Mici with Lemon Pistachio Pilaf

March’s Improv Cooking Challenge ingredients are lamb & rice. I must confess, I’ve never cooked lamb & the only time I ever tasted it was when we ate at Fogo de Chão some time ago… I didn’t even know where to shop for lamb meat in our town!But I did know which recipe I wanted to make. A few years ago our oldest had the opportunity to travel to Romania with a ministry team from our church. Despite the wonderful people he met, the incredible crusade they participated in, the historical sites they visited – what our boy talked about the most was the food he ate there!And the food that impressed him the most was mici. This is a traditional Romanian sausage (pronounced “meech”) that every family or geographical group seems to have a slightly different recipe from their “bunica”. The variables seemed to be types of ground meat(s), spice palate, and “resting” time – non-negotiable items were they 1) had to be grilled over charcoal, 2) must be served with potato fries or wedges,  3) must be served with prepared mustard, and 4) beer must be consumed along with the eating thereof…(Since I don’t “appreciate” beer; hard apple cider was appropriately substituted. )

The lamb meat I found at our favorite Asian/International market, along with various spices. I grabbed a combination from the ones I found in several recipes, then passed them under Zach’s nose to see if they should go in the mix. He approved the ones listed in my recipe.I’ve fixed pilaf in my oven many times; never before have I used my cast-iron skillet. And never again will I prepare it without said skillet! Cooking was a breeze!I figured I’d have a ton of leftovers to serve another meal. I was wrong. Only two fellas at this address had another meal of our lamb & rice.

Check out the links below to see how my fellow Improvers prepared their March ingredients:

An InLinkz Link-up