Baked Lamb Chops with Roasted Vegetables

This hearty meal is a one-dish wonder, allowing all the flavours to marinate together and create a taste sensation. This Paleo-friendly dish uses ingredients from The Eczema Detox and takes advantage of the many different coloured vegetables on offer. Purple carrots and purple sweet potatoes vary in their phytonutrient profile in comparison to the orange variety. Both are fantastic, but changing up the colours in your vegetables can help keep things interesting, as well as providing different nutrients.

The health benefits:

Purple sweet potato (Hawaiian sweet potato) has shown to have more than three times the amount of antioxidants than blueberries, one of these antioxidants being anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are responsible for the bright purple coloured flesh of this sweet potato and can help to protect blood vessels from oxidative damage. Anthocyanins also have to ability to block glycation and AGE (advanced glycation end products) formation, which degrades collagen and elastic fibres in the skin, and plays a role in skin ageing.

Spring onions (also known as shallots and scallions in some countries) are a part of the onion family and contain histamine lowering, anti-inflammatory quercetin, which can help reduce allergies. Like garlic, spring onions also possess antioxidants that convert to allicin when crushed or cut. Allicin has antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties. Spring onions are also one of the richest sources of vitamin K, which is vital for skin health.

NOTES:

Lamb can also be grilled separately if you find this easier to control the cooking time and avoid drying them out.

This dish could also be served with another fresh meat of choice (cooking time will vary).

Crispy chickpeas can be added to the baking dish if you are vegan or vegetarian

Pumpkin or white potato could also be used as a substitute. 

 

This recipe serves 2-3 people depending on how many lamb chops you use. (you may get some leftover vegetables to use for the following day). 

INGREDIENTS:

For the meat and vegetables, 

  • Lamb chops (fat trimmed) amount will depend on appetite and how many you are feeding (we used 5 for this recipe). 
  • 1 small bunch of coloured baby carrots (or orange baby carrots if you are unable to find the coloured variety).
  • 1 small orange sweet potato 
  • 1 small purple sweet potato 
  • 1 small handful of green beans (trimmed)
  • 1/2 bunch of shallots
  • 1 small garlic bulb (optional) 
  • 1 small bunch of fresh chives
  • Rice bran oil (or sunflower oil) and filtered water for roasting

For the chive and shallot dressing

  • 1 cup of raw cashews (soaked).
  • 1/4-1/2 cup filtered water
  • 2 tablespoons of finely diced chives
  • 2 tablespoons of finely diced shallots
  • 1/2 teaspoon good quality salt (such as celtic sea salt)
  • 1-2 teaspoons of garlic powder

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and soak the cashews in a bowl of boiling water to soften (about 20 minutes minimum). 

Choose a large baking dish such as the one pictured in the photos       

Wash and peel the baby carrots and place in the baking dish (if they are a little larger you can cut in half lengthwise to reduce cooking time). Pull open the whole garlic, leave the skin on and place in the baking tray with the vegetables. 

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut 2 cm thick circles, then cut in half and add to the baking tray. Coat the vegetables in 1-2 teaspoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of water (or broth) and place in the oven for about 30-40 minutes.

While the vegetables are cooking wash and trim the green beans and set aside.

Pull the lamb chops out of the fridge, trim off the fat and set aside so they are room temperate before cooking.

Choose 3 shallot shoots, cut them in half then slice into long thin ribbons about 15 cm long and 1/2 cm thick. Set aside. 

Check on your vegetables and turn over if needed. If they are looking a little dry, you can add more water, broth or oil. Cooking time may vary depending on the oven and size of the vegetables so keep an eye on them so they do not overcook. 

Chive sauce

Remove the cashews from the water and add the nuts, water, chives, shallots, garlic and salt to a high-speed blender (such as a Nutribullet). You can add 1/4 cup of water first and slowly add more if needed so the mixture is not too runny.

Blend ingredients on high until smooth and creamy, adjust taste and add extra water if needed. Scoop into a small bowl and set aside or place in the fridge.

When the baked vegetables are about 15 minutes off cooking place a pan on medium heat and lightly sear the lamb chops on both sides. Remove the baking dish from the oven and place the lamb and green beans amongst the vegetables, then scatter the shallot ribbons over the top.

If the tray is too full, you may need to rearrange the vegetables or move half of the ingredients to another dish.

Place back into the oven for another 10-15 minutes until everything is cooked and the shallots are crispy. The lamb chops will take about 10 minutes in the oven for medium rare, return to oven if they need a little longer. 

When everything is cooked remove the dish from the oven and move to a serving plate or serve as it is from the roasting dish (be sure to place it on a heatproof mat).

Serve with the chive and shallot sauce. 

Products 

At Eczema Life, we recommend nutritionist Karen Fischer's low food chemical program (The Eczema Detox) along with additive-free supplements for skin health and wellbeing. Click on the images to view more details:

    

 Food photos and recipe by Katie Layland