Recipes & Cooking: February 2005 Archives
I'm loving this All About Braising cookbook. I made so many changes and took so many shortcuts, but it still tasted awesome. I had wanted to make braised lamb shanks from another cookbook but my stinginess took over when I saw how much it would cost, so I went for the much cheaper lamb stew meat. This recipe was for lamb chops but I figured the spices and the technique would work with the meat I bought.
I mixed the spices and rubbed it on the meat the night before I cooked it. And I took shortcuts with the spice mix (used ground instead of toasting seeds then grinding them, which I know compromises the flavor, but it's either that or don't cook at all). I even didn't have coriander and fennel, the two main spices (see, it's an amazingly forgiving recipe). I did have black pepper, allspice, salt, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, turmeric and cayenne, so I mixed it up, tossed it with the cubes, then let it sit in the fridge overnight and most of the next day.
Two hours before dinner I browned the meat in butter, then removed it from the pan and added a sliced onion and some turmeric (should've been saffron). Cooked until soft, then added 2 minced garlic cloves and stirred less than a minute, then added a cup of water and the meat with it's juices. Covered it and cooked it in a 300 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours. Served over couscous with chopped parsley on top.
Last night while making dinner I made peperonata: braised a thick-sliced onion with 2 sliced bell peppers, a generous pinch of salt and some red pepper flakes. I say "braised" because I got the recipe from All About Braising by Molly Stevens and because the vegetables are cooked in a skillet in olive oil with the lid on, so they exude a lot of juice. Cooked them for 45 minutes, then hit them with some balsamic vinegar and put them in the fridge.
Ate the peperonata at room temperature on some toasted country bread smeared with goat cheese. You need something tangy to balance the sweetness of the peppers. It's amazing how something so simple can be so good.
Last night while making dinner I made peperonata: braised a thick-sliced onion with 2 sliced bell peppers, a generous pinch of salt and some red pepper flakes. I say "braised" because I got the recipe from All About Braising by Molly Stevens and because the vegetables are cooked in a skillet in olive oil with the lid on, so they exude a lot of juice. Cooked them for 45 minutes, then hit them with some balsamic vinegar and put them in the fridge.
Ate the peperonata at room temperature on some toasted country bread smeared with goat cheese. You need something tangy to balance the sweetness of the peppers. It's amazing how something so simple can be so good.
I had baked the shrimp (450 degree oven with lemon juice and zest, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper) last night and we only ate half of it, so I was looking for a way to use the rest without cooking it more. Jamie Oliver does this thing with cold couscous and lemon dressing, so I decided to try that.
Whisk 2 tablespoons lemon juice with 5 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Whisk in 1 cup cold water, then 1 1/2 cups couscous. Let sit 15 minutes. Last night I added the shrimp, cold, and quartered artichoke hearts. Kind of a summery dish, but it was balmy around here today - 41 degrees!
