Without dairy and without relying on coconut products for creaminess, this cucumber sauce fits the bill and is super simple to whip up! This is a great recipe to have on hand for quick weeknight meals, especially since you can make and refrigerate the sauce in advance.
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 1 cup (150 g) English cucumber
- ¼ cup (60 g) mashed avocado
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
- 1 tsp (1 g) dried dill leaves
For the Lamb
- 2 tsp (10 ml) coconut or avocado oil
- 1 cup (140 g) diced onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb (454 g) ground lamb
- 2 tsp (2 g) dried oregano leaves
- 1 tsp (1 g) dried thyme leaves
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp ground mace
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
- Lettuce leaves, to serve
How to Make It
- Peel the cucumber and scrape out the seeds. Add all of the sauce ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth. Place a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl and pour the cucumber sauce into the sieve. Put the bowl and sieve in the fridge for the sauce to chill, for about 15 minutes. This will help remove any excess water from the sauce, making it thicker and creamier.
- Add the oil to a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the ground lamb to the pan and cook until browned. Strain off all but 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of rendered fat from the pan. Add the oregano, thyme, salt, cinnamon, mace and lemon juice to the pan, stirring to coat the meat, then cook for another minute or so.
- Spoon the seasoned lamb mixture into lettuce cups to serve, then top with cucumber sauce before serving.
