Have I told you how much I love trying new ingredients? They aren’t always in the budget but running my kitchen like a restaurant, where I top up my basic pantry/fridge/freezer staples each fortnight, enables me to sometimes have a bit leftover in the grocery budget to buy unusual ingredients which can turn an ordinary meal into something extraordinary. Dressing a pretty standard Moroccan Lamb & Roast Pumpkin salad with a date vinaigrette sent an every day kind of meal to something extraordinary.
On this occasion, I was pretty lucky to receive two bottles of Exotic Date Vinegars, one sweet and one authentic. I didn’t even know they were ‘a thing’. If I would’ve known about them, I probably would’ve been using them all summer to dress my salads. They gave a beautiful taste to the salad ingredients which complimented the Moroccan flavours of the lamb really well in this dish.
Date vinegar has been used for both food and medicine (*) for many years in the Middle East. Some of the health benefits include:
- assists in weight loss
- prevents cancer
- remedy for a weak heart
- eases childbirth
- menstrual disorders
- strengthens immune system
- high in iron and potassium
- improves fatigue
- eases a persistent cough and helps to remove phlegm
- relieves headaches
- heals burns and skin inflammations
Exotic Date Vinegars are made from 100% dates, nothing else. There is no artificial colouring or preservatives and no chemical filtration. Who would’ve thought dates could be turned into something so delicious and healthy at the same time.
Date nights with my husband are becoming more of an ‘at home’ thing with me spending a little extra on a nice cut of meat instead of paying some ridiculous amount of money for something similar out at a restaurant. Even though these lamb steaks were $26 per kilo, these 5 steaks only cost $9, which was the only cost. I had all the other ingredients. Still a pretty cheap meal, considering. I marinated the leg steaks in a little extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper and a Moroccan spice blend. I buy the blend already made as I use it a lot in cooking but you can make it yourself with basic pantry spices. For a cheaper option, you could use either chicken thighs or breasts or go vegetarian by using chickpeas.
While that’s marinating, cube some pumpkin and toss in extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper and roast until tender. I just happened to be baking that day so these were popped in between trays of cookies and cake. After roasting, cool until required.
The easiest way I’ve found to mix any kind of vinaigrette is to put all ingredients into a jar with a lid and shake like crazy. It emulsifies pretty well. Use the date vinegar in place of your standard wine or balsamic vinegar that you would use in a normal vinaigrette.
Grill your lamb steaks until just cooked. You want it to be a little pink inside with a lovely char on the outside.
To dress your salad greens, I pour a little of the salad dressing on the platter I’m serving the salad on then toss the greens in the dressing.
For this recipe, I had rocket (arugula) and added a few sprigs of coriander (cilantro) and mint.
Place the roasted pumpkin, sliced red onion, chunks of tomato and the sliced lamb on top of the salad greens. Finish with more coriander. Pour more dressing over the top and you’re done. This was such a quick and easy meal to put together. You can prepare a whole heap of roasted pumpkin in advance and freeze and use until required. It’s a great addition to any salad. My husband and I ate from this one platter. It was romantic (and saved on washing up).
I hope you give it a try. I can’t wait to try the sweet date vinegar. Will let you know what I come up with.
Moroccan Lamb & Roasted Pumpkin Salad with Date Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- lamb steaks or chicken thigh or breast fillets
- pumpkin cubed and roasted with extra virgin olive oil and salt & pepper
- salad greens rocket, lettuce etc
- red onion sliced thinly
- tomatoes cut into chunks
- fresh herbs coriander, mint, parsley etc
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup Exotic Date Vinegar
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- pinch of sugar
- Moroccan spice blend
- Extra olive oil for marinade
Instructions
- Marinate lamb (or chicken) steaks in Moroccan spice blend, salt & pepper and olive oil.
- Leave in fridge for at least 2 hours.
- Add 3/4 cup olive oil, date vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar to a jar and shake.
- Toss salad greens and fresh herbs in a little vinaigrette.
- Pan fry lamb steaks on high until just cooked through and charred on the outside.
- Allow to sit before slicing.
- Assemble salad by placing salad greens on a platter, adding roasted pumpkin, red onion, tomatoes and top with sliced lamb.
- Top with additional coriander to serve.
Recipe Notes
Can be served on a bed of cous cous.
Can use chickpeas instead of meat for a vegetarian version.
(*) The health benefits of Dates Vinegar may not be fully documented and the information provided, should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice and treatment. Please consult your health care provider if you have any history of medical problem or before taking any alternative remedy.
