Ground Lamb with Potatoes, Garlic, and Rosemary

One of my mom's go-to dinners when I was growing up, was Hamburger and Potatoes. It was a great dish of fried potatoes, hamburger, onion, a splash or worcestershire and soy sauces, a bit of seasoned salt... Fairly simple - and a great way to stretch a pound of ground beef.

Fast-forward 60 years, and it's a dish I still make now and again. Total comfort food.

I was thawing a pound of ground lamb the other day, and wondering what sort of exotic meal I could make. While I was looking at ground lamb kabobs or lamb sausage patties, Victor focused on something closer to the hamburger and potatoes of my youth - Ground Lamb with Potatoes, Garlic, and Rosemary from a website called My Heart Beets. He showed me the recipe and dinner was in the making!

The recipe was pure simplicity.

The dish probably won't win any awards for presentation, but it definitely wins them for flavor!

 

Ground Lamb and Potatoes with Garlic and Rosemary

adapted from My Heart Beets

  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • 1 pound ground lamb
  • 1 lb potato medley cut in half (or a pound of potatoes cubed in 1" pieces)
  • 1 onion diced
  • 1 Serrano pepper minced
  • 5 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons minced rosemary fresh
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Heat oil in large skillet. Add potatoes and cook for about five minutes, covered. Uncover, add onion, and cook until onion is wilted.

Add ground lamb and cook until lamb is almost cooked through.

Stir in garlic, rosemary, salt, pepper, turmeric, and paprika. Cook until lamb is fully cooked and potatoes are tender.

Don't skimp on the garlic or the rosemary. Use it all. It balances the lamb perfectly.

It's definitely something that will fit into the monthly rotation!

 

 


Flank Steak Caprese

Flank Steak Caprese

We had dinner with my sister and her wife, last night. Dinner at their house is always a treat, because little sister is such a great cook. Between us, she is the better cook, by far. She has an intuitive style that is unbeatable.

When we arrived, she had zucchini fritters waiting for us. They had another monster from their garden and needed to do something other than sauté as a side... Naturally, I didn't get a picture or a recipe, but suffice to say, they were delicious.

The actual dinner was exceptional. A marinated flank steak with blistered tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil,

Flank Steak Caprese

and a fresh spinach and ricotta bruschetta...

Too awesome for mere words...

The flank steak was marinated in a balsamic marinade and grilled to perfection. I didn't get a recipe, but your favorite balsamic concoction would work quite well. Save some to drizzle over everything to finish... The cherry tomatoes - also from their garden - were placed into a cast iron skillet with just a bit of oil and allowed to blister.

The grilled steak went on the platter, the tomatoes on top, chunks of fresh mozzarella on top of that, fresh basil, and a good drizzle of the balsamic marinade - along with the juices collected in the plate before slicing.

The bruschetta was another total delight.

Fresh spinach sautéed with garlic and crushed red pepper... ricotta and cream cheese melted in, spread onto slices of sourdough, topped with parmesan, and then under the broiler. A crispy gooey taste sensation.

My stomach is smiling just thinking of it...

 

 


salad

Summer Salads

Fresh produce abounds!

Our garden hasn't been quite as bountiful as we had hoped, but it's coming along. It's been so hot we've been having blossom drop on both tomatoes and peppers - flowers come in and then wither. After 20 years on the east coast, we're dealing with a bit of a west coast learning curve. Next year should be better, global warming permitting...

In the meantime, though, the stuff coming in is excellent! And we have a great Farmer's Market on Saturdays, as well! There really is nothing better than home-grown or locally-sourced food.

We love Summer Produce, and salads are one of the best ways of being able to enjoy a bunch of different things.

salad

This particular salad really did have it all:

  • Roasted Golden Beets
    • Beets roasted on the grill with olive oil and garlic.
  • Green Bean Salad
    • Blanched green beans with thinly-sliced leeks, olive oil, white wine vinegar, S&P
  • Tomato Salad
    • Fresh tomatoes from our garden, thinly-sliced red onion, garlic, olive oil, drizzle of red wine vinegar, S&P
  • Roasted Broccoli
    • Roasted in a grill pan on the grill with olive oil, S&P
  • 4-Bean Salad
    • Four different canned beans, drained and rinsed, roasted red pepper, onion, garlic, BBQ sauce, mayo, S&P
  • Bacon
  • Avocado
  • Hard-Cooked Eggs
  • Two Lettuces - Romaine and Red Leaf
  • Bleu Cheese Dressing

Perfection on an oval plate.

In other gardening news...

The cherries are done for the season - and they have made a sticky mess in the front. Now that we know what to expect, we're going to have to make an effort to get higher into the tree to harvest more. Definitely live and learn. The plum tree is coming along nicely. Plums are turning purple - but still way too hard to pick or eat.

There are at least six eggplants coming ion - and more on the way. We fried up our first harvest of hot peppers and have been enjoying them on sandwiches.

Harvested about a pound of potatoes - dinner tomorrow night - and we may see beets in a week or so.

We're not hurting for food around here - that's for damned sure.

 

 


Take Me Out To The Ball Game

Take me out to the ball game, Take me out with the crowd...

And they did…

I am married to and related to people who take great delight in arranging surprise birthday celebrations. Knowing this, I decided to head them off, this year, by saying I wanted to go to a baseball game – the local High A team The Hillsboro Hops.

As per usual, the joke was on me… My thought was we’d buy the tickets and whatever food and beverages the folks wanted. Simple and basic.

Victor, of course, had other plans…

He took care of the arrangements and decided to go for the MVP Birthday Package. Okay, it’s my birthday… go for it.  It sounded great until I heard him discussing it on the phone with the event coordinator…

It came with:

  • Food and Beverage Credits for each ticket
  • Birthday Cake
  • Ball signed by the Team
  • Name on the message board…

all of which was fine. And then I heard:

  • Throw out the first pitch.

My first reaction was – loudly, while he was on the phone – I’m not throwing out a [insert expletive here] ball.

My second reaction – when I realized I was throwing out the first pitch – was despair. I really hate being the center of attention – and throwing out a first pitch is pretty much the ultimate in being center of attention.

Give me a hole, let me crawl in and die.

Fortunately, my nephew, Bill, took pity on me and we did some practicing. Let’s face it – star athlete, I am not.

So… out to the mound we went. Standing there, I hear “Let’s give it up for Viet Nam Veteran Tim Dineen celebrating his 69th birthday with us, today.”

There was the roar of the crowd, and I prayed for the earth to open and swallow me. It didn’t happen, so I threw the damned ball.

It was painful, but I got through it. And the rest of the day was pure fun.

We had the new twins show up for their very first baseball game and the Hops beat the Tri City Dust Devils 10 – 2. It was pretty sweet.

Another cool thing was we were there for one of several “Soñadores de Hillsboro” games, where the team sports a different logo representing the Hispanic community. It’s great to see real outreach into the community.

First pitches, aside, it was a great day. We all had a total blast and a fun day in the sun.

And if you have a minor league team near by, I highly recommend going to a few games. They are fun.

And next year?!? I could see us at the ballpark with the family, again… But I think I’ll pass on the MVP Package…


Fig & Aleppo Pepper Chicken

Fig and Aleppo Pepper Chicken

I visited my local Trader Joe’s yesterday. I have to admit I don’t shop there nearly as much as I did when we were in Pennsylvania.

It’s really not as much fun walking through the store and not stopping to speak with people. Granted, I spent almost 17 years working at #632, so I knew customers and crew members, alike. I couldn’t take three steps without running into someone I knew, get a hug, catch up on gossip… It was a social outing more than a shopping outing. Getting groceries was almost an afterthought.

Today, I’m the invisible shopper. I come in, walk the aisles, get my stuff – and nary a comment, word, or eye contact from the staff. Any conversations have been initiated by me. It’s odd. The stores are familiar – yet alien – at the same time.

And then there’s the products…

Things have changed just a bit since I started working for them back in 2001. They’re no longer the cheapskate company going into 2nd-tier strip malls for cheap rents. They’ve gone high-end – and their prices show it.

Yeah… they’ve maintained prices on a lot of things – Organic Ketchup is still $1.99 – but I can get a lot of things cheaper at Safeway or WinCo. They’re really pushing the limit on a lot of items.

That being said… I did pick up some unique things while I was there – first was a Honey Aleppo Sauce – $3.99 for a 10 oz bottle (about $48.00/gal.) I also picked up some fresh figs – $4.99/lb.

My mind went right to my Demo Cooking days – they became the base for dinner.

Victor and I both love the sweet/hot / sweet/savory combinations, so figs and aleppo just seemed to be the right combination.

We use aleppo pepper a lot in the house – it adds a lot of flavor with just a bit of heat. And we use it in a lot of non-traditional ways. It adds flavor to any cuisine.

The aleppo sauce seemed like the perfect foil for chicken.

Chicken with Figs and Aleppo

  • 4 boneless chicken breasts
  • 1 lb fresh figs
  • 1 large onion
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 roasted red pepper, drained and sliced into strips
  • 1/2 bottle Honey Aleppo Sauce

I grilled the chicken – first rubbing it with a bit of S&P, aleppo pepper, and garlic powder.

Meanwhile, I cut the onion into wide strips and sautéed them in a bit of olive oil. I added the broth, brought it to a boil, reduced it by a third, and then added the aleppo sauce, red pepper strips, and the figs that I cut in half.

When the chicken was nearly done, I added it to the pan, covered, and let it simmer about 10 minutes until the chicken was completely cooked.

Served with rice made with Milk Street Rice Spice Blend – something I received for renewing my subscription.

A pretty good meal, if I do say so, m’self.

My mind really did kick into former Demo Cooking days… I could see this sauce in a beef stew – sort of a riff on a Hungarian Goulash – or a Shrimp and Grits-type meal…

Lots of possibilities.

Let’s hope it’s actually available next time I go shopping.


Italian Cherry Liqueur

Last week, after bottling our latest batch of Limoncello, our nephew remarked that we should make a batch with cherries - since we just seem to have a few of them...

Challenge, accepted!

We found a recipe online and with a couple of tweaks, Italian Cherry Liqueur has been started.

Started, because this is going to be a loooooong process.

The first step is soaking the cherries and sugar together for 2 weeks.

The second step is to add the vodka and let it steep for three months. THEN...

It's strained, bottled, and ages another three months.

This is going to be a Christmas Beverage!

 

Italian Cherry Liqueur

This is the first stage - the sugar and cherries. The recipe calls for using half of the pits, as well. I put them in cheesecloth, because we plan on using the cherries for Christmas Cookies!

Italian Cherry Liqueur

adapted from Italy Magazine

  • 2 kg cherries
  • 2 ltr 100 proof vodka
  • 750 g sugar

Cut and wash the cherries, discarding half the pits.

Place the remaining pits on a clean cloth and break with a hammer.

Combine the pieces of pits and cherries in a glass jar.

Cover fruit and pits with sugar and seal in container to age.

Shake fruit mixture several times during the first two weeks.

Add the alcohol and place mixture in a cool, dark area and set aside to macerate for three months.

Using a fine muslin bag or wire mesh strainer, pour aged mixture through cloth/mesh to strain.

Reserve filtered liquid, placing in a new bottle to age for three months or more.

 

Update September 26, 2021:

It's bottled!

Now... It sits for another few months!


BBQ Sauce

Cherry Chipotle BBQ Sauce

When we bought our home in the fall of 2020, we [obviously] knew we had several trees in our front yard. What we didn't know, was that one of them is a Cherry Tree!

Cherry Tree

What a surprise! We started by not believing they would be edible, to watching them fall from the tree as unripened fruit. That concerned us, a bit, until we learned that cherry trees will regularly drop 30% of their unripened fruit to concentrate on the remaining. Yeah, Mother Nature.

We're still not sure what variety it is, but our across the street neighbor with the same tree said it is definitely not a Rainier Cherry - and we're both experiencing a bumper crop. Yeah, Mother Nature, again.

Regardless of the variety - they are good!

Today, I decided it was time to start doing things with them - there are just sooooo many! First order of business - Barbecue Sauce. It's officially grilling season here in the Pacific Northwest and I do love our new gas grill...

Plus... I just bought a new cherry pitter. I've had a hand-held pitter for 25 years or so - and it's been great for doing enough cherries for a pie - but we're talking a whole tree, here! Time to up the game.

It worked great.

Cherry Chipotle BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 cups pitted cherries
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/3 cup orange juice
  • 3 tbsp molasses
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 (or more) chipotle chilis in adobo
  • 2 tsp dry ground mustard
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • Salt & pepper, to taste

Method:

Heat about 2 tbsp oil in a medium-sized saucepan and cook the onions and garlic until soft and translucent.

Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes.

Using an immersion blender, blend until reasonably smooth and continue simmering another 15 minutes. Allow to cool for 20-30 minutes.

Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree until smooth.

Bottle and refrigerate.

BBQ Sauce

I don't have the proper caps for canning, right now, so it's definitely keep refrigerated. If you want, you can do a boiling water process for 15 minutes.

It's going to be fun to see what else we can come up with!

 

 

 


KitchenAid mixer

Fixing The KitchenAid

I bought this KitchenAid mixer 32 or 33 years ago. It's always run well - but it has always run fast. The Stir/1 speed has always been like 3  on other KitchenAid's I have used.

It's never been a huge issue - obviously I've dealt with it for more than 30 years - but recently, I bought a new paddle - one that scrapes the side of the bowl as it mixes - and every time I turned on the mixer, flour went flying.

I was making a cake this morning and... it did it again. For the last time.

I finally decided I needed to deal with it, and went to look for a KitchenAid repair service nearby. On a lark, I typed in Adjust KitchenAid mixer speed into Google. The first thing that came up was a YouTube video from a woman showing how to adjust the speed. The second video was from KitchenAid explaining how to install a new speed control and adjust the speed!

Both videos stated that the mixer should rotate at 60 revolutions per minute. Mine was spinning at 160. A simple adjustment with a philips head screwdriver has it back to the optimum 60 RPM.

30+ years and all it took was literally a minute and a screwdriver.

Needless to say, I am psyched! The timing is perfect, too. I was beginning to get a bit of KitchenAid Envy because friends of ours just updated theirs. I was vacillating between I don't really need a new one and new, shiny, and bigger - I can make double batches of things. Not needing a new one has won out!

YouTube. Gotta love it.

 

KitchenAid mixer


Irish Tacos

I receive a few food-related emails every day - what a shock - and one from the New York Times had an Irish Taco made with corned beef and coleslaw.

Corned beef and coleslaw. How could it be wrong?!?

The concept is similar to a Corned Beef Special - a sandwich of corned beef and coleslaw on rye - but with a taco twist.

This is highly recommended!

I cooked off a small corned beef brisket, let it cool, and then shredded the meat. Right before serving, I put the shredded beef into a hot skillet and warmed it and slightly browned it a bit. We then topped it with coleslaw - not just any coleslaw, mind you, but Nancy's Mom's Coleslaw. It's become my favorite coleslaw recipe. It's simple and honest - no odd ingredients fighting for prominence - just excellent flavor.

Nancy's Mom's Coleslaw

Jane Mitchell via Nancy Mitchell

  • 1 lg head cabbage, shredded
  • 2 medium carrots, shredded
  • 1 tsp Celery seed
  • 2 or 3 green onions, chopped
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup vinegar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • dash of pepper
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • mayonnaise to taste

Mix and chill. It’s that simple!

Jane used white vinegar which ads the perfect acidity without imparting unnecessary flavors. Mayonnaise to taste was probably about a cup, based on the amount of cabbage.

We used street taco shells as well as small tostada shells and topped them off with guacamole and sour cream. The perfect flavor combination.

And then, for grins and giggles, I made a baked tomato rice dish based on a recipe I found on the NY Times website. I used plain white rice, canned stewed tomatoes, and a habanero pepper...

A fun twist on a classic and definitely a fun meal.

You don't need to wait for St Patrick's Day to make this, either - corned beef is available year-round!


Lentils and Orzo

Lentils and Orzo

Here's a hearty meal that can be meaty, vegetarian, or even vegan just by swapping out a couple of ingredients - and it's simple to make! I used chicken broth and put a fried egg on top, but you could easily use vegetable broth or water and serve it sans egg. Or... really meat it up and add sausage or chicken chunks... or any number of clean-out-the-'fridge-vegetables...

The concept comes from the NY Times Cooking section. Their recipe calls for topping the dish with cheese. I thought an egg was even better... It also called for coriander seed... I used a bit of ground coriander. It worked fine.

Lentils and Orzo

Lentils and Orzo with Roasted Eggplant

adapted from The NY Times

  • 1 1/2 pounds eggplant (2 small or 1 large, skin on, or peeled, if desired), chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, crushed
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 cup dried lentils
  • 5 cups chicken or vegetable stock, or water
  • 1/2 cup orzo
  • Zest and juice from 1 lemon

Instructions

Heat the oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, toss the eggplant with 1/4 cup olive oil and crushed coriander seeds until coated; season with salt and pepper. Arrange in an even layer on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast until eggplant is tender and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, giving the baking sheet a shake halfway through roasting to toss the eggplant pieces for even cooking.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium. Add the carrot, onion and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomato paste begins to darken on the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the lentils until coated. Pour in stock or water and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower to medium and simmer until lentils are tender, 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the type and age of lentils you use.

Stir in the orzo and cook until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon zest and juice.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with the roasted eggplant pieces and a fried egg, if desired.

The entire dish is done in the time it takes to roast the eggplant, so it's a definite weeknight-get-it-on-the-table-quick meal!

 


Zupfe Loaf with Asiago, Parmesan, and Romano

It's a gorgeous day in the neighborhood... Sunshine and blue skies - and about 45°F. A perfect day to make a pot of soup and a loaf of bread.

We received our first Imperfect Foods delivery, yesterday, so a Carrot Soup was a definite. I started off with a Jacques Pépin recipe for a Cream of Carrot Soup, but ended up winging it. It's soup. It's pretty difficult to screw up. Immersion blender and regular blender are still with Bekins, but we brought the food processor and KitchenAid mixer with us - shipped in the trunk of the car. Every now and again there's a streak of brilliance...

Carrot Soup

  • Carrots
  • Leeks
  • Potato
  • Garlic
  • Bell Pepper
  • Chicken Broth
  • Aleppo Pepper
  • Thyme
  • Crushed Red Pepper
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Roasted Carrots
  • Sour Cream

Sauté the leeks in a bit of olive oil. Add the garlic and peppers and wilt. Add the carrots and potato, and then the broth. bring to a boil and add the herbs and spices. Cover and simmer until carrots and potato are completely falling apart. Puree.

Meanwhile, roast a few carrots until desired doneness. Add to pureed soup.

Top with sour cream, if desired.

Carrot Soup

The bread recipe comes from The Great British Bake Off. Their version had a six-way braid. I did six strands but did a traditional 3-strand braid by doubling the strands. Mama didn't raise no fool!

Their bread also called for Gruyère, but we had the other cheeses in the house so I used them. Variations on a theme...

Zupfe Loaf with Asiago, Parmesan, and Romano

Ingredients

  • 500ml/18fl oz whole milk
  • 1 heaped tsp fast action dried yeast
  • 500g/1lb 2oz strong white bread flour
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp caster sugar
  • 50g/1¾oz butter, softened
  • 55g/2oz Asiago, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses, grated
  • 1 free-range egg, beaten

Method

Warm 150ml/5fl oz of the milk in a small pan to blood temperature then mix in the yeast and set it aside until the mixture becomes frothy.

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the yeast mixture, the butter, cheese blend, and the remaining milk and knead the mixture for about 10 minutes, adding a little more flour if needed.

Place the dough in a large, clean bowl, cover with a dry tea towel and set aside in a warm place until it has doubled in size – about one and a half hours.

Remove the dough from the bowl, divide it into six equal portions and roll each into a long strand. Pinch the strands together at the top, plait together loosely and place on a greased baking tray.

Brush the loaf with the beaten egg and place in a cold oven. Turn the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3 and bake the loaf for 45-50 minutes or until the loaf is golden-brown and the bottom sounds hollow when its tapped.

Bread

The bread is rich and a bit Challah-like - but with tons of flavor from the cheese.

We're getting settled in, but I really miss not having my kitchen set up! I want to stop camping and get down to business!!

8 more days... and then a 3-day reprieve and the carpet is being installed.

Oy...


Bread and Soup

Fresh Bread in the New Home

It's Day Four of being in the new home. A few kinks to work out - especially since we won't see our furniture for another 11 days! It was a Bekins mix-up. Oh well, shit happens, right?!? Fortunately, my sister and sister-in-law came through with some pots and pans, dishes and glassware to see us through.

On Day Two, I went shopping and decided to make a big pot of soup. It was wet and rainy, so soup sounded right. I had originally planned it as a lunch meal, but Victor suggested having it for dinner - so... I decided at the last minute to bake a loaf of bread to go along with it!

Not all bread takes hours to rise and bake... James Beard has several recipes that call for single rise, no rise, start in cold oven... and they're all good loaves!

I went with his 20 minute rest/rise loaf - and it was perfect.

James Beard Single Rise Loaf

  • 2 package of active dry yeast
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water (100-115 degrees)
  • 3 to 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 egg white beaten with 1tbsp water
  • course salt, sesame seeds, or poppy seeds

In a large mixing bowl combine water, yeast and sugar. Let proof about 5 minutes. Add oil and 1/4 cup flour. Mix.

Add salt. Add 1/2 cup of flour and continue mixing.  Slowly add remaining flour.

Knead for several minutes until the dough springs back and is satiny and smooth. It is a fairly wet dough.

Form into a loaf about 20 to 22 inches long, let loaf rest about 20 minutes.

Brush lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with salt or seeds.

Bake in a preheated 300°F oven about 55 minutes.

Bread and Soup

The soup was beef and chorizo with carrots, celery, onion, green beans, diced tomatoes, and cannellini beans. The perfect first home-cooked meal!

After 55 days, it is a lot of fun being back in a real kitchen! I really cannot wait to have all of our kitchen equipment here and in place. I have no idea where everything is going to fit, but it's going to be a lot of fun figuring it all out.

More meals to come!!