one whole leg
Allow me to set the stage. Hayley and I were walking past the meat counter at Whole Foods and I spied a beautiful, bone-in leg of lamb.
I turned to her and said, “Yo what would you do if I made that whole ass leg?”
She immediately replied with, “I’d eat the shit out of that leg.”
Read below for everything that happened next.
This one uses one whole leg (of lamb). Here’s the rundown:
the menu
— night one: greek roasted leg of lamb & potatoes, greek side salad with greek dressing
— day two: greek salad with lamb & greek dressing
— day three: greek scramble with potatoes & feta
— night three: med bowl with lamb
— day four: lamb & feta shakshuka with a poached egg
the building blocks
— greek roasted leg of lamb & potatoes
— quickles
— a scramble with potatoes & feta as your add-ins
— basmati rice w aromatics (made without ginger)
— med bowl
the shopping list
average cost for two people = $135 total, $13.50 per person per meal for five meals each
produce
4 russet potatoes
3 hearts romaine lettuce
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 english cucumber
4 mini cucumbers
1 red onion
1 white or yellow onion
1 shallot
2 heads of garlic
3 lemons
1/4 cup thyme (a very small bunch)
meat & dairy
bone-in leg of lamb
It’ll be about 5-6 lbs, but really just pick the one that calls your name. If you can ask your butcher to trim it for you it’ll save you some time in the roasting process.
1 stick butter
16 oz (2 cups) feta
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
6 eggs
non-perishables
2 cups olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup white wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
1 cup white vinegar
3 tbs sugar
2 tsp agave or honey
1 cup basmati rice
3/4 cup crispy chickpeas
15 oz canned chickpeas
28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
3 tbs dried oregano
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tbs paprika
1 tbs cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
booze
1/4 cup white wine & more to drink while your leg roasts
tools
meat thermometer (highly recommend so you don’t have to cut into your leg to see if it’s done)
small strainer (makes poaching eggs much easier)
avg cost assumes you have to buy a full package of each item
the to-do list
night one
You’ll get after it on night one and roast that whole ass leg. I recommend putting on some good mood music and enjoying the ride. You’ll make the greek roasted leg of lamb and potatoes, the greek side salad and greek dressing, and some quickles and pickled onions on the side.
For dinner, you’ll share 1/4 of the roasted lamb, 1/2 of the potatoes, 1/2 of the salad and dressing, and some of your pickles.
A couple notes on the salad:
— You’ll have a med bowl on day three. I prefer to throw some lettuce it, so I reserve some of the crunchy romaine to use for that, but it’s totally optional
— As always, only dress and add your crispy chickpeas to the half of your salad you’ll eat that night so nothing gets sad and wilty (not sure that’s a real word but you get it).
day two
Next, you’ll share the rest of the greek salad and dressing, topped with another 1/4 of the leg of lamb and some more of your pickled veg. I like to warm up the lamb in a sauté pan for a couple minutes to get the juices flowing again.
day three
You’ll have a scramble for lunch the next day, using the rest of your potatoes and some feta. Let me tell ya, crispy greek potatoes IN your scramble takes it to a whole new level.
night three
That night, you’ll have med bowls for dinner with another 1/4 of your leg of lamb. I know it seems like a lot of components, but they’re each super easy on their own, and your pickles are already done from night one.
day four
To round it all out, you’ll make my fave shakshuka base and mix in the last 1/4 of your lamb. I like to serve the shakshuka over some quinoa or rice, and with a poached egg on top.
