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!

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Overnight Tomatoes (or All Day Tomatoes for the Vikings Fans!!)

Tags

Black pepper, italian, Olive oil, Oven, Pizza, Roma tomato, salad, Sea salt, Sheet pan, Tablespoon, tomato

Overnight tomatoes are something that I first tastes at a local restaurant, PROOF. They have such an intense roasty and deep caramel flavor, I had to give them a try at home! Like PROOF,  I love them in a delicious Chicken Caesar Salad with fresh marinated white anchovies and toasted pinenuts (that I will be positing soon!)  and most recently as a topping on whole wheat pizza – Pizza Post

They are incredibly easy even a caveman could do it! 😉

Ingredients:

• as many Roma tomatoes as you like (I use about 15)
• EVOO
• sea salt
• freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees. Slice tomatoes lengthwise (I use Romas because they are the “driest tomatoes” and when we’re roasting or trying to take moisture out the less we start with the better!) and arrange on a baking sheet with the sliced side up.
2. Usually i drizzle with EVOO – great if your not counting calories but I am so this time I brushed them with the EVOO instead. **NOTE** if you brush instead of drizzle please remember to brush again 3 hours into the cooking or they will dry out**
3. Season with the sea salt and pepper to taste.
4. Place them in the oven for at least 6 hours – possibly 8. They will be ready when they are a deep maroon and have – for lack of a better word – shriveled to half the original size.
5. Remove and cool on the sheet.    You can put these in a tight container and store in the fridge for up to 10 days or freeze for a couple of months.

Crispy Roast Potato Slices

Tags

Butter, Garlic, holiday, Martha Stewart, Olive oil, Potato, Shallot, Side Dish, Tablespoon, Thyme

Again, trying to not have the same ole rigmarole of holiday dishes (mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, ham, rolls,squash, sweet potatoes, etc) , I tried something new and I adapted this recipe from Martha Stewart – I doubled the recipe below.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
4 shallots, thickly sliced lengthwise
Coarse salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)
8 sprigs thyme  (I would DEF recommend fresh rosemary instead!!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine butter and oil. Brush bottom of a round 9-inch baking dish with some butter mixture.
2. With a sharp knife or mandolin, slice potatoes very thinly crosswise. (Keep slices together as they are cut so that you can easily arrange them in the pan)
3. Arrange potato slices vertically in dish. Wedge shallots throughout.
4. Sprinkle with salt and red-pepper flakes (if using); brush with remaining butter mixture. Bake 1 1/4 hours. Add thyme and bake until potatoes are cooked through with a crisp top, about 35 minutes more.

Caramelized Ribbons of Brussels

Tags

Almond, Brussels, Brussels sprout, Cook, Garlic, Olive oil, pecans, Sea salt, Side Dish, Tablespoon, walnuts

I am deeply in love with taste of sweet, salty, caramelized, roasted brussels sprouts – I oven roast them after tossing them with EVOO and toasted almonds with a touch of butter. YUM!

I decided to try to put a new spin on them and this was one of my side dishes for Christmas dinner.

Ingredients:

•  One netted bag of brussels sprouts
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds, pecans, or walnuts, toasted

Directions:

1. Cut the root end off each sprout and discard. Then slice each sprout into thin ribbons using a knife of mandolin slicer. 
2. Heat the EVOO over medium high in a large skillet and saute the garlic until toasted.
3. Add the sprouts to the pan and continue sauteing for another 5 minutes until desired doneness (some like them fresh and green, some like them cooked thoroughly)
4. Add the salt and brown sugar and toss together, remove from heat and add nuts

While these were great, I still adore MY original recipe – the one that got my kids and hubby to LOVE sprouts!

Holy Crêpes! (crêpes avec sauce à l’orange – in Orange Sauce)

Tags

Butter, Cook, Crêpe, Dessert, Flour, God, Grand Marnier, Home, Jesus, Lord, Milk, Paris, Sugar, Tablespoon, zest, Zest (ingredient)

Only about 100 Days until I visit Paris, France! I can’t wait!! I’ve been trying to brush up on my French, looking into places to see, things to do and of course…where to eat! After red wine, crusty baugettes, and fromage, the next things that screams out “PARIS!!” to me is CREPES! Yummm!!

 I remember my mother making these for me on Christmas morning sometimes – they were so good, I think she made them with chocolate filling and powdered sugar on top.

 French custom indictates that you are to hold a coin in your left hand and the crepe pan in your right.  Toss the crepe in the air. If you catch it in the pan, your family will enjoy prosperity for the rest of the year.  If you don’t, well, uhhhh… not so much.

As for me and my family we shall not only serve the lord but be prosperous.              Yes, I know – I’ve got mad crepe flippin’ skills! 🙂

Crepes:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 cup skim milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
•  1tsp vanilla (optional)

1.   In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.

2.  Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly. **If the pancakes seem too thick, thin the batter slightly with a teaspoon or two of warm water — Mine were too thick **

3.  Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.

Sauce:(enough for 8 extra sweet or 16 normal crepes) 

• 4 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup sugar
• Juice of 6 oranges; zest from one
• Extra whole orange for garnish
• 3 tablespoons of orange liqueur (We use Patrón Orange Liquer)
• 3 tablespoons cognac (optional)

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the sugar, zest, juice, and liqueur. Stirring constantly, reduce sauce to ⅔ cup.

FOR EXTRA SWEET CREPES: Very delicately add each crepe to the pan—one at a time—and coat it in the sauce. (I use a chopstick and for this) Fold each one in quarters, and arrange three on each plate, repeating until each crepe has been dipped and plated.

FOR NORMAL SWEETNESS: Fold crepes in quarters and then put into pan to coat with sauce.

Scrap up the extra bits of orange zest and add orange slices as your garnish. (Whipped cream on vanilla ice cream is divine too!)

Adults only: If you wish to flambé the sauce, reserve two tablespoons and add three more of brandy. Stir together and remove the pan from the heat. Ignite with a match and pour the flaming sauce over the crepes. Important Note: You should only ignite the sauce using a metal pan; do not use a non-stick pan. Serve immediately.

The dish was created out of a mistake made by a fourteen year-old assistant waiter Henri Charpentier in 1895 at the Maitre at Monte Carlo’s Café de Paris. He was preparing a dessert for the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII of England, and his companion whose first name was Suzette.

This is told by Henri Charpentier himself in Life a la Henri, his autobiography.

“It was quite by accident as I worked in front of a chafing dish that the cordials caught fire. I thought I was ruined. The Prince and his friends were waiting. How could I begin all over? I tasted it. It was, I thought, the most delicious melody of sweet flavors I had ever tasted. I still think so. That accident of the flame was precisely what was needed to bring all those various instruments into one harmony of taste . . . He ate the pancakes with a fork; but he used a spoon to capture the remaining syrup. He asked me the name of that which he had eaten with so much relish. I told him it was to be called Crepes Princesse. He recognized that the pancake controlled the gender and that this was a compliment designed for him; but he protested with mock ferocity that there was a lady present. She was alert and rose to her feet and holding her little shirt wide with her hands she made him a curtsey. ‘Will you,’ said His Majesty, ‘change Crepes Princesse to Crepes Suzette?’ Thus was born and baptized this confection, one taste of which, I really believe, would reform a cannibal into a civilized gentleman. The next day I received a present from the Prince, a jeweled ring, a panama hat and a cane.”

Totally Bodacious Breakfast Cups

Tags

bacon, Breakfast, cheddar, Cheese, Cook, crescent roll, easy, eggs, fun, ham, kids, Muffin, Olive oil, Sausage, Tablespoon

Greedy little Ravenous Munchkin Forks 😉

As I have said before, easy & tasty but different breakfast get my kids excited!  One morning a few months ago, after a few cups of coffee, a few trips through the kitchen inventory, and still no NEW ideas for breakfast, I came up Bodacious Breakfast Cups!

Very simple and easy to adjust to your tastes!  Have fun with it! Try veggies or only egg whites too!

Instructions:

• 1 can (8 ounce) refrigerated crescent rolls
• 5 eggs
• 8 strips of lightly cooked bacon (or some sausage, some cubed ham,
• basil, onion, garlic, salt pepper, or any other spice or seasoning
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 8 muffin cups with evoo or non-stick spray.

Remove crescent rolls from package.  Place into muffin cups with the corner between the shortest two sides at the bottom. Wrap the other corners around the inside of the cup and press the ends together. There will be some hanging over the top.                    ** If there are spots where the crescent dough doesn’t cover the muffin cup – don’t worry! The eggs will fill it in!**

Whisk together the eggs.  Stir in seasonings. Set aside.

Wrap top inside edge of dough/cup with lightly cooked bacon.  Divide egg mixture evenly among muffin cups.

If adding other meats instead of bacon (Or hey, in addition to if that’s the way you roll!)  add these AFTER you pour the eggs!  Spoon about 1 tablespoon cooked and crumbled sausage OR cubed cooked ham into each muffin cup.

Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of cheese on top of sausage.

Bake 25 minutes or until filling is set and edges of rolls are golden brown.  Cool in pan for a few minutes.  Remove to cooling rack. Let the family DEMOLISH! 😉