BBQ Lamb Chops & (OMG) Frozen Veggies

Ok foodies.... not every meal has to be a show stopper. Quite often we are pressed for time or just aren't interested in a lot of prep. Most of the time I prefer fresh veggies, but yanno... there are days when frozen ones are just going to be on the menu. Nothing to be ashamed of... as long as you treat them with respect :-)

Ingredients:

• 2 shoulder lamb chops
• 1 16 oz pkg frozen mixed vegetables
• garlic powder
• salt & pepper

Preparation:

Remove lamb chops from fridge one hour before cooking. Sprinkle both sides with garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Fire up the BBQ to a medium high heat. My gas Weber on medium cooks lambchops medium rare via 3 minutes first side and 2 minutes more after the flip. Perfect every time and I never have to check. Make notes on your own grill's performance and follow your guidelines so you don't have to keep opening the lid.

Time your veggies to your grill. Perfect meat is paramount, so in my case I start the veggies while the grill is warming up. I like to cook them with just a touch of water in my Guardian Service to retain nutrients. Try to stay away from cooking veggies in a microwave... those thing mess with molecular structure of food. Be sure you don't overcook the veggies, please. Keep them nice and crisp... it adds to the food "experience"... grins.

Hey... just because this one is simple doesn't mean we can slack on quality... :-) Serve with a green salad with a homemade vinaigrette and you're set.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Kuru Fasulye - Turkish Lamb Stew

Credit and inspiration for this lovely stew - slightly adapted - goes to

Chef Ayla Clulee at CookingGorgeous! 

Kuru Fasulye is a hearty and rich Turkish stew made with white beans and diced lamb or beef slowly cooked in a tomato sauce. It is packed with lots of flavors and is the ultimate comfort dish for cold winter nights.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups dried cannellini - soaked in plenty of water overnight

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1.5 lb diced lamb

• 1 large onion - diced

• 3 cloves garlic - minced

• 2+ cups fresh tomatoes - chopped

• 1/4 tsp crushed Aleppo pepper - more for extra heat

• 1 can tomato paste

• 32 oz beef stock or chicken stock

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 1/2 tsp cumin - more if you love cumin

• 1 tsp salt

Preparation: 

Soak the beans in plenty of water overnight. Drain the beans and place them in a pan with fresh water, cook on low to medium heat for about 30 - 40 minutes. Make sure they are still slightly firm and not overcooked. Drain the beans again, get rid of the cooking liquid, and set them aside to use later.

Preheat the oven to 355° F. Toss the meat with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper.

Place a heavy-based pan or Dutch oven on medium to high heat. When hot, add the olive oil and brown the meat.

Add onion and garlic, saute until translucent, and add the tomatoes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the pre-cooked beans along with salt, pepper, and cumin.

Pour in the beef stock or chicken stock and stir well. Make sure there is enough liquid to cover the beans.

Cover the pan with the lid and cook in the oven for 1 hour or until the meat and beans are soft. Make sure to check every 20  minutes and give it a stir. 

Serve with your favorite toasted bread and listen for the Yummy Noises that you're bound to here around the table!

Blessed be... and happy cooking! 

BBQ Lamb Chops with Mustard Shallot Sauce

BBQ lamb chops are always a winner at my house, regardless of the prep. LOL In this recipe I decided to try my hand at a mustard shallot sauce and honestly... it's not my thing for lamb. Others did enjoy it. The flavor pallet of the sauce overpowered my purist lamb palette that adores the simplicity of salt, pepper and garlic. It's a good sauce, though, and I think I will try it with some white fish or BBQ chicken. Give it a try and let me know what you think... Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2-4 shoulder blade lamb chops or your preferred cut, of course.
• 1-2 tablespoon olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste
• 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup chicken stock or broth
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme

Preparation:

Heat your grill to about 380-400 degrees. Season lamb chops with salt & pepper both sides and grill for about 3 minutes per side. Adjust the time depending on your grill… only you know your grill for that perfect medium rare.

Add the oil and the shallots to a medium skillet and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the Dijon mustard and the thyme. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.

Divide sauce evenly on the chops and serve with whole grain wild rice and a vegetable of choice.

Blessed be… and happy cooking!