Recipes

A fall family favorite, served with crusty French bread and a nice Argentine Malbec.

 

Yummy Lamb Stew

 

  • 1 1/2 pounds lamb stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 3 3×1/2-inch strips lemon peel
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 small bay leaves
  • 2 cups low-salt chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 4 medium carrots (about 8 ounces), peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 cup frozen petite peas
  • Chopped fresh parsley
  • Pinch tarragon

Place lamb in large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add flour and toss to coat. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add half of lamb and sauté until brown, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer lamb to medium bowl. Repeat with remaining lamb. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same pot. Add bell pepper, onion, lemon peel, garlic, and bay leaves. Sauté until onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Return lamb and any accumulated juices to pot. Add broth and tomato paste. Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer 50 minutes. Add carrots; cover and simmer until lamb and carrots are tender, about 20 minutes longer. Add peas and tarragon. Simmer uncovered until peas are tender and gravy thickens, about 5 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Season stew to taste with salt and pepper; ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with parsley.

 

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 This is a beautiful, light salad from Annette’s sister-in-law, Donna.  She serves it on a large white platter.  It makes a great presentation and doubles as a perfect light appetizer. If she serves it again this summer, Annette will get a picture. (FYI–EVOO, an acronym for Extra Virgin Olive Oil-had to google it.  Oh, duh.)

“Just a few notes: I actually used 6 oranges.  I used a chef’s knife to cut the peel off so that the slices had a clean edge without the white pith.  I doubled the dressing but I did not actually use very much of it.  I spooned out the solids from the dressing and sprinkled that over the oranges and asparagus, then drizzled just a little of the dressing.  The oranges and asparagus have such great flavor on their own that it really doesn’t need much dressing.  However, the solids from the dressing are a nice addition I think.”

 Enjoy!

Donna

Orange and Asparagus Salad

Ingredients
 4 organic seedless oranges, peeled and sliced into discs
 Salt
 1 bundle thin asparagus
 1/3 cup EVOO 
 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
 About 1 tablespoon thyme finely chopped
 1 teaspoon sugar
 Salt and pepper
 1 large shallot, finely chopped
 1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
Yields: Serves 4
Preparation
Bring 2 inches of water to low, rolling boil, salt, water.
Meanwhile, add chopped shallots to small pot with salt, pepper, sugar, thyme, vinegar, juice of 1 lemon, heat just to melt sugar and infuse vinegar, add to small bowl and whisk in EVOO.
Cook asparagus in boiling water 2-3 minutes, drain.
Arrange oranges on plate with parsley. Chop asparagus into 2 inch pieces and scatter over oranges, dress salad and serve.

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Always wanted to make great corn tortillas yourself? Here’s an easy video telling you how to make them at home.  Great with authentic New Mexican Green Chile Stew. Recipe below.

 

New Mexican Green Chile Stew

 A fragrant, spicy, flavorful, comforting, authentic New Mexican pork stew.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 pounds boneless pork, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 cups peeled and chopped fresh tomatoes
  • 2 cups roasted, chopped green chilies or 2 7-ounce cans green chilies, drained and 1 fresh jalapeno chopped (you can buy New Mexico green chile @ http://www.hatch-chile.com/)
  •  1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 2-3 cups chicken broth (to your taste for thickness)

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in 4-quart Dutch oven with cover. Add pork and cook until lightly browned. Add onion and garlic and stir with meat. Add flour and stir 1-2 minutes. Add tomatoes, green chiles, jalapeno (if using), salt, pepper and sugar. Mix to incorporate. Add broth. Lower heat. Cover pot and simmer for 1- 1 1/2 hours until meat is tender.
  2. Serve with flour or corn tortillas.