Lamb Stew with Veggies

Recipe courtesy wholefoods.com

Ingredients

1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds lamb stew meat, cut into 2-inch chunks
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup white wine
2 sprigs rosemary
2 sprigs oregano
2 cups baby carrots, halved
2 cups small new red potatoes, halved
1 cup fresh English peas or frozen green peas, thawed
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Method

Combine flour, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add lamb and toss to coat well. Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium high heat. Working in batches if needed, add lamb and brown on all sides. Add 11/2 cups water, wine, rosemary and oregano. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Stir in carrots and potatoes. Cover and continue to simmer for another hour. Stir in the peas. Simmer another 5 to 10 minutes or until peas are just cooked through. Remove and discard stems from rosemary and oregano.

Ladle stew into bowls and garnish with green onions. Serve immediately.

**My variation: I vary the veggies I use in this recipe, and I make sure to cut the lamb into pieces after I remove all the visible fat** I love the taste of lamb and rosemary :)  **

Recipe 

Lamb Chops with Goat Cheese Sauce

Recipe courtesy Whole Foods Market

Serves 4

Quick and easy, this delicious recipe gives cause for celebration. Tender lamb chops, lightly seasoned with freshly ground pepper and rosemary, are broiled to perfection and then topped with a simple, yet divine, white wine and goat cheese reduction. Garnish with a fresh sprig of rosemary for an impressive presentation.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon salt
8 lean lamb loin chops, each about 1-inch thick
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons pepper
2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 sprigs of rosemary
3 ounces goat cheese

Method

Preheat oven to broil.

Place an oven-proof skillet on the stove on high heat and add the salt. When you flick a little drop of water in the skillet and it sizzles it's ready for the chops. Sear the chops on the first side until browned, about 2 to 3 minutes, then flip the chops, sprinkle them with pepper and sear the other side for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle chopped rosemary all over chops.

Transfer skillet to oven and broil for about 3 minutes per side, or longer, if desired. Remove chops from the skillet and keep warm in a covered casserole dish. Return skillet to stovetop and heat over medium high heat. (Be careful not to touch the handle of the skillet since it will still be very hot!)

Add wine to deglaze the skillet, scraping the browned bits off of the bottom. Add broth and 1 sprig rosemary and simmer at a low boil until reduced by one third. Remove and discard rosemary sprig and swirl in goat cheese to complete the sauce.

Place the chops on a plate and drizzle sauce over the top. Top with remaining rosemary sprig and serve immediately.

I love goat cheese

Mushroom-Crusted Lamb Loin with Red Wine Glaze

Recipe from wholefoodsmarket.com

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 cups (about 6 ounces) white or cremini mushrooms
2 racks of lamb (8 ribs each) or lamb loin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon canola oil
3/4 cup red wine
3/4 cup low-sodium beef or chicken broth
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped thyme

Method

Place the mushrooms in a food processor and process until finely chopped. If you do not have a food processor, finely chop the mushrooms by hand. Remove any resulting liquid from the mushrooms by placing them in a paper towel and gently squeezing. Transfer the chopped mushrooms to a large plate.

Sprinkle the lamb loins all over with salt and pepper, then rub the mustard all over the loins, avoiding the ends. Roll loins in mushrooms on the plate, pressing down gently to make sure the mushrooms adhere well.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add lamb and sear on all sides. This should take about 3 minutes per side. Once seared, either reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, covered, on the stove or transfer the uncovered skillet to a 350°F oven and continue to cook until lamb is medium rare (125°F internal temperature), or longer if desired. Remove the loins from the skillet and let them sit for a few minutes prior to slicing so that the meat redistributes its natural juices.

Meanwhile, add wine, broth and sugar to the skillet and simmer on medium high heat until it reduces so that it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. (The sauce should reduce by approximately half of its volume.)

Slice each loin on a bias into eight slices. Drizzle some sauce on the bottom of each plate and arrange four slices of lamb on top. Top with thyme and serve.

**My variation: I use the leanest cut of lamb available at the grocery and slice any extra fat off, low sodium broth, exclude the sugar, don't forget to allow the sauce to cook down** Yum I love lamb :) I eat this with a sweet potato covered in cinnamon.

Mushroomy lamb 

Very fast and yummy Chili

Recipe from Alton Brown
Cook time: 35 min 
  Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 3 pounds stew meat(beef, pork, and/or lamb)
• 2 teaspoons peanut oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle of beer, preferably a medium ale
• 1 (16-ounce) container salsa
• 30 tortilla chips
• 2 chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce, chopped
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from the chipotle peppers in adobo)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions

Place the meat in a large mixing bowl and toss with the peanut oil and salt. Set aside.
Heat a 6-quart heavy-bottomed pressure cooker over high heat until hot. Add the meat in 3 or 4 batches and brown on all sides, approximately 2 minutes per batch. Once each batch is browned, place the meat in a clean large bowl.
Once all of the meat is browned, add the beer to the cooker to deglaze the pot.
Scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the meat back to the pressure cooker along with the salsa, tortilla chips, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, tomato paste, chili powder, and ground cumin and stir to combine. Lock the lid in place according to the manufacturer's instructions. When the steam begins to hiss out of the cooker, reduce the heat to low, just enough to maintain a very weak whistle. Cook for 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully release the steam. Serve immediately.

**My variation: Use the leanest beef/lamb  you can find and exclude the pork. Make sure to cut any visible fat off the meat. I use olive oil instead of peanut oil. If you don't know how to use a pressure cooker, this recipe is worth figuring it out, trust me !!!

I also use my fav Salsa...scroll down and low carb beer**

Delicious!!!