Simple Roasted Rack of Lamb

This recipe is perfect for Easter dinner or any Springtime occasion.
I served it with new red potatoes , shelled edamame and a mixed Spring greens salad.

You can easily change the flavors by varying the ingredients in the flavor coating - i used Mediterranean spices but this works equally well with Middle Eastern spices .
Be creative and have fun in the kitchen - use your family's favorite ingredients and experiment.

Herb Encrusted Rack of Lamb

adapted from Cook's Illustrated and a family recipe

INGREDIENTS

2	racks of lamb (each 8 to 9 ribs, weighing 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds), rib bones frenched, and meat trimmed of fat and silver skin (see illustrations below)
	Table salt and ground black pepper
2	tablespoons vegetable oil

Herb & Mustard Crust (optional ) Put one small bunch of parsley , 3 heaping tablespoons dijon mustard , 2 garlic cloves, 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, a 1/2 tablespoon of dried thyme, a generous pinch of herbs de provence and blend in food processor, add a bit of olive oil until a thick paste forms. Apply to racks making sure to cover meat thouroughly-( after searing and before putting into oven for final cooking.)

Preparation ( see below for prep of rack prior to cooking)

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, place shallow roasting pan or jelly-roll pan on oven rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. To SEAR-Season lamb with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet over high heat until shimmering. Place racks of lamb in skillet, meat-side down in the center of the pan, with ribs facing outwards (see photo below); cook until well-browned and nice crust has formed on surface, about 4 minutes. Using tongs, stand racks up in skillet, leaning them against each other to brown the bottoms; cook until bottom sides have browned, about 2 minutes longer.
3. Apply Herb Mustard Coating now if using - Transfer lamb to preheated roasting pan. (Begin pan sauce, if making.) Roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of each rack registers about 135 degrees, 12 to 15 minutes, depending on size of rack. Cover meat loosely with foil and let rest about 10 minutes. Carve, slicing between each rib into individual chops, and serve immediately with an additional sprinkling of salt and pepper or with an accompanying sauce.


STEP BY STEP: Preparing the Rack of Lamb

1. Using a boning or paring knife, scrape the ribs clean of any scraps of meat or fat.	2. Trim off the outer layer of fat, the flap of meat underneath it, and the fat underneath that flap.
3. Remove the silver skin by sliding the boning knife between the silver skin and the flesh.

STEP BY STEP: Crust on Rack of Lamb

1. To get a good crust on the rack of lamb, brown it on both sides on top of the stove before placing it in the oven.	2. Leaning one rack against the other, as shown, allows you to brown all parts of the meat.

For Lingering Winter Malaise

Spring is soon to appear here in Virginia but some cold and colds lurk behind the promise of this warmer weather . So i have decided to include a recipe for the great cure-all - Chicken soup.
This one is not only simple but delicious and includes some known panaceas like lemon , ginger and mint to soothe tummies and tastebuds alike.
Chase away those winter blahs and make some soup !

Chicken Soup with Ginger, Lemon & Mint

The combination of ginger, lemon, and mint gives this soup a light, bright flavor. You could substitute cooked turkey for the chicken. Yields 5 cups.( about 4 servings)

ingredients

3 leeks (white part only), sliced 1/4 inch thick (to yield 2 cups)
4 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
One 1-inch chunk fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks (to yield about 2 Tbs.)
1 cup diced cooked chicken
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup finely shredded fresh mint leaves

how to make

Put the sliced leeks in a large bowl of cold water and let them soak for 10 minutes. Lift them out carefully, making sure to leave the grit at the bottom of the bowl behind, and set aside (there's no need to dry them). Put the stock and carrots in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and cover the pot. Simmer for 5 minutes and then add the leeks and ginger. Continue to cook, covered until the vegetables are just tender, about another 5 minutes. Add the diced chicken, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Simmer until the chicke is heated through, about 2 minutes. Adjust the seasonings if needed, add the shredded mint, and serve immediately.

from Fine Cooking

A Hot Chocolate Kiss

Well , i am back from the culinary dead , so to speak.
Yes, i have actually been cooking but NOT posting which i know is a very bad cyber-infraction in the world of blogging.
A certain Kiss of Death to readership .
But i AM a Mommy and well , that's the way it goes sometimes.
Baby takes all.

So , in a small attempt to redeem myself i offer up this to-die-for recipe for homemade Hot Chocolate.
Go ahead, treat yourself AND the kiddies.
You can thank me later...

Classic Hot Chocolate (adapted from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme)

2 cups whole milk

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

Bring the milk, water and sugar to the boil in a medium saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the chocolate and, stirring with a whisk, heat the mixture until one bubble pops on the surface. Pull the saucepan from the heat and whip the hot chocolate for about 1 minute with an immersion blender or in a regular blender. Serve immediately in large cups or pour into a container to cool. (The hot chocolate can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept tightly covered in the refrigerator.)

To reheat the chilled chocolate, pour it into a medium saucepan, set the pan over low heat and cook, stirring gently, just until the first bubble pops. Remove the pan from the heat, whip the chocolate for a minute with the immersion blender (or in a blender) and serve.

To make Cold Hot Chocolate (something you might want to do if it ever gets warm again): Cool the hot chocolate, then chill it. When the chocolate is cold, stir in 1/4 cup cold water, then whip the cold chocolate for a minute with an immersion blender or in a blender. For each serving, put 1 to 2 ice cubes in a tall glass and pour over the chocolate. Serve with straws.

Makes 2 servings. Can be doubled or tripled !

mmmmmmmmmmm, mmmmmmmm, Enjoy.

Mama Goes on Strike

For the last three sundays we have ordered pizza . Late winter flu season will knock out even the hardiest of chefs. Please join us for the regularly scheduled program next week - same channel - for some REAL home cookin' .

Buon Appetito!

Red Velvet Cake for Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone ! Bake yourself a luscious Red Velvet Cake to celebrate Love.


My friend from back home N. and I decided to do just that and here are the results . We used similar recipes , i used Paula Deen's - there are lots of variations - N. used a classic buttercream frosting and i used a Southern creamcheese frosting - both are yummy. To be extra festive bake in a heart shaped cake pan like N. did. Pretty !Red Velvet Cake

Cake

2 cups sugar 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature 2 eggs 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 2 ounces red food coloring 2 1/2 cups cake flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 tablespoon vinegar Icing: 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese 1 stick butter, softened 1 cup melted marshmallows 1 (1-pound) box confectioners' sugar 1 cup shredded coconut 1 cup chopped pecans Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter, beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition. Mix cocoa and food coloring together and then add to sugar mixture; mix well. Sift together flour and salt. Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Blend in vanilla. In a small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar and add to mixture. Pour batter into 3 (8-inch) round greased and floured pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from heat and cool completely before frosting. Icing: Blend cream cheese and butter together in a mixing bowl. Add marshmallows and sugar and blend. Fold in coconut and nuts. Spread between layers and on top and sides of cooled cake. Devour with abandon ! N's Alternative Red Velvet Cake Recipe 2 T. cocoa powder (unsweetened) 2 oz. red food coloring (I only had 1 oz. so the cake was actually burgundy-colored but still pretty) 1 c. buttermilk 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 c. shortening 1 and 1/2 c. white sugar 2 eggs 2 and 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, sifted 1 and 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. white vinegar Grease two 9 inch cake pans (I used heart-shaped pans) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Make a paste of cocoa and food coloring, set aside. Combine the buttermilk and vanilla. In another bowl, cream the shortening and sugar till light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the cocoa paste. Add salt and baking soda to the flour and mix. Add the buttermilk and vanilla alternately with the flour, then stir in the vinegar. Pour into pans and bake for 30 min. or till a tester comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting. To make icing: 1 cup milk 5 T. all-purpose flour 1 c. white sugar 1 c. butter 1 tsp. vanilla extract In saucepan, combine the milk and 5 T. of flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, till thickened. Set aside to cool completely. Cream together butter, sugar and vanilla till light and fluffy, then stir in the cooled milk and flour mixture, beating till icing reaches spreading consistency (I used an electric hand mixer for that). I used cocoa that I brought home from a Paris chocolatier -- don't know if that made any difference but the cake was really good. The frosting was super-rich -- next time, if I use it, I will only frost the middle and the top and skip the sides.

More Comfort Food for Cold Weather : Pot Roast

Ah , what to make in my brand new spankin' Mario Batali Dutch Oven ?

This week's dinner menu includes a perennial favorite - New England Pot Roast - or as the Frenchie's call it " Pot Au Feu".
I haven't made this in years as i have been a vegetarian of sorts off and on again over the years -as well as eliminating RED meat all together for more than 15 years.
That all changed when i became pregnant.
I was severely anemic ( due to fibroids - NOT my diet ) and iron supplements just weren't cutting it.
The anemia got even worse after an emergency C-Section that drained yours truly of more than a liter of blood. I was as empty a vessel as one could be.
So , I HAD to add beef back to my diet -
and so i did, albeit i now only eat free-range , 100% organic meat of any kind , but it IS meat , nonetheless.
The theory goes - if i am forced to once again eat red meat ( which truly i did not miss ) than i was going to enjoy it , dammit ! I have labored long and hard on 'beefing ' up my meat repertoire in the kitchen and i have some pretty great recipes at my new-found carnivore's disposal.
Actually , i am more aptly a dyed-in -the-wool Ominivore at heart ( can sheep be omnivore's ? ) as the amount of veggies in this dish attests to.

Well here it is , Mom , your great great great traditional pot roast with your daughter's own twist.

The secret to this dish and it's deliciousness is cooking a pork roast in with the beef - makes an amazing au jus or gravy if you wish.

New England Pot Roast With Winter Root Vegetables

3 1/2 lb of pork roast and 3 1/2 lb. boneless chuck roast
1 Tbsp olive or grapeseed oil
1 tsp. each -salt, pepper, thyme rubbed into meat
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 large yellow onion, chopped or sliced
3cloves of garlic, peeled
1 stalk celery chopped
1 carrot chopped
1tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1tsp. gravy magic
1/2 cup of red wine or sherry
3 cups beef stock
1/2 dozen each - carrots , parsnips, celery root, chopped
into large pieces
1 dozen small potatoes
1 dozen pearl onions
1 flat of mushrooms

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place a dutch oven over high heat for 2 minutes, add oil. Meanwhile, rub both sides of meat with the salt , pepper & thyme. When the pan is hot (really hot- wisps of smoke beginning to form ) sear meat on both sides and remove from pan. Turn down heat and add just enough butter to cover the bottom of the pan, then add the flour , then the onion , garlic ,celery and carrot. Stir constantly until onion is softened and a rough roux forms.

Add the red wine to deglaze the dutch oven , scraping up the browned bits into the sauce. Add worchestershire , gravy magic and stock. Bring to a boil and reduce the liquid by half. Add back the roasts and cover with added stock if necessary to reach a 2/3 covered ratio.
Cook for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until a fork pushes easily into the meat. Add remaining vegetables and cook 30 minutes more at 375 degrees. Remove from oven and rest for at least 1/2 hour. Slice meat thinly, or pull apart with a fork. Serve with sauce and a rustic bread and a green salad.

Better Late Than Never Macaroni & Cheese

I have been having trouble posting Sunday Dinner on an actual Sunday- but I hope this hasn't deterred the culinary faithful from accepting my invitation to visit this blog. I will post weekly - even if it isn't Sunday. That's a promise, and i will work on updating on Sunday whenever possible.There will always be a link on Hysteria Lane when updated.

Well , if you ask me this one is worth the wait !
What can be better ( and easier ) than homemade Mac & Cheese ??
It is the ultimate comfort food and perfect for the whole family. And perfectly nutritious , too if you add a green salad . Presto ! A balanced meal that the kids will cheer for . And SO much prettier than the day-glow doppelganger that resides in the blue box.

You all know what I'm talking about here - i bet EVERYONE has a box or two in the pantry. Well, donate it to your favorite food bank and try making this one night - it is worth the little extra effort . Your family will thank you for it and you will love picking at it the next day when you need to eat on the fly. Leftovers are a bonus...


Macaroni & Cheese ( adapted from an America's Test Kitchen recipe)

Serves 6 to 8, or 10 to 12 as a side

Bread Crumb Topping 6 slices white sandwich bread (good-quality, about 6 ounces), torn into rough pieces 3 tablespoons butter (cold), cut into 6 pieces Pasta and Cheese 1 pound elbow macaroni 1 tablespoon salt 5 tablespoons butter 6 tablespoons flour 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered mustard 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 cups milk 2 tablespoons plain yogurt 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese , shredded (2 cups) 8 ounces, cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups) 1 teaspoon salt

1. For the bread crumbs: Pulse bread and butter in food processor until crumbs are no larger than 1/8 inch, ten to fifteen 1-second pulses. Set aside. 2. For the pasta and cheese: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat broiler. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven over high heat. Add macaroni and 1 tablespoon salt; cook until pasta is tender. Drain pasta and set aside in colander. 3. In now-empty Dutch oven, heat butter over medium-high heat until foaming. Add flour, mustard, and cayenne (if using) and whisk well to combine. Continue whisking until mixture becomes fragrant and deepens in color, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; bring mixture to boil, whisking constantly (mixture must reach full boil to fully thicken). Reduce heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened to , yogurt and 1 teaspoon salt until cheeses are fully melted. Add pasta and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is steaming and heated through, about 6 minutes. 4. Transfer mixture to broiler-safe 9-by 13-inch baking dish and sprinkle evenly with bread crumbs. Broil until crumbs are deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes, rotating pan if necessary for even browning. Cool about 5 minutes, then serve. Yum !