Lens, Lamb, Shopping, Book, Movie,

Ain't life great? I just lost the lens in my glasses, it just popped out. I tried to pop it back but it wouldn't stay. Needless to say, optometrists are closed. I left a message. How much of an emergency they will consider it, I don't know, I have an old pair of glasses which I am using now, having trouble though. I have moved my monitor so it is lower. It's OK, but.......

This afternoon I made the Lamb Jalfreezi which I posted a couple of days ago. What I did was to assemble the ingredients, I then put some olive oil in the Instant Pot, turned it on to sauté and cooked the onions for a while until soft. I then basically added everything else except the lamb. Put the lid on and set it for 15 minutes. Nicely under way and realised I had forgotten the peppers!! Decided to leave it. When it was cooked I let it release naturally and then took off the lid and added the peppers. The recipe called for 1 1/4 lbs of cooked lamb, guess what, that is exactly what I had left. So I cut it into bite sized pieces and shoved it in the pot as well then set it for another 5 minutes. Once I could open the pot again, I tasted it, it needed at least another teaspoon of salt but otherwise wasn't bad at all. I think I will serve it with cauliflower rice.

Tomorrow I get my shopping, we have been managing on scraps for lunch the last two or three days. Matt finished his luncheon meat so I cooked him some hard boiled eggs in the Pot and he has been having those in his sandwich. Sometimes I mixed them with mayonnaise and French mustard, plus salt, and sometimes he wanted them plain. I am now the proud possessor one egg which I guess I will have to cook for him and find something else for me. Thanks grocery store and/or Covid 19.

So long as I am sitting in the right place, the typing seems to be going OK.

Did I mention Dancing with Dementia by Jemi Frsaser? I thought I had it bad, but Jemi and her sister ended up with both their mother and step-father having dementia. I seems much worse when you are not living with your loved one, you don't cotton on to what is happening for a long time. The book is both funny and tragic. Well worth a read and it doesn't cost much. Actually I am surprised just how many books there are available to do with living with dementia. This book does suggest coping strategies which may end up being useful to me. It is well written and certainly for those of us in the situation, well worth reading. I  have actually been in touch with Jemi, she lives in Ontario and oddly enough I "met her" through Elephant's Child where Sue recommended the book. Talk about world wide, Sue from EC lives in Australia.

Just watched Unforgiven with Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman and Gene Hackman. Great movie. Enjoyed it. Not sure Matt did. He went to bed before it finished. I do like Clint Eastwood and/or his movies. This was no exception. Made in 1992, incredible, I thought it was more recent than that.

My only problem with this recipe is I would use garlic and grated fresh ginger. Otherwise sounds pretty good.

Healthier Honey-Sesame Chicken

This is a 'healthier' version of honey-sesame chicken. It is baked instead of fried and the chicken is

not battered, making it healthier. All the flavors are here and the only thing sacrificed are the calories! Serve over rice with additional sauce on the side.

1/3 cup honey
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup olive oil
2 Tbs sesame seeds
2 Tbs reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbs Sriracha sauce
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp ground ginger
1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes

1. Mix honey, ketchup, olive oil, sesame seeds, soy sauce, lemon juice, Sriracha sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and ginger in a bowl until well combined. Add chicken pieces and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 6 hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C).

3. Transfer chicken and sauce into an oven-proof dish.

4. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and turn chicken pieces over. Bake until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, 5 to 8 more minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C)

Servings: 3

Source: allrecipes

Have a great day
 

Lamb, Corn, Mousse,

I did lamb chops in the Instant Pot again, they were absolutely delicious. However, Matt isn't too happy with bones so I am going to see if I can slice up the leg of lamb I have in the freezer to make "steaks" which I could cook the same way.. I just learned something - I had always understood a gigot of lamb was sliced leg, but it appears it is actually the whole leg of lamb. Taken me around 65 years to learn that.

Don't tell ladydog, but I bought a couple of ears of local corn when I was at the Victoria St. Market on Saturday. I know she wouldn't approve because, being able to get corn right from the farm, she wouldn't think it was fresh enough. However, it was delicious just the same. I cook mine in the microwave, in the husks, for 3 minutes and they come out perfectly. Matt doesn't like corn unless it's done on the barbecue so I hogged them to myself. I don't put butter on them, better for me and they taste very good just plain. Actually, I tasted a kernel which hadn't been cooked the other day and it was delicious, which made me wonder why we cook them anyway. If you try them in the microwave, chop off the stalk end so the cob shows. When you remove the corn from the microwave, shake it by the end with the silk and everything comes off clean.

Sunday evening I made this dessert. I had some goat cheese left over from the tomatoes the other day so Googled and this is what I found. I didn't have any blueberries so I used strawberries. The desserts were pronounced delicious by both of us. I did the strawberries at the last minute as I hadn't realised they needed cooking. Once finished I put them in the freezer for about half an hour or so until they were good and cold - not frozen of course. We have two more of these for dessert tomorrow. It's no wonder I am gaining weight what with corn and this mousse.







Goat Cheese Mousse

1/4 cup heavy cream
3 Tbs sugar
8 oz Greek full fat yogurt
4 oz Goat cheese
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
Blueberry Compote:
1 pint blueberries
1 Tbs sugar
Zest of one lemon
pinch of salt

1. Make the blueberry compote by adding the blueberries, sugar, lemon zest and salt to a pot.  Cook on medium low heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved.  The blueberries should be a bit soft but still maintain their shape.  Allow to cool slightly and refrigerate for at least half an hour.

2. Make the mousse by whipping together the heavy cream and sugar, either with a stand or hand mixer.  Beat in the yogurt, goat cheese, vanilla and salt.  Pour evenly into four 8 oz. jars or glasses and refrigerate for about an hour to firm up. When ready to serve, top each with an equal amount of the blueberry compote.

Servings: 4

Source: The Hungry Couple

Have a great day
 

DVD, Baking, Pavlova,

Friday evening I was somewhat frustrated. I decided to watch the DVD of Rogue One and found that it wouldn't play on either computer or my DVD player. Don't know what's the matter with the DVD but it sure didn't work for us. I decided to try it again and despite trying twice before, this time it seemed to work. Later in the evening I put it on and started to watch and roughly half way through it started seizing up. In the end I gave up.

I was cooking a recipe for Crispy Lamb on Saturday - I have made it once before, but this time I noticed it called for scallions, but only the green and white parts!!

For dessert on Saturday I used my shop bought Pavlova shell. Not surprised but somewhat disappointed that it was cracked when I opened the box. However, I filled the centre with whipped cream and added strawberries. Not many, but served it with a bowl of macerated berries too. It was delicious. I will certainly buy one of these shells again. The centre is not very deep so more cream could be added somewhere. Made a good dessert for Canada day. Talking of which, there are presently lots of fireworks, noisy ones, being let off outside our windows. Today is the day but I imagine the main shows will be on Monday.

So then we watched The Great British Baking Show and was quite surprised that the competitors were asked to make individual Yorkshire Puddings with fillings. I had never heard of that before, some of the fillings looked quite delicious. I then looked for a picture and liked the look of these so much, I saved the recipe. I love smoked salmon almost any which way. The recipe doesn't say whether the oven temp should be C or F so I have asked R.R. Spink for clarification.  I am pretty sure they mean centigrade. Being somewhat lazy these days, I might well try this with pre-made Yorkshire puds. I would only want a few anyway so hardly worth making a whole batter.

Cold Smoked Salmon with Crushed Peas in Mini Yorkshire Puddings with Horseradish

Using delightfully British ingredients, this is one of our most imaginative smoked salmon recipes and works wonderfully for party canapés, or even as a light lunch snack.

1 packet of R.R. Spink and Sons Cold Smoked Salmon (100g)
150 g peas, fresh or frozen
1 small bunch of mint
100 ml fresh ricotta cheese
1 thumb sized piece of fresh horseradish (or 1 tbsp horseradish sauce)
Half a lemon, juice and zest
Pea shoots, to garnish

For the Yorkshire puddings

Sunflower or vegetable oil
2 large free range eggs
100 g plain flour
100 ml milk
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Pre-heat the oven to 225°

2. Place a teaspoon of oil into each cavity of a small muffin tin or cupcake tin; place in the oven to heat for 10-15 minutes until smoking hot.

3. Meanwhile, mix the milk, eggs and flour together to make a batter the consistency of double cream, season with salt and pepper.

4. Carefully, remove the muffin tray from the oven and fill each section ¾ full with the batter. Bake for 12-15 minutes until crisp and golden.

To make filling:

5. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil over a high heat, and the peas and cook for 3 minutes, then remove from the heat and drain.

6. Cool the peas in a bowl of iced water for 5 minutes, drain and leave to drip dry for a further 5 minutes.

7. Once thoroughly drained, put he peas in a food processor and pulse until you get rough puree.

8. Grate the horseradish into the pea puree, then fold in the ricotta cheese, lemon juice and zest. Season with salt and black pepper.

9. Spoon some of the pea mixture into the warm Yorkshire puddings then top with the smoked salmon. Garnish with the peas shoots and a wedge of lemon.


Source: R.R. Spink and Sons

Have a great day
 

Laundry Increase, Exercises, Pest Control, Bowling, Lamb,

One more day!!

In my bed bug saga I have mentioned the vast sums of money we have been spending on laundry. Just to encourage us, the laundry owners have put the price up by 25 cents. Not a lot, but it mounts up. It's not the building management, the laundry machines are contracted out.

Also, I said exercises were starting on Wednesday. Two people, one from the Community Services Group and one from the building management called me early to tell me they were postponed for a week. The realty owner was very apologetic.

This morning, Thursday, we have to get up at the crack of dawn because the Pest Control company is coming to inspect us. (Don't they know retired people don't necessarily prepare for the day that early?) I honestly don't know if we still have bed bugs or not. Haven't seen any and have slept quite peacefully for the best part of a week now although I am still nervous going to bed. Our beds are still surrounded by Diatomaceous Earth which is marvellous stuff in my opinion. Wish I hadn't taken notice of the Pest people and tried it out earlier, look at the misery I would have been saved. Mind you I hadn't found the very helpful videos about using it then either.

Thursday afternoon we bowl. More finger crossing please, but my shoulder hasn't been giving me a problem so hopefully things will be better.

I tried the Lamb Stew and Black Olives recipe for Wednesday night supper. Of course mine was pre-cooked lamb so I just added it in long enough to warm through before I was ready to serve. It turned out very well. I think it would work very well with other meats too and will be experimenting.

I got an email today heading Recipes using Leftover Chocolate. What is that?

Here is a vegetarian recipe which I thought sounded good. I love mushrooms and there are lots in this dish.

Spaghetti with Mushroom Bolognese

SERVINGS: 4

Three kinds of mushroom plus eggplant and carrots come together in this satisfying vegetarian

Bolognese from F&W's Kay Chun. Miso is the secret ingredient that adds extra seasoning and depth of flavor.

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 baby eggplant (8 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 pound cremini mushrooms, one-fourth sliced, the rest cut into 1/4-inch dice
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps cut into 1/4-inch dice
Kosher salt
Pepper
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon white miso
One 2-inch chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus grated cheese for serving
One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed
1 thyme sprig
1/2 teaspoon turbinado sugar
12 ounces spaghetti
2 tablespoons chopped parsley


HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
In a small bowl, cover the porcini with 1 cup of boiling water; soak until softened, about 30 minutes. Finely chop the porcini, discarding any tough bits. Pour off and reserve 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid.
In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the onion and carrots and cook over moderate heat until light golden, about 8 minutes. Add the eggplant and 2 tablespoons of the oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8 minutes. Stir in the cremini, shiitake, chopped porcini and the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste and miso and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chunk of cheese, the tomatoes and their juices, the thyme, sugar and reserved mushroom soaking liquid and bring to a simmer.

Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is very thick, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Discard the thyme sprig; season the sauce with salt and pepper. 

In a pot of salted boiling water, cook the spaghetti until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
Add the pasta, pasta water and parsley to the sauce; toss to coat. Serve in bowls, topped with grated cheese.

MAKE AHEAD

The mushroom Bolognese can be refrigerated for 2 days.
Have a great day
 

Balloons, Lamb, Talking about Me

Thursday morning I was sitting at the dining table at 6:30 a.m. eating my breakfast and two balloons came floating by. No wonder I hadn’t seen any lately, I am not normally up at 6 in the morning. However, it made me think, I am sitting there moaning to myself about having to be up so early, what on earth time did the passengers on those balloons have to get up? Actually the balloons were whizzing by, for balloons that is, must have been a pretty good breeze up high. I often thought I would like to do a balloon trip but I am not sure I wouldn’t get vertigo, plus once you land, maybe the basket will fall over, and you are expected to help pack everything up, no thank you.

Terrible thing happened this week *g*, we went to Costco to stock up on meats only to find they had no legs of lamb or lamb chops. What a disaster!! Main thing we went for after all. They did have lamb racks, but in my opinion those are an expensive way of getting rid of cheaper cuts of lamb. Yes, they can be made pretty tasty, but have you ever compared prices? Lamb costs enough in this neck of the woods anyway.

I haven’t time to write this morning, I have a new toy to play with, my cell phone arrived yesterday and is now fully charged up, so ready to be loaded with phone numbers and all that!!!

Yesterday I went to have an ultra sound, basically on my femoral artery which stretches down both legs. They are even more ‘bunged up’ than they used to be and I am only getting 70% blood flow to my legs. Once again the doc. said unless it is interfering with my life, they wouldn’t do anything. Er, excuse me, I can’t go grocery shopping, I have trouble walking to the car in the garage, sometimes even from the bedroom to the living room. I think it is interfering with my life don’t you? It then turns out that this doctor is semi retired so doesn’t operate any more and I have to see someone else from Guelph hospital – I can actually consult with them locally, but if and when I have to have an operation, Guelph is where I have to go. A good half hour’s drive away, possibly a bit more. They always seem to want you there at the crack of dawn as well. Our local hospital does not do these ops any more apparently, but there are two doctors in Guelph who do.

On the news this morning, BP are about to try a new cap for the Gulf oil leak which they hope will make a better seal. Its now something like 81 days since this happened and although some oil has been contained, the wild life and ocean damage is unconscionable.

There is a lot of brou ha ha in the States at the moment about Lebron James (I don’t really know if the spelling is right) a basketball player, who has moved from Cleveland to somewhere in Florida. I have never heard so much nonsense about a ball player, people in Cleveland burning his shirt, crying and screaming he has betrayed them and so on. What a lot of nonsense. To us, its unbelievable.

Eating Well sent an email about meatless main meals recently and here is one which appealed to me and may well appear on our table in the near future, especially as I couldn’t get any lamb LOL

Greek Orzo Stuffed Peppers

From EatingWell: March/April 2009

We steam brightly colored bell peppers in the microwave to save time and then stuff them with orzo, spinach and feta. This basic recipe will work with almost any filling—try substituting different types of cheese, herbs or beans. Serve with whole-wheat pita bread and cucumber salad.

4 servings

Ingredients

4 yellow, orange and/or red bell peppers

1/2 cup whole-wheat orzo

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

6 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1 tsp dried

3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, divided

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, (not oil-packed), chopped

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, or red-wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Halve peppers lengthwise through the stems, leaving the stems attached. Remove the seeds and white membrane. Place the peppers cut-side down in a large microwave-safe dish. Add 1/2 inch water, cover and microwave on High until the peppers are just softened, 7 to 9 minutes. Let cool slightly, drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add orzo and cook until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
3. Mash chickpeas into a chunky paste with a fork, leaving some whole.
4. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 4 minutes. Add spinach and oregano and cook, stirring, until the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in the orzo, chickpeas, 1/2 cup feta, tomatoes, vinegar and salt; cook until heated though, about 1 minute. Divide the filling among the pepper halves and sprinkle each pepper with some of the remaining 1/4 cup feta.

Have a great weekend

Feet and Food and Taxes

Today we have to be measured for our newest orthotics so have to get a move on this morning as we go some distance for this. Can't complain, get some good shoes, lined with orthotics, for nothing. Since I had a hip replacement I have one leg slightly longer than the other which causes a bit of a problem. Takes about three weeks to get the shoes. I will probably have runners again as I seem to live in those more than anything else. Last night we had a nice visit with some friends - had to chuckle though, we were talking about things they don't eat which included sweetbreads which I love and brains, which I know I have eaten but don't remember; in England we eat lamb's brains in the Carolinas they eat pig's brains (brains and eggs for breakfast). Also kidneys and tripe (I don't like tripe I'm afraid) and of course lamb. They DO NOT like lamb or any organ meats (offal) so its always a joke that when they come to dinner I am going to roast lamb and serve maybe kidneys or something. I am told, by those who know, that sheep are the stupidest creatures by the way. This conversation all came about because of the Shepherd's Pie discussion. I did my taxes on Tuesday too, I am quite pleased with myself that that is out of the way. I use an on line tax preparing programme which costs me $26 once I decide to print or file it. I can actually do all my calculations and everything else without paying a cent although I am not quite sure why you would. You can then download the forms and later transmit them to the tax office on line. Its so easy these days. Beats paying over $100 to get someone else to do them for you. We have done that when our stuff was a little more complicated, but I always resented paying so much money for it. Get a small refund and most of it goes to the tax preparer. I am pleased to say we do get a refund. I always remember that April 15th is tax day in the States, it is also a friend's birthday so the two are synonymous in my mind. The following recipe was sent to me by email from My Gourmet Connection and I thought it sounded really delicious. I can see this appearing at our dining table in the not too distant future. I have posted a second picture as I thought you would like to see the meat sliced. Pastry-Wrapped Pork With Brandy-Cider Reduction If you are looking for a recipe with a perfect blend of rich flavor and an elegant presentation for a romantic dinner, you may want to give this one a try. Adapted from a holiday recipe published by Cuisine At Home in 2003, it has become a favorite in our home for a number of years. It is surprisingly easy to prepare, and with a little planning in advance, it really doesn't require a lot of last-minute fuss. For the filling ~ 3 ounces cream cheese 1/3 cup dried apples, chopped 1 tablespoon brandy 1 small clove garlic, finely chopped 2 teaspoons fresh sage, finely chopped For the pork ~ 3 or 4 thin slices prosciutto 1 lb pork tenderloin 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water For the sauce ~ 1 tablespoon butter 1 shallot, minced 1 clove garlic, minced 1-1/2 cups apple cider 1/4 cup brandy 1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped Preparation ~ In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, dried apples, brandy, garlic and sage. Trim any fat and silver skin from the pork, then cut a slit down the length of the tenderloin, about 3/4-inch deep, for the filling. Spread the cream cheese mixture inside the slit and push the tenderloin back together gently. Lay the prosciutto slices side by side on a flat surface. Place the pork, filling side down, on top of them and wrap the slices around the tenderloin until they overlap. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet large enough to hold the pork. Sear the tenderloin on all sides, turning frequently with tongs, until the prosciutto is lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the skillet and refrigerate for about 10 minutes. Trim a strip about 1-1/2-inches wide from one side of the pastry sheet and reserve for decoration. Roll the balance out to a 12 x 15-inch rectangle. Place the pork on the pastry and fold the long sides up over the tenderloin. Press the edges to seal, crimp the ends and fold them under to make rounded ends. If desired, use the reserved pastry to make some decorative cutouts for the top of the pork. Place the tenderloin, seam side down, on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the pastry with the egg wash. Gently press the pastry cutouts on top of the pork and brush the entire tenderloin with the egg wash again. Bake the pork for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Allow it to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing. While the tenderloin bakes, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook until soft and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the apple cider and brandy. Turn up the heat and boil for for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by about half and it reaches a syrup-like thickness. Stir in the chopped sage and transfer to a serving dish. Makes 3 to 4 servings Recipe Notes ~ If your pork tenderloin tapers a lot at one end, try to fold that under a bit prior to wrapping with the prosciutto. Also, when carving the finished tenderloin, make your slices fairly thick ~ about 3/4-inch. I've had the best luck using an electric carving knife, but a sharp bread knife works well too. This will help to keep the pastry intact and give the nicest presentation. Have a great day.

Anyone Out There, Leeches and Stem Cells

Its nice to know that some of the hundreds of dollars I have spent on Microsoft software over the years, is being used to fund SETI Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence. There was a segment about it on Nova Science Now last night. Apparently in 1993 Congress cut off funding for SETI, but now the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation have injected $11.5 million into the research. Paul G. Allen being one of the Microsoft millionaires. If you would like to watch the segment click here and you can do so. You can also, if you would like, download a programme which will help SETI listen for aliens in space. I did this a number of years ago, it actually crunches numbers on your system when you are not using it. These days, my PC isn't sufficiently reliable and would probably seize up instead of crunch up. The programme works a bit like a Screen Saver. Not much to watch, but its nice to know you are doing your part. There was another segment on the re-introduction of leaches into the medical arsenal, you can also watch this segment at PBS.org which will show you a young man who almost lost all his fingers and once they had re-attached everything, one finger would not dispose of the blood being pumped into it, so they used leeches with their anti coagulatory properties to relieve the blood build up and eventually this helped the proper flow of blood to and from his finger. A third segment was about research into stem cells and how they are now able to convert cells from skin back into stem cells which they can then convert to the type of cells they require for repair of various ailments in the body. Again, this can be watched at PBS.org. I found this particularly fascinating because there has been so much problem with ethics regarding the use of embryonic stem cells, and this would hopefully help to eliminate such controversy although one of the scientists did say he wasn't sure this research would completely cut out the need for embryonic stem cells. I know our son-in-law had his stem cells removed and "washed" then put back as an aid to cancer fighting in his body. Crossing one's fingers it seems to have worked and he is much improved. Matt has just read, in the local paper, that we had 50 mm of rain during the storm I told you about on Tuesday night. We are the second wettest town in Canada at the moment. What a difference from last year when everything was so dry. Not that we are as wet as Texas where, thanks to Hurricane Dolly, they are receiving 100 mm an hour. Well, its Thursday, shopping day in this household, Matt is nattering at me to get ready so I had better do so. The following lamb recipe comes from a collection of recipes by a friend who passed away a few years ago and made sure all his recipes were passed on to his internet friends who cooked. We actually were lucky enough to meet both he and his wife when we were in England a few years ago, we stayed with them a couple of days, and I was so very sorry we lost him. I know a lot of people in North America don't like lamb, but for those who do, this is a great recipe.

Abbacchio Alla Cacciatore

1‑1/4 kg new season lamb 10 flat anchovy fillets in oil 1 Teaspoon crushed dried chili's 250 ml dry white wine 60 ml red wine vinegar 3 clove garlic 1 Teaspoon chopped rosemary 1 Teaspoon chopped sage 1 Teaspoon flour olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper

Traditionally this is made with baby lamb. New season's lamb works well but needs a longer cooking time but older lamb would traduce the character of the dish. Cut the meat into 6‑7 cm cubes. Heat 3 tablespoon of olive oil in an ovenproof casserole and brown the well‑seasoned pieces of meat. Add the finely chopped garlic, half the anchovy fillets and half the chili's and stew a few seconds without letting them color. Add the wine and the vinegar, cover and place in a medium oven (Gas Mark 5) for an hour or until the meat is tender. Do not let the liquid reduce too much. If it does, add a drop of water and turn the oven down a notch. In a small bowl mix the herbs with the flour, the remaining anchovy fillets and the rest of the chili's (if you can take it). Moisten with a ladleful of the sauce from the casserole and make a smooth paste. Lift out the meat on to a serving dish and cover with foil to keep it warm. Stir the herb mixture into the cooking liquid, whisk the juices well and bring to the boil. Simmer the sauce for a few minutes to cook the flour and thicken the sauce. Add a squeeze of lemon, some salt and pepper, if necessary, and spoon over the meat.

Have a great day.

Today is Easter

I am exhausted already, I have just washed up enough dishes to stun a restaurant. Well that's what it seems like. Unfortunately, much as I love our apartment, one thing we do not have is a dishwasher and there is no room for one either. No it wasn't really as bad as the picture, just felt like it.

However, dinner went well, the Arugula Salad with Beans and Shrimp was good although I was disappointed in the arugula. I thought it was supposed to have a distinctive taste, but all three of us decided it didn't taste of much at all. Funnily enough not one of us had tried it before. In case you are wondering, it is known as rocket in the UK. The recipe does suggest other types of salad greens including Romaine, so if I make this salad again, that is what I shall be using. The lamb turned out beautifully and so did Matt's roast potatoes. As for the Brie de Meaux, it was just right and delicious. Matt picked up a French batard in the morning and we ate just the bread and cheese which was delicious, we accompanied it with a glass of port although Matt preferred his Shiraz with the cheese.

We have quite a few leftovers so we will be having those for supper tonight. I think there is enough lamb left for a couple of suppers unless I turn it into a shepherd's pie. Talking of which, our visitor last night, who was born and bred in the UK didn't know that a Shepherd's Pie must have lamb, otherwise it is a Cottage Pie. This is a common mistake in North America where lamb is not a favourite meat anyway. Having said all that, this is a recipe we have used a few times and thoroughly enjoyed, even if, technically, it is mis-named.

Texas Shepherd's Pie
Serves: 4

Source: Cooking Light, June 1997

1-1/2 lbs peeled potatoes, cut small
1/3 Cup low fat buttermilk
1 oz butter
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp pepper, divided
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 Cup chopped onion
1/2 Cup chopped celery
1/4 Cup finely chopped carrot
1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
1 tsp instant minced garlic
1-1/2 cups salsa
cooking spray
1/2 cup or 2 oz reduced fat sharp cheddar

Preheat oven to 375 F. Cook potato and drain. Add buttermilk, butter and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Beat until creamed.

Cook meat in a large nonstick skillet over med heat until browned, stirring to crumble; drain. Return to pan. Add remaining condiments, onion, celery, fennel and garlic. Cook over med heat 5 mins or until veg are crisp tender, stirring frequently. Add salsa; simmer over med low for 10 mins. Spoon into 8 " square baking dish, coated with spray. Spread potato over meat. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered for 20 mins or until thoroughly heated.

One thing I forgot to mention, I got my Lindt gold bunny from Matt. Have a great day.