Dutch Oven Lamb

“What do you mean you don’t eat no meat? ….. That’s OK, I’ll make lamb”
— Andrea Martin as Aunt Voula in the movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Lamb with an Herb Salad

Patience is a quality that I have over time been learning to develop.  Maybe it's my age, yes I am getting older...😉😉...maybe it's the ups and downs of life, but the more I discover about this quality the more I have learned that putting it into practice makes my life  better. 

Think about it... you're stuck at the airport🛩 for 8 hours and want to get home but the weather or something else has made it impossible. 

Option 1 : I could become impatient and get angry😡 at the people working, or be furious😡 inside myself that I have to sit around, tired and exhausted, and wanting to go home. 

Option 2: I sit and have a glass of wine🍷 and some snacks and be thankful that I have time to work if that's what I want to do, or, read a book📚 (me time) or sit around surfing pinterest. My options are limitless.   After all, how often would I take 8 hours and do any of those things for that long and not feel like I had been wasting time.  Never, until now! I have the excuse I can give to my brain.  Hmm...Option 2 is looking pretty darn good.

I am beginning to think getting stuck at the airport isn't so bad. What about you?

 See what I mean,  patience has turned my thoughts around.  

Will I be tired tomorrow at work? Yeah....  But wouldn't I have probably been tired anyway? Yeah, for sure. Just being honest.   I probably would have stayed up late goofing around on Pinterest or reading that mystery novel into the wee hours, right?  You and I both know it's true...😉

The saying that "patience is a virtue" I haven't always understood, but I am starting to "get it".

 I usually relate these little aah haa moments in life to cooking and that's what making this Lamb is all about.  I have spoken to many about the fact that they don't like cooking and I keep hearing "I don't have time."  I get that. No one has the time. In fact those 24 hours in a day go so fast that they seem to vanish before we get started.  

But that's what we all have, right?

 24 hours.

Everyday.

 Patience is what we do with that time.

 It's what we make of it...

 It's the laughter from that hilarious SNL skit that you watched in the morning.

 It's the little hummingbirds that you saw flit around drinking nectar that made you smile.

 It's the lamb you cooked, filling the house with smells of spices of the mediterranean.

Patience my friends builds character, builds strength and makes you some darn good Lamb.

Be Happy. Start Cooking. 

Lamb and Herbs getting ready to carve

Adapted Slightly from Food and Wine

 Lamb INGREDIENTS  

  • 1/2 quart chicken stock

  • 1 cups dry white wine

  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

  • 1/4 cup honey

  • 1 teaspoon whole allspice berries

  • 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves

  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander seeds

  • 2 tablespoons smoked paprika

  • 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves

  • 2 tablespoons thyme leaves

  • 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

  • 2 onions, diced

  • 4 garlic cloves sliced

  • 1 jalapeños, seeded and quartered

  • One 2-pound boneless leg of lamb, tied

  • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Herb Salad Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup packed parsley leaves chopped (1/2 bunch)

  • 3/4 cup packed cilantro leaves chopped (1/2 bunch)

  • 1/2 cup packed tarragon leaves chopped

  • 1/2 cup snipped chives

  • 1 jalapeño—halved, seeded and chopped

  • 1/2 cup very thinly sliced red onion

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

Lemon Juice for Lamb

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425  degrees F. In a Dutch Oven* the size of your lamb  place chicken stock,wine, lemon juice, honey, allspice, cloves, coriander,paprika, thyme, oregano, and peppercorns. Next add onions,jalapeno and garlic. Season Lamb with Salt and Pepper and place on top of onions etc fattier side facing up. Making sure the liquid does not completely cover the lamb. If it does remove some liquid. You want to have about 2 inches not covered. More is okay as long as pot is not completely dry.

Braising Preparation for Lamb

Step 2

Braise* the lamb uncovered for 45 minutes until it starts to brown on top. After browning drop oven temperature to 325 degrees F and put a lid on the dutch oven and continue braising about 2 more hours until lamb meat starts to pull apart easily, if you stick a fork in it and tug a little. Not much tugging should be needed that will help you know it is done.  You can check it after an hour to see how tough the meat is at that time so you know what falling apart means.  Also make sure that the liquid is not completely gone from the pot.  If so add more broth and wine if you have it.Once braised remove from oven and allow to cool on a cutting board for 10 minutes before slicing.

Lamb and Herbs

Step 3

While letting the meat rest you can strain out the large pieces of the braising liquid and put the liquid back in the pot and taste.  Add salt and pepper to your taste and slowly cook the liquid until reduced about 10 minutes to a thicker sauce consistency. It will not be thick like gravy more like an au jus with lots of flavor.  If you don't have much liquid don't cook it all down to nothing just briefly heat and add salt and pepper to taste.

Step 4

Make herb salad to go on top of meat. Mix chopped parsley, cilantro, chives,tarragon and jalapeno.  Cover onions with Lemon juice and leave for a few minutes to decrease the bite in the red onions.  Then add olive oil and mix in a jar and shake.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Pour dressing over salad and allow to rest for about 10 minutes for flavors to blend.

Step 5

Slice lamb and serve with herb salad on top and some store-bought or homemade tzatziki. You can also serve lamb over rice or couscous or with Delicious Pita Bread!

 

Tips

  • *Braising Definition: to cook slowly in fat and little moisture in a closed pot- A WEEKEND ESSENTIAL WAY TO COOK!

  • *Dutch Ovens are great because you can use them on the stovetop and then place them in the oven and they keep the heat! A 5 1/2 quart is a good size for family of 4 or for two people and then leftovers.

  • Any dry white wine will do for the lamb braising sauce. Even better if you like the taste so you can have some with the lamb later.

Homemade Vinegar

Hello, World!

“We are like oil and vinegar most of the time. But when you shake us up real good, the combination is heavenly.”
— Janet Chapman

Homemade Red Wine Vinegar

I am kind of a big reader. However, I will admit I am picky about what I read. I have always heard that readers make great writers.  It is an interesting thought...  Does that mean that people who don't like to read much can't write?  Or maybe there interest would never lie in writing since, who wants to write if they don't even like to read.  Right?

 Our society is slowly drifting away from reading.  Bookstores are becoming the thing of the past.  Libraries seem like they have to beg for money to have support.  It's a bit sad to me.

 After all sometimes those moments were the best of our lives.  Remember all of the friends you made at the library?  I don't mean the real people but the "book people".  The ones who told you about their lives.  The ones whose reality became where you were living for those 30 or 40 minutes you spent opening the book before you checked it out, to let your book friend come home and visit you at your house.

 I recall  reading a book as a kid "From the mixed up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" it was about two kids who ran away to live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.  It was an adventure for them. It was my adventure.  I was there hiding in the bathroom, standing on top of the toilet seat, waiting for the guard to check and make sure the visitors were gone from the museum.  I was with them when they slept in the beds of the royal kings.  I was collecting the coins in the fountain to have money for lunch.  It was real, so, so real.  Children have amazing imaginations. I like to think I am one of those children.

 

 Sometimes I think about that...do I still have that kind of imagination?

 Stress, life, being so busy, that overwhelming feeling of not getting everything done, it takes it's toll, don't you think?

 I have pushed aside my reading as of late and maybe that's why it is in my head right now.  Why has life been taken over by that feeling of "too busy"?

 I went to a food blog conference recently and heard story after story of people and what they consider "success" but each time I found that they seemed overwhelmed, a bit burnt out or "I didn't see my family" kind of success.  And although I agreed with the work hard attitude it is never worth it to me to see success in that manner.  That isn't success, that's sadness.

Maybe I will never have loads of money or tons of vacations but that isn't important to me.  If losing the moments of imagination, if creativity becomes a burden, if we forget to pick up a book and lose ourselves in it, then "success" was never there.

  I hope as you read this you look for a little piece of imagination in your life and remember success isn't about living the reality of the dream it's about continuing to dream.

Red Wine Vinegar Bottle Filling

Ingredients:

  • Mother for Vinegar

  • 16 oz Red Wine🍷

  • 8 oz water

  • Cheesecloth

  • Glass or Wood container with a spigot and an opening at the top for pouring

  • Time⏱

Step 1

Place mother inside of clean container and add wine and water. Cover with cheesecloth and secure with rubber band as needed. Mark the start date somewhere on your jar.

Step 2

Keep container in cool dark place for at least three months.  When you have wine leftover remove cheesecloth and add wine. Then place cheesecloth back on with rubber band.  You will want to add wine about once per week if you do not have leftover wine regularly to add. 

Step 3

Check vinegar using spout after a few months for taste.  If not too liking continue to add wine about once per week. Not much needed maybe two tablespoons at the least at a time.  If you have more and the container is not full you may add more.

Step 4

When Vinegar is too your liking you may pour from spigot into clean glass jars and cork.  You can strain via a cheese cloth if you do not want any fermentation in your container.

Tips

  • Do not skim off the top of the vinegar that is the mother working well and good bacteria (FYI however it isn't very pretty)

  • Tasting the Vinegar is important!  You want it to taste like vinegar not wine.  (A little tang on the tongue)

  • Need a good Vinaigrette Recipe go here

  • If you prefer White Wine Vinegar same steps just use white wine and a white wine mother

  • Time is important to make great vinegar but once you have it you can continue using the mother for years!

Tell me what you want to see or learn NEXT on the blog?  Questions? Comments?  Write below.

Stuffed Squash for Dinner

“I like rice. Rice is great if you’re hungry and want 2,000 of something.”
— Mitch Hedberg

  One of the best things about squash is it sits around the house waiting for a while and doesn't mind doing so.

 It doesn't shout out I am turning brown and mushy like a pear, I am going to go bad if you don't eat me today.

 It doesn't wrinkle its forehead like lettuce and say I am tired of waiting.

 In fact, it's the most patient vegetable I know.

 And in this world of honking the horn before the light turns green it's nice to have something that doesn't mind waiting for me.

Patience of the Squash makes time slow down and the art of the table become important. 

That's Squash, always there, ready for me.  

I know it is easier to buy pre-cut squash, but something about the smell of roasting squash in the oven on a cool crisp day brings out the: it's officially autumn in me.

Don't get me wrong pre-cut is a timesaver and I understand and there are those moments when you want it quickly or just don't want to take the extra time to peel, cut, and roast.

However, do you ever notice that the taste is just not quite right?  In the back of your mind you have a subtle nagging feeling of disappointment. 

That's why sometimes the squash sits and waits for me for me on Sunday.

 It's that day when you probably have a little more time.  It's the day you laze around in your pajamas a little longer, or maybe even, gasp, All Day! 

Gotta love that about a lazy day.

 Maybe for you it's not Sunday, maybe it's Monday, cause the kids are back in school and the house is quiet.

 Or maybe you work weekends and your first day off is Wednesday.  

Whatever day you have to linger a teeny bit longer that's the day I encourage, no nudge you, to take the time cut the squash.

To pull out the seeds. 

To glaze it over with olive oil and finger dust it with salt and pepper.  

To smell the sweet scent of patience roasting in your oven. 

Yes, it's the day to make Japanese Stuffed Squash.

  It is gonna be a good day.  I'm glad we shared it together. 

You, Me and the Squash.

Stuffed Squash

Ingredients:

  • 1 kabocha squash aka: japanese pumpkin or 1 acorn squash; cut in half, seeds removed

  • 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil

  • 2 cups of cooked white rice preferably japanese sushi rice

  • 1 pound of ground pork

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 thai red chili diced seeds removed for less heat

  • 1 white onion chopped

  • 2 garlic cloves chopped

  • 1 Tbsp fish sauce

  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar

  • 1-2 Tbsp chopped thai basil

  • salt and pepper

  • 2 lime wedges for serving

  • Sriracha for serving

Instructions:

Step 1:

After removing seeds from squash, spread olive oil over inside of squash and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

In a preheated oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit place squash cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for about 20-25 minutes until squash is tender with a knife inserted.  Set aside.

Step 2:

While squash is roasting in oven, mix with hands baking soda and pork and 1 Tbsp water and set aside while sauteing onions and garlic.  In a large saute pan heat vegetable oil under medium to high heat and then place chopped onion and thai chili and saute for about 5 minutes until translucent. Remember to salt the onions a little while cooking.  Add chopped garlic and cook for about 30 seconds being careful not to burn.  Next place pork and cook until pink is almost removed then stir in fish sauce and brown sugar.  Cook for about 1 minute more and then add cooked rice.  Mix all together and remove from heat.

Step 3: 

Add chopped thai basil and squeeze lime wedge over the top.  Scoop Rice/Pork mixture into each half of squash and serve with lime wedges and Sriracha sauce.

Enjoy bites of squash and bites of rice mixture. YUM!

Tips:

  • Using leftover cooked rice makes this meal simple to prepare.

  • Prepare the squash the day before and reheat before serving.

  • Sprinkle a bit of cayenne as well as salt and pepper over the squash to kick it up a notch!