![Pan Roasted Lamb and Potatoes]()
by Yvonne Maffei | May 27, 2015 | Iftar, Lamb, Ramadan, Recipes, Spring
Each Spring I wait with anticipation to make my favorite lamb dishes. I’m not sure why I don’t crave it as much in the Winter season, but I think it has to do with the perfect pairing lamb makes with fresh herbs, garlic, potatoes and carrots. What’s nice is that combination can go on to make roasts, stews and more. In this recipe for Pan Roasted Lamb with Potatoes and Carrots, you can actually use the base recipe as a foundation to do other things with it- for example, you can add more water to make it a stew; less water to make it more of a dry roast; you can leave the meat uncut and roast it whole or cut it even smaller than what I’ve done here if you need to extend it to fee more people. It’s all really up to you, but I hope this serves as inspiration to make the freshest of spring lamb dishes this season.
I like lamb that comes in netting because it holds a whole roast together during the cooking process and you can even stick cloves of garlic into it as it cooks, just like I did in this recipe.
Or, you can cut it into chunks, big or small, depending on how you like to eat it. Lamb cooked with the fat on it like here (which can be cut off after cooking), actually makes the meat juicier, it seems to shrink less during cooking and there ends up being more broth/liquids at the bottom of the pan.
I like to buy the whole shoulder, boneless and then cut it up into pieces the size I need for my recipe. It’s more economical than buying a smaller portions and you can always freeze the raw meat you don’t use.
What’s also great about this recipe is that it’s a one-pan meal that can also be added to a slow cooker, but you would have to bring the meat to a high temperature first before doing that, just to be safe.
After cooking, it’s so easy to scoop out and plate. In this case, there was a lot of liquid left in the pan so we enjoyed it like a stew. You could thicken the liquids with some flour to make it more of a gravy or simply continue to roast the pan in the oven, uncovered, to cook them all out altogether.
See how versatile this can me? It should be a base recipe, a foundational dish you keep in your back pocket for chilly Spring days, entertaining and/or cooking a large quantity of food for the week ahead.
What are your favorite lamb or Spring meat dishes? Please share in the comments below.
For more information on cooking lamb and sourcing halal options throughout the United States, check out the wonderfully resourceful American Lamb Board’s website. It’s got great tips on how to cook lamb, FREE dvds (Lamb Carcass, Cuts and Fabrication) and infographics like this one on preparation of different cuts, and a page on where to source halal vendors. They’re materials are great in schools, restaurants, and for the cooking aficionado to keep at home for reference.
For a list of halal vendors recommended by the American Lamb Board see below:
http://superiorfarms.com/
http://www.mountainstatesrosen.com/
http://www.wolverinepacking.com/
http://straussbrands.com/
http://www.barakatfoods.com/
http://www.enameatpacking.com/
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![Red Lentil and Carrot Soup]()
by Yvonne Maffei | Sep 19, 2014 | American, Fall, Soups
Those of you who’ve been reading my recipes for a while probably already know that I’m a total soup lover and a lover of the Fall season. I love warm and cuddly sweaters, crisp and dry weather. A good bowl of freshly made soup is the perfect way for me to get comfy at home with a good book or magazine and just chill out for once. That’s probably why I make so many soups and devise up all sorts of recipes using novel ingredients, especially those Fall ones. I’m also so grateful that now there’s a halal broth by Saffron Road I can use readily when I haven’t had time to make my own and it can be easily added to strengthen up my soups, adding all sorts of great things like calcium and other important minerals it’s essential to have in our diets. Their brand is also gluten-free and rooted in ethical business practices to protect and preserve the sanctity of food. I love that, don’t you?
My latest soup is something I’m making often now, as it’s finally cooled down and dried up here at home just outside of Chicago. I use red lentils in this lentil and carrot soup because they are so much quicker to cook than the brown ones. I also mix up butter and olive oil to make the flavor nicer but also to keep the olive oil‘s burning point low.
In a Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the butter. When it froths, add the olive oil until it has warmed. Add the onions and sauté until translucent for 3-5 minutes. Add the carrots and lentils and sauté for a few more minutes.First, I mince up the carrots and the onions and begin by sauteing them in the oil-butter mix, carrots first then onions since they aren’t as coarse in texture as the carrots.
Add the tomato paste and stir well to combine.
Add the lentils, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper.
Then the chicken broth. Saffron Road has two kinds- one is Classic Culinary and the other is Artisan Chicken broth, the Artisan broth containing more roasted vegetable flavor. These products are certified humane raised and handled, too.
You can also use vegetable broth, if you like instead.
Increase heat and bring to boil.Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.Use a hand held mixer to blend the ingredients then remove from heat.
Roasted pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, are a great addition to the final dish so I sprinkle a few on top for each of my guests. You don’t have to roast them yourself; simply buy them already roasted.
Their gorgeous green color is also a lovely addition to the orange-ish color of the soup.
Just the right colors to match what’s happening outside to all our leaves, too…
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![Sweet & Sour Beef]()
by Yvonne Maffei | Jun 21, 2014 | Beef
I don’t make Asian food that often at home, but I really do love it. I recently had a real craving for sweet and sour something– whether it be seafood, beef or chicken. Many of the recipes I found used ketchup for the sauce (which I’m not a huge fan of when it comes to cooking with it) and other prepared sauces for the ‘sweet and sour’ part. Instead, I tested my own version of a homemade sweet and sour combination that worked really well, particularly with a high quality Halal meat like the Billy Doe Meats.
The ingredients I used are fairly simple and can be found in just about any grocery store international aisle: cane sugar, pineapple vinegar (or any fruity vinegar- apple cider vinegar is particularly good here), tomato sauce, sesame oil or toasted sesame oil (or a combination of the two).
I also used some greens from my garden: kale, spinach, celery and Swiss chard. You can use just one of these, if you like.
If I had to choose just one, it would be kale- it’s thicker than spinach and tends to hold onto the meat a little better, if that’s all the greens you’re using.
But the Swiss chard does add some nice color when using the stems.
I also added carrots- shredded, but also the leftover chunky parts, as nothing is wasted. Garlic, too. Of course.
After everything is chopped, the larger parts plus the onion and garlic get sautéd in the sesame oil. You can use a wok or Dutch oven to do this.
I added ground ginger for added spice because I didn’t have fresh on hand. Either one works and freshly chopped is always preferable- to me, anyway.
Use high heat once those ingredients are in the pot.
Add the beef cubes. These looked fabulous.
And the tomato sauce, vinegar, sugar and corn starch.
Then the greens and shredded carrots, basically the thin stuff.
Now we’re seeing more color, which is always nice when you’re about to eat the dish soon after cooking it. Makes it so much more appealing.
Then you’ll need to cover it, reduce the heat and let the beef cook. The greens will actually add moisture to the meat, making it nice and soft after about 25 minutes. I like to serve it over rice or noodles, but I could it all by itself, too.
[yumprint-recipe id=’19’] ![Carrot Purée: A Healthy Secret Ingredient]()
by Yvonne Maffei | Mar 21, 2014 | American, Cooking Techniques & Kitchen Tips, Spring
I learned a really cool cooking idea many years ago that I’ve used over and over again to flavor soups, rice dishes and more. It’ll also help you use up that whole bag of carrots that’s going bad in your fridge right now. If you have kids, you can also use the same trick to slip into a whole host of dishes, giving them the carrots you want them to have and they aren’t too thrilled to eat.
Start off by washing and peeling fresh organic carrots. I love the colored kinds, but any variety is good as long as they’re pesticide-free. I boil a one-pound bag for about 20-30 minutes. Stick a fork in a few of them and if it slides in easily, they’re pretty much done.
Drain the water out and let the carrots cool for a few minutes. Next, use a food processor or heavy-duty blender to thoroughly process just half of the carrots. Don’t add water.
Once about half of the carrots are processed, add the rest.
Keep on churning until the carrots are completely smooth. If it takes one minute, two minutes, etc. But it shouldn’t take much longer than that.
View from the top (before it was smoothed out completely):
Here’s what you should get at the end: a nice and creamy carrot purée.
Now you can use it immediately, of course. I typically portion out the puree and store it in freezer containers or bags, such as these:
It’s so nice to have a lot to save for future meals.
And these containers stack easily in the freezer. You can find them at many drug stores, actually, during canning season.
Don’t forget to label the puree with its contents and the date.
Now when you’re ready, you can add the puree to soups and stews to give them added flavor. It’s also a wonderful addition to the base of rice, which is how I first learned to use it. I also make a great carrot soup in the spring (recipe in my Summer Ramadan Cooking cookbook) and if you have a baby, well, your baby food is pretty much done, isn’t it?
Tell me, what would you make with carrot purée (fresh or frozen)?
