Moroccan Lamb and Lemon Tagine

I found this recipe in a Costco magazine article by Bruce Aidells, I adapted it using more fresh ingredients rather than the dried in the magazine.

3 pounds boneless leg of lamb, cut into 2 inch chunks
1 1/2 cups finely diced onions
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger (Used fresh grated ginger)
1 Tablespoon paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
Pinch of saffron (optional, I had some in stock)
1 tsp dried mint (I used 1 tbsp fresh mint)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro stems (save leaves for garnish) (This is the only ingredient I was unsure about because I have always been told that cilantro stems are bitter)
1 1/2 cups water
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1 fresh lemon cut into eighths lengthwise and seeded
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
20 kalamata or mild green olives, well washed and pitted
2 cups crookneck squash, or yellow zucchini, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks or whole okra (or combination of all three) I used the zucchini.
Cilantro leaves for garnish

Combine the first 12 ingredients in a large heavy pot with a lid or a Dutch oven. Add the water: bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the lamb is tender. Add more water if needed.

Add the carrots and lemon wedges, making sure they are covered with liquid (add more water, if needed) and cook for 10 more minutes. Add lemon juice, olives and squash, and cook covered for 10 to 15 minutes more or until the carrots and squash are tender. Remove the solids from the pot with a slotted spoon, leaving the liquid behind.

Arrange the meat and vegetables in a shallow serving dish or deep platter. Degrease the sauce and reduce it by boiling to concentrate the flavors. It should have a soup-like consistency. Taste for salkt, pepper and lemon, and adjust as desired. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. Garnish with cilantro leaves. Serves 6 to 8

Roasted Mushrooms

I haven't done it exactly this way ever, but I am going to make these roasted mushrooms soon. I think they sound like something very nice for a New Years party.

Garlic Butter Roasted Mushrooms
Perfect as can be from Gourmet.com

1 pound mushrooms such as cremini or white, halved lengthwise if large
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle. Toss mushrooms with capers, garlic, oil, 1/8 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper in a 1 1/2- to 2-qt shallow baking dish. Top with butter and roast, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and golden and bubbly garlic sauce forms below, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and parsley. Serve immediately, with crusty bread on the site for swiping up the juices.

My Lemon-Garlic Roasted Chicken

Okay, so it probably isn't mine, although I have done something like this for years.

It's pretty basic and easy, but our sister Jacinda loves it.


Garlic-Lemon roasted Chicken

Cut up Chicken, whatever parts you prefer
Olive oil
Juice of at least three lemons, I use up to 6 or 7
Several cloves of Garlic, a few peeled and finely pressed or minced, and the other stays in the skins.
Minced fresh Rosemary

Drizzle your baking dish with olive oil. and Place chicken in the dish. You are going to marinate and back. Do this at least a hour ahead, but it is best if you can chill in the fridge for several ours before roasting. Salt and pepper to taste. slowly pour the Lemon juice over the chicken. If you take time to grate some of the peel over the chicken it adds more lovely flavor. spread the minced garlic evenly. Drop the garlic cloves ( at LEAST 20 of them but more is better!)beside the pieces of chicken. Cover with plastic or foil and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 350 and roast the chicken for 1 hour.

Yummy!

Mexican Ceasar Salad

A friend made this for us and it is so tasty! Tasha said it sounded hot, but it really isn't. It is a yummy twist on a basic salad. Do enjoy. It is great with Grilled Chicken

MEXICAN CEASAR SALAD

Romaine lettuce

shredded pepper jack cheese (a sprinkling)

roasted pumpkin seeds

croutons, pretzels, or crushed tortilla chips. (I prefer something with kick: we've used Doritos sweet and spicy or buffalos wing flavored pretzels, whatever you heat preference is.)

Mexican ceasar dressing

4 oz green chilies

a sprinkling of minced garlic or garlic salt

1 tsp. salt

1/8 cup red wine vinegar

1 bunch cilantro

a few good pepper grinds

1/4 cup oil

1/3 cup mayo

a dash of cayenne pepper.

Mix greens and add dressing last. Sprinkle with croutons. This is a recipe I have modified from the internet (dubstogsdill). Tried to reduce the fat. This will make enough for two or three salads. We have also used this on a steak salad and it was great as well.

Michael's Enchilada's

2-3 tortillas (per person, light eaters might just want one.)
1 chicken boiled and deboned or slow cooked roast shredded or 2 lbs ground beef cooked.
2-3 cups shredded cheese
2-4 cups shredded lettuce
1-2 cups choppped onion (depending on personal preferences)
2-3 cups chopped tomatoes
1 can ripe olives, sliced
1 cup sour cream for toppings.


Sauce recipe

2 cans tomato soup
1 can tomato sauce or paste
2 tbsp chili powder to taste
3 Tbsp dried minced onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder or
2 fresh cloves garlic minced.

Mix together in a sauce pan and heat until hot.

Construction of enchilada's per plate.

each gets to choose how many tortillas they think they can eat-- experience or trial and error--(3 often too much for grown hungry man), pour a half a ladle of sauce for each layer, then meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and other toppings as desired. (taco toppings of any sort), put a little extra cheese on the last layer of enchiladas, before placing in the oven long enough to melt the cheese (broiler settings work great, be sure to use oven proof plates). if the plates are hot prepare table with hot pads. Enjoy a personal serving of a tasty dish.

(This recipe is adapted from a simpler version his grandmother made using just sauce and cheese for each enchilada's.)

Tanya's Cream Cheese Enchilada's

1 whole chickens, cut up.
1 bunch green onion chopped
2 cans mushrooms
1 8oz package cream cheese
16oz of sour cream
green enchilada sauce 19 oz
enough mexican blend shredded cheese to cover enchilada's. (I used 1 1/2 packages roughly)

Pat dry chicken pieces and brown in hot frying pan with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil as needed.
Place browned chicken in dutch oven to boil. Deglaze pan to get the benefit of drippings and add to water in dutch oven.
Cook chicken for 20-40 minutes until down. Let sit 10 minutes. Then debone the chicken.
Add to deboned meat onions, drained mushrooms, and cream cheese. Add about 3/4 cups of chicken broth and mix together until chicken shreds into fine pieces and cream cheese is completely blended in. Add salt and pepper to taste

For this amount I use two oblong cake pans.
Spread a dollop of sour cream on the bottom of the pan. This helps keep them moist and makes clean up easier.
On each tortilla I spread a dollop of sour cream, and a couple of tablespoons of chicken mixture. I'm not exact with this just fill them as you would like. I can get about 10 enchilada's in a pan 8 placed side by side and 2 in the open space on the edge.
Spread more sour cream on top, add 1/2 a can of enchilada sauce spreading evenly then add cheese on top.
Repeat on the 2 tray.
I usually get 2 trays out of this and sometimes some extra chicken for left overs.
bake in 350 oven for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Yummy.

Eggnog Rice Pudding.

¾ cup long grain white rice
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups water
1 quart EggNog
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup dried cranberries (optional)

• Combine the rice, salt and water in a large, heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Cover and reduce heat to low, and simmer until the water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.
• Add the EggNog and nutmeg and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, for about 30 minutes. The rice is done when it becomes thick.
• Do not overcook the pudding or it will be gummy.
• Remove from heat. Stir in cranberries.
• Can be served warm or cold topped with Kemps Whipping Cream.

from Kemps.com

ZUCCHINI BROWNIES

This is a good and delicious way to use zucchini from your summer gardens. This recipe and the Wheatberry salad recipe was summited by Renée Robinson, Tanya's mother-in-law.

ZUCCHINI BROWNIES

1 egg beaten
1 ½ cups sugar
1 sq. butter or margarine—melted
1 cup nuts (optional) (pecans are really good)
2 cups flour
2/3 tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. soda
4 Tbs. cocoa ( I usually only use 3)
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini

Mix everything but zucchini and vanilla. Then add zucchini and vanilla. Bake at 350 until tooth pick comes out clean. Big pan about 15 minutes’ 9x13 will take about 20 minutes. Don’t over bake. It is good with or without frosting. My favorite frosting recipe is below.

Frosting
¾ cube butter or margarine
6 Tbs. milk
3 Tbs. cocoa

Place in sauce pan on low heat until butter is melted and cocoa is mixed in with the milk. Add enough powdered sugar to the consistency you want. Add 2 tsp. vanilla and nuts if desired. Spread on cake or brownies right out of oven.

Wheatberry Salad

This is a salad that is very good for you as well as delicious.

WHEATBERRY SALAD

1 ½ cups cooked, rinsed, cooled whole wheat kernels
1- 6 serving vanilla instant pudding (dry) pkg.
3 Tbls. Lemon juice
12 oz. whipped topping or Cool Whip
8 oz. cream cheese
1 30oz. can fruit cocktail or 24 oz. can crushed pineapple

Once the wheat is cooled, whip the cream cheese and lemon jice. Beat the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture until light and fluffy. Mix in the remaining ingredients. The pudding will firm up the mixture so you can enjoy this immediately but it’s better if it’s chilled.

Coconut Soup

Michael and I spent our 21st anniversary in Logan. We had dinner at the Cafe Sabor, I didn't care much for my food, but what was so excellent was the coconut soup! I loved it so much that I asked for the recipe. This is what was sent to me. I know it is different because the soup had mushrooms in it and I could have sworn I tasted a bit of curry or cumin in it, not much but a hint of it.

This seems to be a good low carb recipe too so enjoy.

Cafe Sabor Coconut Soup
4 cups chicken stock
2 inch piece of fresh ginger, unpeeled, but chopped
10 green onions, finely chopped
6 small red chilies, finely chopped
2 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
2 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 limes (juice)
2 can (28 oz) coconut milk
1 cup heavy cream
Chicken Breast

1. Heat stock, ginger, onions, chilies, garlic. Simmer gently for 30 minutes. Add lime juice, and coconut milk. Simmer gently for 5 minutes.
2. Sautee cubed chicken breast in seperate sauce pan.
3. Strain and return to the pan. Add chicken. Finely chop the cilantro leaves and add them to the soup with the cream. Warm through and serve