JBug's Kitchen Antics

Lamb Ragu on Potato Gnocchi

Sunday's are the perfect day to put a pot in the oven all afternoon and let it ruminate so you can enjoy the aroma and anticpate the outcome. Last night's effort had both of us groaning and moaning in delight...I'm not kidding either. 

Inspired by a Gourmet magazine recipe via epicurious.com (hit the link and see the original), I used lamb shanks and meaty neck bones combined with red onion, garlic, tomotoes both canned and sundried as well as celery, mushrooms and fennel in another example of the perfect braise.  Flavored with thyme and spiced up with red pepper flakes, the surprise in this one is the addition of bourbon and I'm not talking a tablespoon or two either.

Don't worry, I didn't use the Knob Creek but I sure hit the Maker's Mark bottle pretty hard. A few more ingredients and after 3 hours on ignore in the oven, the fall off the bone tender meat left the pot while the sauce got a little more attention. Hey, I messed up and didn't check the pot during the cooking time so there wasn't much sauce left.

It was just an excuse to crank it up a notch by adding more bourbon and chicken stock, a little tomato paste to improve the color, a little more stock and some heavy cream. I can't imagine anything better which proves that sometimes a screw-up is the best thing that can happen. Served on a bed of little potato gnocchi dumplings dressed with butter and parmesan cheese, the bourbon taste is definitely there but not overpowering and the addition of cream adds another dimension to the sauce as well. 

As you know, we're really into flavor in this house and while there's a lot of pretty darn tasty things coming out of JBug's Kitchen I can usually find something wrong but not this time. To steal a quote from a fellow blogger, it's so good it made my socks go up and down!

Lamb Shank Ragu (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Gourmet via epicurious.com)

1 pound lamb neck bones as well as 2 lamb shanks, OR 4 lamb shanks (2 pounds total)

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 cup chopped red onion

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 cup drained diced canned tomatoes

2 tablespoons chopped sundried tomatoes

2 stalks celery, chopped

4 large white mushrooms, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup chopped fennel bulb

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

Coarse ground black pepper

1-1/2 cups bourbon (divided)

4 cups chicken stock (divided) and more as needed

1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon honey

2 tablespoon tomato paste

2 tablespoons flour (I used instant blending flour)

1/3 cup cream

Heat oil in heavy Dutch oven (I used cast iron) over medium high heat until oil is shimmering. Meanwhile wash and dry lamb and season well with salt and pepper. Brown well on all sides (about 8 minutes total). Remove from pot and set aside. Meanwhile preheat oven to 350.

Add onion, garlic, canned and sundried tomatoes, celery, mushrooms, fennel, thyme and red pepper flakes to pot. Season well with black pepper. Cook, stirring often until vegetables are softened – about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup bourbon, 3 cups chicken stock, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and honey to the pot. Stir well to combine. Return browned lamb to the pot, bring to a boil, cover and place in preheated 350 oven for 3 hours or until meat is very tender. Check pot towards the end of the cooking time and add additional stock as needed to keep ingredients from burning. When meat is falling off the bone tender, remove from the pot and discard bones. Set meat aside. Combine flour with remaining 1/2 cup bourbon and add to sauce in the pot. Add tomato paste and stir until sauce has thickened and come to a boil. Add more chicken stock as required for a medium thick consistency and boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and return meat to the pot. Stir in heavy cream. Serve over gnocchi, pasta or polenta. Makes 4 servings.

A year ago - Beef and Pepper Panini Sandwiches

Two year's ago - Orange Chicken

 

Flatbread with Lamb Sausage, Goat's Cheese and Basil Mint Aioli

There's nothing quite like making reservations instead of dinner every once in a while because it normally inspires me to try something I've never had before. After a recent evening at our new favorite restaurant, I figured I just HAD to come home and try out a new idea for flatbread. 

After checking out several sources, I used a recipe I found on myrecipes.com for the dough (hit the link and it'll take you right to it) but I even changed that up a tad. I mean I don't know about you, but I don't necessarily need to knead my dough by hand so I used my trusty Kitchenaid to do the job for me.  It was a breeze and ready in no time flat in no small part because our kitchen temperature is exactly what's called for when proofing dough (about 85 degrees). I know - just imagine what it would be if we didn't have the AC set for 74.

Anyway, only slightly different from my usual pizza dough, the flatbread doesn't have any oil in it which could account for it's extremely crisp and light texture. Rolled out on a floured board, it hit our medium hot outside gas grill and took mere minutes to cook on one side before being flipped over and ready to take on the toppings. 

Said toppings included purchased olive tapenade against the crisp crust, followed by sauteed ground lamb sausage made from very lean meat mixed with chopped mint, basil, cilantro, red onion, garlic and spices (recipe inspired by Rachael Ray's pita pockets, minus the yogurt and sour cream). On top of that went crumbled goat cheese, a little feta and some chopped roasted red peppers then it went back on the grill for a few minutes to brown the crust and melt the cheese, before the grand finale - a basil mint Aioli adapted from Foodnetwork.com.

The result - super crisp crust topped with the fresh Mediterranean flavors but I've got to admit it might need a little more work. Hit the links above to see my sources, but you'll have to hang in there for my complete version. I'm just going to have to perfect it before I pass the whole recipe along with the exception of the Aioli. It's the bomb! 

Incidentally, sorry I'm a little late today everyone - blame it on technical difficulties. The fact that the computer was at home and I wasn't made it technically impossible to write until now. LOL

Basil Mint Aioli (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Foodnetwork.com)

The addition of breadcrumbs to this aioli makes it pretty well fool proof, but you'd never even know they're in it. Honest!

3 tablespoons slightly stale breadcrumbs from 1 slice white bread, crusts removed

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

3 large cloves garlic

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 egg yolks

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Dash fresh ground black pepper

Dash hot sauce

Small handful each fresh basil and mint

In a food processor, combine breadcrumbs, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt and egg yolks. Pulse until mixture is a fine paste. With motor running, add olive oil VERY slowly in a thin stream and mix to form an emulsion. Stop motor and add pepper, hot sauce and fresh herbs. Pulse until mixture is smooth and herbs have been chopped. Refrigerate until needed.

A year ago - Curried Lamb Samosa Pie 

Two year's ago - Tortellini with Roasted Cauliflower and Tomatoes

 

Stir Fried Lamb with Garlic and Ginger

As part of my mission to rid the freezer of all and sundry, last night's dinner took care of the last of the wonderful lamb we acquired from the University of Arizona Meat's Lab. Too baaaa...d so saaa...d!

Four rather large loin chops, boned and slivered, were marinated in soy sauce, rice wine and sesame oil, then stir fried and finished with a lovely hoisin based garlic and ginger sauce. Served along with some fresh butter lettuce, it made for great little tasty wraps on a very hot first day of summer.

Actually, it feels like it's been summer for months here in Tucson so celebrating the summer solstace doesn't mean a heck of a lot at this point. We need rain very badly before our entire state burns to a cinder but unfortunately it looks as though rain's a long way off.

I'm packing my darkest glasses to take to Oregon. I have a sneaking suspicion my first glimpse of Oregon green's gonna' suck my eyeballs right outa' my head....and on that lovely descriptive note, I'll leave you all for the day. Be cool people!

Stir Fried Lamb with Garlic and Ginger (inspired by Best of Bridge Series Cookbooks)

1 pound boneless lean lamb cut into slivers

4 teaspoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Combine vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil with lamb slivers in a zip top bag and marinate in refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours, turning frequently. Drain marinade from meat before stir frying.

Sauce:

3/4 cup hoisin sauce

1-1/2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon liquid honey

2 tablespoons water

Juice of 1 fresh lime

2 teaspoons sesame oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Combine ingredients in jar and shake until well combined. Set aside.

To prepare:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon minced ginger

4 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup salted cashew nuts or peanuts, chopped

Butter lettuce or Iceburg separated into whole leaves, core removed

Heat wok over high heat until smoking. Add vegetable oil and when shimmering add lamb. Stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Add ginger and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add sauce and cook, stirring constantly until sauce is clear and lamb is well coated. Toss in green onions. Remove to serving platter and garnish with nuts. Serve with lettuce on the side allowing diners to make their own wraps. Serves 4 (or 2 gluttons). Download Stir Fried Lamb with Garlic and Ginger

A year ago - Bay Scallop Gratin

Minty Lamb Patty Pita Pockets

I'm leading you down the garden path with this one or at least to the herb garden which in most cases should be absolutely booming by now. Unfortunately ours is dying off at a rather alarming rate from all the heat and in the case of the rosemary too much watering, but thankfully the basil's going ballistic which is OK with me.

Some of it went into last night's lamb patties, along with mint, cilantro, minced sweet onion and a touch of yogurt. What resulted, with kudos to Rachel Ray, is an incredibly flavorful, lower calorie version of a perfect summer burger, spiced up further with some mango chutney and garnished with more sweet onion, cucumber and the rest of the mache from the other night.

We had our pita pockets along with some crudite' just so we could polish our halos and brag a bit. Believe me it was shortlived because I also made a rather brag worthy dessert, but I'll tell you about that one later.

By the way, if you're watching your carbs, load your lamb patties into some crisp lettuce leaves to make a wrap. Believe me it'll be delicious and you won't feel deprived - not one bit!

Minty Lamb Patty Pita Pockets (adapted from RachelRay.com)

1 handful each cilantro, basil and mint

1 pound lean ground lamb

1/2 cup minced sweet onion

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon steak grill seasoning

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons sour cream

Pita bread

Mango chutney

Lettuce, sweet onion, cucumber slices

Place cilantro, basil and mint in a food processor and pulse until well chopped. Add to ground lamb along with onion, cumin, steak seasoning, garlic powder, pepper, salt, yogurt and sour cream. Divide and form into 8 small thin patties.

Spray large heavy skillet or flat top grill with cooking spray. Heat to very hot. Add lamb patties and cook for 4 minutes total or until no longer pink inside, flipping half way through. Heat pitas. Cut tops off the bread and fill with patties. Garnish with lettuce, sweet onion, cucumber and mango chutney. Serves 4. Download Minty Lamb Patty Pita Pockets

A year ago - Buffalo Chicken Chili

Prosciutto Crusted Burgers

Darn, if I didn't go and do it again last night! That's 2 nights in a row - count 'em people 2 nights that I've cooked for a solitary me and the box of Cheerios has  remained untouched. Aren't I special?

Just imagine some lovely lean ground lamb, flavored with sun dried tomatoes, basil and Italian parsley, moistened with asiago cheese and a few crumbs, then formed into patties and gift wrapped all cute and neat in prosciutto. Cooked quickly in a hot cast iron pan, the proscuitto is all crispy and crunchy and the lamb moist and oh so delicious and oh my goodness, why oh why haven't I made this one before?

Per Giada's instructions, I topped the crispy crunchy golden brown luscious thing with some sliced tomato, fresh basil, a drizzle of olive oil and good balsamic and served it with a side of mixed veggies, including peas and green beans. Gotta' sneak those veggies in while the Big Guy's away don't ya' know. 

By the way, if you're not a lamb fan I think ground chicken or turkey would work wonderfully well for these burgers and the proscuitto will keep 'em nice an moist too.  It would be great with a side of pasta salad, that is if you're not watching your expanding hips for any reason...like maybe too much homemade ice cream.

Prosciutto Crusted Burgers (adapted from Giada via Food Network)

1 slice fresh bread made into crumbs (I used Texas Toast)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 large egg

3 tablespoons freshly grated asiago cheese

2 tablespoons chopped sun dried tomatoes

1/2 pound lean ground lamb

Salt and pepper

4 large  thin slices prosciutto

1 tablespoon olive oil

Fresh basil, sliced tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil and balsamic for garnish

In a small bowl combine bread crumbs, parsley, basil, asiago cheese, sundried tomatoes and lamb together. Season with salt and pepper and form into 2 patties. Wrap each patty in prosciutto and set aside.

Heat heavy sauté pan (I used cast iron) over medium high heat. Add olive oil and heat until shimmering hot. Add burgers and cook covered for 4 minutes per side or until prosciutto is browned and burger feels firm to the touch. To plate – top each burger with sliced tomatoes and fresh basil. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic. Serves 2   Download Proscuitto Crusted Burgers

A year ago - Vegetarian Samosa Pie and a Summer Berry Pudding

Curried Lamb Samosa Pie

I know what you're thinking, or at least I have a pretty good idea and yes, you're right. We have been eating our share of curry lately. As you can tell, we happen to like the stuff.

Yesterday I ground up a lamb shoulder roast with my trusty Kitchen Aid grinder attachment, added some onions and spices, a cooked mashed spud and came up with this large and crispy samosa pie. Granted it looks pretty and didn't taste bad either but in my opnion it could use some improvement.

The flavor is great but the texture could use some help, maybe with the addition of almonds for crunch and some raisins for sweetness. A more substantial pastry would be preferable to the phyllo crust too so while I'm posting the recipe below, I do so with some reservations. Just sayin'.

Curried Lamb Samosa Pie (inspired by epicurious.com)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 pound ground lamb

1/4 cup dry white vermouth (or white wine)

1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock

1 russet potato

1/4 fresh or frozen peas (optional)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 package phyllo dough, thawed per package directions

1/4 cup melted butter

Heat oil in a large sauté pan until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened. Add garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, Garam Masala, cayenne, curry powder and cumin. Cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add ground lamb and sauté stirring to crumble lamb until it is no longer pink. Add vermouth and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a slow simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile prick russet potato with a fork and cook in microwave until done. Scoop cooked potato from jacket and mash well. Remove simmered lamb from heat and stir in mashed potato and frozen peas. Set aside to cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a 9 inch tart pan with removable bottom with cooking spray. Quickly arrange phyllo pastry in layers of 2 sheets each, brushing each layer with butter. Be sure to overlap pastry over sides of pan by at least 4 inches. Repeat layering until there are only 3 sheets of phyllo remaining. Place filling in center of tart pan and fold pastry over to meet in center. Loosely fold up remaining individual sheets of phyllo and arrange on top of tart as a garnish. Brush well with butter. Bake in preheated 400 oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until pastry is a rich golden brown. Serves 6. Download Curried Lamb Samosa Pie

A year ago - Tortellini with Roasted Cauliflower and Tomatoes

Moroccan Shepherd's Pie

Have you ever noticed the amount of spices used in a particular cuisine is directly proportionate to the climate of the country? Of course in the old days that was due to lack of refrigeration and the need to disguise off flavors, but I gotta tell you, we're really glad Moroccan cooking hasn't changed much over the generations because we're lovin' the spicy heat.

 
Last night's dinner was a great example. If you're tired of the same old same old and looking for something just a tad different you'll find it here. Loaded with the sunny flavors of cumin, tumeric, and cayenne, the sweetness of cinnamon, honey and raisins and saltiness of green olives, this lamb casserole topped with a sweet potato cap was darn near perfect. The proof - utter silence except for the sound of forks hitting the ramekins and the odd groan of delight.

While I made use of the rest of our leftover leg of lamb that I'd saved in the freezer, you could certainly use fresh shoulder or even ground lamb for this one...or chicken, or pork just adjust the cooking time accordingly. It's certainly delicious enough to put on our regular rotation - no doubt about it.

 Moroccan Shepherd’s Pie (adapted from myrecipes.com)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound leftover roast lamb, in half inch dice

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

11/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1-1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock

1/3 cup pimento stuffed green olives, sliced

1/3 cup raisins

2 tablespoons liquid honey

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons water (or chicken stock)

1 cup frozen peas (optional)

2 medium sweet potatoes or ruby yams, peeled and diced

1 tablespoon butter

Spray 4 ramekins or 1 large casserole with cooking spray and set aside. Heat large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add olive oil and when shimmering add onion. Cook until onion is transparent, then add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring often so garlic doesn’t burn. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, cinnamon, and salt. Add chicken stock, green olives, raisins, and honey. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove cover. Stir together cornstarch and water and add to pan, stirring well until mixture is thickened to desired consistency. Stir in lamb and peas. Remove from heat and divide between prepared ramekins.

Meanwhile cook sweet potatoes in boiling water until done (10 minutes). Drain well and return to pot to dry over low heat. Add butter and mash potatoes. Place potatoes on top of lamb mixture in ramekins. Bake in 350 oven until bubbling – about 20 minutes. Download Moroccan Shepherds Pie

A year ago - Spring Vegetable Ragout 

Lamb Vindaloo

Vindaloo is one of the hottest curries around so I figured I'd put the Big Guy's asbestos mouth to a test and see if he could devour it without sweating. You see he's kind of a newbie when it comes to curry in it's many guises and I've made it my goal to introduce him to almost every one. Thankfully he hasn't tasted any he hasn't liked, but he does like 'em hot ya know.

A traditional Vindaloo often includes onion, ginger and garlic along with cumin, cayenne or other chilies, yellow mustard seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, tumeric, cloves and peppercorns, in addition to potatoes and sometimes tomatoes too. In our case rather than making a "scratch" curry spice mix, I chose to use a prepared Vindaloo curry paste (Patak) instead. I saw it at Lee Lee's Asian Supermarket and just had to give it a try. 

This Vindaloo did not disappoint. Made from chunks of Sunday night's leftover lamb along with onions and tomatoes, I left out the potatoes and served it on a bed of basmati rice along side a choice of accoutrement including yogurt, golden raisins, a little coconut and some mango/ginger chutney of course. I guess other than testing heat tolerance, I'm also out to prove that leftovers don't have to taste like leftovers. While I used leftover roast lamb, you could use beef, pork or chicken for this one too.

It was hot, though in all honesty the Big Guy said it could have been hotter and proved it by adding a ton of red pepper flakes and sriracha. I didn't add as much extra hot stuff to mine but I didn't find it a scorcher either which means either HOT doesn't mean HOT anymore, or my tastebuds are as acclimated and burned out as his are. It was a real hit though and I'm anxious to make it again with some chicken thighs and a scratch made curry paste and cook the whole thing low and slow to see if I can increase the heat to an intolerable level. Hey JBug's my name and torture's my game.

Oh, I'm glad I whipped up a batch of sour cream vanilla ice cream anyway, just in case we really needed its cooling presence. (I'll share the recipe with you later). I didn't want to take the chance of screams from any resulting butt burn interrupting the peace and quiet of the neighborhood. Talk about a good neighbor!

Lamb Curry Vindaloo (adapted from pataks.com)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

1/2 cup Patak’s Vindaloo Paste

1 – 14 ounce can diced tomatoes including juice

1 cup water

1 pound leftover roast lamb, cut into cubes

Cooked Basmati Rice

Mango Chutney, golden raisins, coconut, yogurt (optional)

In a large heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. When shimmering add onions, cover pot and cook for 10 minutes until onions are soft and golden colored. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Add garlic and ginger and cook for addition 2 or 3 minutes. Add curry paste and cook stirring often for 3 more minutes. Add tomatoes, water and lamb, cover, lower heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue to cook, reducing liquid to desired consistency. Serve on rice and pass the chutney, raisins, coconut and yogurt. Serves 4. Download Lamb Curry Vindaloo

Last Year  Grilled Eggplant Gratin        

                          

 

Oregon Trail Barbecued Lamb

Don't ask me why the title of this recipe is "Oregon Trail Barbecued Lamb". It makes no sense particularly since it's from my favorite Idaho a la CArte cookbook and our lamb is the Arizona variety from the U of A meat's lab. Whatever, it is a fabulous method of preparing a boned and butterflied leg of lamb no matter what the moniker.

Of course had I really been with it, I'd have taken pictures of the Big Guy boning the darn thing so you'd see how it's done but "with it" wouldn't exactly describe my frame of mind at this time...and please, no comments from the peanut gallery. Marinated in dry red wine, garlic, and worchestershire sauce as well as a bunch of other herbs, it languished in the refrigerator for over 24 hours before it hit the barbecue. It proves that Trader Joe's Two Buck Chuck's suitable for more than just giving the embiber a stinkin' good headache. A cheap Cabernet will do that to ya' won't it?

The Big Guy seared the meat first over hot coals then it was moved to the side away from the direct fire and cooked, covered for about 25 minutes to a medium rare. It was slightly more well done than we normally have lamb in this house but tender and certainly no less flavorful.

Served with some fresh corn and a little mint sauce on top, it was the personification of an early summer meal. Hey, I know it's not official yet, but we're getting there.

Oregon Trail Barbecued Lamb (adapted from Idaho a la Carte)

1 – 6 pound leg of lamb, boned and butterflied

Marinade:

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce

1 cup dry red wine

1/2 cup olive oil

3 green onions, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

Combine marinade ingredients and pour over lamb, turning meat to coat all sides. Cover and refrigerate for minimum 24 hours, turning frequently. Just before cooking, return meat to room temperature and remove from marinade. Discard marinade.  Sear lamb over hot coals on both sides for 3 minutes per side. Move lamb to side of barbecue away from direct heat and cook, covered for 20 to 25 minutes or until done to taste. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serves 8. Download Oregon Trail Barbecued Lamb

A year ago...                                  Two years ago...

Makin Whoopie                                Tortellini Salad 

Bolognese with Panko Crusted Eggplant and Zucchini

Bolognese is absolutely the best way to use up any kind of ground meat you've hiding in your freezer. This particular recipe is one we've shared with you before, adapted from Nick Stellino's book Mediterranean Flavors. 

This time instead of using beef, I used some ground lamb as well as roughly ground pork and the combination was quite delicious. Of course I also managed to sneak in some of our home smoked bacon which really upped the flavor quotient by a ton and a half.

The big bonus is that a hearty meat sauce doesn't have to go on top of pasta. For something different we could have had ours on crusty buns with bunches of cheese, or on a nice creamy polenta but instead I chose to serve it with some eggplant and zucchini, lightly floured, dipped in an egg wash then breaded in panko and fried quickly. Along with a glass of vin d'ordinaire, why last night's dinner was almost gourmet! By the way, if you're watching your carbs, simply grill the veggies instead and save yourself some calories.

Sorry for the short and sweet post today, but I've got to fly. I had an oogie taken off my arm 8 days ago that turned out to be nothing thankfully, but the stitches come out this morning and I don't want to be late. Hope you all have a fabulous second day of May!

Bolognese Meat Sauce Adapted from Nick Stellino’s Mediterranean Flavors

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 cup finely chopped carrots

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

4 cloves garlic, sliced

1 large bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon ground sage

2 teaspoons dried basil

3 slices bacon, diced or 1 oz. diced prosciutto

1 pound ground meat - I used lamb and pork

1/3 cup red wine

8 oz. can tomato sauce

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups chicken stock or beef stock

salt & pepper to taste

Heat olive oil until sizzling – add red pepper flakes, celery, carrots, onion, garlic, bay leaf, sage and basil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium low and cook additional 10 minutes. Increase heat to high, add bacon (prosciutto) and beef and cook stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add wine and cook until almost evaporated – about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce, paste & stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Remove cover and simmer until sauce is thick – additional 15 minutes.  Add cream and taste for seasoning. Download Bolognese-meat-sauce

 

Stuffed Eggplant

I'm about to say something rather profound. The Greeks sure know how to get the best out of what we call "meadow maggots" in our household. I don't know about you, but I have to justify eating something that looks so darn cute playing in the fields and while adorable, the sight of a lamb will almost but not quite make me want to become vegetarian. Certainly not after I tasted this dish!

Courtesy of Saveur, it makes good use of more of the ground lamb we salvaged from that tough as nails shoulder roast to fill up eggplant in a  dish called "Papoutsakia". Ground lamb mixed with the eggplant's innards along with lots of garlic, onion, tomatoes and red wine of course, all buried under a layer of smooth creamy cheesy bechamel - well it's something else believe me. Who would think a touch of cinnamon and cloves could make meat and tomatoes taste so good?

With almost the same ingredients as moussaka minus the potatoes, I'll be making this again to serve on pasta, or smothering a potato or as an absolute exact replica of what you see because it's a real keeper! By the way, it would be a great dish for a casual dinner with friends since it can be prepped in advance and refrigerated so you can enjoy time with your guests and still pull off a stellar dinner. We had ours with the rest of the crunchy Greek salad from the other day for a completely satisfying full meal deal.

Stuffed Eggplant (Papoutsakia) (adapted from Saveur and Susanna Hoffman’s The Olive and the Caper)

1 medium sized eggplant, or 2 small

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 medium onion, minced

3/4 pound lean ground lamb

1-1/2 cups crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup dry marsala wine

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Dash cloves

3 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1-1/4 cups milk

3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Cut eggplant in half and scoop out innards, leaving a quarter to half inch shell. Roughly chop innards and reserve. Heat oil in large skillet and cook eggplant shells, turning once until browned and just wilted – about 5 minutes total. Transfer to shallow casserole dish. In same sauté pan over medium heat, cook onion and garlic until softened. Add ground lamb and cook until lamb is no longer pink. Add reserved eggplant, crushed tomatoes, wine, salt, pepper, oregano, cinnamon and cloves. Cook stirring often until mixture is very thick – about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile heat butter in small saucepan and add flour. Cook, stirring constantly until butter and flour are slightly golden in color – about 5 minutes. Whisk in milk and cook until mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese and nutmeg. Taste for seasoning adding salt and pepper as required.

To assemble – fill eggplant shells with tomato eggplant sauce and top with béchamel. May be refrigerated at this point. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes until hot and bubbling. Finish under broiler to brown béchamel.  Serves 4. Download Stuffed Eggplant (Papoutsakia)

 

Lamb Sausage Rolls

If you recall, I've been bragging about the lamb we purchased from the U of A Meat's Lab a while ago. Needless to say most of the more tender cuts of it have been devoured leaving a couple of leg roasts and the least tender of the bunch - shoulder roasts. Yesterday I took the liberty of rippin' into one of them and made some ground lamb courtesy of my trusty KitchenAid and it's multi use attachments.

A pound of the very lean freshly ground meat went into the making of some lamb sausage loaded with shallots, garlic and fresh parsley and flavored with fennel, orange zest and coriander. Wrapped in a pastry blanket they were perfect Friday night specials along with our libations and a salad of course.

Sausage rolls are extremely popular in the British Isles and there's barely a bakery in Canada that doesn't sell a version of them as well. They're perfect for whipping up and hiding unbaked in your freezer for when unexpected guests drop by because they take no time to bake from frozen and smell glorious when they're in the oven. They can be made bite sized for appetizers or more substantial as lunch or dinner items with a little dipping sauce on the side. We used our Kicky Kumquat Marmalade as well as some grainy mustard but they're just fine on their own too.

Incidentially, if you're not into lamb you can certainly make the rolls with ground pork, beef or even chicken but the lamb really gives them a fabulous flavor all their own. Should you want to forget the pastry, the sausage would be just lovely formed into little patties or meatballs and fried or as a filling in ravioli or won ton's too.

Lamb Sausage Rolls (adapted Canadian Living Magazine)

1 pkg. frozen puff pastry thawed per package directions

1 pound lean ground lamb

1 egg plus 1 egg white (save yolk for later use)

1/4 cup panko crumbs

1 shallot, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoons fennel seeds

1/2 teaspoon coriander

Grated zest of 1 large orange

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard

1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Combine lamb, egg, panko, shallot, garlic, parsley, fennel, coriander, orange and salt and pepper. Set aside.  Roll a sheet of puff pastry on a floured board to a 10 inch by 10 inch square. Cut pastry in half making two 5 by 10 inch strips. Coat pastry with a thin layer of Dijon mustard and place a strip of meat along the 10 inch side of the pastry. Roll pastry over to enclose filling, pressing firmly to enclose meat in pastry and place seam on the bottom. Move to baking sheet and repeat with remaining pastry and filling.  Refrigerate until firm (about a half hour). May be frozen at this point and baked later.

Preheat oven to 400. Cut rolls into desired size (2 inch to 3 inch pieces). Brush with egg/water glaze and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. If baking from frozen, do not thaw first and add additional 10 minutes to cooking time. Makes 12 large rolls or 24 smaller ones. Serve with coarse grain mustard as a dipping sauce. Download Lamb Sausage Rolls with Orange and Fennel

Grilled Lamb Chops with Wheatberry Salad

It was a good grillin' day yesterday and what's better on a hot windy desert spring day than a "cool" easy on the cook dinner of lamb chops and salad.

Our lamb loin chops got a significant head start in the flavor department thanks to a bath in a marinade made of olive oil, white wine, lots of lemon juice, garlic, parsley, rosemary and mint. They looked almost like ceviche when they went on the grill but came off looking and smelling rather wonderful.

The flavors were all there - unfortunately neither the prep cook (me) or the butcher cleaned them up enough from the start so quite honestly, other than the little tenderloin the rest of them were quite sinewy. For some reason I'm always a little hesitant to remove fat from extra lean loin chops before they're cooked, but the 8 minutes the chops spent on the grill coupled with their extra thickness meant the fat really didn't have a chance to break down anyway and it was really hard to remove from the chops at the dinner table. My bad - I should have done a better job!

As for the Wheat berry Salad - well it was a first for me cooking these little pellets of winter wheat and it certainly won't be the last. For darn sure if you're looking for a little "movement" in your life, this fiber rich grain is the one to add to your diet. In a salad filled with crunchy pistachios, fresh ginger, raisins and green onions in a lemon honey dressing, it's about as good as it gets. I added some slivered apricots and forgot the goat cheese, but I'm putting it in the recipe so you don't make the same mistake although the salad was plenty good without it.

I figure this chewy flavorful side dish will be lovely with just about anything off the grill this summer, be it chicken, fish, pork or beef, or just fine on it's own as a vegetarian dish but pretend I didn't say that OK. After all,the master of the house is a dyed in the wool carnivore. Hmmm, that was rather appropriate after a big feed of lamb chops wouldn't you say?

Grilled Lamb Chops with Herb Marinade (adapted from Canadian Living Barbecue & Summer Foods Cookbook)

Pour this marinade over a boneless leg of lamb if you prefer, then grill until medium rare and slice very thinly.

4 – 1-1/2 inch thick lamb loin chops

Marinade:

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup white wine

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

Grated rind of 1 lemon

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup chopped minced onion

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Place olive oil, white wine, lemon juice, lemon rind, garlic and onion in a deep container and whiz with an immersion blender or alternative place in a food processor and pulse until mixture emulsifies. Add salt, pepper, parsley, rosemary and mint.

Trim, wash and dry lamb loin chops and place in zip top bag. Add marinade and refrigerate 4 hours. Remove from marinade and blot slightly with paper towels. Place over hot coals on grill and cook to desired doneness (8 minutes for medium rare). Download Grilled Lamb Chops w Herb Marinade

Wheat Berry Salad with Raisins, Apricots and Pistachios (adapted from Today’s Food and Wine, MSNBC)

1 cup uncooked wheat berries (hard winter wheat)

Water to cover by 2 inches

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon honey

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

2 tablespoons peeled minced fresh ginger

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup slivered dried apricots

1/2 cup toasted pistachios

3 green onions, sliced thinly

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese (optional)

Place wheat berries in a medium sized saucepan and cover with water at least 2 inches above wheat berries. Bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer, cover and cook for 1 hour. Drain. Add remaining ingredients except for goat cheese to hot cooked wheat berries and toss well to mix. Sprinkle with goat cheese just before serving. Serve at room temperature or cold. Makes 6 servings. Download Wheatberry Salad with Raisins, Apricots and Pistachios

 

Ginger Mint Lamb Chops and Cauliflower with Pine nuts and Raisins

Talk about a crust that was the antithesis of Saturday's and you've got it right here. I'd say this particular combination of fresh breadcrumbs, fresh mint, ginger and butter would be great on just about anything including pork tenderloin, but on last night's lamb chops it was superb.It just proves that you don't have to go to a lot of fuss and bother to make a Sunday worthy dinner. See what I mean?

 And as for the side dish, well picture slices of cauliflower, spiced with red pepper flakes and garlic, sweetened with raisins and tomatoes and a pine nut crunch. Honestly, I know it sounds kinda' weird, but this quick saute was really delicious and something different for a change. Dare I say, one could use broccoli instead of cauliflower in fact, that's what the recipe from Idaho a la Carte called for, but I figured if it was a rave with broccol, it would be great with cauliflower too. What makes it darn near perfect for a buffet or picnic is that it can be made in advance and is just as delicious at room temperature. Bonus!

By the way, check out the chops. The big guy cut them from a Rack of Lamb Rib Roast and frenched the bones beautifully while I whipped up the herby crumb crust. Isn't he somethin'?

Double Lamb Chops with Ginger Mint Crust (adapted from Bon Appetit)

4 ounces crusty French bread or baguette, cut into half inch cubes

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint

1/4 cup minced peeled fresh ginger

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick butter (1/2 cup) room temperature

8 double lamb chops, well trimmed and bones frenched

Preheat oven to 450. In a food processor, combine bread, mint, ginger and salt. Pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped. With motor running add butter and process until a paste forms. Top chops with a layer of crumb paste and press firmly so breadcrumbs stick to the chops. Roast 25 minutes for medium rare or until done to your preference. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 4 Download Double Lamb Chops with Ginger Mint Crust

Cauliflower with Pine Nuts and Raisins (adapted from Idaho a la Carte)

1 small head cauliflower, trimmed and sliced into quarter inch slices

1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup raisins

8 cherry tomatoes, halved

Heat oil in a large sauté pan and add pepper flakes and garlic. Cook until garlic is aromatic – about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add pine nuts, cauliflower, and raisins. Cook stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until pine nuts are toasted and cauliflower is cooked but still crisp. Add tomato halves and toss. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Serves 4 to 6. Download Cauliflower with Pine Nuts and Raisins

Braised Lamb with Bacon and Marsala

Boy talk about a surprise package! Yesterday I'd planned to make an Asian stir fry using some of our glorious U of A lamb for dinner, but the package I'd removed and defrosted from the freezer held some  rather unexpected cuts. It kind of looked like osso buco but from the neck instead of the shank with muscle best suited to cooking low and slow instead of in a stir fry.

Quickly dredged in flour and browned, the meat was set aside while I built the flavor components...bacon, garlic, onion, mushrooms, marsala wine, thyme, rosemary, Herbs de Provence...it all came together quite well if I do say so myself. Of course how can you lose when there's bacon and booze involved?

Served on a cloud of cheesy grits, we were oh so happy campers. By the way, the braising liquid would be great with just about any kind of meat so if you're not into lamb that much, give it a try with chicken, pork, veal or beef. You won't be disappointed.

Braised Lamb with Bacon and Marsala (a JBug’s original)

5 one inch slices of lamb neck (horizontal slices with bone in – approximately 1.50 pounds)

Salt, pepper and flour for dredging

3 slices bacon, diced

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic minced

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon Herbs de Provence

Salt and pepper

3/4 cup dry Marsala wine divided

1-1/2 cups chicken stock

Wondra flour as required

Garnish with fresh chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 325. Season lamb pieces with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Set aside.

Heat a medium sized Dutch oven over medium high heat and fry bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and set aside. Brown seasoned and dredged lamb in bacon drippings on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside. Add onion, garlic and mushrooms to pot and sauté stirring often until vegetables are softened. Add thyme, rosemary, Herbs de Provence, salt and pepper and cook for additional minute. Stir in 1/2 cup of the Marsala and cook until liquid is reduced by half. Return lamb and bacon to pot, add chicken stock. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, cover pot and place in oven for 1 hour.

Remove cover from pot after 1 hour and continue to cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, until meat is very tender. Remove from oven and add remaining quarter cup of marsala. Thicken gravy as necessary. Serve garnished with chopped parsley. Download Braised Lamb with Bacon and Marsala

Hint - To create a lower carb version of this dish, serve on steamed cauliflower, brussels sprouts, or turnip rather than on a bed of grits. 

Rack of Lamb with a Marionberry Hazelnut Crust

Our special Valentine's menu was a combination of favorites - meat, chocolate and berries for the big guy and pears and blue cheese for moi. Of course also included was an incredible bottle of Oregon Pinot, gifted from our friend John (talk about fabulous)! Course truth be known the entire menu wasn't just a celebration of our love for each other but also of the land we call home, even though we're not living there at the moment - the Pacific Northwest.

We started with a Pear and Gorgonzola Salad on a bed of mache lettuce topped with toasted pecans and a shallot vinaigrette.  Mache, also known as lamb's lettuce is a French green with a sweet nutty mild flavor. Thanks to Trader Joe's it is available here (grown in the Salinas area of California), but for those with a green thumb, be sure to get your hands on some seeds. You won't be sorry adding it to your garden in the spring. Believe me, it is wonderful particularly combined with a perfectly ripe pear, gorgonzola cheese and crunchy pecans, and the shallot vinaigrette would make an old shoe taste appetizing! It is my absolute favorite salad, bar none! Have I said that before?

As for the rack of lamb, well I thought I'd try a new recipe that had received rave reviews. Adapted from Bon Appetit, it combines marionberry jam and dijon mustard as a glaze, topped by crunchy ground hazelnuts, fresh parsley and soft bread crumbs. After 30 minutes in a hot oven, the big guy crowed that it was a perfect rare but honestly it was a little too rare for me so I put my slices back in the pan for a few minutes on high heat. Served nestled on a bed of caramelized shallot mashed yukon gold potatoes, it looked amazing and the big guy was happy, happy. To be honest the potatoes were far superior to the meat (dah) because in my opinion the lamb was a little bland never mind I did a big boo boo and left some silverskin on it. Let that be a lesson to you...get your butcher to clean up the rack so you don't have to. It took me way too long to french the bones, etc. and I still didn't do a proper job. Darn! I hate when that happens.

Me and my wonderful Valentine weren't complaining about dessert though - a Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Torte, adapted from a Best of Bridge recipe. Talk about chocolate overload, if there is such a thing! Made from high quality cocoa and raspberry jam, the bottom layer is like a chewy rich moist brownie which is then topped with a truffle like layer of dark chocolate ganache flavored with more raspberry jam. It is not to be believed, easy to make and worth every stinkin' calorie. By the way, while the recipe specifies "fresh" raspberries, I used the frozen variety. They wanted my first born for the fresh ones and since that's impossible at my advanced age, I hit the freezer section instead and they were fine...just fine!

Pear & Gorgonzola Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette (adapted from Idaho a la Carte)

Shallot Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup light vegetable oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons liquid honey

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon water

Salt & pepper to taste

3 tablespoons finely minced shallot

Combine above ingredients together in a glass jar and shake well. Chill.

Salad:

1 package Mache lettuce (or mixed greens)

2 pears, cored and sliced

2 ounces gorgonzola cheese, thinly sliced

1/2 cup toasted pecans

Place lettuce on plates. Top with sliced pears, gorgonzola and pecans. Spoon vinaigrette over top.  Serves 4 Download Pear and Gorgonzola Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette

Rack of Lamb with Marionberry Hazelnut Crust (adapted from Bon Appetit)

1 well trimmed rack of lamb, bones frenched

Salt & coarse ground black pepper

3 tablespoons marionberry jam

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/3 cup finely chopped hazelnuts

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 425. Season lamb with salt and pepper. Combine marionberry jam and Dijon mustard and coat fat side of lamb liberally. Combine hazelnuts, parsley and breadcrumbs and toss well together. Place mixture on top of glaze, pressing well to adhere. Top evenly with pieces of butter. Roast for 30 minutes for rare. Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting rack between bones into individual chops. Serves 2. Download Rack of Lamb with Marionberry Hazelnut Crust

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Torte (adapted from Best of Bridge Series Cookbooks)

Base:

9 level tablespoons good quality unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces

1/4 cup raspberry jam (I used seedless)

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350. Line 8 inch round pan with removable bottom with parchment paper. Spray with cooking spray. Set aside. Combine cocoa, butter and jam in a small saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring constantly until butter has melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and set aside. Using electric mixer, beat eggs until light and foamy. Add sugar, vanilla and chocolate mixture and beat well to combine. Stir in flour mixing just until blended (be careful not to over mix at this point). Spread batter into prepared pan and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or just until cake has set. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Remove from oven and cool on a rack.
Topping:

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons raspberry jam

2 tablespoons butter

4 ounces semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (do not use unsweetened)

Combine cream, jam and butter in a small pot and heat over medium low heat stirring constantly until butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and add chocolate, stirring until chocolate has melted. Cool slightly.

1 cup fresh raspberries

Whipping cream

Remove cooled brownie base from pan and place on serving plate. Carefully spread topping over it. Top with raspberries and chill until cold. Serve with whipped cream on the side. Download Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Torte

Moussaka - Kinda'!

Last night's dinner was the first of the week that I've cooked for the big guy and I wanted something that would smell amazing when that garage door went up and squeaked out "honey, I'm home". I got what I wished for...kinda'.

I started out with great intentions to make a full fledged big casserole of moussaka knowing that I could chow down on leftovers quite easily when the big guy heads out to go hunting later next week. Unfortunately sometimes the best made plans go awry - one of two eggplants that looked pristine on the outside was rotten through the inside, so I had to go for plan B. With the bechamel made, the potatoes sliced and turning a nice golden brown in the pan, I couldn't change my mind completely so just improvised. I had some leftover lamb roast in the freezer, so did a quick thaw, chopped it up and doubled up on the meat instead of the eggplant. It sure enough made the big guy happy!

Here's the original recipe for the real McCoy that we've posted here before - it is one tasty casserole, but if you've never made it before be forewarned, while easy to make, it's rather labor intensive with a lot of steps and makes one heck of a mess of the kitchen - at least my kitchen but that could just be a reflection on the cook. I made sure it was cleaned up before the big guy got home, but it would have been a good night to have him pull kitchen duty. Silly me!

Moussaka  (Adapted Mediterranean Flavors by Nick Stellino)

2 1-1/2 pound eggplants

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

 

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1-1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8 “ slices & patted dry

3/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

1-1/2 pounds ground lamb

1 onion, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons dried thyme

½ cup red wine

1-1/4 cups tomato sauce

1 cup beef stock

 

2 cups Béchamel Sauce (see below)

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Peel eggplants & cut crosswise into ½ inch thick slices. Sprinkle with salt and place on layer of paper towels. Cover with another layer of towels, then with a cutting board. Place a heavy pan on top of cutting board to weight it down. Set aside for 20 – 30 minutes.

Heat oil in sauté plan until very hot. Add potatoes, sprinkle with salt & pepper. Cook until they are lightly browned (about 5 – 7 minutes). Remove potatoes to 9 x 13” glass casserole dish and arrange evenly on bottom of dish. Dry eggplant slices with a paper towel. Add eggplant to sauté pan in batches and cook until browned on both sides. Place one half of eggplant on top of potato layer in casserole and set other half of cooked eggplant aside for later. Sprinkle well with pepper.

To the same sauté pan, add ground lamb, and cook for 6 minutes until browned. Remove from pan & set aside. Remove all but 2 Tablespoons of meat juices from pan. Add onions, garlic, bay leaves, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and thyme. Cook until onion is soft. Return ground lamb to the pan and add red wine. Cook until wine is reduced by half. Add tomato sauce and beef stock. Lower heat, and simmer for 10 minutes or until sauce is thickened.  Top eggplant layer in casserole with meat sauce and add remaining eggplant to top, arranging evenly. Top all with béchamel sauce and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes, until top is golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.

Béchamel Sauce

2 cups whole milk, warmed in microwave

3 Tablespoons butter

3 Tablespoons flour

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

In small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk flour into melted butter and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. (Do not brown the roux).  Pour warmed milk a little at a time into saucepan, whisking constantly. Continue whisking until sauce thickens to desired consistency – about 5 minutes. If you are holding béchamel for any length of time, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top to prevent a “skin” from forming on the sauce. Download Moussaka

Indian Lamb Chops with Curried Cauliflower

So people, here's the scenario. You've got 20 minutes to put dinner on the table before you have to leave for choir practice. Your resident carnivore isn't going to be a happy camper if he gets a mere sandwich for dinner and you fed him an extra piece of pineapple carrot cake earlier so dinner needs to be something that isn't just tasty, but calorically conscientious as well. Have I got a deal for you!

Gorgeous 1-1/2 inch thick lamb loin chops, seasoned with coarse sea salt, freshly ground pepper and curry, sauteed for 4 minutes a side for a perfect medium rare and served with steamed cauliflower with the mother of all curry sauces.  Now I know you're thinking - geez, is she nuts? Dinner ready in twenty minutes and what about the calories in the sauce - after all there's cream in it isn't there? Per serving - 489 calories. Count'em and weep!

By the way, if you've a few extra minutes to spare, roast the cauliflower in the oven for additional nutty yummy flavor...oh and double the sauce. You won't be sorry!

Indian Lamb Chops with Curried Cauliflower (adapted from Bon Appetit))

4 1-1/2 inch thick lamb loin chops

2 teaspoons curry powder, divided

Sea salt and coarse ground black pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon all purpose flour

1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons mango chutney

2 large green onions, chopped & divided

2 cups cauliflower florets

Steam cauliflower until tender crisp (3 to 4 minutes) or alternatively roast in a hot cast iron pan in the oven until just tender. Set aside.

Sprinkle lamb chops with salt, pepper and 3/4 teaspoon curry powder. In a medium cast iron pan, heat oil until shimmering. Add lamb chops and cook for 4 minutes on each side till medium rare (or alternatively 3 minutes for rare). Remove from heat and set aside to keep warm. Pour oil from skillet. Add 1-1/4 teaspoons of curry powder to the skillet as well as the flour and cook for 15 seconds, stirring constantly. Add cream, chicken broth and chutney. Boil until slightly reduced and thickened – approx. 1 to 2 minutes. Add half the green onions. Plate lamb and spoon cauliflower over top. Top with sauce and garnish with remaining green onion.  Serves 2 Download Indian Lamb Chops with Curried Cauliflower

Check out these links for a little more somethin' somethin'!

      

Mango Chutney                        Roasted Manchurian Cauliflower

Leg of Lamb Provencal

Today my friends, we're on our knees in total supplication to the goddess of great grub, Ina Garten. The leg of lamb we had last night with her instructions was without question the absolute best thing since sliced bread. I kid you not!

Coated with a paste of Dijon mustard, garlic, rosemary, balsamic, coarse salt and pepper all whizzed in my fancy dancy new Kitchenaid immersion blender with the mini chopper attachment (ya' gotta love Christmas) then drizzled with honey and cooked in a roasting pan nestled amongst sweet onion and lovely little pearl tomatoes, the roast is to die for easy to put together. Garnished with more fresh rosemary and lovely thyme, the flavor is not to be believed.

The roast was a perfect medium rare and the pan juices with cooked down vegetables incredible. Served along with some roasted fingerling potatoes done in a hot cast iron pan for 20 minutes, dinner was on the table in a scant two hours from start to finish and definitely company worthy.

You see we had friends visiting last night from my old home town of Calgary so we had to put on the dogs in celebration and believe me this was a perfect celebratory dinner. So there - now the secret's out as to why I'm late posting for the day. I honestly couldn't spare a minute of catching up on all the news and bragging about my wonderful life with my darling big guy. I'm the luckiest girl in the whole USA. I know it and now you do too!

Here's my version of the recipe, but if you want to see the real thing hit this link and it'll take you right to Ina. You really need to try this one and if you don't  like lamb, I believe it would work with a lovely pork roast too, just adjust the cooking time accordingly. Also, per Ina's instructions, I tied the roast up all pretty before coating it with the yummy paste, when I make it again I won't bother so I'm leaving that step out of my version.

As you can see, the layer of crunchy goodness suffered greatly in the carving process because the string had to be removed and really, why waste all that fabulous flavor never mind your valuable time while you could be enjoying wine and appetizers in the sun with your Canadian friends ....oh me. The darn cook is so deprived, isn't she!

Leg of Lamb Provencal (from Ina Garten via epicurious.com)

1 – 5 to 6 pound bone in leg of lamb, trimmed, rinsed and dried

 

1/2 cup Dijon mustard (I used coarse ground)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Fresh ground black pepper

 

1/4 cup liquid honey

Preheat oven to 450. Combine mustard, garlic, rosemary, balsamic, salt and pepper in mini chopper. Pulse until a paste forms and all ingredients are well mixed. Place lamb in well greased roasting pan and coat roast with mustard paste. Drizzle with liquid honey.

 

Combine in a medium bowl, tossing till well coated

 

8 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

2 pints grape tomatoes, washed and dried

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup honey

2 large sweet onions sliced

4 sprigs fresh thyme

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Pour vegetable mixture around outside of lamb roast. Bake at 450 for 20 minutes. Lower heat to 350 and roast for additional 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours until thermometer reaches 135 for medium rare. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving. Slice ham, arrange tomatoes and pan juices on top.

* Note – during last 20 minutes of cooking, I put a pound of washed and dried fingerling potatoes in a hot cast iron pan. Drizzle the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt. Roast for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Serve a long with roast.  Makes 6 to 8 servings. Download Leg of Lamb Provencal

Hint - for a lower carb version, reduce the amount of pearl tomatoes and the honey to half. Serve with green vegetables rather than potatoes.

Lamb Stew with Trinidad Curry

It's cooling off in the desert and I mean cooling off. Today the high is only expected to be in the 50's and tomorrow in the 40's. We'll be harvesting citrus today and covering our fruit trees because lows are going to be darned low. Are you all going to remind me of the number of times in the past 8 months I've said I can't wait to be cold? Come on - now's your chance!

Cold weather here (cold being a relative term compared to my Northern roots) is a great excuse to dig out the fleece and silk long johns and an even better reason to have the oven on all afternoon. That's sorta' what I did yesterday when this stew went on the menu but I went one better. I flavored it with a home made blend of Caribbean spices guaranteed to warm the cockles of me heart.

Quite honestly the lamb we purchased from the University of Arizona's Department of Animal Science Meat's Lab is the absolute best we've ever tasted. I know I'm bragging about it a lot, but it is mildly flavored, unbelievably tender, incredibly lean and just about the best buy we've made in a long time. I used a shoulder roast to make the stew, deboning it, then cutting the meat into small cubes. It was then marinated overnight in an Island curry mixture made of toasted cumin and coriander seeds as well as cloves, poppy seeds, mustard seeds, cayenne, cinnamon, star anise, peppercorns, tumeric and ground ginger mixed with garlic, jalapeno pepper, shallots and vinegar.

After its overnight vacation in the refrigerator, the meat was coated in flour (optional) and browned and joined by onions, tomatoes and a combination of beef and vegetable stock. It cooked in a slow oven until the meat was tender before the root vegetables were introduced.

If you're worried it's going to be too spicy, rest assured it's really not because I added an extra couple of tablespoons of curry as well as a half teaspoon of cayenne to bring it up to our acceptable Scoville level. Yeah, it's official ...we've done burned out our tastebuds!

This is really a deliciously different stew and while you're going to have a ton of Trinidad curry powder leftover, keep it in a tightly sealed jar and you can use it on chicken, fish or shrimp and transport your tastebuds to the sunny Caribbean any old time you please.

Trinidadian Curry Powder (Adapted from recipegoldmine.com)

 4 tablespoons cumin seeds

2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds

1 tablespoon cloves

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1 tablespoon mustard seeds

2 tablespoons ground cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 whole star anise (or 2 tablespoons ground anise)

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

4 tablespoons ground turmeric

4 tablespoons ground ginger

Roast the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry sauté pan until fragrant – just a few minutes. Place all ingredients except for turmeric and ginger into a coffee grinder reserved for spices only or use a mortar and pestle. Combine ingredients until well blended.  Add turmeric and ginger. Store in airtight container in a cool dry place for up to several months.

Lamb Stew with Trinidad Curry (Adapted from emerils.com as well as by “Cooking In Barbados”)

3 tablespoons Trinidad curry powder

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 jalapeno pepper, minced

2 green onions, minced

2 tablespoons shallot, minced

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1-1/2 pounds lamb shoulder cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes

Combine above ingredients into a zip top bag and marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 6 hours, or overnight.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, minced

2 cups seeded roma tomatoes, diced

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

3 cups vegetable stock

Heat vegetable oil in a heavy pot, (flour meat if you wish) and brown in batches until well browned. Remove to plate to hold. Add onion to pot and sauté until translucent. Return meat to the pot and add tomatoes, salt, pepper and vegetable stock to just cover meat. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then place in 300 oven for 1-1/2 hours. Remove lid of pot after 1 hour. After meat is tender, add the following to the meat:

2 white potatoes, peeled and diced in ¼ inch cubes

2 large carrots, peeled and diced in ¼ cubes

Stir vegetables into meat and return pot to oven, covered and continue to cook until liquid is reduced and vegetables are cooked (another ½ hour). Serve with roti or flour tortillas. Download Trinidadian Curry Powder and Download Lamb Stew with Trinidad Curry

Hint - for a lower carb version, eliminate the white potatoes and carrots and substitute a sweet potato, cut into cubes. Serve without roti or tortillas.

Greek Burger with a minty garlicky cucumber sauce

We took delivery of a lamb we'd ordered from the University of Arizona's Meats Lab on Friday and to be honest I was a little worried. You see I'm pretty darn fussy when it comes to my lamb - it needs to be on the lean side because I find the taste of the fat can be too overpowering. I also much prefer home grown lamb over imported because,in my opinion, the flavor profile is better. After all, they are what they eat aren't they?

Well, I need not have worried my pea brain over it because we tried some yesterday and it is quite simply sublime!

Mixed with bread crumbs, onion, garlic, fresh mint, a touch of oregano and a smidge of lemon juice, the patties cooked quickly in our trusty cast iron pan and topped a bed of mixed greens, sliced tomato and sweet onion on a piece of flatbread. Dressed with a creamy yogurt cucumber sauce (tzatziki), it went down the hatch darned easy. Only after we'd finished eating these glorious little morsels did I remember that I'd forgotten to put the feta cheese on the table. Darn! Guess we'll just have to do it all again PDQ!  Download Greek Burger with Tzatziki

If you're not much into lamb, you could certainly use ground chicken or turkey and it would taste wonderful. As for us, we'll be chowing down on some great bahhhhh ...about 57 pounds of it over the next little while. Lucky us, eh?

Greek Burger with Tzatziki (adapted from epicurious.com))

1/3 cup soft bread crumbs

2 tablespoons milk

1/4 cup dried panko crumbs

1 small onion

2 cloves garlic

Small handful fresh mint

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 pound lean ground lamb

Salt & coarse ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cups mixed greens

2 tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 sweet onion, thinly sliced

1/3 cup feta cheese (optional)

Mediterranean flat bread or pita, warmed

Combine soft bread crumbs and milk in a bowl and set aside. In bowl of food processor place onion, garlic, mint, oregano and lemon juice. Pulse until finely chopped. Add to softened breadcrumbs in bowl along with ground lamb. Add dried panko, season with salt and coarse ground black pepper. Mix together lightly until combined. Using a quarter cup measure, form into balls then flatten into small patties. Set aside in refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm up. Heat heavy pan with olive oil until oil is shimmering. Add patties and cook quickly for 2 minutes on one side and 1 minute on the other, being careful not to crowd the pan. Remove and keep warm until all patties are cooked. Serve on flat bread along with mixed greens, tomatoes, onion and feta cheese. Garnish with tzatziki.  

Tzatziki

2/3 cup Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon chopped mint

1 large clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

1/2 cup peeled, seeded finely chopped cucumber

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle over lamb burgers.  Serves 4.

Hint - for a lower carb version, serve without the flatbread.

Pasta with Lamb Ragout

Ragout ...ragu - the difference is all in the spelling. Last night's dinner started life as a stew until I realized there was a shortage of meat and a surplus of liquid which meant it was perfect as a pasta sauce. If innovation's the mother of invention, then I have to admit this just may be one of the better ones.

 

Leg of lamb cut into bite sized pieces and browned then joined by onion, garlic (of course), crushed tomatoes, lots of red wine, sweetened with brown sugar and currents, spiced with cumin and cinnamon and tarted up with orange rind made for a fabulous Greek inspired sauce on our mixed pasta (mixed only because I didn't have enough of one or the other). Dusted with a little grated mozzarella cheese, to be honest I tried really hard to find something wrong with this but couldn't come up with a darn thing. The combination of flavor's absolutely amazing - for heaven's sake don't leave out the orange zest either. It hits the taste buds where the cinnamon stops. It's just incredible!

Get a load of this! I can't come up with anything else to complain about today either. It is a cool and wonderful 62 degrees as I write this - the AC's off, the windows are open, and even the animals are celebrating (Georgie's running laps and Max's watching). That's darn near a 20 degree difference from this time yesterday morning. Ahhhh - are those darn monsoons finally over? We can only hope.

Lamb Ragout

1 pound boneless lamb (leg or shoulder)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 medium onions, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups crushed tomatoes

3/4 cup dry red wine

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1-1/2 teaspoons grated orange rind

1 bay leaf

1 cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium high. Cut lamb into bite sized pieces, trimming off any fat and membrane. Dredge in flour and brown well without crowding the pan. Add onions and garlic. Lower heat to medium low, cover pot and cook until onions are soft, stirring from time to time (about 5 minutes). Add tomatoes, red wine, brown sugar, cumin, orange rind, bay leaf, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer, cover and cook for 1 hour, or until meat is very tender. Stir pot occasionally to prevent sticking. Add water or more wine if sauce gets too thick. Discard bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Add parsley. Serve over pasta.  Makes 6 servings   Download Lamb Ragout

Mediterranean Style Stuffed Peppers

I was chatting with our sweet Sophia the other day and she mentioned she was cooking stuffed peppers for dinner. That was just the nudge I needed to add peppers to our menu this week. The supply is certainly plentiful this time of year and the prices go down accordingly so it seemed like a no brainer.

Although I'd just as soon have made a version that we've posted here before, I thought I'd give 'em a different twist and try a Mediterranean translation, adapted from Cooking Light. I known, I know - I can hear you now. What exactly constitutes a Mediterranean style stuffed pepper anyway? I don't know about you but when I think of Mediterranean, I think of lamb and therefore mint. The stuffing for these giant orbs holds true to that theory with couscous replacing the usual rice, along with lots of onion, garlic, lemon and fresh parsley too.They're light, summery and not at all like our usual stuffed peppers.

Did we like 'em? Well, I thought they needed more seasonings along with some kind of sauce. I really should have kept my opinion to myself because the big guy took it to heart and used the better part of a bottle of hot sauce on them. But that's just us and you all know subtle isn't a word in our vocabulary. You give 'em a try and tell me what you think, OK?

Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers

4 red, yellow or orange bell peppers or a combination

1-1/2 cups chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh mint

1 Tablespoon olive oil

8 ounces ground lamb

5 Tablespoons lemon juice, divided

1 – 2/3 cups low sodium chicken broth

1-1/4 cups couscous

1 cup chopped fresh parsley

Salt and pepper

2 Tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

Wash and dry peppers well. Cut in half lengthwise through stems, and remove seeds. Place cut side down onto basing sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 450 for 13 to 18 minutes or until lightly browned and tender. Remove from oven and set aside. 

In a large pan over high heat, heat olive oil. Add onions, garlic, thyme, mint and rosemary and cook until onions are soft and just beginning to brown (5 minutes). Add ground lamb and cook crumbling until lamb is browned (2 to 3 minutes). Add half of the lemon juice.  Stir in broth and couscous. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, cover and set aside for 5 minutes. Stir in parsley, remaining lemon juice and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as required.

Turn cooked pepper halves over and fill with lamb/couscous mixture. Top with sprinkle of feta cheese. Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.   Serves 4.

 

Spanikopita and Lamb Sausage

I was looking around for some inspiration the other day and came across my old recipe for spanikopeta. I used to make little iddy biddy ones by the g'zillions in the old days when I did some catering and they were one of the more popular appetizers. Since I had a package of phyllo left in the freezer from the seafood pie last week, I figured I'd just go ahead a make good use of it.

The filling for this flavorful treat is pretty basic - sauteed onion, spinach, garlic, feta cheese, a touch of parmesan, equal parts of fresh chopped parsley and dill, fresh nutmeg, lots of black pepper and a couple of eggs to bind it. The clincher is to make sure your spinach is really well "squeezed" of liquid after you saute' it. I just move it into a colander, put a small plate on top and press the heck out of it. It's much less messy than using your hands and getting all the spinach stuck everywhere - I mean you know how spinach is! Download Spanikopeta

I knew the big guy would be less than impressed with little individual triangular pies, so this time I decided to make one larger round version.  I also wanted to cut back on calories somewhat, so I used cooking spray rather than the many sticks of clarified butter that normally goes in great quantities between the layers of phyllo dough. What a smarter martyr, eh? To be honest with you, I'm not sure in a taste test you'd really be able to tell the difference, particularly if it's not something you have every day....ok maybe ...but it was still darn delicious and we got to each have good sized slices of the pie without being totally guilt ridden.

For some reason a lot of people get totally freaked out using phyllo dough, but honestly the key is to make sure it is completely thawed before you use it; work quickly and keep it covered with a damp towel whenever you can. That's it ...just treat it like you would any other super thin pastry - pile together the layers using cooking spray in between (or butter) and relax. It's really incredibly forgiving - if it rips, just add another layer or two - no big deal. It's a heck of a lot easier to work with than most home made pastry doughs - I kid you not.

The big guy's a carnivore in the truest sense so I knew he'd never be content with spanikopeta and a salad for dinner. I mean all those veggies can't be good for you after all! I whipped up some homemade lamb sausage with ground lamb, onion, garlic, mint, lemon zest and rind along with a few hot spices, formed it into little cylinders and cooked them in a no-stick pan. Ground lamb is incredibly lean so I had to take care not to over cook these little beauties. They were really fresh tasting, flavorful and a perfect match with the spanikopeta. Download Lamb Sausage

Along with a salad of sliced tomatoes, cucumber and a few black olives, we were honestly transported to the sunny isles of Greece, if only for a moment or two. Uhhh honey ...pass da' ouzo wouldja.

Not so Irish Lamb Stew

Tip o' the hat to the Irish for some inspiration for last night's dinner, but this version of Lamb Stew is not quite one that could claim to be from the Emerald Isle. Made with wine instead of Guinness, it might be more French than Irish. Oh well!

I have to admit I checked out a ton of recipes for inspiration before I put on my apron and came up with this one. Download Not so Irish Lamb Stew  Sometimes you just have to trust your instincts in the kitchen and while I knew I wanted to use the half portion of lamb's leg that I'd purchased at Sprouts over the weekend, I wasn't sure whether to just roast the darn thing or make a braise.

Braising won the draw and believe you me it was the right choice. Full of bacon, onion, garlic, shallots, seasoned with rosemary and worcestershire sauce, sweetened with brown sugar and soured with red wine vinegar, the lamb took on an incredibly rich flavor and moist tender texture thanks to it's slow simmer in the oven. Course the Marsala wine may have been responsible for some of that flavor too. Topped with beautiful baby carrots and sweet nutty parsnip half way through the cooking time, I topped the stew with some fresh parsley just before it joined the mashed potato pie on the plate. It was greeted with groans of joy by the big guy and moans of absolute total bliss for the entire 5 minutes it took him to clean his plate.

Now I know you're likely thinking a couple of things so before you go off on a tangent about my using lamb leg for a stew, I have to tell you it's incredibly lean and in my opinion just perfect for braising. The roast was so tiny there's no way I could have cooked it to a proper medium rare, so by cubing and dredging it in seasoned flour then browning it well, and treating it to a slow braise, it was tender and rich in flavor. You've got to cook it slowly though or the muscle fibers will seize up and be tough as shoe leather. When I say simmer and slow - I mean it. 

As for that darned Mashed Potato Pie, no I didn't make another one. That's the last two pieces that were hanging out in the freezer just waiting for such an occasion. If you haven't tried it yet, you HAVE to. I guarantee it's going to be your new favorite potato dish - it'll make you famous. Heck, maybe it'll even make me famous, but you've got to try it first.

You can see from the picture it freezes incredibly well - I defrosted it for a few minutes in the microwave, then it hit the oven until it was hot and delicious. The crust remained crisp, even on the bottom and the flavor..well, OK I'll stop (if I must). Just try the darn thing would ya? Download Mashed Potato Pie

Minty Lamb Meatballs

Last night's dinner had all the flavors of the sunny Mediterranean. Good thing too, because it's not so sunny here right now. We've a major storm raging through the area with high winds and lots and lots of rain. Yup, it does rain in the desert and for those of you that aren't familiar with Tucson, when it rains here the heavens really open up. The current storm has all the markings of a monsoon with flooding, road closures and people being charged under the "stupid motorist" law. They're the ones that disobey the "do not enter when flooded" signs. Dah!

Luckily our taste of the exotic did transport us however briefly to another country. Another "ready in 30 minutes" dinner, these meatballs have all the markings of making the regular rotation in this household - if we had such a thing.

 

Ground lamb is combined with chopped almonds, a few breadcrumbs, mint, garlic and cumin and sauteed till brown. Finished in a tomato sauce with onion, garlic, cumin, cinnamon and more mint, they're incredibly flavorful and would be great wrapped in a nice warm pita blanket with some tzatziki on the side. Download Minty Lamb Meatballs As you can see, there was no tzatziki for us but I sure wish I'd thought of that earlier. We had our meatballs with a little couscous cooked in some lemon juice and garnished with lemon rind and parsley along with summer squash, zucchini, red bell peppers, asparagus and mushrooms roasted in a hot oven.

As for today - I'm laying low and going no where, no how, no way! Nobody's gonna' catch me being stupid - at least not at this particular moment.

Lamb Ragu Over Vegetables

Before I brag about last night's "moderation plan" dinner, I've gotta brag about something else. Yesterday JBug's Kitchen Antics received an award from Sarah at All Our Fingers In the Pie.

 

Now Sarah's got a lot going for her because she happens to be from Calgary, the city in Canada I called home for 25 years, and is new to this blogging adventure much like I am. She writes beautifully, cooks like a dream and has a background in Home Economics which makes her even more near and dear to me, as I have an affinity for the subject. Hat's off to you Sarah and thank you for the nomination. I'm flattered and humbled and just plum tickled. This blogging adventure has given me a whole new sense of purpose and there's hardly a day goes by that I can't wait to tell you all about last night's dinner and of course hear the comments about what you think about it.

Now I get to pass this honor along to a fellow blogger who has been a mentor, confidant and more important a great new friend. She's a very talented blogger with a great wit and fabulous skills in the kitchen. Take a bow Mags. See being the other side of 50 isn't so bad after all.

Last night's dinner was a trip to another far away country - the sunny islands of Greece. Since I'm once again craving the stuff that's loaded in calories and tastes so good, I thought I'd take my recipe for Moussaka and make a few changes that would give us the flavors but not all the calories.

 

I sauteed some onion and garlic until the onion was soft, added 3/4 of a pound of lean ground lamb and some spinach then mixed in a bay leaf, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, thyme, lots of pepper, and a little red wine just for flavor. When the wine had all but evaporated, a cup of tomato sauce joined the pan along with a 10 oz. can of beef consomme. It all cooked down, uncovered for 30 minutes and voila' dinner. Download Lamb Ragu

Served on a bed of roasted vegetables (summer squash, zucchini, red pepper, cauliflower and onion with a little oregano, salt, pepper and a smidge of olive oil) it was pretty darn tasty. Between you and me, it doesn't hold a candle to the fabulousness (is that a word) of a serving of great moussaka and believe me all modesty aside, the recipe on this blog is the best I've ever made, but potatoes and bechamel have a few more calories than we really wanted to eat last night so we had to settle for the veggies. Boo hoo - it would also be great on top of some rigatoni or baked in between layers of rigatoni and bechamel sauce, or even as a filling in Mediterranean flat bread (Sloppy Joes)...now there's an idea to keep for future reference.

Lamb Shank Ragu with Cheesy Grits

Yesterday was a wild day - just wild. Guess I live such a quiet life, that when busy hits I just don't know how to handle the stress. The big guy's away this week living the high life in a fancy hotel. The only thing is, that fancy hotel's in Tucson and no, I'm not going with him. It's impossible to find someone to take care of an epileptic dog, so Max and I get to stay home. Hey, we'd get bored with all that high class food anyway!

As well as having to do some shopping yesterday morning, with 6 stops on our grand tour of Tucson, Max and I also put together a bunch of goodie bags for the big guy and packed suitcases for his week hob nobbing with the mucky mucks. Ya, my Eastern Oregon cowboy's gotta' get fancy this week - he hates it, but I think he looks darned handsome in all his finery. Of course, he would normally have helped with all this, but he spent the day in meetings so I wanted to welcome him home after a hard day with a dinner that would smell and taste incredible. You know...so maybe he'd miss us tons while he's gone!

This recipe for Lamb Shank Ragu is from October's Gourmet Magazine and it certainly lived up to its billing. After reading the comment section in Epicurious, I decided to double the number of lamb shanks knowing the size of our appetites, and I cooked them in a 350 oven rather than on top of the stove.The house was filled with the incredible aroma of bourbon - yup, there's a whole cup of it in addition to red onion, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms, fennel and some great spices. That certainly got the big guy's attention when he opened the door! As for the grits - well I admit I used my own recipe that I kind of made up as I went. That way I got to taste test as I was creating them - good heavens, I love those things! The big guy wrote down the quantities as we went along so here's the result - creamy, cheesy and fabulous ...I promise I'll try and work on the modesty. Download Cheese Grits JBug Style

The verdict - we quite liked it. In fact it's almost a toss up between this one and another recipe in this blog for Lamb Shanks. You decide which one you like best but be sure you let me know what you think OK? 

Roti Filled With Trinidad Curried Lamb

While wraps have gained in popularity in North America over the last several years as a convenient fast food, they've been around in many cultures for centuries. The regional dish in the Caribbean is roti, a thin flour pancake heaped with a meat and potato curry. The curry used has a totally different flavor from the usual Indian curry, making good use of the wonderful spices known to the West Indies. The first roti I ever had was in Barbados and I was hooked! It's years ago but I remember it was made with curried chicken, although you can find roti made from shrimp, conch, goat or even vegetarian. As you can imagine they're very messy to eat which is honestly half the pleasure - just remember that curry spilled on anything is there for life.

I have to admit I spent quite a bit of time making dinner last night but it was truly a labor of love. It's not your usual quick evening meal, but if you wanted to divide the tasks into a couple of days, it would be a fabulous after work meal. To start withI could have jumped in the car and headed down to 17th Street Market to find some Trinidad Curry, but knowing some of you are unlikely to have the sources (except via internet), I researched and found this recipe on line courtesy of Recipe Goldmine. Of course I made a couple of adjustments to it, so here's my final version.  Download Trinidadian Curry Powder It's darn good I have to admit.

The filling of the roti is really a stew, but you do have to think ahead because the meat is marinated for a minimum of 6 hours before cooking. Otherwise it goes into your stew pot, as usual and takes about 2 hours to cook. Download Trinidad Curried Lamb Stew with Roti  I need to warn you - it smells unbelievable while it's cooking and it's highly likely you'll end up with a bunch of neighbors at your door looking for dinner so you might want to double the recipe. That would have been the case with us, but Diana's away and so are Donna and Stan, plus I think the rest of our neighbors are scared of us. Ha. 

You'll notice the roti wrapper looks an awful lot like a tortilla, and you can certainly substitute tortillas if you wish; however, an authentic roti is made with flour and baking powder so it is lighter in texture. I have to admit it must take an incredible amount of practice to make a proper roti wrapper, because the ones I made last night were rather heavy. Oh well it's a moot point because not to blow my own horn or something that classless, dinner was fabulous! You can be sure I'll be making an island curry again, and with pork or chicken substituted for the lamb. The flavor of the curry is not to be believed - spicy, sweet, a little hot. It doesn't get incendiary until you add extra hot sauce, so make sure you've plenty of beer on hand!  

Just so you know Trinidad/Tobago is the southern most island in the string we've visited this week - a short 7 miles off the coast of Venezuala. It "is the second richest country in the Caribbean...with a diversified economy based largely on oil and natural gas." Like many of the other Caribbean islands, it is a popular tourist mecca and thanks to Christopher Columbus, it's on our map of "must go to" destinations.

Lamb Burgers in pocket bread

Our week sure started off with a bang this morning, or at least a thump followed by the crazy cat doing a tap dance on the screen door. All this just after 4 bells. Georgie Cat feels honor bound to show off her hunting skills at the darndest times, and she so wants credit for her prowess. She brought home not one but two pack rats this morning, one of which Max finished off as his dessert after he'd eaten his usual breakfast. Oh and no, I don't let him eat wild meat but he zeroed in on it before I was totally awake. Now you know who isn't kissing his Momma on the lips anytime soon! Oh, and that wasn't all, not nearly. Just after 6:00 am, as I'm cooking the big guy's breakfast, I caught Georgie teaching Max how to catch a bird - a BIG bird. Thankfully I intervened before they were successful and the bird flew away, but darn. What am I going to do with these two monsters?

As for Max's Ma & Pa, after dining like kings over the weekend, a pauper's meal was in order tonight - at least that's what I thought until I hit the market to buy ground lamb. Guess I can't understand why this stuff's priced so darn high. I mean, they can use all the pieces of the animal that nobody wants to know they're eating, right?

Thankfully tonight's dinner was made from a mere three quarters of a pound and there was even some left over for the big guy's lunch tomorrow. This is another Rachel Ray recipe and one that I've made several times now. Chock full of fresh cilantro, mint and basil, it truly is a 30 minute meal and tastes like something you've slaved over.   http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=1570

The only change I made was to reduce the amount of grill seasoning to 1 teaspoon. That stuff just has way, way too much salt in it. I also neglected to buy mango chutney, so I used sliced sweet onion and persian cucumbers instead. These pocket sandwiches really are great with chutney though, so put it on your list to buy OK?  By the way, you can make the patties out of ground chicken or turkey if you're not a lamb fan. Either way, you're in for a treat because this recipe is a real keeper.

As for our crazy cat and her schnauzer sidekick, do you think if we stopped feeding her twice a day, she'd start bringing home bigger game...like say maybe some lamb or even a side of beef?

Moussaka - it's Greek you geek

Greek cooking isn't something the big guy particularly enjoys - so he thinks, but cooking Greek isn't "greek to me". Sorry, I couldn't resist. I do love and appreciate the flavors of Mediterranean cooking, and as mentioned several days ago, lately I've had a real craving for Moussaka (or Baaassaka..depending on who's talking). I've made it several times, but this recipe has got to be the ultimate, certainly the best I've ever made!

    

While this dish takes some time in the kitchen, it is worth every second. My problem was that GMan decided to come home early and I really just wanted to sit and relax with him and discuss our day, rather than slave over a hot stove. Oh well...we like to eat, so I'm a good martyr. There are several steps to making a casserole of Moussaka - none are difficult, but they all take time. The biggest mistake I made was to cut the quantities in half - when you're going to this much trouble, you'd might as well make the whole darn recipe. You'll be happy to have it in the freezer for the days you don't feel like cooking. Download Moussaka

This would be spectacular party food. It's economical to make, and along with a Greek Salad and some fresh fruit, you'd have a menu guaranteed to please the tastebuds. We had it with a wedge salad of really fresh iceberg lettuce, a touch of bacon and a great tomato (GMan made the salad). It was one very, very memorable dinner, and best of all the geek's changed his mind about Greek!