Cumin Lamb Noodles

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 Tablespoons cumin seeds
1 Tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
1 package wide rice noodles, cooked (16 ounces)
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon ginger, minced
1 pound American lamb shoulder, thinly sliced
3 green onions, roughly chopped
1 yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 serrano pepper, finely chopped, optional
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon chili oil
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar

To Garnish:

1/2 cup cilantro, minced
1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
Chili oil, for serving

DIRECTIONS

Heat a skillet over medium-low heat and toast the cumin and sichuan peppercorns for about 2-3 minutes. Coarsely grind the spices in a spice grinder or mortar & pestle. Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook your noodles according to the package instructions. Reserve about 1 cup of your pasta cooking liquid. Drain the pasta, and set aside.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Turn the heat to high and add the sliced lamb. Stir-fry the lamb until just browned. Add the ground spice mixture, green onions, yellow onion, serrano pepper, soy sauce, chili oil, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar and sugar. Let cook for about 5 minutes, adding a splash of water if the mixture becomes too thick.

Add the cooked noodles to the skillet, adding additional pasta cooking liquid if needed and toss to coat. Season with salt, if needed.

Serve garnished with cilantro and drizzled with chili oil. Enjoy!

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February 6, 2022 0

Lamb Dumplings in Spicy Ginger Broth

INGREDIENTS

1/2 pound ground American lamb
1/2 cup minced mushrooms (crimini or button)
1 Tablespoons fresh grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
1 Tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 green onion, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 package fresh wonton wrappers
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Broth

1 Tablespoon sesame oil
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1-2 Tablespoons chili oil, for serving
Green onions, sliced, for serving

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, combine the lamb, mushrooms, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, green onions, and a pinch of salt and black pepper.

To assemble: Add about 1 teaspoon lamb filling to each wonton wrapper. Brush water around the edges of the wrapper then fold the edges up around the filling and pinch to seal. Add sesame seeds to a small bowl or shallow dish. Brush the bottoms of the dumplings with water then dip in sesame seeds.

Heat 1 TBSP sesame oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the shallots and cook until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and cook another minute, until fragrant. Add the broth, soy sauce, and the rice vinegar. Season to taste with pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Keep warm.

Heat 2 TBSP vegetable oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the dumplings and cook until the bottoms are golden brown, 4-5 minutes. Carefully add 1/4 cup water to the skillet, and cover immediately. Reduce heat to medium-low and let the dumplings steam for 5-6 minutes*.

Ladle broth into bowls and top with wontons, green onions and chili oil. Enjoy!

*Note: USDA recommends cooking ground lamb to 160 degrees.

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February 1, 2022 0

Roast Leg of American Lamb with Potatoes & Lemon

INGREDIENTS

1 bone-in leg of lamb, about 5 pounds
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
12 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut in half
1 teaspoon + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 pounds yukon gold potatoes, quartered
2 organic lemons, cut into eighths
3/4 pounds shallots, peeled and cut into quarters
3 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup dry white wine

DIRECTIONS

The night before cooking, use a paring knife to make 24 1-inch punctures around the leg of lamb. Rub it inside and out with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Place ½ clove of garlic inside each puncture. Cover and refrigerate the leg overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1 tbsp salt, oregano, rosemary, and ½ tsp black pepper.

Toss together the potatoes, lemons, shallots, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, and ⅔ of the spice mixture in a large roasting pan.

Rub the leg of lamb with the remaining spice mixture, and place it on top of the veggies in the pan. Pour the vegetable stock, lemon juice, and white wine into the bottom of the pan.

Place in the oven and roast until the internal temperature of the lamb leg reaches 140 degrees F, about 90 minutes, using a metal ladle to spoon the pan juices over the vegetables every 30 minutes.

Remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving + serving.

January 3, 2022 2

Lamb and Chanterelle Mushroom Phyllo Pie

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds ground American Lamb
1 tablespoon salted butter
1 ½ cups chopped yellow onion
¼ cup cubed pancetta
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ pound sliced fresh chanterelle mushrooms (or any mushrooms)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 fresh bay leaf
¼ cup port, or dry sherry
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 ½ cups broth of your choice
10 phyllo pastry sheets

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Heat a large pot over medium heat, and add the lamb. Cook, stirring, until evenly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour off some fat, if desired. Add the butter, the onion, tomato paste, pancetta, mushrooms, garlic, rosemary, and spices, and cook until the onions are soft, and the flavors have melded, 5 to 7 minutes. Deglaze the pot with the port, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Sprinkle in the cornstarch, and pour in the broth. Stir, and simmer until thickened. Remove and discard the bay leaf, and allow it to cool slightly. Note: USDA recommends ground lamb be cooked to an internal temp of 160 degrees.

Brush a 9 -inch pie dish with olive oil, and layer sheets of phyllo pastry in the dish, turning it as you go, and brushing each sheet with olive oil until the phyllo has covered the entire dish. (Olive oil spray is great for this!) Pour in the lamb filling, and bring the overlap up, scrunching it around the edges. Brush the phyllo with olive oil, and bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm with your favorite sides!

December 27, 2021 1

Cheese Adventures

The Aged Cheese Journey …

What do you do when you have a lovely Jersey Milk Cow who gives you 3 gallons of creamy milk every time she is milked? When we were younger and had 4 growing children I was lucky to have extra milk to make ice cream. As the years passed we added Nubian Milk goats to the farm so I could make soft cheeses (which in this house is a staple) like Feta and Paneer. Now that we have we have grandchildren (not yet teenagers) I am finally getting to experiment with making Aged Cheese.

The process is pretty straight forward as long as you are precise in following a recipe. The hardest part for me is having the patience to age the cheese. My favorite beginner cheese making book is “A Cheese Maker’s Journey” by Mary Jane Toth.

The difficult part for me has been accumulating the equipment including a Cheese Press and weights. As you can see in the pictures I am using the grain weights from my antique grain scale. I have since found and ordered a nice 10 lb weight from www. Sausage Maker.com but until it arrives these old iron weights are working just fine.

Any advice from you more experienced cheese makers is much appreciated.

Now the adventure begins as we move up from Cheddar to Stilton….I will keep you advised on the journey.