Lamb Shish Kebab Recipe

Enlarge Image Image Gallery Lamb is the traditional Greek choice for Shish Kebabs. iStockphoto.com/Juanmonino

While in Italy, we saw all the famous places in Rome, Florence and Venice, where we bought beautiful glass items to take home to our children. We also visited Pompeii and the Blue Grotto, which I believe is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. From there, we went by ferry to see sights in Greece, including the Parthenon and the Coliseum. Our last night there, we had dinner at a rooftop café. The entire city glittered with lights. It was spectacular! And so was the food. We chose this lamb Shish Kebabs recipe with Greek rice as our favorite. 

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European Recipes for the Dinner Table  

Shish Kebabs

Marinade:

1 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons dried, chopped garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt, pepper and oregano to taste

4 large, thin, lamb chops
12 cherry tomatoes
12 fresh mushrooms
12 small onions
2 green peppers, cut into chunks 

For marinade, combine wine, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and oregano. (The Greeks like a lot of oregano.) Reserve about 1⁄4 cup marinade for basting during cooking.

Cut chops into small squares and soak in marinade until almost all the liquid is absorbed. (Be sure you have soaked your skewers in water if using wood skewers. I find it easier and safer to use metal ones. Incidentally, the word “shish” means skewer.)

Thread meat, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and green peppers on skewers. Broil until done, brushing reserved marinade on kebabs as they broil to give them more flavor and a glossy appearance. I serve the kebabs with brown rice, in which I add finely chopped walnuts, chopped onion, chopped black olives and chopped fresh mushrooms.