Lamb and Rice With Olives and Dried Cherries

• 1/2 cup long-grain rice
• 12 ounces whole onion or 11 ounces chopped, ready-cut onion (2 2/3 cups)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 8 ounces boneless leg of lamb
• 1 large clove garlic
• 8 ounces whole zucchini or 7 ounces ready-cut, sliced zucchini (1 1/3 cups)
• 8 ounces whole red pepper or 7 ounces ready-cut red pepper strips (1 1/2 cups)
• 8 Greek or Italian medium black olives
• 1 tablespoon no-salt-added tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons dried cherries
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 cup no-salt-added beef stock
• Few shakes salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Combine rice and 1 cup of water in a heavy-bottom pot.
2. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer, cooking for a total of 17 minutes.
3. Chop the whole onion.
4. Heat nonstick pan large enough to hold all the ingredients, until it is very hot.
5. Add the oil, and reduce heat to medium high.
6. Saute the onion until it softens and begins to brown.
7. Meanwhile, trim the fat from the lamb, grind the lamb and mince the garlic.
8. When onion is browning, add the lamb, breaking it up as it cooks.
9. Add the garlic.
10. Wash and trim the whole zucchini and pepper.
11. Seed the pepper.
12. Cut the zucchini into 1/2-inch cubes.
13. Cut the pepper into narrow strips.
14. When the lamb is browned, add zucchini and pepper.
15. Saute a few minutes, until pepper begins to soften.
16. Pit the olives, and cut coarsely.
17. Stir in the tomato paste, cherries, olives, cumin and stock.
18. Reduce heat, and simmer until vegetables are tender and liquid has been absorbed but mixture is still moist.
19. Season with salt and pepper, and serve over the rice.

longgrain rice, onion, olive oil, lamb, clove garlic, zucchini, red pepper, black olives, nosalt, cherries, ground cumin, nosalt, salt, freshly ground black pepper

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/8983 (may not work)