Cassie’s Ruminations

Lamb and Artichoke Risotto

I also made this tonight to use up some more of the lamb and to have for a couple lunches this week. It turned out decently, but not outstanding. I started with my basic risotto recipe and stirred in a quarter cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, a small jar of marinated artichoke hearts (drained of the oil) and about 8 oz of cooked lamb, cut into bite sized pieces at the end of the cooking time and let it simmer for another 5 minutes to heat the artichoke and lamb through.

Posted in Food, Italian, Lamb, Leftovers, Rice, Vegetables | No Comments »

Lamb Stir Fry

This was an experiment to use up some of the leftover lamb roast. It was okay, but the lamb didn’t really mesh well with the other flavors. Next time I might try a more Mongolian blend of spices, but for this set of veggies and seasoning, I’d suggest you use beef or chicken instead. Just cook it for longer if you start with raw meat. I find the fresh noodles in the produce section with the wonton wrappers.

Lamb Stir Fry
Serves 4

For the stir fry:
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 lb leftover lamb roast, cut into thin strips
12 oz snow peas
8 oz button mushrooms, sliced
2 packages fresh stir fry or yakisoba noodles, about 14 oz total weight

For the sauce:
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sake
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tsp chili garlic sauce
1 tbsp cornstarch

Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat 1 tsp each of the sesame and canola oils in a wok or large skillet. Add the mushrooms cook until brown and turning tender, about 4-5 minutes. Remove mushrooms to a bowl. Add a tsp of each of the oils to the wok and add the lamb. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until warm and starting to brown around the edges. Remove the meat to the same bowl with the mushrooms. Add the peas to the wok along with a ¼ cup of water to help them steam and cook for 1-2 minutes or until they are a bright green color and crisp-tender. Remove the peas to the holding bowl. Add the final tsp of canola and sesame oil to the wok then add the noodles and another ¼ cup of water. Stir to separate the noodles then toss to gently brown as the water boils away. Add the meat and vegetables back to the skillet, pour the sauce over the top, and toss to combine. Cook for another 2-3 minutes to meld all the flavors. Serve hot.

Posted in Asian, Beef, Food, Lamb, Leftovers, Vegetables | No Comments »

Roast Leg of Lamb

A nice Sunday dinner tonight – roast leg of lamb, potato wedges, and roasted broccoli. We’re not to familiar with lamb, so this was an experiment, which we quite enjoyed. I just did a simple kosher salt and pepper rub and roasted it along with the veggies. The meat really benefited from a simple preparation, and I’d be hesitant to try any involved marinade that might mask the nice flavor of the lamb. Of course, since it was just the two of us and a whole leg of lamb, we now have a lot of leftover meat. Any suggestions for how to use it?

Roast Leg of Lamb
Serves 10

1 boneless leg of lamb, tied in butcher’s twine, about 5 lb
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 435 degrees F. Liberally sprinkle the lamb on all sides with the salt and pepper and pat into the meat. Place on a roasting pan (or if you’re improvising like me, on a cooling rack nested in a foil lined baking pan), and cook at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 300 degrees and continue cooking for about another hour and a half or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees for medium rare. Let the roast rest for about 10-15 minutes before carving.

Posted in Food, Holiday Cooking, Lamb | No Comments »

Spaghetti Puttanesca with Shrimp

This is a combination of Pasta Puttanesca and Shrimp fra Diavolo. It turned out quite well, and I’ll definitely do this again.

Spaghetti Puttanesca with Shrimp
Makes 4 servings

1 lb spaghetti
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
4 tbsp capers, drained
1 small (112 g) can black olives, sliced
⅛ tsp red pepper flakes

Start a pot of water boiling with a generous pinch of salt. Add the pasta when it reaches a boil, then start the sauce while it cooks to al dente.

Sauté the garlic in the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat until it just starts to sizzle and turn fragarent. Add the shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side or until pink and opaque. Remove the shrimp from the skillet. Add the remainder of the ingredients and simmer until the sauce is thickened.

Drain the pasta and set aside.

Add the shrimp back to the sauce and stir to combine. Serve over the pasta.

Posted in Food, Italian, Pasta, Seafood | No Comments »

Tomato Bruschetta

This is a quick and refreshing summer appetizer. I made some beer bread this evening and made the tomato bruschetta topping on a whim since I had a couple nice heirloom tomatoes to use.

Tomato Bruschetta
Serves 8 as an appetizer

1 pound of ripe tomatoes
6 leaves fresh basil
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper

Dice the tomatoes and pour with all juices into a bowl. Chiffonade the basil (roll the leaves up into a tube and cut crosswise to make thin strips). Stir into the tomatoes with the salt and pepper. Let rest for 15 minutes for the flavors to meld. Serve over bread.

Posted in Appetizers, Bread, Food, Italian, Vegetables | No Comments »

What we’ve been eating

Not a lot new, recently, so here are some pictures with links back to their recipes.

Baked Chicken and Roasted Potatoes, made on June 24

Marinated Flat Iron Steak, made on June 26th

Hom Bao, made on June 28th

Beef and Bean Burritos, made on June 29th

Pulled Pork, made on June 30th

Citrus Grilled Chicken, made on July 1st

Posted in Food | 1 Comment »

A Summer Meal

It’s not quite summer yet, but it sure feels like it! We’re in a record dry spell here in the Pacific Northwest, and I miss the rain 😛 Tonight’s dinner was done on the grill in foil packets over medium high heat. The halibut was sprinkled with kosher salt and covered in lime slices, and the broccoli was sprinkled with olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. They both took about 25 minutes on the grill, as the halibut was a thick piece, and I had about 2 pounds of broccoli in one big packet. Next time I’ll stick with lemon – the lime got just a little bitter with the heat, and while it wasn’t bad, lemon is definitely a better match. I also made a little tomato salad with tomato wedges, kosher salt, black pepper, and some fresh basil. A great fresh dinner for a warm beautiful evening!

Posted in Easy, Food, Grilling, Seafood, Vegetables | 2 Comments »

Spaghetti Carbonara

This is a classic Italian pasta dish. It has a deceptively simple list of ingredients that produce wonderful results, even if you manage to slightly scramble the eggs like I did 😛 My recipe is a combination of several that I’ve seen over the years. Next time I’ll let the pasta cool a bit more in the skillet before adding the egg mixture. If you don’t have pancetta available, bacon will work just fine. All in all, a very nice Sunday dinner. I served this with a little freshly baked loaf of bread.

Spaghetti Carbonara
Serves 4

1 lb spaghetti
1 tbsp olive oil
3 oz thinly sliced pancetta, cut into ¼ inch strips
4 cloves garlic, pressed
2 eggs
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper
dash freshly grated nutmeg

Boil water for the spaghetti and add it to the pot. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg and stir to combine. Set aside. When the pasta is about halfway done, add the olive oil and pancetta to a skillet and cook over medium high heat for 4-5 minutes or until the fat is rendered and the pancetta is turning crispy. Drain the pasta and set aside. Add the garlic to the skillet and sauté for another 30 seconds or until soft and fragrant. Remove the skillet from the heat. Dump the pasta into the skillet and toss to combine well. Pour the egg mixture over and toss again quickly to coat. Serve warm.

Posted in Eggs, Food, Italian, Pasta | 1 Comment »

Grilled Peaches

Dessert tonight was some grilled peaches. I got a few little peaches last time I was at the store in the hopes that they’d be good, but sadly it’s not quite peach season yet. In order to intensify their flavor and sweetness I decided to throw the rest of them on the grill, which worked beautifully. I cut the peaches lengthwise into quarters and twisted gently to remove the pits, then placed the pieces on the grill for about 2 minutes on each cut side. The sweetness and peach-y flavor were much enhanced by the heat, and they redeemed themselves quite nicely. I served these with just a touch of lightly sweetened whipping cream.

Posted in Desserts, Food, Fruit, Grilling | 1 Comment »

Cumin Rubbed Denver Steak Burritos

I saw a “Denver Cut” steak in the store the other day and just had to get it, as I grew up near Denver. I was fascinated to read the story behind the cut (see the link), and planned on grilling them right from the start. On the package, it recommended a quick dry rub, which I decided was a good idea, and from there I sliced up the cooked meat and served it with tortillas, chili beans, and fresh guacamole (lacking tomatoes because I ate them yesterday for a snack). This was a great, filling dinner.

Cumin Rubbed Denver Steak
Serves 4

1 lb Denver steak
3 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground black pepper

Preheat the grill to medium high heat. Rub the steaks evenly with the spices and grill for about 15-20 minutes total, turning once. Let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Posted in Beef, Food, Grilling, Mexican | 1 Comment »