Grilled Lamb and Asparagus Pitas with Tzatziki

There are several standard ways I use up leftovers: an omelet the next morning, fried rice, and of course, just re-heating whatever it was, and eating it as is.

Another thing to do is make a sandwich, and if you have leftover lamb and asparagus from Easter Sunday, throwing them together with a little bit of yogurt-turned-tzatziki makes a great pita-bread-based sandwich. Of course, in my house, we didn't actually have lamb (we didn't have a traditional ham either), and asparagus on the table gets eaten before the salad is served.

Without the leftovers to make the pitas, the only other thing to do is -- gasp! -- actually cook the meal! The California Asparagus Commission has put together a recipe (after the jump), along with a whole list of recipes for asparagus on their website.



Grilled Lamb & California Asparagus Pitas with Tsatsiki Sauce

Tsatsiki Sauce
1/2 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

Purée all ingredients in a blender until almost smooth, about 1 minute. Chill until ready to assemble.

Pitas
1-1/2 lbs. lamb, cut into 2-inch cubes
2 lbs fresh California asparagus, ends trimmed
4 pita breads, cut in half
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1/4 cup mint leaves, whole
2 tomatoes, cubed
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives

Toss lamb cubes and asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Grill over a preheated grill until asparagus is tender and lamb cubes are cooked to a medium rare. Cut asparagus into 2-inch pieces. Set aside.

Lightly grill both sides of the pita breads until heated through yet still soft. Wrap pitas in foil for a few minutes to steam. Divide sandwich ingredients evenly among the 8 pita halves. Drizzle with the Tsatiki sauce and serve immediately.

Makes 8 pitas

Nutrients per serving: Calories: 377, calories from fat: 100, fat: 11 gms, sat. fat: 5 gms, cholesterol: 91mg, sodium: 334 mg, carbohydrate: 26 gms, dietary fiber: 4 gms, protein: 14 gms