Lamb Breast

Wonderful succulent Lamb Breast 

 So - last month, I was looking at the meat section of Walmart and came across something called "Lamb Breast".  Lamb Breast?  What?  Never heard of it.  I took a gamble and put it in my cart.  It was cheap!  Not that I'm on a budget but I was intrigued. 

Went home and looked up about 2 dozen or so recipes.  Some called for Braising and some were Slow Cooker recipes and some were rolled and stuffed.  I'm not a fan of Slow Cookers and took a little of this and a little of that from what I read.  I like rosemary with my lamb for instance and white wine and I always brown my meat first so I created my own recipe and man was it good!  What a surprise. 

The meat itself is very odd.  Kind of like a cross between pork ribs and pork belly due to an immense amount of fat.
So I trimmed as much as I could from the cut and browned and rendered most of the fat out of the meat. 

Here is the recipe and trust me the flavor is outstanding!

2–3 lamb breasts – about 4 lbs

2 -3  medium onions, cut into chunks

2-3  carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch portions

 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut in half or in quarters depending on size

6 garlic cloves minced  

1 cups chicken broth

1 cup white wine

1         Level Teaspoon KOSHER salt

2         1 teaspoon pepper

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon rosemary

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1  ½ cup  frozen baby peas

Trim as much fat as possible from the lamb breasts.  Make slits between the rib bones.

Mix together the olive oil, garlic, cumin, rosemary and paprika and salt and pepper and spread all over the lamb breast until covered.  Get into those crevices where you made the slits between the rib bones.

Place the lamb, in one layer, in a big Dutch oven or high sided skillet - and sear on both sides on high heat until nicely browned.  Lower heat and continue cooking for 20 min until the fat has rendered out of the lamb.   

There will be lots of fat ;-)

Remove lamb and put on the side.  Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of fat.  Add Onions and sauté until soft.    Add wine and chicken broth and carrots and put the lamb back into the pot on top of the veggies. 

Cover with parchment or foil and the pan cover - and cook in the oven at 250 degrees for approx. 3 hours.  Check at 2 hrs and see if the meat is tender enough to almost fall off the bones.. when that occurs add the potatoes and cook for another 30 min.   

Uncover and raise the heat to 400.  Add potatoes at this point. 

Cook for an additional 15-20 minutes until the meat is browned and the potatoes are done.   Add the peas and cook for 5-6 minutes more.   

Drain the juices into a fat separator and let sit until the fat comes to the top.  Put 2 tablespoons of the fat  into the pan and add flour – cooking over low heat for about 3-4  min until caramel colored – add juices.   

Put meat and veggies on a plate and pour gravy over the dish.

Marinara and Pasta Sauces

Pasta with Marinara

Never open a jar of store bought sauce again... This is easy and so much healthier and better tasting.
I have two sauces I make for pasta... One with garlic,  onions and finely grated carrots and the other is a thicker simple marinara which I make in a large batch and freeze for pizza, lasagna or anything else I need a red sauce for.

Simple Marinara

2 - 28 oz cans San Marzano Tomatoes -very worth the price.  These tomatoes are grown in soil enriched by lava from a volcano and they are less acid and have wonderful flavor.  I use one can whole and one crushed or two of the same.  I like to use the whole sometimes because of the larger chunks of tomatoes in the sauce.

5 garlic cloves - sliced super thin

Olive Oil - enough to completely cover the bottom of the pan - about 1/4 cup or more

handful of Basil to taste

 1/2 teaspoon agave syrup or 1 teaspoon of sugar - OR- best - 1 large carrot peeled and grated on the finest holes in the grater.

Salt and pepper to taste.

That's it... Here's the how... (But first put up a nice large pot of water to boil)

~Heat the olive oil - don't let it smoke or get too hot.. Gently saute the garlic slices - Watch them as you want them to just get a slight toasty brown color to them.  You can take them out or as I do - leave them in.  (Large sauce pot is best)

~If you are using shredded carrot - add those now.  Saute them for about 2-3 min. until soft

~Carefully now - add the tomatoes - It can splatter so be warned.   Add Sugar or agave if not doing the carrots.

~Cook for 45 min to an hour to thicken a bit.   Add Basil after slightly bruising them a bit and simmer for another 10 min.

~Put SALT in your boiling water.  A good 3 Tablespoons or so.  I use Kosher.
Boil the Pasta and wait about 10 min and pull out a piece or strand and run under cold water and taste.  It should have a slight firmness but not too firm.  If not ready - check every 2 minutes.  NEVER EVER run water over the cooked pasta or put oil in the water.  You want the pasta to be nice and starchy to hold the sauce.

~Drain and put pack in the large pot you boiled the pasta in.  Ladle in some sauce - just enough to wet it a bit.  This will prevent sticking.

Serve in bowls and ladle some sauce on top and sprinkle with sliced basil leaves and Parmesan cheese.
Also great for pizza, eggplant parm and lasagna.

The other Pasta Sauce

Same as above except the first step is to add 1 diced onion to the olive oil, then the garlic and the carrots - no browning of the garlic.  Add tomatoes after 15 min of sauteing the garlic and veggies.  Feel free to add nice briny olives, capers, peppers or whatever you like to this sauce!  If you do olives - Try Feta Cheese on top instead of Parmesan Cheese. 

This sauce is great for spaghetti - veggie dishes with red sauce - baked chicken - baked pasta dishes etc. 

Salsa, Guacamole and the art of Appetizers

Appetizers!
Who doesn't love the cocktail hour portion of the evening when visiting friends and family for dinner.  Or - how about a early evening party with heavy hors d'oeuvres and cocktails.

We entertain here quite a lot in Tubac, Arizona.  Many people do.  Sometimes I have only 15 minutes notice that someone is coming over to have one of my homemade margaritas or wine and watch the sunset.  Sometimes people pop over when they see me or my husband and I outside on our front patio.  Everyone knows it is open house here ;-)

If I don't have any time, I almost always have a selection of cheeses and salami in my cheese drawer.  I always have crackers and wonderful bread frozen in foil in the freezer.  I always have grapes as well for decoration and herbs from my garden and at least rosemary in the winter months.  Olives are on hand as well and if not fresh from the salad bar - jarred ones will do.  Good quality of course.  Sweet gerkins are great with salami and I always have those on hand as well.

So my simple go to quicky plate that I can rustle up while I'm pouring my unexpected quests some wine is what you see above sans the bread.  I grab the aged gouda (Rembrandt is my favorite), aged goat or brie and some good cheddar or whatever I have on hand and slice some, put down a decorative arrangement of salami and gerkins, add some olives, grapes, herbs (A few Marigolds on this plate which are edible) and I'll put some crackers in an attractive container lined with fancy napkins with the napkin rings on them for a bit more elegance.

If I have a little advanced notice, I'll add some homemade Salsa (recipe follows) or some Guacamole with good quality tortilla chips and if time - I'll warm those in the oven.    For a more formal affair I'll add a hot app and maybe some baked brie in pastry or some homemade pastry triangles with spicey shrimp, tomato and olive or meat.  I'll post some of those recipes in the future.  I can't say enough about wonton cups and always have wontons in the freezer and a couple of mini muffin pans.  Push them into lightly oiled cups and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 min.  I'll post some fillers for those later - My favorite being a smoked oyster dip with cream cheese, lemon zest, chives and more.  Puff pastry is another stable you should always have in the freezer as they can be filled with many stuffings and baked for an impressive appetizer.

Let's start with the simple on this page today.

Home made Salsa - (But it's actually called - Pico de Gallo)

6 ripe tomatoes

1 medium red onion

1 teasp lemon pepper

1 lime

1 large handful cilantro

2 teasp pickled jalapeno with a little juice - or diced fresh Jalapeno - to taste - based on hotness factor

1 half of a diced Pablano pepper

Salt to taste - Always taste!  Adjust lime, cilantro or whatever as needed.

Guacamole

4 ripe Avacados

1/2 large red or white onion diced fine

1 large handful cilantro

1-2 limes depending on how much juice is in them - again - to taste - you can always add more - keep tasting

1-2 teasp of chopped pickled jalapeno with some of the juice 

1/2 to 3/4 of a pablano pepper finely diced - add more if you wish

1/4 teaspoon or more of cumin... I like to toast and grind my own - there is a big difference but ground is ok too. 

salt to taste.  Taste and adjust as you wish by adding more of any of the above.  

Warm the chips and Bon Appetite!

Food Tips - Art and Science

Welcome foodies...

Food should be beautiful as well as perfectly cooked and seasoned.  That is always my goal as we eat with our eyes, nose and palate.   The above photo is an example.  Looking through cooking magazines and cookbooks - makes me salivate and I realized how important it is to make sure the food we present to the table looks as good as it tastes.  Think of your plate as a piece of art ;-)

My rules for preparing any meal, side, appetizer or desert:  

1. Taste, Taste, Taste everything as you prepare a dish
2. Read, Read, Read the entire recipe first and visualize each step
3. Check to see that you do have all the ingredients in house and shop for the rest
4. Check the expiration dates on items that can spoil
5. Do the prep before you cook.  Chop, dice, measure and have everything set out ahead of time and within easy reach
6. Make sure you understand the timing for all phases of the dish (which refers to rule #2)
Go to: http://verygoodrecipes.com/

Eggplant Parmesan

Ahh - my favorite - Eggplant Parmesan
This eggplant Parmesan was done in a spring form pan so that you can see the layers and cut it into wedges.
There are 5 layers here.  The eggplant is sliced super thin on a Mandolin spread out on paper towels and lightly salted for an hour.  I then rinse well and dry on paper towels.

Here are the ingredients
2-3 eggplants depending on size.  Don't worry if you have too much - you can take the extra and make another one in a casserole dish and freeze for future meals.
Fresh Breadcrumbs - about 3 cups (I process leftover crusty bread and freeze it in ziplock bags
Salt
Basil - to taste
Fresh Mozzarella - 1 large ball and 2 cups shredded mozzerella
All purpose flour - 2 cups - more as needed
2 eggs  - more as needed
2 cups parmesan cheese - hopefully fresh grated
Springform pan
Sauce:
5 cloves garlic - crushed, peeled and sliced very thin
1/4 cup olive oil
1 can San Marzano whole plum tomatoes
1 can San Marzano crushed tomatoes (Marzano tomatoes are from Italy and are grown in volcanic soil)
1 heaping teasp of sugar or 1 teaspoon agave syrup.  If you don't want sugar - you can take the extra step of a very fine shredding of 2 carrots on the finest setting and add after the garlic in the recipe steps below.
5 leaves of basil that you can take out later
salt to taste

PREP the eggplant:
Slice eggplant super thin - best with mandolin or slice by hand.  Take sea or kosher salt and sprinkle lightly on eggplant placed on individual paper towels (all over the counter and any other available surface - oy my poor kitchen ;-)  Sit for an hour and rinse in colander in sink.  Place on new paper towels and blot with dry paper towels on both sides. Oh and no need to peel the eggplant but I usually just peel strips in a pattern so the eggplant has stripes when I'm done

PREP the coatings:
Put some of the flour for dredging in a container like a baking dish or plate.  Do the same for the breadcrumbs. Crack two eggs and wisk them well in a third container or plate.  I add a tiny splash of olive oil into the eggs.

MAKE THE SAUCE:
Put 1/4 cup in a large pot or sauce pan.  Add sliced garlic and simmer on low until the garlic turns ever so slightly light brown.   Crush the whole tomatoes with your hands and add to the oil/garlic in the pan.  Add the crushed tomatoes next.  If you are sweetening with the grated carrots - add that before the sauce and simmer for 5 min.  Add the sweetener if using.  Let sauce simmer on low for about an hour or two until thickened.  Not too thick because it will cook more later but not too watery either  

COOKING THE EGGPLANT
Coat the eggplant slices first in flour, then egg and then the breadcrumbs.  Place the breaded peices on a wire rack to set.  I do about 8 to 10 at a time.  Heat Canola Oil in very large skillet.  The oil should cover the entire bottom of the pan to about 1/8th inch deep.  Make sure the oil is hot.  Throw in a breadcrumb piece and if it sizzles and browns - you are ready. 
Don't crowd the pan - put as many as will fit without crowding and look for a nice toasty brown on both sides.  2-3 min per side or less.  Keep checking and also adjusting heat so as not to burn them.  As they are ready - put on paper towels to drain the oil.  I probably am cooking about 15-20 eggplant slices so I unusually clean out my pan and put more oil in and re-heat midway so the loose crumbs that stay in pan don't burn.  Repeat process until all the eggplant is cooked.

ASSEMBLING THE DISH - Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
 Take your Springform pan and ladle in some sauce to cover the bottom.  Arrange breaded eggplant slices - fat side to the edge of the pan and cover bottom - overlapping slightly.  Add some shredded mozzarella, some Parmesan, some chopped basil and some more sauce  Do another layer of eggplant and repeat process until you have multiple layers.  Do not overfill or it will overflow ;-)  Leave a little space at the top for the fresh mozzarella and then some as it bubbles later.  Add a nice layer of fresh sliced mozzarella cheese and a sprinkling of Parmesan.

Now you want to put multiple layers of foil under the dish and around the sides and enough that comes over the top as you will be folding it over the top of the pan initially.  Put pan on cookie sheet in case of leaking.   Cook for 45 min covered.  Fold down the foil from the top and finish until cheese is cooked and you see some bubbling of the sauce. 

Remove and let sit for at least 20 min before removing the spring form section of the pan.

PS - If I have leftover breaded eggplant - I either make a sandwich with cheese and sauce or make a smaller additional eggplant parm dish

Stuffed Pumpkin Blossoms

Stuffed Pumpkin Blossoms

My neighbor Eddie and I were checking out my garden and we decided it would be fun to use our pumpkin flowers to create a stuffed blossom appetizer.  Neither one of us had ever done this before, so we googled squash blossom recipes and created our own version.  You can use any kind of squash blossom for this recipe.

I picked the blossoms in the early morning when they were still open so it would be easier to remove the stamen.   You simply reach in deep and twist and pull the stamen out of the flower.  If your blossoms are closed - you can make a slit in the side of the closed flower and pull it out from the side. 

We did our prep...  A bowl of feta, a bowl of goat cheese, a bowl of ricotta, a dipping container  with a beaten egg and another with flour and prep bowls with lemon zest, thyme, chopped roasted red pepper and a beaten egg for binding the cheeses.  We mixed the cheese, egg, lemon zest, red pepper and thyme with a little salt to taste - some with the feta and some with the goat cheese.  A heated saute pan was ready for the olive oil - about 1/4 cup.  When it rippled - we started frying.  I left the stems on to make it easier and man was that a good choice.  Once they were golden brown on all sides, we drained them on paper towels, squeezed on some lemon and yum!  They were delicious.  We both agreed that the feta blossoms were the best.  I'd say for the small amount we did - about 12 of them - we only used about 1 cup of the ricotta and about 1/4 cup of the other cheeses and 1 egg.  All the rest of the ingredients - we did 'to taste'.   TASTE - one of my rules for good food - I often will change a recipe in a magazine or cookbook based on Tasting.