tomato

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.

Baked Pork Chops Smothered in Tomato and Onion

Baked Pork Chops

3 pork loin chops, boneless

½ red onion, sliced

13 oz (390 g) crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon basil (use fresh if you have it)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon butter

¾ cup chicken stock or bouillon

Heat the butter in a frying pan. When pan is hot, add the pork chops and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side just to brown the outside.

Remove the chops and put them in a glass baking dish. Cover the chops with the tomatoes and the onions. Add basil, salt and pepper. Pour the stock over everything.

Cover tightly with tin foil and bake at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes to 1 hour. They should be very tender.

Food Friday: Ratatouille

Ratatouille

Peel, Slice and salt to get rid of excess moisture:

2 1/2 cups diced eggplant

Put in a deep skillet:

1/3 cup olive oil

Saute until golden:

¾ cup thinly sliced onions (red or yellow)

2 cloves garlic

Add:

4 thinly sliced green peppers

3 cups zucchini, cut into cubes

2 cups chopped tomatoes

Add the drained eggplant.

Sprinkle the mixture with:

Olive oil

Add

½ teaspoon oregano and 1 teaspoon basil

Simmer covered over low heat about 45 minutes.

Uncover and continue to heat 15 minutes longer to reduce the mount of liquid

Add:

Salt and fresh pepper

Serve hot or cold with sour cream.

Ratatouille was always a dish we made for New Year’s Eve and ate it along with cheese fondue. It was a perfect match. I recommend it. I have also had it with lamb chops and mashed potatoes and it is delicious.