Roasted Leg of Lamb with Fig-Port Wine Sauce

My family loves lamb! I won’t lie there are a lot of steps to this recipe but the end result is worth it! Have you ever had lamb that was on the “gamey” side? The trick is to remove the silvery connective tissue on a leg of lamb, trimming off some fat as well. Then brining the lamb in salt/sugar/garlic solution for a few hours. I then rub a herb paste over the roast and let marinade for a few more hours. To make sure the roast cooks evenly I wrap tightly with twine. I threw this on the traegar med- high heat for 40 min or so till medium rare.

First off:

Trim the roasts fat and silvery connective tissue off of the roast.

The Brine:

Take a large container and add 2 quarts of water, 1/4 cup salt, 8 mashed garlic cloves, 1/4 cup of sugar, and 1 tsp of peppercorns.

CHECK this shot out. Doesn’t it look like some nasty weird Mad Scientists brew 😉

Igor’s Secret Kitchen Brew! lol 🙂

Put this in the fridge for at least a few hours.

The herb Paste:

Ok so basically this is similar to a pesto minus the nuts.

I had about 1 tbsp of rosemary, 2 tsp of thyme, 1/2 cup of parsley, 2 garlic cloves and EVOO

I mixed everything in the food processor and drizzled in my olive oil aprox 1/4 cup

This gets smeared all over the meat and chilled for a few more hours to marinade. I use kitchen twine to get it back into a roast form then I grilled this on my traegar for about 40 minutes till medium rare. If you are wanting to use a regular barbecue please cook this with indirect heat. A traegar grill is a wood pellet grill that works the same as a normal convection oven with the smokey benefits of a wood fire stove.

Serve with Fig-Port sauce

 

Fig-Port Wine Sauce

• Servings: 6-8
• Time: 30min
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

The Fig-Port wine Sauce:

Ingredients:

• 8 mission dried figs
• 2 cup of port
• 1  cup of chicken stock
• 1 cinnamon stick
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp of fresh thyme
• 2 tsp of fresh rosemary
• 2 tbsp of butter

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and reduce liquids by half. Discard the cinnamon stick and place the sauce in a food processor. Puree the sauce till smooth then blend in the butter and serve with the lamb 🙂

Creamy Polenta

My youngest son Samuel is not a spud fan unless it is deep-fried so I thought I would try something different that would mimic the texture and hit that same “comfort food” note that I was going for.  This polenta uses larger cut cornmeal which is less processed therefore healthier and I added shredded parmesan cheese because hey what kid doesn’t like cheese 🙂

Ingredients:

• 1 shallot chopped fine
• 1 garlic clove chopped fine
• 1 knob of butter
• 4 cups of chicken stock
• 1 cup of coarse ground cornmeal
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 tablespoons of butter
• 2 ounces of shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:

Heat butter in a saucepan over med-high heat and add the shallot. Saute till translucent and softened. Add your garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.

Next add 4 cups of chicken stock and bring to a boil. When it is at a full boil add your ground cornmeal and whisk together.  Turn the burner down to low and cook for another 20 min or so till your polenta is tender. Whisk the mixture  often during cooking  to prevent lumps.

Once cooked remove from the heat and add your butter, parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately

FYI : Polenta will set once it starts to cool so this is not a make ahead sort of thing if you want the consistency to remain creamy and “scoop-able”

TIP: You can always place the creamy mixture in a glass heat proof bowl and place over simmering water on the stove top to act as a double broiler. Keeping it warm will keep the creamy consistency a little while longer.

The leftovers can go in a small pan lined with parchment paper to set. Once set you can cut polenta in squares or to even have more fun use cookie cutters in fun shapes for kids. Re-cook your polenta in a skillet with a bit of EVOO. You will be glad you did! The outside will be golden brown and crisp, while the inside will be creamy and warm.

Enjoy! I served this with my braised beef short ribs and sautéed collard greens. 

Creamy Polenta

• Servings: 6-8
• Time: 40 min
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients:

• 1 shallot chopped fine
• 1 garlic clove chopped fine
• 1 knob of butter
• 4 cups of chicken stock
• 1 cup of coarse ground cornmeal
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 tablespoons of butter
• 2 ounces of shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:

Heat butter in a saucepan over med-high heat and add the shallot. Saute till translucent and softened. Add your garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.

Next add 4 cups of chicken stock and bring to a boil. When it is at a full boil add your ground cornmeal and whisk together.  Turn the burner down to low and cook for another 20 min or so till your polenta is tender. Whisk the mixture  often during cooking  to prevent lumps.

Once cooked remove from the heat and add your butter, parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

FYI : Polenta will set once it starts to cool so this is not a make ahead sort of thing if you want the consistency to remain creamy and “scoop-able”

TIP: You can always place the creamy mixture in a glass heat proof bowl and place over simmering water on the stove top to act as a double broiler. Keeping it warm will keep the creamy consistency a little while longer.

The leftovers can go in a small pan lined with parchment paper to set. Once set you can cut polenta in squares or to even have more fun use cookie cutters in fun shapes for kids. Re-cook your polenta in a skillet with a bit of EVOO. You will be glad you did! The outside will be golden brown and crisp, while the inside will be creamy and warm.

Enjoy!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Super simple easy soup

Ingredients:

• 2 butternut squash
• 3 medium cooking onions
• 2 apples(if you like a bit more sweetness to shine through)
• 1/4 cup of butter
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp of fresh rosemary chopped fine
• 1 tbsp of fresh thyme
• 1 tsp of red chile pepper flakes
• 8 cups of chicken stock

Directions:

Turn your oven onto 425 degree Fahrenheit

Chop up your onions, butternut squash and apples in medium size pieces. This will make a lot! I divided it between two half sheet pans.  Then season to taste with salt and pepper. Add your knobs of butter and drizzle with olive oil.

After 20 minutes in oven, stir up veggies so they caramelize on all sides. Once fork tender remove from oven. Total cooking time approximately 40 minutes.

Let your veggies cool off then in batches puree them with some chicken stock and place in soup pot:

Once all the vegetables are pureed add the rest of your chicken stock to your soup pot and stir.  Let simmer on medium low heat. Taste your soup to see if you need to season it more. At this point you will also add your fresh herbs and my favorite ingredient to give the soup a bit of a kick.

 

At the very end of the cooking process I add a bit of half and half maybe 1/2 cup and use an immersion blender to get the soup silky smooth.

I serve this with croutons in the soup and fresh grated parmesan cheese on top! Enjoy! (I also saved the seeds and roasted them for a garnish)

 

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

• Servings: 10-12
• Time: 1hr
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients:

• 2 butternut squash
• 3 medium cooking onions
• 2 apples(if you like a bit more sweetness to shine through)
• 1/4 cup of butter
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp of fresh rosemary chopped fine
• 1 tbsp of fresh thyme
• 1 tsp of red chile pepper flakes
• 8 cups of chicken stock
• 1/2 cup half and half

Directions:

Turn your oven onto 425 degree Fahrenheit

Chop up your onions, butternut squash and apples in medium size pieces. This will make a lot! I divided it between two half sheet pans.  Then season to taste with salt and pepper. Add your knobs of butter and drizzle with olive oil. Place your sheet pans in the oven.

After 15 minutes in oven, stir up veggies so they caramelize on all sides. Once fork tender remove from oven. Total cooking time approximately 30-45 minutes.

Let your veggies cool off then in batches puree them with some chicken stock and place in a soup pot.

Once all the vegetables are pureed add the rest of the chicken stock to your soup pot and stir.  Let simmer on medium low heat. Taste your soup to see if you need to season it more. At this point you will also add your fresh herbs and chili pepper flakes.

At the very end of the cooking process add a bit of half and half, maybe 1/2 cup and use an immersion blender to get the soup silky smooth.

I serve this with croutons in the soup and fresh grated parmesan cheese on top! Enjoy!

Chicken Stew and Dumplings

One Pot Comfort Food

Stew Ingredients:

• 1 cup of celery
• 2 small yellow onions
• 2 cups of carrots
• 5 potatoes
• 1 box of chicken stock
• water and 1 heaping tbsp of cornstarch
• 1 tbs of fresh thyme
• 1 tbs of fresh rosemary
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut across the grain is small chunks
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tbs of vegetable oil

Directions:

In a large dutch oven add your 2 tbs of vegetable oil and turn your stove on  high. Once the oil is very hot add the chunks of chicken in batches.

Do not crowd the chicken in the pot we do not want to steam them we want to produce a golden brown exterior on each chicken morsel. This is where you are going to get your surge of flavor. Once all pieces of chicken are cooked I let them cool on a plate while we start on the vegetables.

You should now have beautiful brown bits(fond) in the bottom of your dutch oven. Add 1 tbsp of veg oil and add all your veggies to saute them. Apply some elbow grease and as the veggies let off steam  scrape all those yummy bits of the bottom of your pot.

Once your veggies have softened deglase your pan with 2 cups of chicken stock and add your chicken pieces back to the pot.

Last time I made stew I had a lot of base and chicken so I froze some. Sorry I didn’t have pics of previous steps.

Cut your potatoes up in bite size pieces and add to your pot along with the fresh herbs. Let boil and wait for your potatoes to cook.

The starches in the potatoes will naturally thicken your stew a little bit. Now take a little bit of water with your cornstarch and stir together. Add this mixture to the pot and let boil. Once boiled turn your stew to simmer now we make the dumplings 🙂

Dumpling Ingredients:

• 2 cup of flour
• 2 tsp of baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbs of butter
• 1 cup of milk

Whisk together your dry ingredients, then add your butter and incorporate through the flour.

Clean hands work for me:)

Now add your milk and stir only till incorporated. Over stirring will = tough dumplings! Don’t do it!! Now turn your stew back up to med high and drop chunks of the dough into your hot pot. Put the lid on immediately and now wait for 7 minutes WITHOUT PEEKING.

I can’t believe I forgot to take a picture of the dough or dropping them in the pot! Sorry next time I will and then add the pics HERE

After 7 minutes it should look like this:

Notice the dumplings expand so much you can’t even see the stew under all that yummy tender fluff.

Turn stove off and wait till stew cools a bit or you will BURN your tongue.

Voila and Bon Appetite

PS: I made a pear salad with arugula to go with dinner. I sliced the pear thinly added to bed of arugula, I toasted some walnuts on the stove top with a few tsp of sugar to get them nice and crunchy, I also threw in some parmesan cheese. I served it with Trader Joe’s Cranberry Blue cheese vinaigrette dressing.

 

Chicken Stew and Dumplings

• Servings: 8
• Time: 1 1/2hrs
• Difficulty: medium
• Print

 

Stew Ingredients:

• 1 cup of celery
• 2 small yellow onions
• 2 cups of carrots
• 5 potatoes
• 1 box of chicken stock
• water and 1 heaping tbsp of cornstarch
• 1 tbs of fresh thyme
• 1 tbs of fresh rosemary
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut across the grain is small chunks
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tbs of vegetable oil

Directions:

In a large dutch oven add your 2 tbs of vegetable oil and turn your stove on  high. Once the oil is very hot add the chunks of chicken in batches.

Do not crowd the chicken in the pot we do not want to steam them we want to produce a golden brown exterior on each chicken morsel. This is where you are going to get your surge of flavor. Once all pieces of chicken are cooked I let them cool on a plate while we start on the vegetables.

You should now have beautiful brown bits(fond) in the bottom of your dutch oven. Add 1 tbsp of veg oil and add all your veggies to saute them. Apply some elbow grease and as the veggies let off steam  scrape all those yummy bits off the bottom of your pot.

Once your veggies have softened deglase your pan with the box of chicken stock and add your chicken pieces back to the pot.

Cut your potatoes up in bite size pieces and add to your pot along with the fresh herbs. Let boil and wait for your potatoes to cook.

The starches in the potatoes will naturally thicken your stew a little bit. Now take a little bit of water with your cornstarch and stir together. Add this mixture to the pot and let boil. Once boiled turn your stew to simmer now we make the dumplings 🙂

Dumpling Ingredients:

• 2 cup of flour
• 2 tsp of baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbs of butter
• 1 cup of milk

Whisk together your dry ingredients, then add your butter and incorporate through the flour.

After 7 minutes the dumplings will be full and fluffy. Remove pot from heat, and serve.