lamb

Lamb Stew

My brother gave me an electric crockpot and my son was begging for some lamb so this turned out to be a great marriage. If you don’t have a crockpot, simmering on the stove would probably work just as well.

Once I got into the recipe I discovered I didn’t have any coriander so I threw in some cinnamon instead. Of course, I must have just gone brain dead because obviously coriander is cilantro and I always have cilantro. In spite of it all, it turned out to be a tasty dish.

Lamb Stew

1 lb lamb shoulder chops, trimmed and cut into smallish chunks

Mix together and toss with the meat:

1 Tbsp olive oil

4 tsp cumin

1 Tbsp coriander (cilantro)

¼ tsp cayenne pepper (I would put a little more)

¼ tsp salt (don’t really need it if you are using the full strength chicken broth)

Several turn of the pepper mill

1 large onion, chopped (I used a red one)

28-oz diced tomatoes

¾ cup chicken broth (I used half a cube in boiling water)

4 cloves minced garlic

1 can cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

Mash about ¾ cup of the beans

6 oz fresh spinach, chopped

Put the spiced up meat into the crockpot, top with chopped onion.

Heat tomatoes, chicken broth and garlic in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.

Pour the tomato mixture over the meat.

Cover and cook 3 hours on high or 5 hours on low, until meat is tender.

Mix in the mashed chickpeas, whole chickpeas, and spinach

Cook an additional 5-10 minutes until headed and spinach has wilted.

Serve over rice.

Leftover note. We had this the next day as a sauce for gnocchi and it was really pretty good.

Greek Power Food

I bought the Weight Watchers Power Foods Cookbook because it makes it easy to count calories. Everything is broken down for each recipe. The problem is I can’t follow a recipe. There is always something that isn’t right with it and I have to change it to my liking. I am going to present the recipe as it is in the book.

I made the following changes. Ground chicken? Just didn’t appeal to me somehow. So I substituted ground lamb. Don’t know why that is better but it just is. Non-stick cooking spray. What is that? Really. Sorry, I can’t do it. I used butter. Plus I used a whole egg instead of egg whites. Everything else is in there.

Of course, it kind of throws the calorie counting out the window. With the butter and the lamb I figure if I double the calories, I’m good.

Greek Chicken and Spinach Phyllo Pie

1 lb ground skinless chicken breast

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

½ tsp curry powder

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground allspice

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

½ cup tomato sauce

1 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese

2 large egg whites, lightly beaten

8 (9X14 inch) sheets frozen phyllo, thawed

6 servings

239 Cal. Each

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray 9 inch pie plate with nonstick spray. (Here I use olive oil.)

Filling:

Spray large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray (again- olive oil) and set over medium heat. Add chicken (lamb) and onion. Cook until meat is done.

Add: Garlic, curry powder, cinnamon, allspice, salt and pepper.

Stir to mix well.

Add tomato sauce and simmer until thickened – about 5 minutes.

Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in spinach and feta. Add egg whites (whole egg).

Lay 1 phyllo sheet in the pie plate; lightly spray with nonstick spray (brush with melted butter). Keep remaining phyllo covered with damp paper towel (dish towel) and plastic wrap (not needed) to keep it from drying out. Repeat with 3 of the remaining phyllo sheets, placing corners at different angles and lightly spraying each sheet with nonstick spray (melted butter).

Spoon filling into the crust.

Top filling with remaining 4 phyllo sheets, repeating layering and spraying with nonstick spray (butter). Roll up edges of phyllo toward center to form 1 ½ inch wide rim.

Bake until phyllo is golden brown 30-35 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Cut into 6 wedges.

Food Friday: Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd’s Pie

Olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 leek, chopped

½ green pepper, chopped

1 cup frozen peas and carrots (optional)

1 lb ground lamb

1 tsp rosemary

1 pinch nutmeg

salt and pepper

8 oz wine

6 oz tomato paste

6 potatoes

salt

butter

milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Sautee garlic, leek and green pepper in olive oil.

Add lamb, rosemary, nutmeg, salt and pepper

Cook until lamb is done

Add wine and tomato paste

Simmer until liquid is reduced

Add peas and carrots to meat and heat through.

Peel and boil potatoes for about 20 minutes

Drain, add butter and milk and mash

Add salt

Put meat into a baking dish.

Cover with mashed potatoes. Use a fork to make a pretty design.

Set in oven for 15 to 20 minutes until lightly browned

Serve

Food Friday: Potato Lamb Casserole

Potato Lamb Casserole

I originally set out to make Moussaka but since I didn’t have any eggplant on hand, I decided to substitute potatoes for the eggplant. It turned out pretty good. After doing a little research, I discovered that this dish is made in Eastern Europe with potatoes and it can have either eggplant or potatoes or both. I love flexibility!

Ingredients:

4-5 large potatoes (1.5 lbs)

1.5 lbs. ground lamb (you can use beef but it’s not the same)

1 large onion, finely diced

1 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup red wine

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

0.25 tsp. ground allspice

1.5 cup tomato puree (or crushed tomatoes)

2 tbsp. tomato paste

Salt and pepper to taste

1.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or more, sometimes I use a mixture of different cheese I have on hand)

White Sauce:

6 Tbsp salted butter

6 Tbsp flour

2 cups milk, warmed

4 egg yolks, lightly beaten

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Peel the potatoes and cut them in half so they cook faster. Boil them in water for about 15-20 minutes – they should be just barely done (still firm).

Drain, cool and slice them in 1/4 inch slices. Set aside.

Make the Meat Filling:

Add about a tablespoon of olive oil to a large sauté pan. Add onion, garlic and meat. Meat should be cooked through with no pink.

Add wine to pan and allow it to simmer and reduce a bit before adding cinnamon, allspice, tomato paste, and crushed tomatoes.

Allow the sauce to simmer uncovered for approximately 30 minutes so that excess liquid can evaporate.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

White Sauce:

Melt butter over low heat. Using a whisk, add flour to melted butter whisking continuously to make a smooth paste. Allow the flour to cook for a minute but do not allow it to brown.

Add warmed milk to mixture in a steady stream, whisking continuously.

Simmer over low heat until it thickens a bit but does not boil.

Add a little to the egg yolks and whisk to mix.

Add the mixture back into the sauce and mix well.

Add a pinch of nutmeg.

Stir until sauce thickens.

Set aside.

Lightly grease large casserole dish.

Place a layer of potatoes on the bottom.

Top with a layer of meat sauce.

Spoon over 1/3 of the sauce.

Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese.

Repeat.

Top with remaining cheese.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for 40-45 minutes or until cheese is a nice golden brown color.

Allow to cool for 15 – 20 minutes before serving.

Expat Alien

foreign in my own country

lamb

Lamb Stew

Lamb Stew

Greek Power Food

Food Friday: Shepherd’s Pie

Food Friday: Potato Lamb Casserole