Easter Dinner – Roast Leg of Lamb – Updated Photos!

Tags

Asparagus, Cook, couscous, Easter, Garlic, Lamb, Olive oil, watermelon

I know I told u that my roast leg of lamb was off the chain…at the time I was vegan and only had phone pics to pore my cooking prowess… now a meat eater again, I come with mouth watering pics of my delicious easter meal.

• Roast Leg of Lamb
• Wild Mushroom Herbed Couscous
• Spinach, Strawberry, Fetta salad
• Garlicy Asparagus with Pine Nuts
• Israeli Watermelon Mint Soup
• Roasted Root Vegetables with Thyme
• Homemade Yeast Rolls (from my mama)
• Minted Tzatziki Sauce with Champagne
• Cabernet Sauvignon

Sadly, I went to about 10 grocery stores in my hunt for a bone in leg of lamb (It really does make all the difference) but only could find semi boneless…
For the original blog post and recipe refer to: https://absolutelyravenous.wordpress.com/2012/04/05/roast-leg-of-lamb-our-former-easter-tradition/

 

 

 

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Roast Leg of Lamb – Our Former Easter Tradition

Tags

Black pepper, Cook, Easter, holiday, Lamb, Lamb and mutton, marinade, Marination, Olive oil, Parsnip, roast, salad, strawberry, Tablespoon, vegan

::NOTE:: While we now eat mostly vegan ‘cept the occasional shrimp or box of dainty handful of Cheez-It’s, I HAD to post this recipe! Besides the fact that I had already had the post written in November, It is an amazingly delicious dish! I luckily took a few photos from last years meal And while WE will not be enjoying it this year, there’s no reason that you can’t!

Be on the look out for this years Holy Land Inspired Vegan Easter Feast!!

Trying to come up with a menu to prepare for my first Easter dinner in 2008 and decided to make a leg of lamb…how adventurous of me, I know. 🙂 I figured, I love the gyros my mom makes, why not try THIS beast!!

I did a bit of research to see what pairs well with lamb and came up with a few and tried this marinade. I, as well as my guests, were completely BLOWN AWAY! I had outdone myself! It was so warm, pink, and juicy on the inside, while crisp and flavorful on the outside. I have since made it every Easter and always pair it with the same sides that I initially made it with, as they complimented the lamb so well.

I serve this with Asparagus Sautéed in Olive oil and garlic; Spinach and Strawberry Salad with toasted Almonds and Feta; Roast Cubes of Squash, Parsnips, and Carrots; Homemade Yeast Rolls; and a big bodied Shiraz.

Marinade

• 1 cup orange juice
• 2 cup white wine
• 10 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 teaspoons of fresh thyme
• 5 Tbsp of fresh chopped rosemary
• 5 leaves of mint
• 1 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

Blend in blender of magic bullet

Lamb Roast

• 1 (16-pound) leg of lamb, bone-in
• Marinade
• Salt
• Pepper

1 Place lamb and marinade into a plastic bag. Plane inside  Marinate for several hours, or overnight, in the refrigerator. Remove the lamb, still in its marinade bag, from the refrigerator at least an hour before putting in the oven to help bring the lamb closer to room temperature before roasting.

2 Preheat oven to 425°F.

3  Remove the lamb roast from its marinade bag. Pat the marinade off the lamb with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper remembering at this point there has been no salt added to the marinade! Place in roasting pan fat side up, so while the lamb is cooking the fat will melt into the meat. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the roast, not touching the bone if your roast is bone-in. drippings. I sometimes put a bit of water in (1/2 cup) so the melting fat doesn’t burn.

4 Roast at 425°F for 25 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 300°F and roast an additional hour (for a 6 pound roast), about 10 minutes per pound. If you are cooking a roast bone-in, it will need a longer cooking time than a boneless roast.

Cook to about 130°F for a pretty pink med rare. DONT COOK TIL DONE – YUCKY AND DRY!!! Tent roasting pan with foil and let it sit for at least 20 min so that it can absorb all of the juices.

5 Pour the juice and drippings into a gravy boat or bowl with ladle to serve atop the meat.

Now if I could only figure out a way to veganize THIS!

Peanut Tofu & Veggies

Tags

broccoli, carrots, Chinese cabbage, Cook, Peanut sauce, Tofu, vegan

Yearning for something a little sweet and plant based but it was dinner time and didn’t want to totally ruin my appetite I came up with this…

Ingredients for Sauce:

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 6 Tsp soy sauce
• 6 Tsp water
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 tsp Korean red pepper flakes
• couple drops of roasted sesame oil

Ingredients for meal:

• 1 package of tofu
• 16 oz brown rice
• 1 head of bok choy
• 1 package of baby carrots
• 4 crimini mushrooms
• 1 head of broccoli

Directions:

1. Cook brown rice in rice steamer.
2. Press the tofu between several layers of paper towels. This will help get a lot of the liquid out so that your tofu will brown easier and faster!
3. Put all ingredients for peanut sauce in a blender (I used my magic bullet) and blend until well mixed. Set sauce aside.
4. Cut your tofu into cubes. 
5. Heat up a well seasoned frying pan on high and put your tofu in. When browned on that side – flip to the next, and the next, and the next…
6. Rinse mushrooms in a collander to remove any dirt.
7. Chop veggies: chop mushrooms, slice bok choy, cut broccoli off stem, and slice baby carrots on the bias.
8. When tofu is almost finished cooking and browned on all sides. Remove tofu form the pan and set aside.
9. Heat up a wok or large frying pan. Add 1/2 cup of water. when boiling add carrots and broccoli, cover to steam. When almost finished add mushrooms and bok choy. Cover and steam.
10. Toss tofu with 1/2 of peanut sauce.
11. When veggies have finished steaming toss them with other 1/2 of peanut sauce, salt and pepper to taste.
12. Serve veggies and tofu atop a bed of brown rice.

Hashed Sweet Potato – Hash-Oranges??? Who knows!

Tags

Black pepper, Breakfast, Chipotle, Cook, Garlic, Grape seed oil, Onion, Sea salt, Sweet potato, vegan, Vegetarian

I adore sweet potatoes – as do my kids. They are such a nutritionally dense and flavorful food, what’s not to love. It’s like eating candy without, well, eating candy!

These nutritionally powerhouses boast a humungo 80% of your RDA of Vitamin A as well as 35% Vitamin C, and from a medium little sweetie baked in the skin you’ll get about 4 grams of fiber and only 100 calories! Such a smart choice over a regular old white potato!

Annnnd…so sick of the oatmeal every morning I threw this together. Nothing new, but new for us. 🙂

Ingredients:

• 2 medium-sized cooked sweet potatoes, chilled and cubed  ( I used one “Oriental” and one regular)
• 2 shallots; sliced
• 1/2 tsp coconut oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Chipotle powder – optional

Directions:

1. Heat 1/2 tsp of coconut oil over med high heat. Wipe around in pan with a paper towel to coat and discard.

2.  Add cubed sweet potato. 

3. When brown on that side flip with spatula. All sliced shallot. Keep an eye on these and flip with a spatula as needed until browned.

4. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Orange Soy Tofu over Kasha

Tags

broccoli, buckwheat, carrots, Cook, kasha, Marination, Sesame oil, Soy sauce, Tofu, Veganism

The past week has really tested my culinary skills as well as my creativity. I now understand why only 2% of American are vegan.

Flippin’ Impossible to Cook!

Okay, okay, so we could do tofu and veggies, every night. But come on! How about some selection, some originality, some flavor.   How bout it?! Hello!? Vegan‘s?? Hello?? Veggie-heads!? Let me know your fave Whole Foods Plant Based, Vegetarian,  or Vegan meal or recipe.

Help a mama out here!

Anywho – This is my latest creation – which I’m sure EVERYONE has done before! BTW – I’m apparently NOT a fan on Kasha AKA Buckwheat – feel free to omit at will!

::sigh::

Ingredients:

• 1 package of tofu; cut into triangles, squares, trapezoids – whatever
• 2 packages of ready to steam broccoli & carrots
• 1 cup Kasha
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup OJ
• 1/4 cup soy sauce or Braggs
• 1 Tbls fresh ginger; grated
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil

Directions:

1. In a med saucepan add water with kasha; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to low. Cook until water has been absorbed. Remove from heat.
2. In a medium bowl combine OJ, Soy sauce, and ginger. Mix with a fork to combine. Add the Tofu and gently toss into the marinade. G-E-N-T-L-Y! Tofu is a delicate thing.
3. Heat a frying pan over medium-high (spray with cooking spray if you like) Add tofu – leave marinade in the bowl. One of the beauties of cooking with veggies and not animals is that you can make use of all that delicious marinade!!
4. When tofu is browned on one side then flip to the opposite; repeat.
5. While tofu is finishing up heat sesame oil in a wok or frying pan over med high heat. Add one bag of veggies. Stir frequently for 4 Minutues; add 1/2 the marinade. Cover and steam.
6. Steam the other bag in the microwave for 4 minutes. Add to veggies in pan and toss to coat – remove from heat.
   
7. Add the other half of marinade to tofu and let a glaze form.Toss tofu in the pan or serve layered.

Homemade Whole Wheat Pasta with Fresh Green Peas & Asparagus

Tags

Asparagus, Black pepper, Cook, Home, Olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pasta, Pea

Thank God for the Ravenous Grandma. Without her super kitchen gadgets that I refuse to buy (and clutter my already too-small-and-badly-lit-for-a-food-blog-kitchen with) then we would not do a lot of the fun cooking in this house. Not to mention her flamin’ sous chef skills.

The Ravenous Munchkins LOVE to play with new gadgets. So we decided to make pasta. (YES,the RM’s are still in their pajama’s and YES, one is wearing blue eyeshadow – gimme a break, at least it was the girl)

This can also be made with store-bought pasta for a super quick meal. The basil compliments the sharp lemon very nicely – make sure you cook your peas completely!

Ingredients:

 

• 1 Pound fresh green peas; shelled
• 1 Pound of fettuccine (or any whole wheat pasty you like)
• 1 tsp EVOO
• Juice from 1/2 a lemon
• 1 tsp salt
• 12 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 1/2 container of cherry or grape tomatoes; halved
• 1/4 cup basil; chiffonaded
• shaved Parmigano-Reggiano (for the non-WFPB eaters)

Directions for Meal:

1. Add prepared pasta to boiling, salted water. Add peas the last 5-6 minutes of cooking. (I added the last 2 min and they were nowhere near cooked)
2. When finished cooking reserve 1/2 cup of liquid and set to the side while you strain in a colander.
3.  Add EVOO to a pan and saute asparagus until desired doneness. 
4. Add pasta, pasta, liquid with peas, lemon juice; salt and pepper to taste. Toss well.
5. Remove form heat and toss with tomatoes and basil.
6. Serve. 🙂
7. Add some Parm-Reg if you eat cheese

Mint Lime Tofu with Veggies & Quinoa

Tags

carrots, Collard Greens, Cook, Garlic, Lime (fruit), Olive oil, Quinoa, Soy sauce, Tofu, vegan, Zest (ingredient)

I came across the ingredients for this recipe a while back. I made a few changes to suit me and thought my kids love tofu I was a little surprised that it was such it was a hit in this house! We all do the vegan thing every now and then for stretches as long as a month. Just may be time for another…

Ingredients:

• 1 Package of extra firm Tofu

Mint Lime Sauce

• 6 Tbs Sugar
• 6 Tbs Soy Sauce
• Juice of one Lime
• Zest of above lime
• 5 Cloves of Garlic
• 1 tsp Salt
• 10 Mint Leaves sliced thinly

Quinoa

• 2 cups uncooked Quinoa
• Zest of one Lime
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp Salt
• 3 Cups Water

Veggies

• 2 Bunches of Collard Greens, washed and chopped
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 1/3 cup Water
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 3 Tbls Lime Juice

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl, stir. Set aside
2. Add all ingredients for the quinoa in a dutch oven over med-high heat. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Turn off, let sit 15 minutes.
3. While the quinoa is cooking you can start cutting your tofu in chunks. Add them to a skillet over med-high heat. ( you may add a touch of EVOO if you like – I find it impossible to NOT use it cooking tofu!) Be sure to “press” the water out with your spatula. Cook on the first side for 15 minutes. repeat process.
4. Using a metal spatula carefully scrape the yummy browned tofu crust off the bottom on the pan and turn each over – it’s okay if you screw up just make sure that you scrape that yummy goodness of the bottom – the crunchy bits ROCK in the end – TRUST me!
5. While your Tofu if browning you can chop your greens. 
6. Heat a large skillet or pan over HIGH. Add to it the water, lime juice and salt. First put the shredded carrots in and then the greens. Cover. Check on them in 3 minutes. If you need to add a bit more water, do so.  You want them still bright green (and the carrots orange) but slightly cooked.
7. When your tofu is nice and crispy and hot pour your sauce in the pan and stir it all up. Remove from heat.
8. Serve the veggies on a bed of quinoa and the tofu on top of that.
9. ENJOY!!

Kid’s Mozz Stix

Tags

Baking, Cheese, Cook, eggs, Home, kids, Mozzarella sticks, Panko, String cheese

Scrambling for an afternoon snack to please the kids and hold them over til dinner. Fried foods are very rarely eaten in this house but baked is always a winner. I grabbed some string cheese to give the kids and thought – Mozzarella sticks!

I grabbed some Panko and an egg and Ravenous Munchkin M and we got to crackin.

Ingredients:

• 6 (or more) string cheese sticks (all we had was 6)
• one egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup panko

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut sticks into thirds.
2. Dip sticks into egg and then coat with panko crumbs. Place on baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.
   

   Ravenous Munchkin M helpin' out.

3. Place in oven for 10-15 minutes until most of the panko has become golden brown. Serve with marinara sauce.
   

   All the RM's diggin' in!

 

Lamb & Lentil Whole Wheat Pitas

Tags

Bay leaf, Beer, Black pepper, Blue Moon, Bud Light, Canned tomato, Cook, cumin, Everyday Food, Food Network, Home, Lamb, Lentil, Olive oil, pita, whole wheat

 

Today, while making a truly valiant effort to clean the “hall closet” – yes that abyss of old mail, empty boxes, long-lost puzzle pieces, glue gun sticks, the random missing baby shoe, the vacuum, and magazine subscriptions that have went from the mailbox straight to the Hall Closet – as I was thumbing through some old Everyday Food and Food Network magazines, I found a few recipes that I wanted to try for dinner. I settled on one – it was lentil pitas.  I adapted it a bit and came up with something out of this world! A little healthy dish that can totally hold me over until I make my Orange Rosemary Roast Leg of Lamb for Easter!!

BTW – While out shopping I was looking for a good beer and apparently Bud Light has a new (??) beer out called Golden Wheat and it’s  very “Blue Moon” with half the calories!! The label says Coriander and citrus – I say, LOVE IT!

**This recipe fed 10 – adjust accordingly**

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 4 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 cup shredded and chopped carrots
• 3 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 32 ounces lean ground lamb
• 24 oz dried brown lentils
• 4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 cup water, divided
• 2 large cans diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 bay leaf
• 6 (6-inch) whole-wheat pitas, cut in half
•  plain 0% or 2% Greek yogurt
• 1 large thinly sliced english cucumber
• Chopped fresh mint (optional)
• fresh diced tomatoes

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, carrots, salt, pepper, and lamb; cook  10 minutes or until lamb is browned and vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally to crumble lamb.

2. Add lentils, cumin, and thyme; stir until seasonings become fragrant.

3. Add 2 cups water, tomatoes, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook 15 minutes. Stir lentil mixture; add remaining 1 cup water. Cover and cook 30 minutes or until lentils are tender and mixture is thick (add additional water as needed). Discard bay leaf.

4. Fill each pita half with 3/4 cup lentil mixture. Spoon 1 tablespoon yogurt into each pita half; top with cucumber. Sprinkle with mint and fresh diced tomato.

You got a pear! On a PIZZA!!

Tags

Collections and Indexes, Cook, Dough, Fruits and Vegetables, Garlic, Home, italian, kids, mozzarella, Olive oil, Pear, Pizza, Recipe, Ricotta, Tomato sauce

Kid’s pizza night is such a hit in our house and occouring in such great frequency that I’m trying to add new toppings.

Our smorgasboard of topping choices usually consists of mostly leftover from the previous 2-3 days. Chicken from the previous nights fajitas, spinach, fresh basil, & lots of freshly chopped garlic to leftover squash, broccoli, tofu cheese or goat cheese.

While out shopping for an impromptu pizza night and spinning in circles in the produce section looking for something new, I spotted her…a juicy Bartlett pear.

WHY NOT?

I came home to thaw last week left over whole wheat and white dough and to prep and arrange my veggies.

Dough Recipe on my Pizza, Pizza! post

I also decided to add some of my delicious and flavorful overnight tomatoes from the previous day.

The Three Raveous Munchkins had a field day as the always do!

I kneeded about 3 chopped cloves of garlic into my dough as well as spreading some ON my rolled out dough before light tomato sauce.

And I must say, my pear on my pizza were ahhhh-mayyy-zing!! The julianned pear that I put on top of all my toppings was lightly baked and browned in the oven and it really brought out the sweetness of the pear and was a really nice contrast with the zesty tomato sauce!

Sorry I have no after photos – they were quickly devoured!!