Fresh Approach Cooking

Labels: Entree, Lamb, Pasta, recipe

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Maybe it's the holiday season, and my head is all filled with non-sense, but I keep reading all these profound things when it comes to food.

Chilling essays about the food supply chain, heartbreaking stories about the state of farming in our country, lovely things about...uh, love, and opinionated things about food writing. Important things all.

And frankly, it all just plain bums me out!

(Well, not the love part, that’s quite sweet.)

Why am I not like all these concerned citizens of the world and/or lovestruck peoples? Why am I such a flighty girl? Is it because I live in LA-LA Land? Am I victim of my geographic locale? Have my ideals and principals evaporated and left me a shell of my former self? Or am I just not writing about it all?

It has all led me to wonder, if I shouldn’t really step back here on this site-o-whimsy and get serious...talk about the need for organics, rail against trans-fats, focus on praising chefs and sharing with you, my darling readers, my innermost thoughts and feelings. You know, focus. Be intense. Proselytize. Rage against the corporate machine. Stuff like that.

Sigh.

But then I get distracted - usually by something cute or shiny or caught in a particularly appealing patch of sunlight. Or in this case, something yummy. And I recall...writing about “feelings” and “issues,” that just isn’t who I am and not what this site is about (despite the fact it is, like, way important) I’m me! Life of the party, charm the pants off of anyone (except perhaps Vinnie Jones, who I suspect finds me quite irritating lately. But that’s another story.) social butterfly, happy go lucky, sunshine-loving me. Nothing more, nothing less.

So I will leave the deep thinking to the great minds and invite you to in for the lighter side of things. I’ll just leave the worrying to others. Much better that way, ya? I hope thats okay with you all too, since you may have stumbled here for a debate on the ethics of crop dusting or a diatribe on the plight of the veal calf, because most of all, I wouldn’t want to disappoint.

Im just saying.

Okay, enough of that...lets talk food...

A ten minute meal. Unless you make roasted potatoes with it, then it takes longer. But, well, whatever...try this, and enjoy!


1 cup assorted fresh herbs
1 small shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled
Olive oil
4 lamb chops
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350F

Rinse the chops and pat dry.

On a plate, combine the herbs, shallot, garlic and cheese. Coat one side of the chops and press in to adhere.

Heat a large pan and add little bit of oil. When hot, add the lamb in a single layer, herb side down.

Cook for two to three minutes until just browned, flip and sear another minute or so.

Transfer to the oven and cook 10 more minutes for medium.

Remove from the oven and let rest for a few minutes.

Serves four

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Due to ongoing European draughts, Provence's truffle market has dropped 70 percent over the past four seasons. French truffle production nationwide last year was about half that of a decade ago.

Today in the U.S. it is National Roast Suckling Pig Day

Fast food restaurant, Taco Bell's sales have taken a hit since more than 70 diners at its East Coast restaurants fell sick with E. coli poisoning. The outbreak apparently has run its course after 71 confirmed cases of the disease in five states. Federal officials said the most likely source of the illnesses was lettuce. The chain has taken precautionary measures on Dec. 9 by changing its suppliers of both lettuce and cheese. Lettuce is included in 70 percent of the menu items at the Mexican-style chain based in Irvine, Calif.

Labels: Entree, Gluten Free, Lamb, Low-Carb

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Here kibbee, kibbee, kibbee.

You may all recall a few weeks ago (was it that long? Where HAS the time gone? Where in the heck have I been?) there was a Paper Chef competition that asked participants to use Quinoa, Citrus, well, I forget the rest of the ingredients, but what I do know is that I had actually done something with all of them a few days before the announcement.

I had made my version of kibbee.

For those of you who don’t frequent, um, Lebanese (?) restaurants with great frequency (and if you don’t, please start now…the food is just plain YUM!) this is their version of a meatball. Like any other classic dish the variations are endless, but the idea is always the same…deliciousness.

My turn on the recipe is updated from the basic concept and is really spectacular. While the authentic dish is more involved to make, these are just as tasty and full of flavor. They can be baked too, which is a nice option. What you end up with is a perfectly crunchy, moist and spicy meatball. If you pass them at a party with the sauce on the side, oh baby will you ever get raves! Try them, and enjoy.

1 lb ground lean lamb
1 cup quinoa cooked
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
Pinch of allspice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
½ cup minced fresh coriander or parsley
1 small onion, minced
1 small chile pepper, de-seeded and minced
Salt
Oil
1 cup plain yogurt
½ cup fresh mint, minced
Salt and white pepper

In a large bowl, combine the lamb, quinoa, cumin, coriander, allspice, zest, parsley, onion, chile pepper and salt. Mix to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 8.

Remove your meat mixture from the fridge and using your hands, form into football shaped meatballs.

In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, mint, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Set aside.

Preheat your oven to 200F. Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.

In a large sauté pan, heat at least ½ inch of oil. Do not add too many at a time, as this will lower the temperature of the oil. Turn a few times, browning on all sides.

As they are done, put them on the baking sheet and keep warm in the oven.

Serve with pita bread, the yogurt sauce, and whatever else tickles your fancy.

Serves 4-6

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Based on a 3 ounce lean portion, lamb is comparable in price to the finer cuts of beef and pork - Superior Farms.com

The national dish of Lebanon is kibbeh, an emulsified paste of the freshest lamb and bulghur wheat. - Cyberbuzz.com

McDonald's Corp. is facing at least three lawsuits related to its disclosure last week that its french fries contain wheat and dairy products.

Labels: Entree, Lamb

It is always the best time when my father comes to town...I wish you all knew him, because he is just the funniest, most charming man ever. He is world renowned for his kindness and passions, his generosity and dashing style, but most of all kids, the man can cook.. Its all about simplicity with him, (and a exuberant fondness for Pick-A-Peppa Sauce) just take this boneless leg of lamb recipe he made last night.




Take 10 cloves of garlic, slivered and insert into small cuts all over a 5 pound boneless leg of lamb. Put the lamb on a rack in a 350 degree oven, and cook for 17 minutes a pound. Remove from the oven when done, let rest for 5 minutes, slice and serve. Seriously, thats all the man does. No salt, no rosemary, no oil, nothing. Garlic, lamb and heat. A miracle of flavors, and it is the most succulent, tender meat imaginable.







The only trouble is, you end up with leftovers! Wait! Thats not a problem! So after you have done that, why not go ahead and try this recipe, my version of the perfect lamb sandwich. (My second sandwich recipe this week. Go figure) It takes only a few minutes to whip up and it will thrill your mouth with richness, crispy-coolness and general yum. I am not a fan of the classic mint jelly, but am a huge fan of mint in general, so I make this with a garlic-mint aioli, that really perks things up. Try it, and enjoy!

4 demi-baguettes
1/2 cup fresh mayo
2 cloves garlic
1 large bunch mint
tiny pinch of salt and pepper
1 pound cooked lamb meat, shredded
1 small bunch of rashes, sliced thin
lettuce greens
1 large red onion, sliced thin










Finely mince the garlic and mint. Add to your fresh mayo and stir. Taste and adjust seasonings.










To compose the sandwich, first split the bread in half and warm in a 200F oven for 5 minutes.
Spread a layer of the mint aioli, then the onion, greens, meat and radishes. Slice and serve.

Makes four sandwiches

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Q: What do you get when you cross fruit with a necklace?
A: A food chain!

Aioli - [French] a cold egg and oil emulsion with olive oil and garlic. Many variations of this sauce are made. Basically is is a garlic mayonnaise

Best Food's Brand Mayonaise is known as Hellman's East of the Rocky Mountains

Labels: Lamb

Oh joy! Last night, under a star filled sky (ok, that’s a lie, you can’t really see stars in Los Angeles) I lit up my much loved grill and had my first cookout of the year. It was a triumph of delicious foods and superior company. From the moment the flame hit the lump charcoal (that I had some left from last year and it wasn’t completely soggy is a testament to something, I’m just not sure what) and the blue curl of smoke lifted onto the evening breeze, I was in heaven. The inspiration for this meal, came from a motley assortment of middle eastern ingredients I had lurking in my larder, plus some gorgeous honey-dates I bought at the Farmers Market (where I will be demonstrating next Sunday! Please come down!) last week and really wanted to find the perfect way to showcase them. I had also read the other day that lamb (defined as the meat of sheep less than 12 months old) is the least popular red meat in North America (which makes me wonder, does that list include rabbit or “cheval?”) which of course fired me up to buy some. I trooped down to the market and there is was behind the glass, so rosy and pink and inexpensive and I love it so much, I ended up buying quite a bit, so don’t be surprised if there is another lamb recipe tomorrow…besides, what says springtime more than lamb? So with nothing more than a few staple ingredients and a will to grill, I concocted this recipe and must say, it was pretty durned tasty. Try it and enjoy!


2 pounds boneless leg of lamb, cut into 10 –12 strips
Zest of 1 orange
¼ cup olive oil
Black pepper
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbsp za’atar

3 oranges, segemented (pits removed) and diced
½ cup dates, halved, pits removed
2 large heads butterleaf lettuce, leaves torn
1 small red onion, sliced thin

2 Tablespoons olive oil
½ cup non-fat yogurt or sour cream
2 Tbsp orange juice
1 teaspoon honey
1 Tbsp thyme, chopped
½ teaspoon white vinegar
Salt

In a shallow baking dish or a Ziploc plastic bag, combine the orange zest, olive oil, pepper, garlic and za’atar. Add the lamb and massage in the marinade. Marinate, covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or leave overnight.

Prepare your grill. Lightly oil the grates with some olive oil.

Remove the lamb from the marinade. Cook over a moderately high heat for about 5-7 minutes, turning occasionally until well browned. Set aside on a plate to rest while making the salad.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, yogurt, orange juice, vinegar, honey, thyme and salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Set aside.

In a large bowl gently toss together the orange segments, dates, lettuce and red onion. Season well with salt and pepper.

Serve the lamb strips over the salad on individual plates, or on a large platter, drizzle the dressing over it all.

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GRILLING is the method of cooking whereby the meat is cooked over direct, intense flame, usually 500 degrees F or higher.

BARBEQUE meats are cooked slowly with indirect heat in an enclosed cooker which allows the moist smoke to penetrate the meat. BBQ temperatures range from about 170 to 250 degrees F

Labels: Lamb

Hello everyone! I had an absolutely lovely Christmas; spending the morning with my family, visiting our friends and trying lots and lots of cookies, and then in the evening my dear friend Andrew made a goose with chestnuts and prunes. Fan-tastic. It was a meal for the ages. Now I am off to Chile and Argentina, (what a little jet-setter I have become!) and won’t be posting for some time. (The 12th at the earliest.) I am very excited to spend New Years Eve in South America because it will be so warm! What fun. When I get back I will, of course, post some of the new recipes I have tried, but in the mean time, try this and as always, ENJOY. OH, and Happy 2005!



2 racks of lamb, frenched
1 cup sun dried tomatoes, oil packed (you could use fresh tomatoes, but in the winter, I avoid them)
10 cloves of garlic
½ cup dry white wine
1 large bunch winter savory or other assorted mixed herbs
1 bunch fresh mint
salt and pepper
a pinch of sugar
¼ cup champagne vinegar
¼ cup best quality olive oil


Preheat your oven to 400 degrees

Make a cross hatch pattern on the fat side of the lamb, cutting through the fat, but not the flesh.
Season the lamb with salt and pepper, then brown a large pan over medium high heat.
In a large roasting pan, toss the tomatoes and garlic and half the savory with some salt and pepper.
Place the lamb on top of the vegtables, add the wine and put in the oven, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a blender puree the remaining winter savory and mint with the sugar, some salt and pepper and the vinegar together with the olive oil to make a sauce.

Serves four

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“Inside the prison nicknamed Camp Cupcake, media mogul Martha Stewart
is exploring new dishes in microwave cooking -- first it was flan, now it's
Vietnamese food, according to insiders. It's clear Stewart isn't feeling merry
spending Christmas in the slammer, but she does have newfound reason
to celebrate as the year draws to a close -- shares of Martha Stewart Living
Omnimedia are up roughly 150% this year as the home decorating diva stands
to become a prison folk hero in Johnny Cash-like style.” -Variety.

Interersting information on Champagne for your holiday reading pleasure

What is Winter Savory?

WANT TO HELP THE VICTIMS OF THE TSUNAMI?
THE RED CROSS IS A GOOD PLACE TO START

Labels: Entree, Lamb

One of my all time favorite ingredients has to be lemon, and one of the most intriguing ways of adding that flavor is with preserved lemons, a north African pickle. You can buy preserved lemons online from one of my favorite websites Kalustyans or you can make them yourself. It takes about five minutes. I will include more recipes that use preserved lemon in the future, but for now, try this tagine, it is SO simple, and heavenly. A tagine, by the way, is a typical Moroccan earthenware cooking vessel, that is also the name of the dish prepared in it. Enjoy!

2 pounds diced lamb, trimmed of most of its fat
1 tsp each: pepper, ground cumin, cinnamon, coriander and ginger
pinch of tumeric or saffron
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups beef stock
2 large brown onions, peeled and sliced
2 large carrots, peels and chopped into large pieces
1 can chick peas, drained
1 preserved lemon, chopped
10 dried apricots, halved
10 prunes, halved (optional)
5 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
2 tbsp olive oil

Cilantro, mint and toasted almonds for garnish

Put the lamb into a bowl. Add the onions, pepper, ground cumin, cinnamon, coriander ginger saffron and salt. Stir to coat the meat well. Cover and leave to marinade in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 325 F

Heat a large, heavy frying pan. Add the lamb in batches and brown evenly. Transfer to a heavy casserole along with the rest of the ingredients, seal the lid with foil, and cook for 2 ½ hours.

Labels: Entree, Lamb

I love cooking with beer. Guinness especially. (Funny, because I don't actually like to drink the stuff.) Like wine, beer adds complexity to a dish. This recipe is simple, elegant and hearty. Try it and see. You can leave out the cream and butter for a lower fat dish.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 lamb chops
1 onion, minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped, plus 4 sprigs for garnish
1 cup Guinness beer
1 cup beef stock
1 tablespoon Dijon style mustard
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon white sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter


Preheat oven to 400 F.

Heat the oil in a large, nonstick skillet over high heat. Add lamb chops and sear, about 4 minutes per side. Remove the chops from the pan, (do not clean the pan) and place in an oven proof dish and cook at 400 (in the oven) until done to your preference, about 7 minutes for medium, 10 minutes for well-done. Remove from oven when done and allow to rest 4 minutes before saucing and serving.

Reduce the stove heat to low. Add the onion to to pan and saute until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the rosemary, beer, broth, mustard, heavy cream and sugar. Using a wooden spoon, make sure to scrape up the fond (brown bits cooked onto the pan) and incorporate into the sauce.

Turn up the heat to high and bring the sauce to a boil, whisking, until reduced by 2/3, about 10 to 12 minutes. You want the sauce to have a little body and thickness to it.

When sauce is reduced, add the butter and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Place 2 chops on each plate; spoon sauce on top.

Garnish with rosemary sprigs

Makes four servings
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Looking for a recipe for seaweed pudding or stuffed fish heads? Visit
http://www.globalguide.org/scotland/articles/3.html
For those and more traditional Scottish (Isle of Lewis) recipes!
Haggis anyone?

Labels: Entree, Lamb