Rack of Lamb

12/13/2023

A rack of lamb is a flavorful cut of meat that needs very little to be delicious. A simple coating of herbs and spices is really all you need; I like to cook mine on a very high temp to break down the fatty outside and then drop the temperature very low to lightly cook through - keep on eye on your thermometer as you don't want this to overcook.

Rack of Lamb

Ingredients

1 7-or-8-bone rack of lamb (2-3 lb.)
2 Tbsp. whole-grain mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. rosemary, chopped
1 Tbsp. thyme, leaves removed
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Serves 4-6
Cook time: 25-30 minutes

Let roast stand at room temperature 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 450. Whisk together mustard, garlic, herbs, and olive oil; reserve 1 Tbsp. mixture. Rub remaining mixture over roast; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place roast on a lightly greased rack in a roasting pan. Add about 1" of water to bottom of pan.

Bake at 450 on lower oven rack 20 minutes, fat side up. Reduce oven temperature to 300; bake 5-10 or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 120 to 130 (medium-rare) or 130 to 135 (medium).
Let stand 30 minutes; transfer roast to a serving platter and serve immediately.

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Grits & Greens

11/27/2023

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This is a great casserole for either breakfast or dinner. I made it to clean out a lot of garden produce that needed to get used, but the vegetables can easily be modified. Enjoy!

Grits & Greens Casserole

Ingredients

1 cup grits
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups milk
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 onion, diced
2-3 stalks celery, diced
1-2 cups peppers, sliced
1-2 cups okra, sliced
1/2 lb. breakfast sausage
1 cup gouda, shredded
4-6 eggs
salt & pepper, to taste

Serves 4-6
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

Preheat oven to 350.
Make grits by bringing stock and water to a boil; whisk in grits and cook 20-30 minutes or until grits no longer taste metallic. Add mayonnaise and salt and pepper to taste.
While grits are cooking, saute onion, celery, and peppers until softened and beginning to brown. Add sausage and cook through. Add okra and cook until softened; salt and pepper to taste.
Add cheese to grits and then mix in vegetable mixture. Using a serving spoon, make depressions (one at a time) in the top of the grits and crack and egg into each depression (it is easiest to crack and egg into a little bowl or cup and pour the egg into the depression).
Bake 20-25 minutes or until egg whites are cooked through.
*A wide, shallow casserole dish is best for this dish.

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Herbed Potato Salad

11/8/2023

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A fairly traditional potato salad with a little twist! This is a great make-ahead dish that will work at almost any summertime party. It's easy to throw together and will feed a crowd - it's also easy to size down to accommodate a slightly smaller party. Enjoy!

Herbed Potato Salad

Ingredients

6 lb. small red potatoes
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup red onion, minced
1/4 cup tarragon, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
salt & pepper, to taste

Serves 18 - 20
Cook time: 25 minutes

Place the potatoes in a large pot of salted water Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife. Drain the potatoes.

Meanwhile, whisk together remaining ingredients.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them into quarters or halves, depending on their size. Dress potatoes with dressing while still warm so they absorb the most liquid. Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve later.

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Pasta Printemps

7/13/2023

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It's not Pasta Primavera - it's Pasta Printemps! It's just a spring version of a classic summer dish - it utilizes vegetables available in the spring such as carrots, radishes, and greens...use what you have one hand though. It's all tossed in a creamy citrus sauce that brightens it all up.

Pasta Printemps

Ingredients

Pasta

2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 carrots, cut into sticks
6 radishes, quartered
1 cup snow peas
1/2 bunch asparagus, cut into 1" pieces
1 cup greens (spinach, beet greens, Swiss chard, etc.)
salt, to taste
chopped scallions, for garnish
8 oz. penne pasta, cooked
Citrus Cream Sauce
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, grated
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 to 3/4 cup cream
a few sprigs of thyme
juice and zest of 1 orange
juice of 1 lemon,
salt, to taste

Serves 4
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat olive oil of medium heat begin sautéing vegetables (start with carrots and radishes, as they begin soften add asparagus and greens, and finished with snow peas, which I like to have little crunch). Salt and pepper as you cook. Remove vegetables from pan and make your sauce.

Add more oil, if necessary, and sauté the shallot; add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Add Wondra and allow to cook for about one minute. Deglaze with wine, wait for alcohol to cook off, then add cream and thyme . Let simmer for a few minutes so the cream reduces; add citrus zest and juices.

Add vegetables and pasta to sauce and toss to combine. Garnish with scallions.

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Rack of Lamb

Rack of Lamb

Ingredients

Grits & Greens

Grits & Greens Casserole

Ingredients

Herbed Potato Salad

Herbed Potato Salad

Ingredients

Pasta Printemps

Pasta Printemps

Ingredients

Pasta

Citrus Cream Sauce

Stella

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