Braised Lamb Shank

This slow-cooked lamb shank is fit for a king! As it cooks, the lamb is infused with the flavors and juices from the veggies and herbs, leaving the lamb tender and flavorful.

This just might become your new go-to lamb recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

4 small lamb shanks , about 3/4-1 pound each; preferably local farm raised & grass-fed, at room temperature

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup diced onion , about 1 medium

1 cup diced carrot , about 1 large

4 garlic cloves , minced

1/2 cup good quality red wine

2 cups good quality beef stock , homemade or store bought

1 cups good quality chicken stock , homemade or store bought

3 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary , chopped (can substitute 1 teaspoon dried rosemary.

DIRECTIONS:

1.Take the lamb shanks out of refrigerator and let come to room temperature before cooking (about 1/2-1 hour).

 2.Preheat oven to 325F/163C degrees.

 3.Heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add tablespoon of olive oil and sear the shanks on all sides until brown, adding additional olive oil as needed. Remove from pan and set aside.

 4.Reduce heat to medium and add onion, carrot, and garlic to the pan. Sauté until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add wine and cook until reduced by half. Add beef and chicken stocks, tomato paste, and rosemary and stir well. Increase heat again to medium-high and bring sauce to a boil. Return lamb shanks to the pan, cover, and place in the preheated oven.

 5.Braise the shanks for 2-2 1/2 hours, or until lamb is fork tender.

 6.Place the cooked shanks on a serving dish. Skim excess fat off top of cooking liquid and reduce over high heat to thicken into a sauce, if necessary. Place one lamb shank on a plate, spoon sauce over it, and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

I'm certain you'll love it!

Sunday Dinner Stew

I know it's not Sunday and all this is ,is Beef stew, but I'm Bored...I needed something to put on this Blog..

This easy recipe can be made in less than 30 minutes and requires just five ingredients.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound small new potatoes

 3 large carrots, halved lengthwise and cut up

 1 17 ounce package refrigerated cooked beef tips with gravy

 1 ¼ cups water

 1 bunch green onions, chopped

Fresh or dried Thyme

See, Just Five Things! (Okay, six!)


DIRECTIONS:

1. Rinse potatoes. Halve or quarter large potatoes for fairly uniform size. Place potatoes in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover with vented plastic wrap and microwave on 100 percent power (high) for 5 minutes. Add carrots; cover and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, just until potatoes and carrots are tender.



2.In a Dutch oven combine potatoes and carrots, beef tips in gravy, and the water. Cook over medium-high heat just until bubbly around edges. Add green onions. Cover and cook for 5 minutes more or until heated through. Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with thyme.

Change Up: Substitute 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut up, for the new potatoes. Along with the chopped green onions, add a handful of chopped kale. Serve the stew with crusty bread or whole grain crackers.


See, that was simple...Enjoy!  Eat Well My friends!

Churros

Loved by Detective Carlotta Rodriguez-Wallace

 And Latina Attorneys

 Sofia Garcia

And Jessica Sanchez-Burrows..

(Shameless plug for my fiction blogs- ESCAPADES AND VENTURES)

Churros remains a much loved desert and treat in the real world too!

You can find a type of fried dough in nearly every cuisine and one of our favorites is the Spanish churro. Many countries have adopted the churro since it's creation and our version more closely resembles the Mexican version. The doughs are very similar, but the churros you find in Spain will typically be coated in sugar whereas the ones in Mexico will be coated in cinnamon and sugar. Since I  love the cinnamon and sugar combo, I went that route.


I don't often feel like breaking out all of my oil to fry things. But when you have an easy churro recipe this delicious, it's absolutely worth it. They only take a few minutes to fry and will actually still taste good at room temp, making them a great party dessert!


INGREDIENTS:

For the churros

1 c. water

 6 tbsp. butter

 2 tbsp. granulated sugar

 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

 1 c. all-purpose flour

 1 tsp. kosher salt

 2 large eggs

 Vegetable oil, or Olive oil  for frying Cinnamon sugar


For the chocolate dipping sauce

3/4 c. dark chocolate chips

 3/4 c. heavy cream

 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

DIRECTIONS :


1.Make churros: In a large saucepan over medium heat, add water, butter, and sugar. Bring to a boil, then add vanilla. Turn off heat and add flour and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon until thickened, 30 seconds. Let mixture cool for 10 minutes.

 2.To cooled mixture, using a hand mixer, beat in eggs one at a time until combined. Transfer mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip.

 3.In a large pot over medium heat, add enough oil to come halfway up the sides and heat to 375°. Holding the piping bag a few inches above the oil, carefully pipe churros into 6" long ropes. Use kitchen scissors to cut off dough from piping bag.

 4.Fry until golden, 4 to 5 minutes, turning as necessary. Fry 3 to 4 churros at a time and let oil come back to 375° before each batch. Remove churros with a slotted spoon or tongs and immediately roll churros in cinnamon sugar, then place on a cooling rack.

 5.Make chocolate dipping sauce: Place chocolate chips in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring heavy cream to a simmer. Pour hot cream over chocolate chips and let sit 2 minutes. Add cinnamon and salt and whisk to combine. 6.Serve churros with chocolate dipping sauce. It's important to note that the 10 minute cooling time before frying is very important. Your batter will stiffen as it cools allowing it to fry better!

Enjoy!  Eat Well My Friends!

Cajun Jambalaya Pasta

Ummmm Here is a hummer for the summer..Cajun Jambalaya Pasta.

I won't waste time on Verbiage...I'll get right to it..


INGREDIENTS:


2 fluid ounces olive oil

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons Cajun spice blend, separated 4 ounces red, yellow and green peppers, cut into thin strips

 4 ounces red onions, cut into thin strips 6 ounces shrimp, shelled and deveined 1 tablespoon blanched garlic, minced ½ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper 4 ounces Roma tomatoes, diced into 1-inch pieces

1 pound linguini pasta

1 tablespoon parsley, chopped


DIRECTIONS:

Step 1: Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan. Place the chicken into a clean mixing bowl. Sprinkle the Cajun spice over the chicken and into the bowl. Gently toss the chicken until each piece is evenly coated with the spice.

Step 2: Add the chicken into the sauté pan and cook until it is about half done. Add the peppers, onions and shrimp into the pan. Cook until the shrimp are about half done (they'll only be partially pink). Add the garlic into the pan. Season all of the ingredients with kosher salt, ground black pepper and the reserved 2 teaspoons of the Cajun spice.

Step 3: Add the diced tomatoes and chicken-seafood broth into the sauté pan. Gently stir the ingredients together. Continue to cook until the chicken and shrimp are done and the vegetables are tender.

 Step 4: Drop the pasta into boiling salted water and cook until al dente. Step 5: Place the pasta into serving bowls. Spoon the jambalaya over the pasta. Garnish with a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley.


Enjoy, Eat well my friends

Blueberry Quinoa

Sometimes...every once in awhile I like to get adventurous for breakfast!
This is really an easy dish to experiment with; my first version of the recipe was made with shredded apples instead of blueberries. It's just as delicious!


INGREDIENTS-

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and well drained

2 cups unsweetened almond milk

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons chopped almonds, toasted

DIRECTIONS:

In a small saucepan, cook and stir quinoa over medium heat until lightly toasted, 5-7 minutes.

Stir in almond milk, honey, cinnamon and salt; bring to a boil.

Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until quinoa is tender and liquid is almost absorbed, 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat; stir in blueberries and vanilla. Sprinkle with almonds.

This is for a morning when you want to eat but don't feel like cooking!

You can thank me later !

Apple Sauce Barbecue Chicken

Heyyy guys...This is one of those recipes that just by the title...I know I'm going to fix...

Darla Andrews , who created this recipe says -"You only need a few ingredients to create this sweet and peppery chicken. The subtle flavor of apple makes this tender barbecue dish stand out from the rest. "

INGREDIENTS:

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

2/3 cup chunky applesauce

2/3 cup spicy barbecue sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon chili powder

DIRECTIONS:

Sprinkle chicken with pepper.

In a large skillet, brown chicken in oil on both sides.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; pour over chicken.

Cover and cook until a thermometer reads 165°, 7-10 minutes.

Freeze option: Cool chicken; transfer to a freezer container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

 Cover and microwave on high until heated through, 8-10 minutes, stirring once.