Month: May 2014

Like Mary…You TOO, can have a little lamb. Delish! Part II: Entree

And now…..for the Main Event!         Take Me To Part I:  The Appetizer

Rack Of Lamb with Shallot Madeira Jus & Spring Squash with Pancetta

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Your Groceries:

  1. Rack of Lamb (about 8 oz. or 4 rib rack / person)
  2. Spring Yellow Squash (7 slices for good luck)
  3. Spring Zucchini (7 slices for more good luck)
  4. Shallot (1/4, diced)
  5. Madeira
  6. Lemon (juice of 1/2)
  7. Garlic (2 cloves)
  8. Chicken Stock
  9. Pancetta (cubed – about 2 Tbsp)
  10. Olive Oil
  11. Salt & Pepper

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Like Mary…You TOO, can have a little lamb. Delish! Part I: Appetizer

Don’t be intimidated!  Rack of lamb is certainly a beautiful and “royal” looking dish, however truth be told, the oven does most of the work.  More on that in a few…but first, let’s get started with one of my favorite things…arugula!

Take Me Right To Part II: The Entree!

1st Course:  Arugula Salad with a Bacon – Bleu Cheese Vinaigrette and Slow Poached Egg

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Couple things to note:    First of all, if you happen not to be a fan of arugula, in most of my dishes, spinach could be substituted with no problem (I just prefer the peppery flavor of arugula personally).  Secondly, one of the conscious efforts I do make to balance my diet is to be somewhat “in the know” about what it is I’m cooking and ultimately ingesting.  That being said, I happen to know that rack of lamb is high in fat and cholesterol.  This is not all bad as most of the fat in a rack of lamb is unsaturated (good fat) and it also contains a ton of protein.  Knowing this information, I will probably tend to focus on vegetables for the rest of the dish(es) I’m preparing for this meal; thus the “balance”.

The Goods (per salad / person):

  1. Arugula (handful)
  2. Shallot (1 Tbsp chopped)
  3. Lemon (Juice of 1/2)
  4. Bleu Cheese (1 Tbsp)
  5. Bacon (1 slice – cut into small strips {lardons})
  6. Egg (1)
  7. White wine

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Salmon Chanted Evening…

BEFORE:  Image

AFTER:Image

Ask….and you shall receive!

So I was asked by a good friend if I planned to blog mostly about the red meat “beast” dishes I prefer, or if I would be featuring any seafood.  What?!  Turf with no surf?  NEVER!!  Here ya go Jenn…  🙂

D & D Crusted Salmon…comin’ right up!

Weapons you’ll need:

  1. (2) Medium sized stainless steel pans (no cancer-causing teflon please or plastic handles as the pan will go in the oven)
  2. Fish spatula (preferably…regular spatula will do)
  3. Oven with stove-top
  4. Tongs
  5. Plate
  6. Fork
  7. Knife
  8. Wine Glass 😉

Ammunition:

  1. 6 to 8oz fillet of Salmon (per person) – I suggest leaving the skin on the one side, but you can remove it is preferred
  2. Dill (1st “D”)
  3. Dijon Mustard (2nd “D”)
  4. Goat Cheese
  5. Panko Bread Crumbs
  6. Olive Oil (ALWAYS!)
  7. Arugula
  8. Roma Tomato
  9. Shallot
  10. Lemon
  11. Sea Salt
  12. Cracked Black Pepper
  13. Bottle of nice Chablis (nice French style Chardonnay…but drink what YOU like!)

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Steak idea for you in a “New York Minute” …well, less than 30 minutes anyhow.

New York Strip Steak and Asparagus

Bring the steakhouse to your house!

Needed:  You, 2 pans, olive oil, New York steak (1 per person), fresh asparagus (7 spears for good luck…per person), roquefort cheese (or any bleu will work), 1 shallot, 1 lemon, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 bottle of cooking Madeira or Sherry, sea salt and cracked black pepper.

Oven:  Turn to High Broil.

Stovetop:  Pan #1:  Low Heat.  1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Add asparagus and toss around so that all surfaces on the asparagus are oiled.  Cover…we’ll return to this momentarily.

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