Easter, A 2 Z, North Korea.

If you celebrate, I hope Easter is going well for you. Unfortunately, it turned out that we couldn’t bowl on Friday because no-one was prepared to work the time. Later, but not whilst we would have been there. Bummer. I was asked to call those that were going to be there and one woman was mightily ticked off. However, just ‘cos we are on vacation all the time, I suppose others need to have their breaks. It’s just disappointing for us. Had to show English Easter Eggs, haven’t seen one like this in years. I loved them, they were so pretty. Of course if half a Lindt Bunny is 270 calories, I dread to think what the calorie count of these eggs would be. I don't suppose it would stop me eating them.

This is my last post before the A to Z Blogfest Challenge. The work is not just writing the posts, but visiting other people’s blogs. We are asked to try and visit 5 other blogs a day, more if possible. Gonna take a lot of work for everyone. As a minion, or Spunky Soldier, I  have been assigned a bunch of blogs I have to keep an eye on. It just occurred to me that I will have a month’s rest from blogging because of the A to Z blogfest for which I have completed all my blogs. Of course I will have to do a lot of reading so it won’t be a complete break. I quite like doing a letter a day. Gives me a leg up on ideas. Sometimes I go to write and haven’t a clue what I want to write about. Giving me a letter is some kind of inspiration.
North Korea has got me in a tizz again. What with all the marching and shouting. I would love to know if the man in the street supports their president or whatever he is called. I can’t believe anyone wants to go to war or to risk being bombed out of existence by the US. I gather a load of dummy bombs were dropped on them which pissed them off even further. Not a good move. I suppose it’s possible that the government have not informed the populace about what is going on in the world just told them what they want them to know. Anyone in this day and age who is not scared of war is a fool.

Lamb is a traditional Easter food in Europe. I would love to do this recipe, but it would be a bit ridiculous for two of us. We actually had lamb chops last night and I am planning turkey for tonight.

Rice Stuffed Crown of Lamb

Tianna Robinson | March 28th, 2013

Create a royal feast for your family this holiday with a crown roast of lamb. Stuffed with an asparagus and shiitake mushroom rice pilaf and topped with an easy to make beurre blanc sauce, this roast contains two dishes in one. Serve with a green salad to complete your majestic table setting
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Lamb:
1 tbsp butter, softened
1 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp each, coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 crown of lamb, made from two 8-rib racks (approx. 4 lbs [2 kg])
Rice:
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup minced shallots
1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
1/2 tsp each, coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1-1/2 cups long grain white rice
1 cup white wine
2 cups chicken broth
3 cups chopped asparagus
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
Sauce:
1 tbsp butter
2 large shallots, minced
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

In a small bowl, stir together butter, mustard, rosemary, salt and pepper to make a paste. Arrange roast in the centre of a roasting pan. Rub paste all over roast. Refrigerate for at least one hour and up to one day.

Meanwhile, in a large deep skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add shallots, stirring often, until tender, but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook stirring often, until golden, about 7 minutes. Stir in rice until well coated with butter and starting to make a popping sound, about one minute. Pour in white wine and let it reduce until almost all absorbed, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, cover and reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer; cook until almost all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 15 minutes.

In a small pot of boiling salted water, cook asparagus for 30 seconds. Rinse quickly under cold water until completely cooled. Gently stir asparagus, lemon zest and mint into the rice mixture. Set aside.

Roast lamb in a 350°F (180°C) oven for 20 minutes. Spoon rice mixture into the centre, and
return to oven until lamb reaches desired doneness, about 15 minutes for medium rare 160°F (70°C) (time will vary significantly, depending on the size of the lamb).

Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

While lamb is resting, in medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Cook shallots, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in wine and cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add broth and chives and cook down until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Spoon sauce over servings of lamb alongside rice.

Makes 8 servings.

Have a great Easter weekend.