Lamb with Artichokes (p. 439)

I still can't decide if I like lamb. I think I do, but it's such a unique flavor that some preparations of it are much better than others.

Anyway, this recipe is supposed to be mostly about the veggies, with just a little meat to flavor. The problem with it is the same problem that all my other artichoke recipes have -- the artichokes they sell here just can't be eaten whole. So I made mine with more meat than artichokes.

Cook the meat first, with lamb cut into small pieces sauteed in olive oil until totally browned. Add in chopped scallions, garlic, and onions and cook until softened, then add water to cover the top of the meat and cook gently.

Put in the artichokes, halved if they're small, quartered if they're big. Stir flour into a small amount of water until blended and pour it into the stew, along with lemon juice. Cook until the sauce has been reduced and thickened, then add in chopped parsley and cilantro as well as salt and pepper. Serve over white rice.

We didn't eat this as a stew; I used a slotted spoon to ladle the meat and veggies over the white rice and we ate it like that. We both enjoyed it (and finished it off) but it was severely lacking in spices, so we doused it in hot sauce and went from there.

lamb -- $4.76

cilantro -- $1.99

scallions -- $.78

Total Cost of Lamb with Artichokes: $7.53

($3.77 per serving)