Category Archives: Main Course

by | April 28, 2012

Grill Lamb Chops with red wine garlic sauce

 

Ingredients:
small rack of lamb
fresh rosemary for garnish (optional)
fresh ground pepper
sea salt

Marinate sauce
2 cloves garlic chopped
1/2 cup  full  body red wine
2 springs fresh thyme
sea salt
fresh ground pepper

Directions:

Trim all fat around lamb chops. Marinate  chops for several hours or overnight in a plastic bag and place in the refrigerator.  

Save the marinate for the sauce.

Before heating add 1 teaspoon flour in the marinate mixture.

When grilling make sure grill is very hot,  add lamb to pan and make sure you start with the meat side down. Cook lamb rack 3 minutes each side turning 2-3 times per side.
check with a thermometer (125-135 for medium rare).  Rest lamb chops for 10 minutes before serving.  Juice’s will not run. Add sea salt and fresh pepper on the chops.If grilling individual lamb chop grill 2 minutes per side turning 2 times.
Serve with mashed potatoes, baby carrots, string beans tied green part of a green onion and garnish with rosemary.
Spoon heated marinate sauce on top of the lamb chop.
Presentation always  makes food enjoyable!

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by | March 12, 2012

Irish Lamb Stew a National Dish in Ireland

 

 

This is comfort food for the Irish, a rich robust  lamb stew with all it ‘s goodness of slow cooking.  In honor of Saint Patrick Day, I made this so all can enjoy Ireland’s National dish.  Enjoy Irish stew with soda bread or cheese biscuits.

ingredients:

2 medium onions chopped

canola oil for frying

1 sprig rosemary(optional)

2 bay leaf(optional)

1 sprig thyme (optional)

2 1/2 pounds lamb neck  cut in large  pieces or cut up shoulder

cut up carrots to your liking

3 cups chicken stock or water

12 small potatoes or cut  potatoes

1 bunch parsley leaves finely chopped

sea salt  according to taste

fresh ground white pepper (black pepper is ok)

 

Direction: Cooking time about  2:45 mins.  to 3 hours slow simmering

Using a bag (paper or plastic) add flour salt and pepper into bag.

Flour coated lamb pieces

Shake and add a few pieces of lamb,  coating lamb pieces with flour mixture.

Transfer flour coated lamb to a hot skillet with canola oil, brown lamb pieces on all side.

 

Add cut onion to skillet and stir fry until translucent.

In a larger skillet or dutch oven add canola oil, start to layer with ingredients,  starting with onions, lamb and some parsley, chicken stock, salt and white pepper.   Cook for 1:35 minutes than add the carrots and potatoes.  Simmer and cook about one more hour or so, until tender.

Serve hot and garnish with more chopped parsley,  enjoy Irish  lamb stew with Irish soda bread.

Irish Soda Bread recipe here

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by | February 5, 2012

Ribs: MEMPHIS DRY Rub Rendezvous BBQ Style


Ingredients
Ribs 3 slabs
2 cups white distilled vinegar
2 cups water
Famous Seasoning Dry Rub (see below)
2 slabs pork loin back ribs (approximately 2 pounds each)
Great price at Cosco for Ribs. (package has 3 slabs)
Seasoning Rub
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup pepper
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp oregano
1 Tbsp celery seed
1 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp chili powder
Cook

3 cups wood chips (use hickory or oak chips for the best flavor)

Directions:

Mix Seasoning Rub ingredients and set aside.

Mix vinegar, water and seasoning together to make your basting sauce.
Cook meat over direct heat on the grill, approximately 20-inches above fire.
Coals should be at 325 to 350 degrees.
Start ribs bone side down, until bone side is golden brown.
Baste 3 times with basting sauce then flip slab and cook meat side down until this side reaches a nice golden brown.
The meat is ready when it is so hot that you cannot touch it with your fingers. Pull lightly on rib bone and you will see the tender meat separate. You know the Ribs are done.
That is approximately 35 minutes per side.
Baste* again and sprinkle with the Memphis style dry rub seasoning and you are ready to serve.
*I keep a very large bowl with the liquid mixture next to the grill to dip the slabs, giving several nice baste dipping while grilling.
Use cooking tongs for picking up the slabs
Quotes: about The Rendezvous in Memphis, Tenn.
“Lip-smacking, finger-licking pork ribs.”~ USA Today,
“There are plenty of good places to get barbecue… but if you only have one chance to eat it, it should be at the Rendezvous.”
– Southern Living,
“The ribs here aren’t smoked but grilled for an hour over charcoal … The result is an intensely seasoned taste redolent of paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, and oregano.”
– Business Week,

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by | December 1, 2011

Shepherd Pie made with Turkey, Chicken, Lamb or can be vegetarian

  

This shepherd pie can be made with chicken, turkey or lamb,  it is very easy to make. The recipe can also be vegetarian by adding mushrooms instead of meat.  I like to make individual serving.  If making individual pies,  it is easy to store and freeze.

Ingredients:

3 cups left over chicken, turkey or lamb chop in cubes

tablespoon extra virgin olive oil use more  if needed

1 cup chopped or dice carrots

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 whole onion diced

2 cloves garlic

1/3 cup chop parsley

sea salt & pepper to your liking

2 cups of mashed potatoes

grated cheese for topping (I used parmigiano reggiano)

Optional :  1 cup Mushrooms,  1/2 cup diced celery

 

 

Directions: Bake  375  30-40 minutes

In a large bowl mix chop meat, dice carrots, peas, mince garlic, chopped parsley and diced onion, adding 1-2 tablespoon of olive oil.  Season with sea salt and pepper to your liking.

Use a pie pan or individual serving container that are oven proof.  Spoon mix ingredients into pie pan or individual containers, topping it with mashed potatoes.  Make sure you spoon the mashed potatoes to the edge sealing the pan or container to keep juices from spilling out.

After smoothing potatoes around the top using a spoon, sprinkle cheese on top and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until done.

sprinkle any kind of cheese

 

If you like a crispy cheese topping leave it a bit longer in the oven

 

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by | May 26, 2011

Classic Spicy Tandoori Chicken and side dishes

 Indian Tandoori chicken
I love any kind of chicken.  This recipe is one of my favorite India recipes for chicken.

Ingredients

4 pieces of skinned chicken breast.

1/3 cup plain unflavored yogurt

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoon red chili powder

2 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic or garlic paste

1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger  minced or paste

1 teaspoon powder cumin

1 teaspoon powder coriander

1/2 teaspoon cayenne red pepper

1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder  (can be found in international stores)

a big pinch of cardamom
1 teaspoon saffron

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (to your liking)

butter for basting

Cilantro For Garnish

What compliments the chicken:
Sliced lemon and sliced cucumbers
4 roasted tomatoes on Vine (check my recipe)
Basmati rice
Naan ( Indian bread) or try buttered pita bread.

Directions: Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes on each side than grill for 5 minutes on each side.

Place the chicken in a large bowl.  Combine all the spices in a bowl,  add the yogurt and lemon juice, mix well and cover the chicken with the mixture.   Pierce the chicken with a fork so that the marinate will infuse into the chicken,  set a side for 30 minutes.

Cover and refrigerate over night  or marinate for 5 hours. When ready to grill
remove any extra spice paste.   Let the chicken sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.

If grilling the chicken,  grill about 10-12 minutes on each side until done.  Bast the chicken with butter on each side before serving,  or place the chicken on a baking sheet covering the bottom of the baking sheet with foil.

Place foil over the chicken so it will not dry.  Bake 10 minutes on each side than place the chicken on a hot grill for 5 minutes on each side.  You will have a moist and juicy tandoori chicken with a grill taste.

This is what I served for dinner with the Tandoori chicken.

Basmati  Rice.  Follow directions on package.  Bring to a boil add
1 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin Olive oil
Pinch of sea salt  reduce heat and slow cook the rice.
1/2 teaspoon Caraway seeds when rice is done.  Mix well before serving.  Has a nice flavor and aroma.

caraway seeds added to cooked rice

Adding sweet potatoes to rice is another way of serving rice!

Cucumber  salad
3 sliced  Persian cucumber

1/3 cup yogurt

1/8 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

minced  mint leaves (about 5 leaves)

pinch of salt

Yogurt and Tandoori chicken compliment each other with a unique flavor.
Grill yellow tomato. Spray olive oil on the tomato adding a pinch of salt.  Grill until tender.  (yellow for color balance).

Our dinner plate had  grill onions, rice, cucumber yogurt salad, grill tomato and tandoori chicken
(Photo)

 another way of serving Tandoori is with rice & sweet potatoes with a tabouli salad as a side dish on lettuce
Tabouli Salad on romaine lettuce

These are some of the products to buy at an Indian store,  Spices are already mixed for the Tandoori.

These items (photo) makes  it easy to make Tandoori chicken just follow directions on pack
Tabouli recipe under ” Labels”  in the salad section

Enjoy <3

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by | May 16, 2011

Russian Beef Stroganoff the Russian way

In Russia the Russians eat  Beef Stroganoff over shoe string potatoes (french fries) or on top of mashed potatoes.  Noodles were introduced by the Chinese also serving the beef stroganoff over rice.  In the West we usually serve Beef Stroganoff over egg noodles or pasta.

Ingredients:
1 chopped white onion
3 cloves of mince garlic
1 pound sliced  cremini mushrooms or button mushrooms
3 tablespoons olive oil for  (onions, mushrooms and garlic)
3 tablespoon good dry sherry, cognac, or red wine
2 1/2  cups of beef stock
2 teaspoon Russian mustard
1/4 cup unsalted butter for roux
4-6 tablespoons flour for roux
1/3 cup sour cream or more to your liking
1 1/2 pounds of good beef slices in strips top sirloin or tenderloin

Prepare either mashed potatoes or french fries (American style use egg noodles or pasta)
salt and  fresh ground pepper to your liking

Garnish with a parsley and a little sour cream

Directions:
Prepare your french fries, mashed potatoes or egg noodles (your choice).  If using noodles prepare later.
Cook slice strips of beef in a little olive oil  (to your liking) do not over cook the beef.

Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat until hot,  add olive oil.  Stir fry beef for about 1 minute on each side.   Remove beef from pan and place on a platter set a side.
In the same pan saute onions until onions start to look translucent than add slices mushrooms and garlic.
Add  sherry and stir for about 2 minutes or more.  Add  beef stock and bring it to a boil. reduce heat.

Making a nice Roux:
Heat a skillet over medium heat, when  pan is hot add  butter until it melts than add  flour and start to whip it so there is no lumps (do not burn the butter).  Keep stirring until smooth for about 2 minutes.  Add the roux to the mushroom mixture and stir well.

At this point add meat and mix well.

Remove the stroganoff from heat and add  sour cream incorporating flavors..
Place  french fries on a plate and spoon the stroganoff on top of  fries or place cooked noodles on individual plates than spoon the stroganoff on top, garnishing with a little sour cream and chopped parsley.

Enjoy Beef Stroganoff with whatever you choose,  fries, noodles, rice or pasta it is a good flavorful meal.

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by | March 7, 2011

Rib eye Dinner the perfect steak

Ingredients:
3 rib eye steaks
asparagus
3 tomatoes
1 onion
olive oil for drizzling
cilantro
2 cloves of diced garlic
cheese
salt and  fresh ground pepper

Asparagus grilled in olive oil and garlic,  season with sea salt

Directions:
1. Pick a rib eye steak that is label “prime” has the highest amount of marbling. The marbling gives the steaks a buttery taste with lots of flavor,   “Choice” steaks,  which is a bit leaner and also great for grilling. Season the steak with salt and fresh ground pepper.
2. Make sure the steak is at room temperature for at lease 2 hours before grilling. It will keep the steak from taking too long to cook. Always make sure your steak is dry before grilling. Pat dry with a paper towel.
3.  If the steak is about 1-2 inches in thickness,  cooking time is 5 minutes on each side.
4. Only open the lid of the grill to flip the steak over.  Keep the lid close when grilling a steak.
5.Never use a fork or the juices will run.  Always use tongs when flipping a steak.
6. Make sure the grill is nice and hot at 500~ 600 degrees.  The high heat will keep the juices sear in the steak.
7.When the steak is done,  let it ” rest” for 5-10 minutes.  The juices will stay in the steak and your steak will be moist and very flavorful.   If you serve the steak right away, when cutting into the steak, the juices will run all over the plate.

If not sure about the temperature for your steak use a meat thermometer.

Cut tomatoes in halves,  topping  with cheese.  Wrap in foil(5 minutes grilling).  When done add fresh cilantro as a garnish,

Asparagus wrap in foil and drizzle with olive oil, add dice garlic.

Slice and grill  onions for a few minutes .

Grill tomatoes with cheese and fresh cilantro.

Enjoy a rib eye steak with a nice Cabernet Sauvignon !

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