This is a good recipe for those who love lamb. This one is marinated overnight so be sure to get started the day before you wish to feast. The Yukon gold potatoes are a perfect match. Then, of course, of a perfect Merlot.
- 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- 4 tsp. kosher salt, plus a little more for sprinkling
- 1/4 cup fresh rosemary, plus 2 tbsp. finely chopped
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp. lime juice, fresh
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 – 8 lb. bone in, leg of lamb, large pockets of fat trimmed off
- 8 x 7 oz. (approx.) yukon gold potatoes, halved lengthwise
Pound the garlic and 4 tsp. kosher salt with a mortar and pestle until a paste forms. Add 1/4 cup rosemary leaves and peel from one lime. Pound well for about a minute. Stir in one cup olive oil, lime juice and pepper into the paste.
Plac e lamb, fat side up, on work surface, Cut shallow slits into the fat about 1/2 inch apart. Spread 5 tbsp. of the paste into the slits. Turn the leg over and repeat the process. Wrap the leg in plastic and place in a roasting pan. Chill overnight.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the wrap from the lamb leg and brush the leg with oil. Roast for 15 minutes.
Place the potatoes in a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup of the oil and 2 tbsp. of the chopped rosemary. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat.
Reduce the oven to 350 and arrange the potatoes, cut side down around the lamb. Roast 40 minutes. Using a spatula, carefully turn the potatoes over and b rush with the pan drippings. Roast a further 10-15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
Transfer the potatoes to a platter and continue to roast the lamb until an instant-read thermometer reads 130 – 133 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the leg. Let rest for 20 minutes. While the meat is resting, return the potatoes to the pan and warm in the oven for 10 minutes to heat through.
Arrange the potatoes and lamb on a plattter and show off to all those sitting around the table. This makes 8 servings, so invite your friends to help you share n this.
Your only question should be “more wine???”
Steak And Onion Sandwich
With barbecue season upon us, this is a great way to use up any grilled steak (if ever) and put into a sumptuous sandwich.
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 lb. steak
- 1 small red onion, sliced into rounds
In a large bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar and oil. Season with salt and ground pepper. Add about 16 oz. of steak and turn to coat all sides of the meat. Let this sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
Drizzle the onion with a tsp. of oil and let sit.
Heat a grill pan over medium high heat. Grill the steak and onions for 5-8 minutes. The steak should be medium and the onions tender.
Let this rest for 5 minutes and slice against the grain. In a food processor, finely chop the onions with 1 tsp. vinegar.
Spread the onion on 4 slices of crusty bread, top with the steak slices, add some spinach or baby greens. Add some provolone cheese and top with 4 slices of bread.
Now, doesn’t that make sense? You bet it does.
Peanuts And Toffee Bits Cookies
It has the flavour of peanut brittle….and everyone loves peanut brittle.
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp. good quality vanilla
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/4 cups flour (sifted)
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1 pkg. Reese peanut butter chips
- 1 cup Skor toffee bits
- 3/4 cup peanuts (unsalted)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream the shortening with both sugars and add the vanilla until creamy. Beat in the egg.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and add to the shortening until well incorporated.
Stir in the 1 cup peanut butter chips and all the Skor bits and peanuts.
Drop by a rounded tbsp. about 2 inches apart and bake for 11-12 minutes until golden in colour and just set.
Cool on the cookie sheet for about 4 minutes and then remove to cooling racks to completely cool down.
Melt the remaining chips along with 1 tbsp. cream in the microwave for about 35-40 seconds and drizzle over the cooled cookies.
**Note: Aug 2023 – Made them this morning and Don (my taster) said they were “Yum, OMG Yummy are they ever good. So there!
Asian Chicken Salad Sandwich
If you have 10 minutes to spare, you can make this for lunch and take to school or work or…..just for you at home. This will serve 4.
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- 1 cup shredded green cabbage
- 2 large carrots, grated
- 2 tbp. fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp. soy sauce
- 1 baguette, sliced in half lengthwise, scoop most of the inides out
- 1/4 cup mayo, not salad dressing
- 2 cups shredded cooked roast chicken (LEFTOVERS, PERHAPS?)
- 1 cup cilantro leaves
- 1 jalapeno, sliced very thin
In a medium bowl toss together the cabbage, carrots, lime juice and soy sauce.
Spread 1/4 cup mayonnaise on both sides of the bun. Layer now with the chicken, the cabbage mixture and top with the cilantro leaves. Sprinkle the jalapeno (if you are brave) and place the top half of the baguette on top. Slice into 4 pieces. Wrap, and run!
What could be better for lunch? It’s fresh, healthy and very flavourful. Yeah, I know….yummy!
Pancetta Crisps With Chevre And Fresh Figs
To die for! Yup, these would melt the coldest heart in seconds. The pancetta takes the place of bread and makes snack time a dream.
- 12 thin pancetta slices
- 12 argula leaves
- 12 tsp. soft fresh goat cheese
- Homemade fig jam (store bought if you must)
- 6 fresh figs, cut in half
- fresh thyme, chopped
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place pancetta on a parchment lined cookie sheet, baking until crisp – up to 15 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes.
Top each slice with 1 argula leaf, 1 tsp. goat cheese, 1/4 tsp. jam and 1 fig cut in half. Sprinkle with thyme and a light touch of freshly ground pepper.
Pour the wine, crack a beer. Yum!
Sticky Bun Cake
If you like sticky buns/cinnamon buns, then you will love this version of a coffee cake with the ooey-gooey sticky topping.
This cake has a super topping, a streusel middle and the texture of a coffee cake. Now, all you need is a pot of coffee and the day is, once again, wonderful.
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3/4 tsp. baking soda
- 2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 2/3 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 tp. good quality vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a round cake pan (9 inch) with at least 2 inch high sides. Line the base with parchment paper.
Combine the yogurt and baking soda and set aside. In another bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. In the electric mixer bowl cream the butter, sugar and eggs, beating well with each addition. Add the vanilla and now turn the speed to low. Add the flour and yogurt in alternating additions, ending with the flour.
Streusel
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into pieces
In a bowl, combine the sugars, flour and cinnamon. Using a pastry blender cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.
Topping
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 1/3 cup corn syrup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup chopped pecans
In a saucepan melt the butter, add corn syrup and sugar, whisking until smooth.
Spread the topping over the prepared cake pan base. Sprinkle the pecans evenly. Spread one half of the cake mixture over the base and sprinkle one half of the streusel evenly over that. Spread remaining batter over the streusel and sprinkle the remaining streusel mixture over the top.
Bake for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick, when tested, comes out clean. Co0l on a rack for about 4 minutes and run a small knife round the edges of the cake and remove cake from the pan.
Yum!
Trout With Maple Mustard Sauce
This will serve 4 happy mouths. Add a crisp salad, rice or noodles and, naturally, a glass of the chilled grape and you have a feast that even Caesar would have appreciated.
- 4 x 4 oz. Trout fillets
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 3 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp. Teriyaki sauce
Place the trout in an 8 x 8 baking dish. Mix all the ingredients together and pour over the trout.
In a preheated oven of 425 degrees, bake for about 12-14 minutes until it flakes with a fork. Add any extra sauce over the top of the fillets and enjoy.
This is a wonderful summer dish and not one to be overlooked.
Edam Stuffed Tenderloin
- 1 lb. pork tenderloin
- ½ small onion, peeled, chopped finely
- 2 slices bacon, chopped
- 2 tsp. olive oil,
- 1 oz. pecans, chopped
- 3 tbsp. panko breadcrumbs
- 3 slices edam cheese, cut in strips
- 2 tsp. water
- 2 tsp. Crisco oil
- 2 tsp. Butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tbsp. cider vinegar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butterfly the tenderloin lengthwise, leaving 1/2 inch uncut on the bottom side. Flatten gently on both sides. Cover with plastic wrap and pound with a mallet to flatten slightly. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and re-cover and set in the refrigerator.
In a frypan on medium heat, saute the onion and bacon in the oil for 6-7 minutes. Do not burn.
Transfer to a bowl, stir in the pecans and panko crumbs and cool slightly. Add the edam and moisten with a touch of water until the mixture holds together.
Place stuffing down the middle of the tenderloin, and pull the sides together. Tie together with butcher’s twine.
In a large oven proof pan, melt the oil and butter and add the tenderloin and brown for 3 minutes each side.
Place the pan in the oven and roast for 20 minutes until done to taste. In a small bowl combine the honey and vinegar and microwave 20 seconds to warm. Remove the twine, drizzle the warm honey over and slice. Place remaining honey in a bowl and let everyone add more (and they will).
Enjoy!
Mother’s Day Thoughts
Well, this is a tough day for me, sometimes…….I remember a lot of the things my Mom did for us…..the funny things she said and did…..I remember how she treated company, when they came to the door…”never let your Company go without serving a fresh pot of tea/coffee and a store bought cookie if that is all you have on hand.”
I swear this is where I got my pattern from….we treat everyone – be it family, friends, neighbors or first-timers like royalty.
I remember raising my daughter and feeling like a total failure for not being able to give her the opportunities everyone else had. I was a single parent most of the time and money was scarce. She has never, ever said anything except thank you….for everything. Wow! I did something right. My daughter has never received a present that she did not sit down and write a thank you note. For everyone……Again, I did something right here too.
I married a fabulous man who had four children and now have four beautiful grandchildren to spoil ….Grandbys can do this, you know. This is one position I would not, could not and absolutely will not give up.
Yesterday, after a few thoughts and, yes, tears, my wonderful, God’s gift- to- me -husband, gave me the funniest card ever and another charm for my Pandora bracelet (Shamrock). He prepared a breakfast for a Queen…fresh asparagus on toast with a hollandaise sauce drizzled over AND on the other side of the plate an Eggs Bennie with even more of that awesome sauce.
Then the phone rang and my wonderful daughter called and that was a great present. As a parent you will understand what I mean when I say her laughter is a wonderful sound and I can never tire of it. Too bad we live so far apart.
For dinner, my beloved prepared a perfect meal….we shared a wine/beverage on our fantastic deck in the bright sunshine and then came in to feast of roast beef with a breathtaking jus and my favourite recipe for squash. He asked if I would prefer risotto (my very favourite) or sit out on the deck together. I chose….him! He made me feel so very special today and I love him even more because of it.
I hope all mothers, step-mothers and adopted mothers were able to hear those three little words that make any and all trials and tribulations seem a long distant past…I love you. If you are estranged from family…make the effort and phone or write…..those three little words are heart-mending, heart growing and glowing…..being a Mother is God’s greatest gift.
Mom I miss you and yes, I do love you and I’m thankful to be a Mom myself….a very proud Mom at that.
Cheesecake Squares
These can be made with your favourite jam….strawberry, blackberry, apricot….I prefer to use homemade jams but you can use whatever you wish.
- 2 cups flour
- 3/4 cups dark brown sugar, packed
- 3/4 cups finely chopped almonds
- 3/4 cup butter
- pinch of ground cinnamon
Combine all the ingredients until crumbly. Reserve 3/4 cup for topping. Press balance into a 13 x 9 inch cake pan sprayed with Pam. Bake at 350 degrees for about 14-15 minutes until edges are golden.
Filling
- 2 x 8 oz. Packages softened cream cheese
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ tsp. Almond extract
- 1 cup your favourite jam
- 3/4 cup sliced almonds
Beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs and extract until smooth. Spread evenly over the hot crust. Bake for 15 minutes longer. Stir jam until smooth and spread over the filling. Stir the sliced almonds into the reserved topping and sprinkle over the jam. Bake another 15 minutes.
Cool on a rack and then chill for 3-4 hours before serving. Add a touch of whipped cream if you wish to go over the top.
What a wonderful way to finish off a dinner.
　
Tuscany Biscotti
When we were at Hester Creek last week for the last of my birthday present(s), Chef Roger Gillespie made these to go with the dessert. Really a nice touch and the flavour is awesome as well. Thank you Chef Roger.
- 1/3 cup butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/4 tsp. almond extract
- 2 tsp. orange zest
- 2 1/4 cups flour (sifted)
- 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
- 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
- pinch pf salt
- ½ cup toasted almond pieces
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a large baking sheet.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs, vanilla, almond extract and zest. Combine the flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. Stir into the creamed mixture until just blend. Mix in the almonds.
Divide the dough into 2 pieces. Form into long flat loaves about ½ inch high and 12 inches long. Place the loaves 2 inches apart on the prepared cooking sheet.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until a light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes.
With a serrated knife. Cut diagonally into slices about ½ inch thick. Lay the slices on their side and bake for a further 10-15 minutes. Turning over just once.
These could be sprinkled with icing sugar or dipped into some luscious melted chocolate and left to set before storing. HAHAHA….as if they will last that long. Enjoy!
Transfer to a rack to cool.
Falafel Mini Sandwiches
These would make a great tasty Appetizer.
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp. garlic powder
- 1 cup chickpeas, drained
- 2 tbsp. tahini
- 3/4 cup quinoa, cooked
- 2 oz. feta cheese
- pinch of ground cumin
- 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tbsp. cilantro, chopped finely
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 32 mini pitas
- alfalfa sprouts
- 4 slices havarti cheese, quartered
Preheat oven top 375 degrees. Combine mayonnaise and garlic and set aside.
Place chickpeas. tahini, quinoa, cheese, cumin, garlic and lime juice in a food processor and puree until a grainy consistency. Add a touch of water if needed and fold in the cilantro.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and grease with olive oil. Shape the mixture into 1 1/2-2 inch balls and place on the paper in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes until slightly golden.
Warm the pitas in tin foil at the same time you are cooking the falafel.
To serve: Add a few sprouts on the pita, add a hot falafel ball, a slice of the cheese and a dollop of the mayonnaise. Top with another pita. Serve immediately with lots of napkins.