Quinoa Stuffing:

1 . Place the quinoa into a  fine-mesh strainer and rinse  thoroughly with cool water for  about 2 minutes. Rub and swish  the quinoa with your hand while  rinsing, then drain.

Place the olive oil in a medium  saucepan over medium heat.  Add shallot, season with salt  and pepper, and cook, stirring  occasionally, until soft, about 5  minutes.

Add quinoa and cook, stirring  frequently, until quinoa starts to  toast, about 5 minutes. Then add  the boiling water.

Reduce heat to low, cover,  and simmer gently until quinoa  is tender and all the water is  evaporated, 15 minutes. Then  remove the pot from heat and  let stand for 5 more minutes,  covered.

You should see tiny spirals  (the germ) separating from and  curling around the quinoa seeds.  Fluff the quinoa gently with a  fork, then fold the dried cherries  and parsley into the quinoa.  Season with salt and pepper to  taste.

Lamb Roast:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Combine cinnamon, rosemary,  salt, and pepper in a bowl.

Place the lamb roast out on a  work surface, with the fat on the  outside. Season the lamb with  some of the spice mixture. Then  spoon in the quinoa stuffing over the lamb. Roll up the roast, wrapping the flaps around the outside to form a neat cylinder. Tie the roast at 1-inch intervals with kitchen string. Season the outside of the roast with the  remaining spice mixture.

In a roasting pan, heat 1  tablespoon of the olive oil. Add  the lamb roast and sear over moderately high heat until nicely browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.

Transfer the lamb to the oven and roast for about 1 ½ hours.  Remove from the oven and brush  the honey over the roast. Raise  the temperature of the oven to  375°F. Place the roast back in the oven for another ½ hour cooking  time or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the roast registers 130°F to 140°F for medium rare. Transfer to  a carving board and let rest for  15 minutes before carving.

Pour the roasting pan juices  into a small saucepan and let  cool; skim off the fat. Place corn  starch in a bowl with the cold  water and mix to combine. Add  the dry cider to the saucepan  and bring to a boil, reducing  by ¼, then add the cornstarch  mixture, stirring for a few minutes  until it thickens. Transfer to  a gravy boat and serve with the  roast.

QUICK TIPS:

The quinoa can be made 1 to 2 days in advance and then placed in a container for storage and refrigeration.

The lamb roast spice mix can be combined ahead for a time saving application.

Stuffing can be used for any meat or poultry or as an easy side dish. 

Recipe published in JOY of KOSHER with Jamie Geller magazine Fall 2015. Subscribe Now.