cajun lamb roast

Cajun Lamb Roast

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Ingredients

1 (1- to 2-pound) boneless lamb roast, sirloin or top round

Olive oil

2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chile powder
1/2 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup mint leaves, minced

Instructions

Stir together salt, cayenne, black pepper, chile powder, paprika and garlic powder in a small bowl. Coat the lamb with olive oil and liberally rub the spice mixture onto the lamb. Let stand at least 30 minutes or up to three hours.

Coat the bottom of a Dutch oven with oil and heat over medium-high heat. Brown the lamb on all sides. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and roast the lamb for 35 to 40 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 145 degrees F. for medium-rare, 160 degrees F. for medium or 170 degrees F. for well-done. When lamb has reached the desired temperature, remove it from the oven and let it rest 10 minutes. Slice the lamb on the diagonal before serving.

lamb shanks

Greek-Style Braised Lamb Shanks

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Lamb shanks are comfort food… succulent lamb with rich, vegetable-laden, savory gravy. Shanks are much less expensive than chops or roasts, so they are a good value. Each shank makes one serving. Serve with garlic mashed potatoes and a vegetable or salad.

Ingredients

2 lamb shanks (each about 1 1/4 pounds)

Olive oil

Coarse kosher salt

2 medium yellow onions, peeled and chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

3 celery ribs, chopped

4 cloves garlic, sliced

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

2 cups red wine

2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon dried oregano

10 to 12 thyme springs tied together in a bundle

3 to 4 cups water or beef stock

4 bay leaves

3 tablespoons minced fresh mint

1 cup sliced mushrooms

Gremolata, for garnish (recipe follows)

Gremolata:

1 orange, zested (about two tablespoons)

1 lemon, zested (about one tablespoon)

1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley

2 tablespoons freshly grated horseradish

1 small garlic clove, minced

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine all the gremolata ingredients and set aside until ready to use. (Gremolata is best made fresh, as it will only keep for one day.)

Trim the silverskin and excess fat from the shanks.

Coat a Dutch oven generously with olive oil and bring to a medium-high heat. Season the shanks generously with salt and add them to the pan. Brown the shanks well on all sides.

Remove the browned shanks from the pan and transfer them to a plate. Discard any excess fat from the pan. Add a little more oil to coat the bottom of the pan and add the vegetables. Season with salt. Sauté the vegetables until they are slightly browned and aromatic, about 20 minutes. Add the tomato paste and brown, stirring, for five minutes. Stir in the wine, rosemary, oregano and thyme bundle. Stir frequently and cook until the wine has reduced by about half.

Return the shanks to the pot and pour in three to four cups of water or stock. The shanks should be submerged, if they are not, add more water. Add the bay leaves and mint to the pan, cover and return to stovetop or put in a preheated 400 degrees F. oven. Cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until the shanks are tender. Turn the shanks over halfway through the cooking time. Check the shanks every 45 minutes or so. If the liquid has reduced too much add more water or stock. Skim the fat frequently.

If cooking in the oven, remove the lid during the last 30 minutes of cooking to further brown the shanks. Transfer them to a warmed plate and tent with foil. Strain the liquid, reserving both the sauce and vegetables. Remove the thyme springs and bay leaves. Purée the vegetables in a blender, adding a little sauce if needed; return the sauce and puréed vegetables to the pan and add mushrooms. Cook for three or four minutes. Place the shanks on a warmed serving plate. Drizzle some of the sauce over the shanks and serve any remaining sauce on the side. Garnish with Gremolata.

Heat Scale: Mild

lamb vindaloo

Lamb Vindaloo

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Vindaloo, one of many types of curry, originated in the western region of India. It is derived from a Portuguese dish “carne de vinha d’alhos,” pork marinated in wine and garlic. It can be prepared with beef, chicken, lamb or seafood; although not traditional, potatoes sometimes are added. Almost universal on Indian restaurant menus, Vindaloo is one of the hottest curry dishes. Traditionally, it is extremely hot, so adjust the amount of chiles to your tolerance level.

This recipe has three steps: preparing the marinade, making the curry paste, and cooking the curry. The curry paste and marinade may be made one day ahead.

Ingredients

Curry Paste

1/4 cup whole grain mustard

2 to 4 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes (or four to six dried chiles)

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

Marinade

1 yellow onion

3 tablespoons coriander seed

4 to 6 dried Kashmiri or Thai (hotter) chiles

1 tablespoon cumin seed

8 cloves garlic (about 2 1/2 tablespoons)

1 (two-inch) stick cinnamon

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seed

1 (one-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup white vinegar

 

2 pounds lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into two-inch cubes

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 yellow onions, halved and sliced thinly

8 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 1/2 tablespoons)

1 (13 1/2-ounce) can coconut milk

Instructions

Prepare the curry paste by combining all of the ingredients in a glass bowl.

Prepare the marinade by grinding the coriander, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, fenugreek and fennel in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Process the chiles with the garlic, onion and ginger to form a paste. Place the meat into a container. Pour the marinade over the meat and marinate, refrigerated, for at least three hours or overnight. Remove the lamb from the marinade and drain. Combine the curry paste with the vinegar. Rub the paste onto the meat.

Put oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and fry until it is dark brown but not burnt. Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds. Add the meat, stir and brown for about five minutes. Pour in the coconut milk. Add more water, if necessary, to just cover the meat. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, reduce to a simmer, and cook for about an hour or until the lamb is tender. Stir occasionally and add more liquid if necessary.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve over hot Basmati rice with mango chutney and Naan bread.

Yield: 2 servings with leftovers
Heat Scale: Very hot

avocado and corn tostada

Avocado and Corn Tostadas with Spicy Chile Sauce

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Albuquerque-area resident and vegetarian cookbook author Nanette Blanchard has self-published a booklet of her favorite southwestern plant-based recipes. Fiesta Vegan: 30 Delicious Recipes from New Mexico contains her take on traditional recipes such as Posole, Calabacitas, Sangria, and Capirotada. Each of the recipes includes a color photo and a nutritional analysis. Fiesta Vegan also offers a list of online sources for specialty ingredients and recommendations for New Mexico stops for food-lovers. The 40 page booklet is available either in print or as a .PDF download. You can also find a Kindle version without photos; information on all the booklet versions is on her web site here. Blanchard also maintains a food blog, Cooking in Color.

If you can’t find prepared tostada shells you can simply serve this recipe on top of your favorite brand of tortilla chips. The Spicy Chile Sauce is also a great accompaniment to your favorite scrambled tofu recipe.

Ingredients

Spicy chile sauce:

2 (8 oz.) cans no-salt-added tomato sauce

½ c. water

1 Tbsp. agave nectar

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano

2 Tbsp. dried onion flakes

2 tsp. piquin chile flakes or any crushed hot red pepper flakes

¼  tsp. sea salt or to taste

 

For tostadas:

8 tostada shells

3 c. shredded Romaine lettuce

1 (15 oz.) can no-salt-added pinto beans such as Eden Brand, drained and rinsed

2 avocados, sliced

1 c. frozen corn, thawed

2 Tbsp. pickled jalapeño rings

¼ c. sliced black olives

Fresh  lime slices for garnish

 

Instructions

To make Spicy Chile Sauce: Put all ingredients in saucepan and cook over medium/low heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until thick and the flavors have all blended.

To assemble tostadas, place 2 tostadas per person on plate. Add ¼ of the Romaine and pinto beans. Top each with about 1/3 c. of the Spicy Chile Sauce and top with avocados, corn,jalapeños and black olives. Garnish with fresh lime slices.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 1036 Calories; 30g Fat (37.7% calories from fat); 17g Protein; 95g Carbohydrate; 18g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 503mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 4 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 6 Fat.

Green-Garbanzo-Radish-and-Chayote-Salad.jpg

Green Garbanzo, Radish, and Chayote Salad

Dave DeWitt Leave a Comment

The first time I bought green garbanzos at the Pro’s Ranch Market in Albuquerque, I looked online for information and found out they’re mixed with chile and lime in Mexico and called guisana. Because chayote and radishes are also commonly mixed with chile and lime I decided to put them all together in a salad and the results were wonderful. You can substitute frozen shelled edamame in this recipe if you can’t find green garbanzo beans.

Albuquerque-area resident and vegetarian cookbook author Nanette Blanchard has self-published a booklet of her favorite southwestern plant-based recipes. Fiesta Vegan: 30 Delicious Recipes from New Mexico contains her take on traditional recipes such as Posole, Calabacitas, Sangria, and Capirotada. Each of the recipes includes a color photo and a nutritional analysis. Fiesta Vegan also offers a list of online sources for specialty ingredients and recommendations for New Mexico stops for food-lovers. The 40 page booklet is available either in print or as a .PDF download. You can also find a Kindle version without photos; information on all the booklet versions is on her web site Cooking in Color.

 

Ingredients

½ c. shelled green garbanzo beans

1 chayote, peeled, seeded, sliced into quarters lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 bunch radishes, thinly sliced


Chile Garlic Dressing:

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

3 Tbsp. lime juice

1 ½ tsp. red chile powder (not chili powder), such as Chimayo

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ tsp. salt or to taste

Instructions

In a small saucepan, cover green garbanzo beans with water and simmer over medium heat for five minutes. Drain well.

In a serving bowl mix chayote, radishes, and green garbanzo beans. In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients.  Pour over vegetables and mix well. This dish can be made in advance and chilled several hours beforehand as the chayote and radishes will not wilt.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 111 Calories; 6g Fat (43.5% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 94mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat.