Lamb Stew with Lemons and Green Olives

This flavorful lamb stew is brightened with lemon, green olives, and yogurt sauce.  Recipe courtesy of the Beekman Boys. 

Prep time: 30 Min
Cook time: 2 Hours30 Min
Total time: 3 Hours

3 lbs lamb shoulder, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
3 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin
5 whole cardamom seed pods
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon salt
4 large carrots, sliced thin
1 small lemon with ends cut off, sliced in half, then again ¼ slices. **If using large lemon, use half.
1 cup white wine
1  qt jar of diced tomatoes
3 cups chicken stock
1 ½ cups pitted fresh green olives
½ cup chopped cilantro leaves
For Sauce:
1 cup  chopped flat leaf parsley
1 ½ cups plain yogurt (not greek)
Zest of one lemon

Heat oil over medium high heat in heavy, large covered dutch oven. When oil begins to “ripple” add half of the lamb cubes. Brown thoroughly, stirring occasionally. Approximately five minutes. Once browned, transfer to paper towel lined plate with slotted spoon. Add second half of lamb cubes. Repeat.

Once all meat is browned and removed from pot, pour off any excess fat/oil if necessary, leaving about 3 tablespoons behind. Saute garlic and onions in the oil until soft. Add carrots and ginger. Sautee for an additional 2 minutes. Add lemon and white wine. Scrape up bits of burned meat from bottom of pot. Add spices. Add tomatoes and stock. Transfer meat back to pot, bring to boil. Reduce to very low simmer.

Simmer uncovered for approximately 2 hours, or until meat is very tender. If liquid level seems to drop far below meat, add more stock or water. Allow sauce to reduce and thicken during the last 30 minutes.

Add olives during the last 10 minutes of simmering.

Remove from heat. Stir in chopped fresh cilantro.

Make yogurt sauce: combine yogurt, chopped parsley and lemon zest. Stir.

Serve stew hot either in bowl or over couscous. Pour ¼ cup yogurt sauce over individual servings.

Snow Pudding

 

What you'll need

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
 3 egg whites

 

 Custard Sauce

3 egg yolks
2 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

How to make it

1. In a large bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 1/4 cup of cold water and let it stand for 1 minute. Add 1 cup of boiling water, 1/2 cup of sugar, and the lemon juice. Stir until all of the sugar has dissolved and place the mixture in the refrigerator to thicken for about 2 hours.
2. Once the gelatin has chilled, prepare the egg whites (a dash of cream of tartar helps) and beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, beat the gelatin with an electric mixer until it's a frothy foam, about 4 minutes.
3. Add the egg whites to the gelatin and beat until well blended, about 1 minute. Refrigerate this mixture for a minimum of 2 hours.
4. While the gelatin mixture chills, begin preparing the custard sauce by beating the egg yolks and setting them aside.
5. Scald the milk by heating it on medium high until small bubbles appear, about 4 minutes.
6. Pour the milk, egg yolks, and 1/4 cup of sugar into the top of a double boiler sitting over simmering water. Stir the mixture constantly to prevent lumping until the custard has thickened and lightly coats a metal spoon, about 10 to 13 minutes; a finger drawn across a coated spoon should leave a clear path. Don't cook the custard too long or it will curdle.
7. Remove the custard from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Let it cool to room temperature, stirring often. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 1/2 hours. Serve the gelatin mixture topped with the custard. Makes 6 servings.

*Courtesy of Family Fun Magazine.

Lamb Ribs with Honey and Wine

Ingredients
3 1/2 lbs lamb ribs
2 onions, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
3 tsp honey
3 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup white wine
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Mix Marinade: Place lamb in 9 x 13 inch baking dish and combine remaining ingredients. Pour over lamb ribs; cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees, cover dish with foil and bake ribs for 70 minutes. 

Easy Meringues

Perfect meringues depend on totally yolk-free whites. The seemingly fussy step of separating each egg into a small bowl before combining them guarantees yolk-free whites for bakeshop-quality meringues every time. These crispy little morsels travel well and make great gifts too. Makes about 80 cookies.

Ingredients

3 large Organic egg whites, at room temperature

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup Organic sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

 Separate one egg at a time into a small bowl, letting the white fall into the bowl and discarding the yolk. If there’s any trace of yolk in the white, discard the white and start over. If it’s yolk-free, transfer to a clean medium mixing bowl. Repeat with the remaining 2 eggs.

 Add cream of tartar to the whites and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Slowly add sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, until all the sugar has been added. Continue beating until the whites are stiff and glossy. Add vanilla and beat for 30 seconds more.

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 200°F. 

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place a small amount of the meringue under each corner of the paper to secure it to the pan. 

Fill a 1-quart sealable plastic bag with the meringue. Seal the bag almost completely, leaving a small opening for air to escape from the top as you squeeze. Snip off one corner of the bag with scissors, making a 3/4-inch-wide opening. Fold the top of the bag over a few times, then gently push the meringue down to the snipped corner. Working with the bag perpendicular to the baking sheet, pipe the meringue into 1 1/2-inch-diameter cookies, spacing them about 1/2 inch apart. 

Bake the cookies until dry and crisp throughout, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer the pans to wire racks and let the cookies cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.

Simple Slow Cooker Coq Au Vin

 

Serves 4 to 6

After you cut up your chicken into 8 pieces, boil the neck, back & wing tips to make the chicken broth. Serve with a crusty baguette or couscous.

 

Ingredients: 

• 1 organic chicken, cut into 8 pieces 
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 slices bacon, roughly chopped (used Deep Roots Farm pork belly, cured & smoked)    
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 (12-ounce) package white mushrooms, quartered
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup chicken broth      
• 1 1/2 cup red wine
• 2 large sprigs fresh thyme

 

Arrange chicken on a large sheet of waxed paper. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Lightly coat chicken all over with flour and set aside.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until golden and just crisp, 3 minutes. Drain bacon on paper towels and set aside. Discard drippings and wipe out skillet. Melt 2 tablespoons butter (or heat oil, if using) in same skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned all over, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a large plate as done and set aside.

Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter or oil in same skillet. Add mushrooms and cook until edges begin to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add carrots, onions, garlic and salt and cook until vegetables just begin to soften. Transfer vegetables and broth to crock pot. Arrange chicken on top. Sprinkle bacon over chicken. Add wine and thyme sprigs. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours. Season with salt and pepper, then serve.

**Recipe adapted from Whole Foods Market

Chicken Liver Pâté

If you want, you can soak the chicken livers in milk for an hour or so before proceeding with the recipe. Soaking the livers in milk will take a bit of the edge off the liver and make them taste more mild. This recipe makes a lot. You can easily halve it.

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided

1/3 cup minced shallot

1 pound chicken livers

Salt

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tbsp capers

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)

1/4 cup brandy

1/4 cup cream

1 Trim any fat or connective tissue from the livers and discard.

2 Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large sauté pan on medium heat and let the butter brown, about 3-5 minutes. Do not let it burn.

3 Add the shallots and sauté for 1 minute. Add the livers. Be sure to space them well in the pan so they can brown more easily. Sprinkle salt over the livers. Flip the livers when one side browns, about 2 minutes. Once the livers have browned, add the capers, thyme, garlic, and anchovy paste if using, and sauté another minute.

4 Take the pan off the heat and add the brandy. (Be careful when you return it to the heat, as it could flame up, especially if you are using a gas range. If it does, cover the pan for a moment.) Turn the heat to high and boil down the brandy to the consistency of syrup, about 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat and allow the mixture to cool.

5 Put the mixture into a food processor or blender and pulse a few times to combine. Add the remaining butter and the cream and purée. The mixture will look a little loose, but it will firm up in the fridge. Pack the pâté into ramekins or a small bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before using.

*The pâté will last a week or so in the fridge. If you want to preserve it for up to a month, pour a little melted lard or clarified putter on top to seal. Each time you dip into the pâté, you will need to reseal the top to preserve it.

**Serve spread on crackers or baguette slices.

Tuesday Fried Chicken

From the Lee Brothers Southern Cookbook.

Serves 4 people.
3 cups of peanut oil
All-purpose fry dredge (1/2 c. flour, 3 TB cornmeal, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper)
3 pounds of legs and thighs

1. Pre-heat oven to 250.  Pour the oil into a 12-inch skillet and heat at med-high until temperature reaches 325 degrees.  Use a candy thermometer to help maintain that temp through-out frying. 

2.  Mix dredge in medium-size bowl and dip each piece of chicken thoroughly.  Shake off excess dredge.

3.    Using tongs, transfer half of the chicken pieces to skillet, skin side down, and cover.  Fry the chicken, checking temperature and adjusting if necessary, until chicken is golden brown, about 6 minutes.  Uncover the skillet and turn the chicken pieces with the tongs and fry for 6 more minutes until golden brown.  Turn pieces and fry for 3 minutes, turn again and fry for three minutes more. 

4.  With tongs, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and place in the oven to warm.  Repeat with remaining chicken pieces.