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Lamb it up with Alton Brown’s Shepherd’s Pie

So after I made the lamb the other night for dinner, we naturally had some leftover. Finding something to do with leftover lamb can seem a little daunting as it is not something that always reheats well without some help. I have found that the best solution for using leftover lamb is to grind it up and use it for shepherd’s pie. Cold, leftover lamb lends itself well to being ground up in the food processor or you could simply dice it up small and use it that way. In either case, it is very easy to make and makes a great one pot meal. I have tried a few different shepherd’s pie recipes over the years, but I came across this one from Alton Brown on the Food Network website that seemed very easy to make and would give you some great flavors.

Alton Brown’s Shepherd’s Pie

For the potatoes:
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
1/4 cup half-and-half
2 ounces butter
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 egg yolk
For the meat filling:
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 carrots, peeled and diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons freshly chopped rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup fresh or frozen English peas

Peel the potatoes and cut them into a 1/2-inch dice. Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover them with cold water. Set the saucepan over high heat, cover and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, uncover the pot, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender and easily crushed with tongs, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Place the half-and-half and butter into a microwave-safe container and heat in the microwave until warmed through, about 35 seconds. Drain the potatoes in a colander and then return them to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes and then add the half and half, butter, salt and pepper and continue to mash the potatoes until they are smooth. Stir in the yolk until it is well combined.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Place the canola or vegetable oil into a 12-inch saute pan and set it over medium high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and carrots and saute just until they begin to take on color, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the lamb, salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes. Sprinkle the meat with the flour and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer slowly for about 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.

Add the corn and peas to the lamb mixture and spread the mixture evenly into an 11 by 7-inch baking dish. Top the lamb mixture with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling up and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Place the baking dish on a parchment lined half sheet pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake the pie for 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown. Remove the pie to a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

This is a very simple and tasty way to make use of leftover lamb or to just use some ground lamb that you may have. You get a nice mix of vegetables, meat and sauce with a great mashed potato topping. if you don’t want to use lamb, you could always used ground beef, turkey or chicken, but for me to really call it shepherd’s pie you need the lamb and that particular lamb flavor that you get. All you need to do is cut yourself a slice and enjoy your meal with a simple cleanup after dinner.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

5 Comments

Posted by MikeG on June 17, 2014 in Cooking, Dinner, Lamb, Leftovers, One Pot Meals, Potatoes

Tags: Alton Brown shepherd's pie, food network, ground lamb, leftover lamb, mashed potatoes, shepherd's pie

The Lamb Lies Down with Roasted Potatoes

16 Jun

I have had a boneless leg of lamb in the freezer for a few weeks now and we had been waiting for just the right occasion to make it, but it was a pretty large roast so I had to wait until we were having some people over to share it with. It was over five pounds and I had bought it at a really great sale price so it was going to make a nice, elegant meal. For me, one of the best things with lamb is just some simple roasted potatoes and asparagus, which is what I decided to make that day, so I adapted this recipe from Michael Symon for roasted leg of lamb with potatoes. I had to alter it a bit to fit my particular needs since the recipe is for a 6-pound leg of lamb with the bone in, but I really wanted it more for the marinade than anything else. I just adjusted the spices down a little bit, but here is the original recipe that I used as a basis.

Roasted Leg of Lamb with Roasted Potatoes and Tzatziki Sauce

For the Leg of Lamb:
6 shallots, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh rosemary
1/4 cup fresh oregano
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons coriander seeds, toasted and crushed
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 6-pound bone-in leg of lamb

For the Roasted Potatoes:
Nonstick vegetable cooking oil spray
4 pounds unpeeled fingerling potatoes, rinsed and halved lengthwise
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
4 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
Kosher salt and black pepper

For the Tzatziki Sauce:
2 cups Greek yogurt
1 cucumber
kosher salt
Juice and zest of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons Chopped Fresh Mint
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced shallot
Freshly ground black pepper

For the Leg of Lamb: Mix together in a medium bowl the shallots, garlic, rosemary, oregano, sugar, coriander, red pepper flakes, and salt.

Rub the mixture all over the surface of the lamb. Place the lamb in a large baking dish, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it overnight.

Remove the lamb from the baking dish, rinse off the seasonings, and pat dry. Let the lamb sit a room temperature for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat a roasting pan or large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the lamb and brown the lamb on all sides, about 7 to 10 minutes.Transfer the lamb, fat side up, to a roasting rack set into a roasting pan. If you have extra rosemary lay the sprigs over the lamb with a drizzle of olive oil over the top. Roast the lamb until the lamb reaches an internal temperature of about 140 degrees, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the lamb from the pan and set it aside on a cutting board loosely tented with aluminum foil to rest for 20 minutes before slicing.

For the Potatoes: Position a rack in the top third and 1 rack in bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Spray 2 large rimmed baking sheets with nonstick spray. Toss the potatoes with 1/2 cup of the olive oil in a large bowl. Sprinkle the potatoes generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spread the potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheets, dividing the potatoes equally among the two pans. Roast the potatoes for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, dill, and lemon peel in small bowl to blend for dressing for the potatoes. Reverse the baking sheets in the oven and toss the potatoes and continue to roast them until the potatoes are tender and brown around the edges, about 15 minutes longer.

Toss the roasted potatoes in a large bowl with enough of the remaining dressing to coat them and serve.

For the Tzatziki Sauce: Put the yogurt in a paper towel-lined or cheesecloth-lined strainer and set it over a bowl and let the yogurt drain for 24 hours in the refrigerator. Peel and dice the cucumber, sprinkle it with salt and place the cucumbers in a strainer at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours to drain.

Stir together the yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice and zest, mint, garlic, and shallot in a medium bowl until the mixture is thoroughly combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Naturally, you can roast the potatoes and the lamb together in the oven at the same time or even together in the same roasting pan to save yourself some space. When you take the lamb out to rest, you can then dress the potatoes and continue roasting them until they are roasted the way you like them. The Tzatziki sauce really goes well with the lamb and seems to blend nicely with everything. Don’t worry if your lamb is still pink inside when you roast it to 140 degrees; it really is at its best when it is medium-rare and has the best flavor. Overcooked lamb can be pretty tough and chewy, so this is one of those meals you want to keep an eye for temperature. It takes some prep work ahead of time, but the seasoning for the lamb is great and adds fantastic flavor and crust to the lamb. It is always a family favorite for us and something we don’t have too often, but ut is worth the effort to put in to make it once in a while.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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6 Comments

Posted by MikeG on June 16, 2014 in Cookbooks, Dinner, Lamb, Potatoes, Sauce, Vegetables

Tags: Michael Symon, Michael Symon roasted leg of lamb, roasted lamb and potatoes, roasted leg of lamb, roasted potatoes, tzatziki sauce

24 Recipes for Lamb, from Chops to Roasts to Kebabs – Bon Appétit

14 Apr

24 Recipes for Lamb, from Chops to Roasts to Kebabs – Bon Appétit.

With Easter this coming Sunday and springtime upon us, now is great time to make some lamb, a classic Spring and Easter meal (and it happens to be on sale this week too around here). Bon Appetit has put together 24 lamb recipes to cover everything you might be interested in when it comes to making lamb to give you some great ideas. Check it out!

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Posted by MikeG on April 14, 2014 in Cookbooks, Cooking Websites, Holidays, Lamb

Tags: 24 recipes for lamb, bon appetit, Bon Appetit lamb recipes, Easter lamb, lamb recipes

A Bevy of Beguiling Irish Dishes for St. Patrick’s Day

17 Mar

A Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you all! While for most people who think of Irish cooking as simply corned beef and cabbage and nothing more, I can tell you there are a lot of great Irish dishes you can try beyond that typical meal. There are some great meals you can choose from all over the Internet and I have posted a lot of Irish recipes on here, being he good Irish boy that I am. I have always wanted to see the cuisine beyond the corned beef and when Michelle and I went to Dublin we got to see, smell and taste a lot of different things. So if you are looking for some things to try this St. Patrick’s Day, here are some Irish meals I have posted on the blog that you can check out, including the classic corned beef and cabbage.

Beef and Barley Broth

Irish Cream and Coffee Cookies

Irish Onion Soup

Dark Chocolate Guinness Cake with Bailey’s Buttercream Frosting

Whiskey Glazed Carrots

Irish Mussels in Guinness Cream Sauce

Beef & Guinness Stew

Guinness Chocolate Truffles

Traditional Irish Stew

Corned Beef and Cabbage in the Pressure Cooker

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Colcannon

Guinness Mustard

Grasshopper Pie

Homemade Shamrock Shake

Potato and Leek Soup

Irish Soda Bread

There are also lots more great recipes out there on the Internet that you can check out from some great sources if you are looking for something a little different. I will be making the corned beef and cabbage in the pressure cooker, along with some Colcannon, cabbage and the brown bread. Of course there will be Guinness and Irish coffee later on as well.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for some more great recipes. Until then enjoy the rest of your day, have a happy St. Patrick’s Day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on March 17, 2014 in Beef, Beverages, Breads, Breakfast, Cakes, Cookies, Cooking, Dessert, Dinner, Holidays, Lamb, One Pot Meals, Pie, Potatoes, Sauce, Side Dishes, Soups & Stews

Tags: corned beef, corned beef and cabbage, dishes to make for St.Patrick's Day, Irish cooking, Irish dishes, Irish recipes, St. Patrick's Day recipes, Traditional Irish Stew

While Shepherd’s Watch By Night, They Eat Shepherd’s Pie

26 Dec

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas yesterday. We had a great day filled with lots of love and laughs and plenty of good food, which I will be getting to over the next few days or so. It was a packed meal with lots of great recipes that I have to share. in the meantime, I do have a recipe to share that I made just before the holidays. I had some lamb that I had used to make a meal early in the week and decided to grind it up to make some shepherd’s pie, one of our favorite meals. I actually made this one right in my trusty cast-iron skillet to make things even easier. This recipe is from Cook’s Country and was very easy to make.

Shepherd’s Pie

Filling:

2 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, chopped fine

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped fine

2 pounds ground beef or lamb

Salt and pepper

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

3/4 cup beer

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves

1 cup frozen peas

Topping:

2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

Table salt

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/3 cup heavy cream, warmed

Ground black pepper

1 egg, beaten

For the filling, heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it is foaming. Add the onion and the carrots and cook until they are soft, about 8 minutes. Add the meat, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and cook, breaking up the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 12 minutes. Add the flour and the tomato paste and cook until the tomato paste begins to darken, about 1 minute.

Add the heavy cream and cook until it spatters, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, beer, soy sauce and thyme leaves and simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thick but still saucy, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the frozen peas, adjust the seasonings to taste and transfer the mixture to a broiler safe 2-quart casserole dish.

For the topping, adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bring the potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and water to cover the potatoes to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return them to the saucepan and mash the potatoes with the butter and heavy ream until they are smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread the potatoes over the filling, using a spatula to smooth out the top. Brush the topping with the beaten egg and drag a fork across the top to make ridges. Bake until the filling is bubbling, about 15 minutes. Turn on the broiler and cook until the top is golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Just a couple of quick things about this recipe. If you prefer to use ground beef instead of lamb, it is easy to substitute. For the beer in this recipe, I used a basic lager (Samuel Adams in fact) but I think any mild beer would work well here or even a nonalcoholic beer if you prefer. The flour and cream mixed with the beer and soy sauce and tomato paste make for a nice, thick filling with great flavor. The topping is really just a basic mashed potatoes recipe, so if you have any leftover mashed potatoes you could also use them instead. In the past, I have also made a layer of mashed turnip or rutabaga to really add another layer of flavor. This one is a favorite around our house and I make this a few times a year.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another great recipe. I have quite a backlog of recipes to share now, so there are some great things ahead, including a roast lamb, roasted prime rib roast with vegetables and chimichurri sauce, melted potatoes, green bean casserole,French onion soup,, Swedish meatballs, homemade pizza rolls,baked beans,skillet pizza and more. I also got some new kitchen toys for Christmas to add to my arsenal and some new plans for the blog for the coming year, so keep checking back to see what is next. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on December 26, 2013 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner, Lamb, One Pot Meals

Tags: Cook's Country shepherd's pie, mashed potatoes, mashed potatoes recipe, one dish meal, shepherd's pie

Butterflied Leg of Lamb and Braised Potatoes

09 Apr

So last night for dinner I made something I typically do not make during the week. We had got a leg of lamb before Easter when the prices were quite reasonable and I decided to make it last night for dinner. I wanted to try something a little different with it as I have made it a couple of different ways before and we felt like trying something new. I found this recipe from Cook’s Illustrated and it sounded like something that was pretty easy to do and like it would be worth giving a try. The only part of it I was a little reluctant with was actually butterflying the leg of lamb, which I had never really done before. I think it turned out pretty well though all things considered.

Roast Butterflied Leg of Lamb with Coriander, Cumin, and Mustard Seeds

1 (6 to 8 pound) butterflied leg of lamb
Kosher salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 shallots, sliced thin
4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1(1 inch) piece ginger, sliced into half-inch thick rounds and smashed
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
3 bay leaves
2 (2 inch) strips lemon zest
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the lamb, place the lamb on a cutting board with the fat Facing down. Using a sharp knife, trim any pockets of fat and connective tissue from the underside of the lamb. Flip the lamb over, and trim the fat cap so it is between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. Pound the roast to an even 1 inch thickness. Cut slits, spaced a half-inch apart, in the fat In a crosshatch pattern, being careful to cut down but not into the meat. Rub 2 tablespoons of salt over the entire roast and into the slits. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature for one hour.

Meanwhile, adjust the oven racks 4 to 5 inches from the broiler element and to the lower middle position and heat the oven to 250°. Stir together the oil, shallots, garlic, ginger, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, bay leaves, and lemon zest on a rimmed baking sheet and bake on the lower middle rack until the spices are softened and fragrant and the shallots and garlic turn golden, about one hour. Remove the sheet from the oven and discard the bay leaves.

Thoroughly pat the lamb dry with paper towels and transfer, fat side up, to the sheet directly on top of the spices. Roast on the lower middle rack until the lamb registers 120°, approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the sheet from the oven and heat the broiler. Broil the lamb on the upper rack until the surface is well browned and charred in spots and the lamb registers 125°, approximately 3 to 8 minutes for medium rare. Remove the sheet from the oven and, using two pairs of tongs, transfer the lamb to a carving board. Some spices will cling to the bottom of the roast. Tent loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for twenty minutes.

Meanwhile, carefully pour pan juices through a fine mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the solids. Stir in the mint, cilantro, shallot and lemon juice. Add any other accumulated lamb juices to the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.

With the long side facing you, sliced lamb with the grain into three equal pieces. Turn each piece and slice across the grain into 1/4 inch thick slices. Serve with the sauce.

Admittedly, I looked at a couple of videos online to see what the best way would be to butterflied leg of lamb. It wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be and the bones actually remove quite easily. You can then trim up the roast by eliminating any excess fat that you find. If you like to meet more well done, you could roast the lamb at a higher temperature does start with and then simply broil for the last couple of minutes to get the nice crust on the outside. I thought that the lamb itself came out quite nicely and you get a very good flavor from all the spices that have bloomed in the oven before you added the lamb.

To go along with the lamb, I wanted to make some potatoes but I didn’t want to just serve the basic roast potatoes were boiled potatoes. Luckily, my new issue of Cook’s Illustrated happened to arrive yesterday morning, and they even had a new recipe in there for braised potatoes.

Braised Red Potatoes with Lemon and Chives

1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, unpeeled, halved
2 cups water
3 tablespoons butter
3 garlic cloves, peeled
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Arrange the potatoes in a single layer, cut side down, in a large nonstick skillet. Add the water, butter, garlic, thyme and salt and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are just tender, about fifteen minutes.

Remove the lid and use a slotted spoon to transfer the garlic to a cutting board; discard the thyme sprigs. Increase the heat to medium-high and vigorously simmer, swirling the pan occasionally, until the water evaporates and the butter starts to sizzle, about 15 to 20 minutes. When it is cool enough to handle, mince the garlic to a paste. Transferred the paste to a bowl and stir in the lemon juice and the pepper.

Continue to cook the potatoes, swirling the pan frequently, until the butter browns and the cut sides of the potatoes turn spotty brown, about 4 to 6 minutes longer. Off they heat add the garlic mixture and that chives and tossed to thoroughly coat.

I thought the potatoes turned out great. You do have to keep a close eye on them once the water evaporates to make sure that they do not burn or stick to the pan. Using a nonstick pan for this is really a pretty good idea. They also have a variation where you can substitute 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard for the lemon juice and used tarragon instead of chives if you want a little bit of a different flavor. I think in banks a pretty good side – and a nice variation for potatoes, giving you that roasted feel without having to roast them.

That’s all I have for today as far as recipe ideas. Tonight I think we are having Sloppy Joe’s for dinner tonight. I have posted a recipe for this before if they want to check it out and see what it’s like. I did add something new to it this time with a new recipe for coleslaw that I tried. I may post that recipe tomorrow along with one Michelle used for brownies that she made this weekend which everyone seemed to love. Check back tomorrow and see what we have. Until then, enjoy this beautiful spring day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on April 9, 2013 in Cooking, Dinner, Lamb, Potatoes

Tags: Braised red potatoes with lemon and chives, butterflied leg of lamb with coriander cumin and mustard seeds, cook's illustrated, roasted leg of lamb

It’s Time For a Roast, Where’s Shecky Greene?

06 Nov

Okay, so it’s not really that kind of roast, but I decided I wanted to do an entire roast dinner tonight to try to make clean up as easy as possible for all of us here. Michelle had picked up a boneless leg of lamb roast that she wanted for dinner this week. I looked through some of my cookbooks for different recipes, and everything seemed pretty straightforward and not very exciting. I wanted to try something else, so I turned to my Twitter account and posed a question to some food experts to see what kind of response I would get. Bon Appetit gave me quite a list of recipes to choose from to make the lamb. America’s Test Kitchen and Christopher Kimball both gave me some good tips as well, but nothing really jumped out at me that I felt like I really wanted to try, so I kept asking. And then I got an answer I liked from Alton Brown. He gave me the link to a recipe of his called “Silence of the Leg O’ Lamb.” While this recipe does call for the lamb to be grilled, that wasn’t really an option for me in New York in November. He also uses a charcoal grill, which I do not have, so I had to modify the recipe a bit to be roasted in the oven.

Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb

1 sirloin end leg of lamb, boned

4 cloves garlic

8 fresh mint leaves

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

5 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roughly chop the garlic cloves in the food processor. Add the mint and repeat. Add the brown sugar, salt, pepper, mustard and oil and blend into a paste. Spread the paste evenly on the meat side of the roast. Roll the leg into a roast shape and tie with butcher’s twine. Place the lamb in a shallow roasting pan and roast for about 20 minutes per pound, until the internal temperature of the lamb reaches 135 degrees. Remove the roast from the oven. Cover with foil and let the lamb rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

The paste made more than enough to also do the outside of the lamb, which I also did, creating a nice crust on the outside of the lamb. It was cooked perfectly and tasted wonderful. The hint of mint coming through the mustard was great and I loved the garlicky flavor that went throughout the meat. I roasted some potatoes in the same pan with the lamb and they got some of the same mustard crust on them, which made them extra crispy on the outside.

For a vegetable, we had picked up a nice head of cauliflower. I find steamed cauliflower to be very bland and frankly, kind of smelly and not always appealing. I decided to try roasting it instead and I am glad I did. It seemed to make all the difference in the world in taste, flavor and smell and since I was roasting in the oven already anyway, it made it just as easy.

Roasted Cauliflower

1 head of cauliflower, cored and cut into florets

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the cauliflower florets in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil evenly over the florets, then sprinkle with the salt. Toss to coat the cauliflower evenly, then spread the florets out evenly.

Roast the cauliflower, stirring 1 or 2 times, until golden brown and crisp-tender, 25 to 35 minutes. Transfer the cauliflower to a warmed serving bowl. Serve immediately.

I loved the way it came out this way and would make it like this all the time. I can also use some of the leftovers to make some cauliflower soup for later on this week.

That’s it for tonight. Check back later on this week to see what else I come up with for meals. I have some more chicken ideas for this week and also have some cod to make, so we’ll have to see what I can find. Until then, enjoy your evening and enjoy your meal!

2 Comments

Posted by MikeG on November 6, 2012 in Cooking, Dinner, Lamb, Vegetables

Tags: Alton Brown, americas test kitchen, bon appetit, boneless leg of lamb, boneless leg of lamb roast, Christopher Kimball, lamb, roast leg of lamb, roasted cauliflower

A Taste of Dublin, Part 4

10 Oct

So it was on the second full day that we decided to stop for dinner at a local pub. We had seen the signs for the Hairy Lemon every time we walked back and forth to the hotel since they were on the same block. Just the name alone got the better of us and we knew we had to give it a try. It was a very quaint place jam-packed with old mementos and signs from years’ gone by in Dublin. The place was quiet when we got there and we easily got a table. The server was very friendly, as every server we came across in Dublin was. We ordered drinks ( I had a Guinness, of course) and took a look at the menu. They had quite a large selection, including several traditional Irish meals. We both saw the traditional Irish stew listed on the menu and agreed that it sounded wonderful so we both ordered it. Neither of us was disappointed. What came out was a very large stainless steel crock (actually 2 crocks, one for each of us) on a platter with a very large baked potato and some homemade brown bread. The stew was absolutely amazing. The lamb was super-tender and just melted in your mouth and all the vegetables were perfect. The server said the vegetables came in fresh every day from the market the chef shopped at, and he picked out what he wanted so sometimes there was something different in the stew each time. This time, there were definitely parsnips in there and they were good. We both finished our bowls clean and devoured the homemade bread, which they bake fresh each day and sell by the loaf if you want to take some home. I could barely touch my baked potato, and it was a big one. I ended up eating about 1/2 of it, but it was cooked well and I enjoyed it. Neither of us had room for any dessert after.

I searched around on the Internet and have found that many of the Irish stews are basically the same recipe. although some use different vegetables or no other vegetable besides potato, so it is really your call as to what you want to make. Others also use a lot of beef broth to darken it. The stew we had was lighter but did taste of beef broth, so they must have used some. Try this one and see if you like it.

Traditional Irish Stew

4 tablespoons olive oil
3 pounds lamb shoulder, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups leeks, sliced
1/2 cup flour
4 ounces butter
1 cup Guinness beer
3 cups beef stock
1/2 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, cut in half
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, plus 1 tablespoon chopped
1 cup peas, shelled
1 cup leeks, sliced thinly
Oil for frying

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the lamb and brown evenly. Remove the lamb from the pot and set aside. Add the leeks and saute until soft. Add the butter and melt. Add the flour to make a roux. Turn the heat down to low, and cook the roux until it is brown, about 15 minutes. Whisk in the beer and stock. Add the reserved lamb, bring to a simmer, and cover. Simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours.

While the lamb mixture is simmering, combine the parsnips, carrots, potatoes and garlic in a large bowl. Toss with remaining olive oil, salt and pepper and rosemary sprigs. Place the vegetables in a roasting pan and place in a 400-degree oven. Roast for 45 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Remove the vegetables from the oven and discard the rosemary sprigs. Add the roasted vegetables and the peas to the lamb mixture. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the chopped rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Add the thinly sliced leeks to a pot of heated oil and fry for 3 minutes, or until crisp. Remove the leeks from the oil and drain on paper towels. Season the leeks with salt. Garnish the stew with the fried leeks.

You could substitute some scallions for the leeks used at the end if you wanted to without frying them any, just chop them up and use them as a garnish. Either way I don’t think you can go wrong. I’ll definitely be trying this one at home myself.

We are just about done with our meals from Ireland. All we have left is our final day, which we spent entirely at the Guinness Storehouse at then at Whelan’s Pub for the show. I did get some recipes from Guinness while we were there which I will be posting tomorrow, and you can check my personal blog tonight for my account of the day we spent with Guinness. It was great! So, until tomorrow, enjoy your evening and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on October 10, 2012 in Eating Out, Lamb, One Pot Meals, Soups & Stews

Tags: Dublin, guinness, Irish Stew, irish stews, The Hairy Lemon, traditional irish meals, Traditional Irish Stew

Killer Kabobs and Rice Pilaf

04 Jun

We weren’t home all weekend for me to do any cooking, so I needed to make my lamb kabobs tonight. Of course, the weather has not cooperated here in New York and it has been raining here all day, so I had to improvise and cook the kabobs in the broiler. Either way, this is a very easy recipe from Williams-Sonoma that only takes about 30 minutes total to cook, and that includes making the yogurt sauce and the rice pilaf.

Greek Lamb Kabobs

2 large lemons

2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano

5 green onions, white and pale green portions, thinly sliced

5 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 pounds boneless leg of lamb, cut into 2-inch cubes

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 cup plain yogurt

1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 onion, cut into chunks

1 small yellow pepper, seeded and cored, cut into chunks

1 small yellow squash, cut into chunks

Place 8 bamboo skewers in cold water to soak until ready to use.

Grate 3 teaspoons of zest from the lemons and squeeze 5 tablespoons of juice. In a shallow glass dish just large enough to hold the lamb in a single layer, combine 2 teaspoons of the lemons zest, 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice, the oregano, half each of the green onions and garlic, and the olive oil. Season the lamb generously with salt and pepper. Add the lamb to the marinade and turn to coat. Let it stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, cucumber, the remaining 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and the remaining green onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for direct-heat grilling over high heat and oil the grill rack, or preheat a broiler. Remove the lamb from the marinade. Thread the lamb, pepper, onion and squash onto the skewers. Brush the remaining marinade on the vegetables and lamb on the skewers. Place the skewers on the grill rack, or put them on a baking sheet and place it under the broiler. Cook, turning once, 6 to 7 minutes for medium-rare, or until done to your liking. Divide the skewers among 4 plates and serve with the yogurt sauce.

I have to say, I thought the lamb turned out very tender and cooked perfectly and the marinade added a great flavor. Michelle and I both loved the yogurt sauce. The coolness of the cucumber and the little bite of lemon from the zest and the juice was fantastic. I would make the yogurt sauce again to use as a dip for other things.

I also served the dish with a very, very simple version of rice pilaf that I got from America’s Test Kitchen. It only takes about 30 minutes and came out perfectly.

Easy Rice Pilaf

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 onion, minced

Salt

1 1/2 cups white rice, rinsed and drained

2 1/4 cups water

Pepper

Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and 1 teaspoon of salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the drained rice. Saute until the edges of the rice begin to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the water and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 17 minutes.

Transfer the pot to a cold burner or trivet and let the rice stand for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Rinsing the rice helps remove some of the excess starch, making it so the rice does not clump together. Toasting the grains with the onion and butter helps to bring out some of the nuttiness in the rice, which is great for a rice pilaf. This recipe also moves away from the standard 1 part rice, 2 parts water by using less water in the recipe and it does seem to make a difference, producing very tender and fluffy rice.

You could also serve some thick sliced tomatoes with this dish, covered in a little olive oil and maybe some Kalamata olives and feta cheese to really make it a Greek meal. Either way, it’s a fast, easy meal that comes out tasting great.

I have a rack of ribs to make tomorrow for dinner, so hopefully the weather cooperates a little better so I can cook them outside. If not, I’ll be doing my oven grilled ribs recipe. So it will be a rib recipe one way or the other tomorrow! Until then, enjoy your evening and enjoy your meal!