Lamb Shoulder Chops are a lot cheaper than Lamb Loin Chops, which also means that they're a tougher cut of meat. Not to worry though, braising will make them tender and juicy just like an expensive cut! These are perfectly cooked Moroccan Lamb Chops served over a bed of yummy Couscous. I've never been to Morocco but now my tastebuds have!
Ingredients: (2 servings)
2 lamb shoulder chops
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 c onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp minced ginger
1 c beef broth
1 c canned chopped tomatoes
1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley leaves
Prep:
1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chops; brown on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from pan; set aside.
2. Add onions; sauté until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, paprika, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon and ginger; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Add broth; scraping browned bits from pan bottom with wooden spoon, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, then return chops to pot. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until the internal temperature of the chops reach 160°F, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Remove chops to serving plate. Turn heat up to high and boil sauce until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon sauce over chops and serve.
I had some lemons laying around so I used them to make some Lemony Raisin Walnut Muffins. I used my Daisy Pan cuz when I think of lemons, I think of sunshine and flowers. (Not the case in SF this week, but one can dream...)
Ingredients: (6 muffins)
3/4 c all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 c brown sugar
1/2 rolled oats
Zest of 1 lemon
1 egg
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/2 c milk
1/4 c raisins
1/4 c chopped walnuts
Prep:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line or grease 6 muffin cups.
2. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and brown sugar. Add oats and lemon zest.
3. In a mixing cup, whisk together the egg, oil and milk. Add to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Stir in raisins and walnuts.
4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan, filling 3/4 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
And that's exactly how I got this yummy Pulled-Pork Sandwich meal! I bought some boneless pork shoulder ribs yesterday and knew exactly what I wanted to do with them...make pulled pork. I literally put the meat in, added a bottle of Honey BBQ Sauce, turned the slow cooker on low this morning and went shopping! When I got home, the kitchen was filled with the yummy smell of BBQ! The best part? Dinner was served in less than 5 minutes! That was the amount of time it took to toast up a bun, slice a tomato, open up a jar of pickles and plate some store-bought Potato Salad. Now, THAT was a great way to end the weekend!
It's Tomato Season so I thought I'd make some Cheesy Tomato Muffins for a nice Sunday snack. Hey, gotta keep my energy up while I'm doing laundry and cleaning the house right? Cheesy and savory and perfect summertime muffins!
Ingredients: (6 muffins)
2 Tbsp bitter
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped (1/2 c)
1/4 c onions, chopped
2 Tbsp green onions, chopped
1 c all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c milk
1 egg
1/4 c Cheddar cheese, shredded
Prep:
1. Preheat oven to 375F. Grease or line 6 muffin cups.
2. In a skillet, melt butter overn medium-high heat. Cook the tomatoes, onions and green onions for 5 minutes, until onions are translucent.
3. In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking pwder and salt. In a measuring glass, whisk together the milk and egg. Add to flour mixture and stir just until combined. Stir in the tomato mixture and cheese.
4. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups using a large ice cream scooper. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.
Ok, actually what doesn't make us want pizza? We saw Grown Ups this afternoon and absolutely loved it! It was the perfect mixture of "guy humor", romantic comedy and stupid funny...otherwise known as the perfect summer movie (for us anyway)! I totally recommend it! Anyway, when we got home, we wanted nothing but an easy homemade pizza. Pepperoni, mushrooms and Mozzarella and DONE!
I love baking with fruits that are in season and I picked up some juicy plums the other day. I found this recipe for Plum Kuchen and looked up what a Kuchen was since I'd never heard of it. According to Wikipedia, Kuchen is the German word for cake and it can be anything from a Pie with Filling to a Coffee Cake. See, you do learn something new everyday! I adapted the Plum "Cake" recipe to make muffins and they turned out perfect...sweet and juicy, just like what a summertime muffin should be!
Ingredients: (6 muffins)
2 eggs
1/3 c milk
3 Tbsp butter, melted
1 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c sugar, divided
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 medium plums, diced (about 1 c)
Prep:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line or spray 6 muffin cups.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and butter. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg; add to the egg mixture and stir just until combined. Stir in the plums.
3. Pour into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of muffins comes out clean.
My mom absolutely LOVES Ina's Parmesan Thyme Crackers so I try to make them about once a month. I swear, they get easier every time! The trick really is to add a few teaspoons of water until the mixture comes together. It's such a great recipe cuz you can keep the dough a few days in the fridge or a month in the freezer for last minute guests or just when the cracker craving hits!
