't be tempted to turn and turn the meat turn only once so that the juices stay in the meat rather then all one the bbq.  
• That should get you nice medium rare meat. Once cooked put on a plate cover with foil and let the lamb rest for 10 mins. After its rested slice the lamb. Don't turn the bbq off just turn it down right to low
• Now make the dressing combine the pesto with the sour cream or yoghurt to make it a creamy dressing.  Add the lemon juice to make the dressing more runny.
• Combine the salad greens in a bowl and add 2 tablespoons of the dressing and lightly mix with the lettuce
• Cook the haloumi cheese last as you want the slices nice and hot when they go on the salad. Just place on the bbq which should be at the low setting. If the grill is a bit dry you can add the final tablespoon of olive oil.
• I prefer the haloumi lightly cooked with a little bit of browning and still soft. It can be cooked further and be firm to the touch. Comes down to preference. Place the cheese on paper towels to drain once cooked. 
• Once you have cooked the cheese start to pull the salad together. I used a platter and layered the lettuce.  I then layered the veges next and then the haloumi. I added the lamb on top and sprinkled with pine nuts which I lightly toasted in a frying pan with no oil until lightly brown. Finally I seasoned the salad and then I sprinkled the remaining dressing on top. 

You don't have to use basil pesto try different kinds and you will have a different taste in the salad each time. I love sun dried tomato pesto and capsicum pesto as dressings as well and you can get them all in the supermarket if you don't want to start from scratch. Also you can make extra to serve on the side. 

Enjoy

Me xx