Cheesy Spaghetti Squash

466.  This recipe for Cheesy Spaghetti Squash is a surprising side to any meat dish.  The recipe is simple to follow but will take time at preparing the squash, baking the squash, mixing the squash and then baking the squash to finish.  Make sure to leave plenty of prep time or start early before dinner.  Here is my recipe:

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved. "

 ~Helen Keller

Pork Loin Roast

416.  Our Easter Dinner was delightful with memorable flavors and feels.  I decided to roast a top loin of pork for our 8 guests.  

Pork is always a challenge when you use the top loin portion due to the small amount of marbled fat.  But, my process did produce a beautifully flavorful result.

The herbs I chose were Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (sounds like a song;-) with 8 garlic cloves.

The butcher butterflied the piece for me and did a perfect job.

I chopped the herbs together and set them aside in a bowl.  Next I rubbed Grey Poupon Dijon mustard

into the meat and then the finely chopped garlic followed by the 2 /3rds of the herbs, salt and pepper.

Then rolling up and tying the roast, sprinkling the rest of the chopped herbs.   I cut it in half to fit into my roasting pan coated with oil.

I roasted at 400 degrees for 20 minutes then turned down the heat to 325 degrees till the meat registered 140 degrees, approximately an hour.

Once roasted, I saved the pan drippings and made a brown gravy with Kitchen Bouquet and cornstarch mixed with water.  The meat was a bit tough but the gravy added moisture to each bite.  

Notes to self would be to:  Pound meat with a tenderizer before adding flavorings.  This would help with the tenderness once roasted. And, to remove the covering from the roasting pan so the meat would brown or not cover at all.  

We all enjoyed ourselves and the meal was delicious

Simply put, it was a masterpiece!

"The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.

~Michelangelo

Roast Leg of Lamb

360. This past Sunday we celebrated Easter with family and beautiful friends.  Our menu was so tasty and crossed several ethnic lines. But, each item complemented the other.

I started the meal with fresh vegetable Crudités where I made a Lemon Garlic Aioli, Herb Sour Cream Dip, Dijon Mustard and Chive Cheese Log.  We then enjoyed Asparagus, Roasted Potatoes and homemade Dill Dinner Rolls.  But the crowning item of the meal was the Roasted Leg of Lamb.  It was divine!!  I scoured my cookbooks and wanted to find something that was unique and a detour from our usual fare.  I found a recipe for this wonderful dish in the "A Return to Sunday Dinner" book by Russell Cronkhite (order here) It was in the menu "Agape: A Love Feast"

To save recipe just select, drag and drop onto desktop or select and print from smart phone.

Here was my process...My butcher made the butterfly process more like a book than fanning it out...but it was ok.  Next time I will butterfly it myself.

 
 I had fresh basil and mint in my herb garden as well as rosemary.  Fresh makes all the difference
although, next time I would chopped the basil and mint.  I found that when you sliced it the leaves would pull out in whole pieces.

 
 
The original recipe has you remove the roast after an hour and add potatoes.  I found that the potatoes didn't roast as crispy as they should have.  Note to self...roast the potatoes separately.

 This was such a lovely meal...the lamb was perfectly tender and everyone loved it.

"Christ comes to dinner not as just the unseen guest, but in the hearts of those we love."  

~ Russell Cronkhite

Drying Herbs

315.  My herb garden was ideal this year with beautiful plants and hardy growth.  Thyme, parsley, oregano, dill, rosemary, cilantro and chives to name a few.  To step outside and pinch off a few branches to add to my cooking is always a delight.
But once the cool air creeps in and plants slow their growth or frost stops them, you have to depend on grocery bought products.   So my solution is to dry the fresh and save them for cooking.  When there are more herbs than I can use on a daily basis, I will cut off bunches and secure them in bundles with a rubber band.  Then hang them in my kitchen to dry.  Or you could place them in a dehydrator or the oven on low temperature.  I find air drying them works best for me.

Once the herbs have become completely dried through I take them down and crush the leaves in a bowl.

Saving herbs by drying them may take time and effort but will save you money. And, in the long run you will see the difference in flavor.

"Remember that children, marriages, and flower gardens reflect the kind of care they get."

-H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Lamb Chops

270. Easter Dinner this year was inspired by Rachael Ray. On her 30 Minute Meals show she made Lamb Chops with Greens and Crispy Orecchiette Pasta with Walnut Rosemary Pesto. It looked so delicious and easy to prepare.

The most difficult part was locating lamb chops. You will like this recipe if you enjoy bold flavors. Lamb has a unique flavor along with the rosemary pesto.

LAMB CHOPS WITH GREENS AND CRISPY ORECCHIETTE PASTA WITH WALNUT-ROSEMARY PESTO

by Rachael Ray | on 05/26/08

INGREDIENTS

• Salt
• 1 pound orecchiette pasta
• 1 1/2 cups walnuts
• 7-8 stems rosemary, 1/4-1/3 cup leaves, loosely packed
• 2 cloves garlic, cracked from skin
• Black pepper
• 3 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
• 1/2-3/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• 4 shoulder lamb chops, bone-in, 8-10 ounces each
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Grated nutmeg, to taste
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 large heads kale, dinosaur kale or chard, chopped
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2-3 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar

Serves 4

PREPARATION

Bring water to a boil for pasta, salt water and cook to al dente.

Toast walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden and fragrant, a few minutes then cool. Add the nuts to a food processor with rosemary, 1 clove garlic, salt and pepper and turn processor on. Stream 1/3 cup EVOO into food processor to form pesto then scrape into a bowl and stir in about 3/4 cup grated cheese.

Rub chops with cut clove of garlic then season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chops and cook 4 minutes each side for medium rare doneness.

While lamb cooks, drain pasta and return pot to heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and butter in pasta pot and melt over medium heat. Place the pasta back in the pot and crisp 4-5 minutes, toasting the pasta. Season the pasta with salt and pepper and a little nutmeg.

Remove lamb from skillet and cover with foil to let meat settle. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon EVOO over medium-high to high heat. Add onions and greens and sear them. Season the greens with salt and pepper and wilt down, 3-4 minutes. Add chicken stock and vinegar and turn greens to coat in vinegar.

Serve a chop alongside greens. Top greens with toasted pasta and drizzle some pesto over everything.

I did not want to cover the chops with the greens and pasta, so we plated them side by side.

I also made buttered carrots for color on the plate.

We also enjoyed a coconut cream pie for dessert.

Happy Easter!

Our table was decorated with Polish sugar animals.

"The story of Easter is the story of God's wonderful window of divine surprise."

~Carl Knudsen

Pizza Toppings

181. We've been experimenting with a variety of pizza toppings. Although I love to order pizza or go to a pizzeria, homemade pizza is just as delicious.

When we make pizza at home, I usually make my dough from "scratch". Yes, flour, yeast, water. You can find my recipe here. You could also purchase a pre-made pizza dough from your local pizza shop, find dough in the freezer section of your grocery store or shop Trader Joes Market in the prepared food coolers for pizza dough.

We tried two different toppings, broccoli and tomato.

Broccoli Topping for Pizza

2 cups chopped, fresh broccoli

2 cloves garlic crushed

olive oil

salt/pepper

parmesan cheese

mozzarella cheese

pizza dough

Saute the broccoli in olive oil till bright green, add garlic and seasoning. Set aside to cool. Spread broccoli on prepared pizza dough and sprinkle parmesan cheese over broccoli evenly. Top with mozzarella cheese and bake in a 450 degree oven till cheese is browning lightly.

Stewed Rosemary Tomato Topping for Pizza

4 fresh tomatoes, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, remove rosemary leaves from stem

salt/pepper

olive oil

mozzarella cheese

pizza dough

Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil for approximately 3 minutes, add tomatoes and seasoning. Saute till tomatoes begin to break down but color is bright. Set aside to cool. Spread stewed tomato on prepared pizza dough and sprinkle rosemary leaves evenly over. Top with mozzarella cheese and bake in a 450 degree oven till cheese is browning lightly.

The type of cheese you use is important. Whole milk mozzarella will give you a better overall covering and will add flavor to your pizza. Finding a cheese mix with mozzarella, provolone and parmesan is a great combination as well.

For a large pizza I will use 2 to 3 cups of cheese.

I made this pizza in my Pampered Chef bar pan.

Once the pizza was done I sprinkled whole fresh basil leaves over the top.

This was scrumptious!!! We really like using the stewed tomato topping on grilled pizza and crusty bread slices also.

"I am always doing that which I cannot do,

in order that I may learn how to do it. "

~Pablo Picasso

"Take risks: if you win, you will be happy;

if you lose, you will be wise."

~Author Unknown