A Simple and Wonderful Lamb Stew

The False Fat Diet

I have been absent from blogging for a while now, and hopefully I am back! Various things happened to cause the absence. Though none of them absolutely prevented me from coming up to my office to blog, it just became difficult to manage. One was that I went on a juice fast for 6 days. I wanted to purge, cleanse and hopefully relieve some of the edema I'd been having. I was following a book called "The False Fat Diet," by Elson Haas. I had followed this juice fast in the past, back when I originally bought the book, but it has been a very long time since then. I dropped 13 pounds of water, so thankfully, the edema is at bay, for now.

Then, just as I was coming to the end of the fast, my husband was once again in the hospital, and we had a bit of a scare there. Everything appears to be good for now, and since he's home, we have been following the Elimination Diet, also from that book. Basically, keeping most of the common food items that can cause sensitivity in the body out of our diet. So we are eating a whole lot of fresh vegetables (not my hubby's favorites!), very little meat (mostly chicken, turkey, fish and a little lamb), and some rice (mainly brown rice, or blended whole grain rice), quinoa or other complex grain or lentil and some fruits. Absolutely no wheat, corn, soy, eggs, dairy, cane sugar.

Lamb Stew

This is no news for me, because I have followed much of these foods all along, but also with all the offending possibilities like desserts, cheese (oh, how I love cheese), eggs and bread (though I eat only my own homemade whole grain breads). My husband, on the other hand - well - this is like totally uncharted waters. He is doing his best to follow and eat what I give him. Sometimes with more success than others, such as a cod fish stew that I just love, but he took two bites and asked if he could please eat something else!
 

Lamb Stew

All this in consideration, I have been coming up with new ways to accomplish things. I made almond milk so he could have it added to his oatmeal in the morning and was left with all the almond pulp. I kept is, because it is fiber, after all. When I made a lamb stew, I got thinking about how to thicken the stew, because my husband prefers soups and stews to be thick or at least thickened. Runny liquids just do not fit the bill. And since I had the almond pulp in the fridge, I thought of some of the Indian recipes I have made that call for pureeing nuts as part of the thickener for a curry. 

While I realize that not just everyone has almond pulp in their fridge (though making almond milk is so simple it seems everyone should make it), this Lamb Stew that I want to share is easily thickened with wheat flour, cornstarch, rice flour or even arrowroot, among other things. Or, if you do not have the need for a thickened stew, then just leave out the almond pulp.

All in all, the stew came out do absolutely delicious that I would very readily make it again. If you are not able to find lamb stew meat, or if you don't care for lamb, just substitute with beef. 

Lamb Stew

Lamb Stew 

Serves 4 

¾ pound lamb stew meat, in small cubes
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1½ cups carrots, in small cubes
1½ cups butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, cubed
4 cups water
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
¼ cup red lentils
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
½ cup almond pulp, optional
2 teaspoons salt
1½ cups frozen peas, thawed

In a large heavy stew pot, melt the coconut oil and add in the lamb pieces. Stir and toss until well browned. Add in the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes, until fragrant. Add in the carrots, squash, water, thyme, bay leaf, lentils, parsley, almond pulp and salt. Bring to boil, then reduce to a temperature that will maintain a simmer. Cover tightly and simmer very slowly for about 2 hours. When ready to serve, add in the peas and stir, allowing them to heat through. If desired, serve with a small amount of rice.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Lamb Biryani is a Royal Treat

I seem to be on an Indian trend of late. There are some few other things I have made, but outside of quick standards like chili, pizza or soup, Indian has been it. Part of this is just that we love Indian flavors. Part of this is that I have found some interesting recipes that intrigued me. Part of it is that we held an Indian dinner for some friends. And now, we are hosting another Indian dinner with the same friends and some new ones. This dinner will be November 3rd. 

Kachche Gosht Biryani

With this in mind, and the strictures of no nuts and no mushrooms, I have been working to piece together a meal that makes some kind of sense - both from my standpoint as hostess and cook, as well as from the standpoint of how an Indian dinner might be served. I had originally thought to make Korma, either chicken or lamb. However Kormas use nuts, almonds and or cashews, as a ground up thickener to the sauce. A no-go.

Most of my Indian meals have had a sauce, curry style. This has been mainly as my husband doesn't care for plain rice, nor does he care for runny foods. If I serve white rice, or saffron rice, something gravy-like has to be poured over it to make it palatable for him. 

Still, he does like things like Chinese fried rice, with a lot of things added in, so in planning for this upcoming Indian meal, Biryani occurred to me. Biryani is most often a special-occasion dish, often a royal dish, kind of an all-in-one, where the meat and rice are combined in savory harmony with a lot of spices and fried onions and such. Saffron is a must. In photos from Indian cookbooks, it is often shown served with dots of silver leaf. Royal, indeed.

Kachche Gosht Biryani

In doing research on just how to assemble this amazing dish, I came across a word I had not seen before. The name of the Lamb and Rice Biryani is "Gosht" (Lamb) Biryani. In front of the word Gosht was the word "Kachche". I wondered what this might mean, so I went looking and finally found out that this means that the dish is made with the meat still raw. The meat (usually marinated) is set into the bottom of a pot and the partially cooked rice is poured over top. Liquid is added and then the dish is cooked either stovetop or in the oven. I wondered how the dish would taste, and if the meat would be cooked through properly. I found that the flavor was excellent and it was certainly cooked through and tender.

The alternative is called "Pakki" Biryani and this means the meat cubes are fried before adding to the pot. It appears that the most authentic method is with the meat still raw. That answered my question and also gave me incentive to try the dish out and ascertain if it worked, if the flavors were good and if the meat cooked properly. I made the dish yesterday and found the answer to all three questions was a resounding "YES!" You might see cashews in the photos, and yes, I added them to the trial dish, just to see how the flavors and steps went. I left them out of the dish for the guests with nut allergies.

That said, there are a LOT of steps to the dish. It seemed unduly complicated, or maybe just clumsy in the directions. I looked up various recipes online, as well as in some cookbooks of my own. Comparing styles and ingredients, I made what I felt to be a good approximation, but all my own. I cannot know ahead of time if it will all work out or not, but once I work on a dish like this, I can see where any difficulties lie, and correct them or facilitate them. One thing in particular was getting the onions fried early enough to have them for use IN the dish and not just as a decoration for on top of the finished product. The recipe calls for 4 onions to be sliced and then sauteed until well-browned and crisped but not burnt! To get that many onions to cook down to browned and caramelized takes a good half hour, stirring quite often. I was running the ragged edge on timing for the assembly and the onions were still nowhere near caramelized. I will keep that in mind for making it next time, possibly making this step earlier in the day rather than so close to assembly.

While there are a lot of steps and a lot of ingredients and different methods of prep work involved, this makes a large amount, suitable for quite a few people. The fact that it is baked for about 45 minutes frees one up for other last minute tasks while the pot is in the oven. All in all, it is a supremely worthwhile dish and a total delight to eat.

Kachche Gosht Biryani

Kachche Gosht Biryani

(Lamb Biryani Cooked with Raw Meat)

Serves 6 to 8

1½ pounds lamb, cut into 1-inch pieces
½ teaspoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
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2 tablespoons oil or ghee
4 large onions sliced, quartered
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½ cup sultanas
½ cup whole raw cashews
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1½ cups basmati rice
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3½ teaspoons salt, divided
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1 tablespoon garam masala powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 cup yogurt
½ cup fresh mint, chopped
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped 2 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon saffron 
¼ teaspoon kewra water, optional
¼ teaspoon rose water, optional

WHOLE MASALA
3 green cardamom slightly crushed
1 inch stick cinnamon
3 whole cloves
1 black cardamom, slightly crushed
1 large tej patta leaf ("Indian Bay Leaf")

½ teaspoon black cumin (shahi jeera) lightly ground
2 inch piece ginger cut into thin strips
3 tablespoons melted ghee
1 cup water
½ cup milk
Cilantro leaves for garnish

Early in the day, place the lamb in a deep bowl, add the minced ginger and garlic. Mix well so that all the lamb pieces are covered. Cover the bowl with cling film and place the bowl in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours.

Earlier in the afternoon, heat oil or ghee in a large skillet, add the onions and sprinkle on ½ teaspoon of the salt, then fry till well browned and caramelized. Drain on absorbent paper.

In the same skillet, still with some ghee or oil in it, sauté the sultanas and cashews for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the raisins puff and change color and the cashews begin to look golden. Turn out into a bowl and reserve for serving.

Set rice in large container with water to cover by at least 1 inch. Set aside for 30 minutes.

Take the lamb out of the refrigerator. Stir together 1½ teaspoons of salt, the garam masala, black pepper and turmeric, then add to the meat along with the yogurt, a third of the fried onions, half the fresh mint, half the cilantro and mix very well. Cover the bowl with plastic film and set aside to marinate for at least thirty minutes.

In a small bowl, dissolve saffron in warm milk. Add in the kewra water and rose water; set aside. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Drain the rice, then put it into a saucepan with plenty of water and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to boil and cook till half done, about 6 minutes. Drain well, returning the rice to its pan. Stir in the saffron-milk mixture, then stir in the whole masala spices, another third of the fried onions and the remaining mint and cilantro.

Take a heavy duty pot such as enameled cast iron or a heavy braising pot with tight fitting lid and add in the melted ghee to cover the bottom. Spread the marinated lamb into the pot and top it with the rice mixture. Sprinkle the black cumin seeds and the ginger strips over the rice press in. Combine the water and milk and pour overall. Cover the pan with a lid. Set on a hot burner for a few minutes to take the chill off the mixture, then place the pot in the oven and time for 15 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees and time for a further 20 to 25 minutes. Check that the liquids are all absorbed, then set the covered pot aside until ready to serve.

To serve, pour the rice and meat onto a large patter. Scatter over the top the remaining fried onions and the reserved fried sultanas and cashews. Garnish with a few sprigs of cilantro.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Indian Dinner for My Husband's Birthday

It has been 12 days since my last blog. Life continues to be a bit hectically busy, but mainly in very good ways.

A niece was getting remarried after losing her husband to leukemia some years ago, and I offered to make their cake. I had not made a wedding cake with buttercream frosting for a very long time. My practice was sorely lacking. I had various things working against me. For one, the meringue powder was a different brand. The only brand I had EVER used before was Wilton. I knew how it worked and what things worked like. The roses I made just would not hold shape well. The color would not come out properly. The buttercream frosting, also using the off-brand meringue powder (as a stabilizer, particularly during hot days), just would not work right. It was too hard, but after adding tiny amounts of liquid, just acted gooey. 

I had the cake iced with the white buttercream the day before the wedding and was going to put on the very deep red roses the morning of the wedding. I had added Cornelli Lace to alternating sides of the cake layers. Wedding morning I got up to find that one side of the top tier - the side I had chosen as the best looking to be presented to the front - had had a bubble and actually blew out! Thank all that is holy that it was not on a side with the Cornelli Lace, because there would have been no repair possible. And then, as if all that was not enough, it had to also be one of the hottest days of our summer. Not THE hottest, but 97 degrees is way hot enough, in my book. Still, the venue was quite dark and hid a multitude of sins. At least I know the cake was tasty! 

Palak Paneer and Lamb Korma

My husband and I love Indian Food. We are not Indian and have never been anywhere closer to India than a few Indian restaurants here in the US. I love to cook, and I love spices, so discovering the sheer array of spices used in Indian cooking took me to new heights in my explorations. With his birthday coming up, I asked what kind of meal he would like and he said pot roast. Now, as far as I am concerned, that would have been very easy, but certainly not what I would consider a special birthday-present kind of dinner. I asked about a Lamb Curry? He lit up at that and said "yes, Please!"

I tried to ask which of the many dishes I have made would be preferable. He said he has loved them all, so it was my choice. I chose to make Lamb Korma and Mattar Pulao, or rice with peas. The Lamb Curry (Lamb Korma) is one I had made some time ago and refined to where I particularly liked the flavors and the colors. I had followed recipes for this dish from some cookbooks and it always came out looking pallid and unappetizing, despite tasting okay. The recipe I used yesterday is (click here ->) this one, that I wrote about on November 15, 2014. 

The accompanying dish he asked for was one of the rice with peas dishes. and I made Mattar Pulao, or peas with rice. 

Mattar Pulao

Mattar Pulao

Serves 6

1 cup basmati rice
2 teaspoons ghee or unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 pinch saffron, crumbled
1 (1-inch) piece true soft-stick cinnamon
3 whole cardamom pods
2 cups water
1 cup frozen peas

Place the rice into a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Add in the ghee, salt, saffron, cinnamon, cardamom pods and water. Bring to boil, lower heat and cover. Cook at low to medium low for 15 minutes. About 3 minutes before the rice is done, stir in the peas to heat through for the last minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork before serving.

Along with chutney and some (store bought this time) Naan bread, that was the dinner my husband asked for. I decided to add in the Palak Paneer, or Creamed Spinach with Milk Cheese, just because it is one of my absolute favorite dishes. I have had excellent versions and not so excellent versions of this dis when dining out, but I love it no matter how I have eaten it. Here is my version of this dish:

Palak Paneer

Palak Paneer and Lamb Korma

Serves 6

2 packages (9 - 10 ounce each) of chopped frozen spinach
1 tablespoon ghee or unsalted butter
2 onions, finely minced
2 - 3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 piece fresh ginger, finely grated or minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon salt

DRY MASALA:
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon coriander seeds
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi), crushed
¼ teaspoon red powdered dry chilie

PANEER:
½ gallon whole milk (NOT ultra-Pasturized)
2 cups plain yogurt
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Last Minute Additions to the Spinach:
½ cup plain yogurt (or more if needed)
1 cup heavy cream (more if needed)

At least a day in advance, or up to 3 days, make the paneer: In a large pot, bring the whole milk to just under a boil. Stir the 2 cups of yogurt to soften the texture and add into the hot milk, stirring over low heat. It will take about 15 minutes for the curds to fully separate from the whey. The whey should be almost clear and take on a greenish tinge. If the liquid part is still white, even though it is separated, it is not yet ready (see progression in photo below). Pour the curd into a large strainer lined with cheesecloth and allow to drain. Fold the cheesecloth over top and set a plate over top and place a weight on the plate to press into a firm patty. Refrigerate until needed. The paneer is ready once it has firmed completely. It can be used as is or it may be fried prior to use. 

 yogurt added; after 5 minutes; after about 10 minutes; green whey and it is done

Make the Masala: In a small, dry skillet over medium high heat, toast the cumin and coriander seeds until fragrant, stirring constantly. Once toasted, turn onto a plate to cool. Once cooled, grind in a spice grinder, and then combine with the remaining masala ingredients and set aside. 

Maraschino Cherry Cake

Make the creamed spinach: Thaw the spinach and squeeze as much moisture out as possible. Set aside. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the ghee and saute the onions until golden. Add in the chopped tomatoes, with the minced garlic and ginger and the salt. Then add in the masala mixture. Cook, stirring until the mixture is fairly dry. Add in the reserved spinach to heat through. Add in the ½ cup (or more if needed) plain yogurt to thin the mixture, and then add in the cream as needed to make the mixture a sauce. Stir in the paneer, cut into squares (either as is, or fried and browned) and heat through.

 
After this splendid meal, the cake my husband prefers is the revised Maraschino Cherry Cake, recipe found here. A thoroughly un-Indian finish to this meal, but delightful nonetheless!




My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

A Curried Lamb Dish for Dinner

Heidi and me opening gifts

I have mentioned quite a few times lately that a friend, Heidi, and I had celebrated our birthdays together. When asked what she would like for our dinner, she said Indian Curry. Since I am a total lover of Indian spices and flavors, an Indian Curry sounded perfect for our birthday dinner. Most times, I use a recipe from somewhere and then embellish to my husband's and my taste. Most often, the changes and embellishments leave little of the original recipe. However, since I had already had at least one and up to 3 guests at a time for the previous three weeks, I was seriously cooked out by the time it came to our birthday dinner. I looked desultorily through some of my Indian cookbooks but could not find a single recipe (which attests to my tired and scattered state of mind) that seemed to fit. The only specific was that it was to have lamb in it for the meat. 

More often than not, when cooking Indian food for guests I really go crazy, making all the side dishes I love so much like Palak Paneer or a Dhal recipe using little red lentils. I make Paneer from scratch, along with whatever is the main dish. I made Gulab Jamun once. I just love those little things for dessert. I have oodles of recipes I have made successfully and deliciously. Besides being hurried, and because I had absolutely no plan for a dish for this meal, nothing sounded good. Maybe I need more cookbooks! Probably not, though I will likely get more. But seriously, it was not the cookbooks that were lacking. It was just that I had no free time in peace and quiet to peruse and select at my leisure, pure and simple. I am a planner. When something special is required, I take plenty of time ahead and look carefully through my books for inspiration.

Curried Lamb with Peas over Saffron Rice

So it was that I came to the time to prepare the meal (my kids who were visiting had just left that morning, so I was still missing them acutely), with my guest Heidi having just arrived, and still with absolutely no plan for my Indian Curry. I was beginning to panic. Finally I just decided to wing it; something that is very rare for me. I knew I wanted to use coconut milk, because my husband and I really love curries with that flavor. I most often include green peppers and peas in my curries, purely because they are some of the very few vegetables my husband will eat. 

Basmati rice

This time though, I also had Heidi's tastes to consider. She is willing to try things, but to date, her tastes are quite different than mine. She likes more simple foods, and nothing too exotic. I had her taste plantains. She was completely unimpressed and left them on her plate barely tasted. Black beans, the same. She will eat, but sparingly, if she doesn't care for it. She surprised me on two counts this trip, because she tasted my Serbian Grandmother's Beets with Horseradish with ham for breakfast, and while serving herself sparingly at first, she went back for a little more, then a little more, and yet again. Yea, Heidi!

I had already butchered a leg of lamb in preparation for the meal. I just had to find something to do with it. I started pulling out spices that sounded good to me (ALL Indian spices sound good to me!), resulting in quite a list. I got out the coconut milk. I opted to set the meat to "marinate" briefly with a few things while prepping others. The only accompaniment to the curried dish was saffron rice. I could not believe Heidi was unaware of saffron! She loved the flavor of the rice and the smell of the saffron, so I have hopes for her on that score! My saffron rice is simple, but we love it. I buy large bags of Basmati Rice (from India, it says on the bag) when making this rice, and we love the flavor. It is a side dish for many meals - not only Indian.

Saffron

Saffron Rice

Serves 4 - 6
 
1 cup Basmati rice
1 tablespoon butter or ghee
1 teaspoon salt
pinch saffron
2 cups water


Place rice, butter and salt into a medium saucepan with tight fitting lid. Rub the saffron between fingers to break up into very tiny bits. Add water. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes with the lid on. Remove from heat and leave lid on until ready to serve.

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As for my curry recipe, it came out well, following no recipe at all, but only adding in things I really love. If ground fenugreek is not available, soak a teaspoon of whole fenugreek seeds in hot water to cover for about 15 minutes, then add the seeds and water to the main dish while it cooks. Many Indian dishes are well spiced with chilies of some kind. I have red chile powder (not the kind used in Chile con Carne - just plain ground chilies) and added ½ teaspoon. The heat was not very noticeable. If desired hotter, use cayenne or add in some hot chilies of choice to cook with the dish. Here is what I did:

Curried Lamb with Peas

Serves 4 to 6

Curried Lamb with Peas

2 pounds lean lamb stew meat
1 teaspoon rosewater or water
1 pinch saffron
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon fenugreek powder
1 tablespoon Tandoor Spice

MASALA MIX:
2-inches true cinnamon, broken
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
4 whole cloves
4 cardamom pods, seeds only
1½ teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon ghee or oil of choice
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, cut into cubes
1 can coconut milk, stirred
½ teaspoon hot chili powder
½ cup almond meal
1½ cup frozen peas
2 teaspoons Garam Masala
cilantro leaves for garnish

In a small bowl, soften the saffron threads in the rose water or water. Set the meat into a mixing bowl, add in the saffron mixture with the ginger, garlic, salt, fenugreek powder and Tandoor Spice. Allow the meat to marinate while preparing the remaining ingredients.

Heat a dry skillet to medium high and add in the whole Masala spices. Stir them quickly, moving constantly, to bring out their fragrance and oils. Pour onto a plate to cool, then grind them in a spice grinder and set aside.

In a large skillet or pot, over medium heat, melt the ghee. Add in the meat and stir quickly to sear slightly. Add in the onion and cook, stirring frequently until the onion has softened. Add in the ground Masala and stir to combine, then add in the green pepper and about 1/2 to ¾ of the can of coconut milk. Bring the mixture to boil, then reduce heat, cover and cook for about 45 minutes, or until the meat has become tender. If at any point the pan becomes too dry, add in a little more of the coconut milk, as needed. Stir in the almond meal, which will thicken the mixture slightly. About 5 minutes before serving, add the frozen peas and allow them to that and the curry to come back to full heat. Add the Garam Masala and check for salt. Serve over Saffron Rice. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

As it turned out, I am glad to report that both Rich and Heidi loved the curry. They each served them selves seconds or more and were so taken with the flavors and style of the curry. We loved it too, so obviously winging it once in a while is also a good thing!



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Lamb Burgers to Die For

Birthday Cake with Blackberry Mascarpone Filling 

Hello! I have had guests for the past weeks, coming and going. It's been wonderful having our friend Rich visiting, as well as his significant other, Heidi, and always a stupendous lot of fun when my son Kenneth and his wife come to visit. Because of the amount of guests, and amount of food prep and other things attendant on having guests in the house, I hadn't managed to get to a blog for about 11 days now. It is good to have the house quiet again, no matter how I love them all. So here I am, back at my blog, and a year older, too!

I just had my 65th birthday yesterday, though we celebrated with our guests last weekend. Yesterday was totally normal day with work to be done, though my friend Deb took me out to lunch, which was excellent.

My Calamata Tapenade

When my son and his wife visit, I try to make some favorite things. I have used a recipe for lamb burgers found on the internet quite a few years ago. This was long before I had any idea about writing a blog, maintaining a website or any such thing. This year I got out the recipe and taking a good look, realized I probably never actually used the recipe except as a guideline. For example, the original recipe calls for 2 ½ pounds of ground lamb and only 2 cloves of garlic, for starters. I love garlic, and so does almost everyone I cook for. I used 6 large cloves of garlic when making these burgers last week. And, so it went with a lot of the recipe.

The recipe called also for making a tapenade to go on the burgers and while I like tapenade (or what passes for tapenade in jars in the grocery), I had never made it myself. My husband wouldn't eat it anyway, so if it is just the two of us, I wouldn't bother. But in talking to friend Rich, along with Ken and Julia - they all love tapenade, or at least olives, so that was the one totally new and different thing I did this time. Julia made a run to the nearby grocery and brought back some marinated Calamata/Kalamata olives. If I made this tapenade again (and I most certainly will!), I would look for these same olives, because the flavor was so excellent. I had only 4 remaining ("orphan") Kalamata Olives in a jar in the fridge, so I added these to the ones Julia brought home in making the tapenade.

My son, Kenneth

I pride myself on grilling things pretty well, but I have to hand it to my son - he just has a knack. My grill racks get scraped down when I grill and all, but I have not cleaned the pan below. The lamb was quite fatty also, and all this contributed to a total conflagration. On my own, I would likely have burnt the burgers. Ken came out to tend them and managed to bring in perfectly done burgers, with perfectly soft Feta on top. I was way amazed at his grilling prowess. Yea, Kenneth!

We came to the table to eat and such was the excitement that I absolutely and completely forgot to take photos of these amazing burgers. Good grief! All I got was one photo of the two remaining burgers on the serving plate and the dregs of the remaining tapenade. Not the best or prettiest photos, for sure, though one can certainly see the perfection of the grilled burgers. While great photos are sadly lacking here, I pray that anyone who loves lamb might try these recipes out, because oh, MAN are they ever just to-die-for-good!

Perfectly Grilled Lamb Burgers

Lamb Burgers with Grilled Feta and Tapenade

Makes 6 large burgers

BURGERS:
2¼ - 2½ pounds ground lamb
6 cloves garlic, finely minced, or through a garlic press
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, minced
3 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, minced
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Garrigue Seasoning, optional

8 ounces Feta Cheese, cut into approximately 6 slices

Mix all the burger ingredients well and form patties of approximately 1/4 pound apiece. Grill the burgers to desired doneness. Use a grill pan for the Feta, to soften. Feta does not really melt, but will warm nicely. Set one slice of Feta atop each burger. Serve with Tapenade on buns. A heftier, larger type of bun is needed for these large burgers than the cheaper types of bun available!

 

 

Olives I used for Tapenade

TAPENADE: Enough for 6 burgers
7 - 8 ounces pitted Calamata/Kalamata olives, drained
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely minced
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
¼ cup olive oil (more, or less, as desired)

Place the olives, parsley and garlic in a food processor to finely chop. With processor running, add in olive oil until the mixture is at the consistency you prefer.

Serve the tapenade on the side, to spread onto the buns when serving.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Cooking Indian with Rogan Josh

My Rogan Josh

Supposedly, Rogan Josh originated in Persia. I am not a history scholar, and have no knowledge of this beyond commentary I have seen in recipes. I guess, technically, this dish is Persian. However, I have seen it featured in every Indian restaurant I have frequented, and there have been a few. At this point in time, it appears to be a Kashmiri dish, usually made with lamb. Rogan appears to have some reference to the color red, or to heat, as in "red-hot". The dish is often quite red in color, owing to both a type of dried pepper (resham patti) that is used in its preparation, and also a red coloring (ratan jot) made from the root of alkanna tinctoria, a borage family plant. The chiles are not available outside of India, and they cannot keep up with the demand there. The root is used for color and dye, but is not necessarily safe to eat. So.

All conjecture aside, I have eaten Rogan Josh in Indian restaurants, and had at some point made a recipe from one of my Indian cookbooks. The color of the dish in a restaurant is quite red in color. I made a version of my own yesterday for our Valentine's dinner, because my husband and I both absolutely love Indian food. Mine was certainly not red, despite the amount of paprika used. Regardless, my meal came out fabulously delicious.

Most recipes I have seen for Rogan Josh to date, have had tomatoes in the recipe. One person, sounding Indian, insisted that tomatoes are never to be a part of Rogan Josh; they were added to try and make the sauce more red, but this is supposed to be accomplished through the chili powder mentioned. As I was looking around the internet to see what differences or similarities existed between recipes, there were a few things that seemed consistent.

• Lamb is most often the meat used, though other meats can be substituted.
• Strong spices are used, e.g. cinnamon, cloves, ginger, cardamom seem ubiquitous.
• Large amounts of a variety of dried red chili give the red color. This chili is not necessarily found here easily but paprika and dried chilies in powder form can substitute.
• They all add yogurt at the end of cooking.
• Garam Masala is often added at the end for a last flavor burst

As I perused recipes, I took note of all the differing spices used. As I listed just above, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and cardamom seem to always be used, along with coriander and cumin. After that, there are variations: saffron and or turmeric, mace, Indian bay leaves (called Tej Patta or Tamal Patra and is  NOT our bay laurel!) and even "caraway." What they call Caraway, for some reason seems to actually be black cumin, a spice little known outside of India, and certainly caraway seeds as we know them in the west are not a substitute. Sooo confusing. Some use fennel seed and one recipe called for poppy seed. Reading the amounts sometimes called for of paprika, and the sheer amounts of the rest of the spices, I thought that instead of measuring out all these spices singly, I would do it in larger scale, making my own "Rogan Josh Seasoning." I selected the amounts I would use for one pound of meat and multiplied those amounts, to make a larger amount to have on hand next time.

Rogan Josh Seasoning

Makes about 1¼ cup

Rogan Josh Seasoning

6 tablespoons paprika
1½ tablespoons garlic powder
1½ tablespoons ground ginger
1 to 3 teaspoons ground chiles without seeds
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground mace
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
2 teaspoons green cardamom seeds
1 teaspoon black cardamom seeds
2-inches true cinnamon
2 teaspoons white poppy seed, optional
1 teaspoon "onion seed" / nigella / kalonji, optional

In a bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients (already ground). In a dry skillet over medium high heat, toast the remaining ingredients until very fragrant. Turn them out onto a plate to cool, then grind these spices in a spice grinder until fine. Add them to the first ingredients and mix well. Store in a glass jar with tight fitting lid in a cool, dark place.

In the preparation for my Valentine Dinner, I had thawed a 4.5 pound leg of lamb. I cut it up into about 2-inch chunks (or so), depending on where veins of fat ran, or silverskin. This came out to almost 3 pounds of meat; bone saved and frozen, fat and scraps discarded. Reading later, I think I should have cooked the bone in with the stew, as it would have lent more flavor. I had already frozen the bone for later use, so I didn't do this step, though at another time, I will.

This was a large recipe, and generally I don't make quite so much at once. If I had used 1 or 1½ pounds of meat, I would have used 1 onion, ½ teaspoon asafoetida, 1 - 2 tablespoons Rogan Josh Seasoning, 2 - 3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ - ½ teaspoon turmeric, a pinch of ground cardamom, ½ to 1 teaspoon Garam Masala and ½ cup of yogurt.

Rogan Josh, served over Mattar Pulao

NOTE: Keep in mind that "chile powder" (below) does not mean the mixture used for making chili con carne. In the case of Indian food, it means pure, hot dried chiles, ground, preferable without seeds. It will be a hot spice, but not as hot as if it is ground with seeds.

Rogan Josh, served over Mattar Pulao

Rogan Josh

Serves 6 or more

3 medium onions, cut in narrow wedges
2 or 3 tablespoons oil or ghee, as needed
1 teaspoon asafoetida / hing, optional
6 to 8 cloves garlic, minced
2½ to 3 pounds lamb for stew (beef may be substituted)
2½ to 3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon chile powder, use more or less, to taste
3 to 6 tablespoons Rogan Josh Seasoning (see above)
1½ to 2 cups water, as needed
¾ cup almond meal, optional½ teaspoon ground cardamom
2 teaspoons Garam Masala
1½ cups plain Greek Yogurt

Heat oven to 275, or whatever temperature will maintain a low simmer. Have ready an oven safe pot or braising pan, with lid.

Heat a skillet and add in 1 tablespoon oil or ghee. Add in the onions and saute until softened, but not cooked through, about 8 minutes. Add in the garlic and the asafoetida and saute until the garlic is very fragrant, about 2 - 3 minutes. Remove onion mixture to the oven safe pot. Have the meat dried with paper toweling; if it is wet, it will not brown. Add more oil to the skillet, and brown the meat quickly over medium to medium high heat, ensuring it has good color. Do this in batches. Too much meat in the pan all at once will simply steam the meat but never truly brown. As the meat is browned, remove it to the oven safe pot. Once all meat is in the pot, sprinkle on the salt, turmeric and added chili powder, along with the Rogan Josh Seasoning. Stir well and add in 1 1/2 cups of the water. Set the pot on the hot burner and bring the mixture to boil. Cover the pot and set in the preheated oven and cook for about 2 or more hours, as needed to cook the meat tender. Check periodically to see if more water is needed to keep the mixture moist.

Remove from oven and set the pot on the stove at a low heat. Add in the almond meal (this thickens the stew slightly) and stir. Add in the yogurt, off heat and stir in until well combined. Sprinkle in the remaining cardamom and Garam Masala and stir.To serve, garnish with cilantro leaves.

Serve the Rogan Josh with plain Basmati Rice or a rice pulao. I served mine with a Mattar Pulao (a rice dish with peas added in).

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Things to do with Leftover Roast Meat

A few days back I made the Fruity Moroccan Style Lamb that was the topic of my last blog post. Unless you've had a good sized dinner party, making a larger roast will leave you with some significant leftovers. My husband has lately been of the mind that two days in a row of the same thing is enough. Then, it's either make something new, and still have the old leftovers - or make something new with those leftovers. 

Lamb Quesadilla with
Pepperjack cheese and cilantro

As a dinner, quesadillas are not my husband's cup of tea, so to speak. I do love the ease of slapping two tortillas together with some cheese and or meat and calling it a meal. This is what I did with some of the leftover lamb. I took a couple of chunks of meat, sliced them and set the meat it between tortillas with some pepper jack cheese slices and cilantro. This was easily heated / melted through in a dry, nonstick skillet and was absolutely delicious and more than enough as a meal for myself. 

Yesterday, amidst many projects, including mixing up the new version of Ras el Hanout spice and getting photos, I was also running through my mind on what to make for dinner. The leftover lamb was still in the fridge. What to do? And then I thought - pot pie! The roast, or more appropriately "braise," had a fairly thick mixture from the pot, in which the onions, dates, apricots all melted into a very flavorful sauce. I thought if a few vegetables were added and made a bit more sauce, I could easily whip up a pie crust and make a pot pie. That is one thing my husband absolutely loves. Nearly anything in a pie crust is sure to please. To start, I made a pie pastry very simply:

Simple Two-Crust Pie Pastry

For one 9 or 10-inch pie

2 cups all-purpose flour
⅔ cup shortening, lard or butter
1 teaspoon salt
5 to 7 tablespoons of water

Cut the fat into the flour and salt with a pastry cutter or forks, or even fingers. Once the mixture looks like large crumbs, add in about 4 or 5 tablespoons of the water, tossing the mixture quickly with a fork. Do not over-work the mixture, but bring it together into one mass. If it does not come together, add in another tablespoon of water and try again. You should not need more than 7 tablespoons of water. Once the mixture comes together, form it into two flat pieces, wrap well and refrigerate for an hour.

Beautiful New Meal: Lamb Pot Pie

Next, I started creating the filling for the pie. I cut all the remaining meat into small cubes and set that aside. I set aside the remaining mixture from the braise (which contained some tomatoes, dissolved fruits and even some of the rice that was served with it) for later. I chopped onion and started sauteing that, added in garlic and then flour to thicken with some water. Adding in veggies in small cubes to cook with this mixture, it was done in about 20 minutes. The meat and leftover pot mixture went in and the whole was checked for seasoning. All in all it went together quickly. Here is what I did:

Perfect slice of Lamb Pot Pie

Lamb Pot Pie

Makes one 9-inch pie

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
1½ tablespoons flour
1½ cups water or stock
1 small potato, peeled and diced
1 carrot, peeled, cubed
15 fresh green beans (½ - ¾ cup), small slices
½ teaspoon salt
a few grinds of pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, minced
1½ to 2 cups leftover lamb (or other meat), cubed
1 cup any leftover braise-bits from original roast
6 dried apricots, diced, optional

In a large skillet, over medium heat, saute the onion in the olive oil until beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook about 1 - 2 minutes more. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture in the pan and stir until it has disappeared into the oils in the pan. Off heat, stir in the water or stock until smooth. On the heat again, add in the carrots, green beans and potato with the rosemary, salt and pepper. Bring to boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Add in the remaining ingredients, stir and allow the mixture to cool somewhat.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (375 on Convection). Roll out one of the two pieces of pastry and fit to a 9-inch pie pan. Trim the edge evenly with the edge of the pan. Once the filling has cooled a bit, pour it into the pie shell. Roll out the second piece of pastry and cover the pie. Trim the edges so they overhand the bottom crust by about 1 inch. Tuck the edge of the top pastry under the edges of the bottom pastry. Crimp all the way around. Poke a few vent holes in the top crust with a sharp knife. Bake the pie for about 45 minutes, until the crust is golden and the filling has begun to bubble out just a bit.

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.