Moroccan Style Lamb and Chickpeas

Ah, lamb!  How I love it.  I could just bleat in ecstasy!  This dish is great to try if you've never had lamb or are leery about trying it, because it uses ground lamb.  You can just pretend it's beef!  Tell that to my friend Kara who won't eat lamb.  I bleat at her every chance I get.  Ahem.  The spices make this dish so don't leave them out.  It may seem like a lot of cinnamon, but I promise, IT WORKS!

Moroccan Style Lamb and Chickpeas (adapted from myrecipes.com)

1 lb. lean ground lamb
2 t. extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced in 1/2" pieces
3/4 t. cumin
3/4 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. coriander
1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes
2 c. low sodium chicken broth
1/2 c. golden raisins
3 T. tomato paste
1 1/2 T. lemon zest
1 t. salt
1 (15 1/2 oz.) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1/2 c. cilantro, chopped
1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice 

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb to pan; cook 6 minutes, stirring to crumble. Remove lamb from pan with a slotted spoon. Discard drippings. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and carrot to pan; sauté 4 minutes. Add cumin, cinnamon, coriander, and red pepper flakes; sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add reserved lamb, broth, and next 5 ingredients (through chickpeas); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 4 minutes or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro and lemon juice.

Serve with Brown Rice and Arugula Salad.  You can find the recipe here.

This can easily be made ahead and reheated if desired.

4 servings (510 calories each serving) according to my calculator on loseit.com