Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Tue, Mar 3, 09 at 8:27 Compumom has chosen BASIL for this Cookalong. Let's put our thinking caps on and come up with a wide variety of ideas for using it. Our virtual dinner featuring basil will be on Saturday, March 14. For those that may have missed the first Cookalong..... the idea here is to post hints, recipes and discuss the focus ingredient over the next two weeks. Recipes can use any form of the ingredient. Please mention the recipe source and whether it is one that you have already made (T+T) or one that you might be trying for the first time. I'm going to make an attempt to link all the cookalongs together. Nancy Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #3 -- Carrots Follow-Up Postings: o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Tue, Mar 3, 09 at 9:41 As a segue, here's what I'm planning to make next, another recipe from Orangette's blog. I have acini de pepe to use up. It combines carrots and basil. I can't afford the fresh stuff though. There is a chance that I still have some pesto cubes in the freezer. So I will have to make some adjustments. I also don't have fresh thyme. I can't afford to buy fresh herbs. But I do have dried herbs from my own garden from last summer. I'm also going to use canned tomatoes. But I know some of you lucky southern climate folks can get fresh ones! Provenl Tomato Soup with Orange, Saffron, and Tiny Pasta Adapted from Gourmet, September 2006 This business of blanching, peeling, and seeding the tomatoes may be a little fussy, yes, but it makes for a lovely, soft tomato flavor. Plus, theres nothing quite so satisfying for the fingers as slipping the skins from a few tomatoes, or scooping out their seeds and juicy slop. And aside from that mild labor, this soup is pretty straightforward. With a stir every now and then, it mainly cooks itself. And it makes for easy eating on the front stoop a table for two with a view! on an early fall evening. With a hunk of bread and some cheese alongside, its dinner. 2 lb good-tasting tomatoes 2 medium onions, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and thinly sliced (~2 cups) 1 medium carrot, finely chopped or cut into very thin rounds 1 celery stalk, finely chopped 4 large garlic cloves, minced 1 (3- by 1-inch) ribbon of fresh orange zest, minced 1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme Scant ¼ tsp dried hot red pepper flakes ¼ tsp fennel seeds 1 Turkish bay leaf 3 Tbs good-tasting olive oil 2 Tbs tomato paste 4 ¾ cups water ¾ tsp salt, or to taste Pinch crumbled saffron threads 1 to 2 tsp granulated sugar ¼ cup small soup pasta, such as acini di pepe 2 Tbs finely chopped fresh Italian parsley ¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil Bring a 5- to 6-quart saucepan of water to a boil. Cut a shallow X in the bottom of each tomato with a sharp knife, and blanch them, 2 or 3 at a time, in the boiling water for about 15 seconds, until the skin around the X starts to curl. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes to a bowl of ice water. When they are cool enough to handle, peel them, core them, and halve them crosswise. Set a sieve over a medium bowl, and squeeze the tomato halves gently over it, cut sides down, to extract the seeds and pulp. You may have to use your fingers to coax them out. Press on the seeds in the sieve to push through any juice; then discard them. Reserve the juice and the tomatoes. Pour the water out of the saucepan, and wipe it dry. Pour in the oil, and warm it over medium heat. Add the onions, carrot, celery, garlic, orange zest, thyme, red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, and bay leaf. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very soft but not brown, about 8-10 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their reserved juice and the tomato paste, water, salt, saffron, and 1 tsp sugar. Simmer, uncovered, stirring and breaking up the tomatoes with a spoon occasionally, about 25-30 minutes. Add the pasta, stir to mix, and simmer, uncovered, until tender, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf, and stir in the parsley and basil. Taste, and adjust sugar and salt as needed. Serve. Yield: 4-6 servings, depending on what else youre eating Here is a link that might be useful: On stewing, and soup o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by woodie2 (My Page) on Tue, Mar 3, 09 at 10:33 This is a tried and true favorite of mine - Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Basil-Parsley Sauce Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray Recipe Summary Difficulty: Easy Prep Time: 18 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Yield: 4 servings 2 pounds chicken cutlets Salt and pepper 3 to 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup Italian bread crumbs 1/3 to 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano, a couple of handfuls 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning 1 clove garlic 1 (3-ounce) jar pine nuts (pignoli) 1 lemon, zested 2 eggs, beaten Olive oil, for shallow frying Basil- Parsley Sauce: 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves 1/2 cup loosely packed parsley leaves 1/2 lemon, juiced Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it 1 Roma or plum tomato, seeded and finely chopped, for garnish Season the cutlets with salt and pepper on both sides turn lightly in flour. Combine next 7 ingredients in food processor and pulse-process the crumbs to chop the spices, garlic and nuts and evenly distribute the flavors throughout the crumb and cheese mixture. Transfer the mixture to a plate. Beat eggs in a separate shallow dish. Heat a thin layer of oil in a large skillet, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan, over medium to medium high heat. Coat the cutlets in eggs then breading and add to the hot oil. Cook cutlets in a single layer, in 2 batches if necessary, about 3 or 4 minutes on each side, until cutlets' juices run clear and breading is evenly browned. Return food processor bowl to base and add basil, parsley and lemon juice. Add a little salt and pepper. Turn processor on and stream in oil until a loose paste forms. Serve chicken cutlets with a generous amount of basil and parsley sauce poured over the cutlets. Garnish the chicken with finely chopped Roma tomato. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by marlingardener (My Page) on Tue, Mar 3, 09 at 11:44 I'm not in the gourmet chef league as many of the posters are, but I do have a unique and tasty appetizer featuring basil. Dip cherry tomatoes in hot water just long enough to slip their skins. Take young basil leaves and stick them in the stem end of the tomatoes. Serve on a platter laying on a bed of crushed ice. If you can get yellow and red tomatoes, it looks prettier. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lindac (My Page) on Tue, Mar 3, 09 at 11:45 There was a show on the food network this past 2 weeks that was a challenge using basil. They cooked basil ice cream and a basil scented cornmeal cake.....and only one person did the traditional basil pesto over pasta.... I use lots of basil in the summer when I have it growing and fresh, but rarely use it in the winter but for the pesto in the freezer. I add a cube of pesto to lots of things like soups, sauces and as a bread dip. Linda c o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by jude31 (My Page) on Tue, Mar 3, 09 at 11:51 Nancy, you are playing my song! Love, love, love basil and I can't wait to see all the recipes posted. I'll be back with one or more. jude o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by jessyf (My Page) on Tue, Mar 3, 09 at 19:26 Time to drag this one out of my cobwsebbed magazine collection. I mde this quite a few times then forgot about it. Actually the recipe calls for pork chops..... I used Trader Joe's frozen or jarred mango when I couldn't find fresh to my liking. Grilled Chicken with Mango-Basil Sauce Bon Appétit : June 1997 Ingredients 1 small mango, peeled, pitted 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 jalapeño chili, seeded, minced 1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves 3/4 cup canned low-salt chicken broth 1 1/2 tablespoons golden brown sugar 1 tablespoon soy sauce 4 6- to 8-ounce flattened chicken breasts, boneless/skinless Preparation Puree mango in processor. Set aside 1/2 cup puree (reserve any remaining puree for another use). Heat 1 tablespoon oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and jalapeño, then basil; sauté just until basil wilts, about 1 minute. Add broth, brown sugar and soy sauce. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in cup mango puree. Simmer until sauce thickens and coats spoon, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Prepare barbecue or preheat broiler. Brush chicken with 2 teaspoons oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill or broil until just cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plates. Rewarm sauce over low heat, stirring occasionally. Drizzle over chicken. Here is a link that might be useful: Original recipe, Bon Apetite o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil -basil -- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by jessyf (My Page) on Tue, Mar 3, 09 at 19:39 Who posted the Pho recipe. Was it RachelEllen or Natalie ntt_hou). I can't find it. I think it would be a good addition. I admit that I can't make it better than I can get elsewhere around Los Angeles, but someone ele might want to make it. It calls for lots of basil at the end. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lakeguy35 (My Page) on Tue, Mar 3, 09 at 19:53 This is a T & T in my files from Ina Garten. David Roasted Tomato Basil Soup Copyright, 1999, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, All rights reserved Show: Barefoot Contessa Episode: Feel Good Food Recipe Summary Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour 35 minutes Yield: 6 to 8 servings 3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good olive oil 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions) 6 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 (28-ounce) canned plum tomatoes, with their juice 4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 1 quart chicken stock or water Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss together the tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the tomatoes in 1 layer on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes. In an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, including the liquid on the baking sheet. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Pass through a food mill fitted with the coarsest blade. Taste for seasonings. Serve hot or cold. Note: I don't have a food mill. I just use a stick blender. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by canarybird (My Page) on Wed, Mar 4, 09 at 6:28 Since we both love any kind of pasta with pesto, I might be making this or perhaps I'll try to find a local Spanish recipe using basil for a change. I make this often and it's delicious: PESTO - from Italian TV demo 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups basil leaves 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 teasp salt 1/2 teasp f.g. pepper 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated 1/2 cup pine nuts (2 small jars) teasp water Process in food processor, adding oil slowly until all is creamy. SharonCb o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Wed, Mar 4, 09 at 9:36 I'm hoping basil plants will be at the nursery in time for this challenge, but it might be a week or 2 early for that. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I hate to go out and buy basil at the grocery store when it's so close to time to plant it. Here's a recipe by Giada De Laurentis I've posted before, but it pertains to this challenge, and we really like it. To make it vegetarian, I substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth. I've made it with regular couscous, with orzo, and with the Israeli couscous. All worked, but the regular couscous was the least successful. The slightly larger texture of the Israeli couscous or the orzo works the best. Mediterranean Salad Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentis 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1/4 cup 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 (1-pound) box Israeli couscous (or any small pasta) 3 cups chicken stock 2 lemons, juiced 1 lemon, zested 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves 1/4 cup dried cranberries 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted In a medium saucepan, warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the couscous and cook until toasted and lightly browned, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Carefully add the stock, and the juice of 1 lemon, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the couscous is tender, but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the couscous. In a large bowl, toss the cooked couscous with the remaining olive oil, remaining lemon juice, zest, salt, and pepper and let cool. Once the couscous is room temperature, add the fresh herbs, dried cranberries, and almonds. Toss to combine and serve. Recipe Summary Difficulty: Easy Prep Time: 20 minutes Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Yield: 6 servings Episode#: EI0819 Copyright © 2006 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved There's also a Brown Rice and Basil Salad recipe by Ina Garten I've made before that's really good. I don't have it on my computer, and don't have time now to type it out, so I'll try to do that tonight, or at least before the deadline. Linda, I saw that episode of Iron Chef where basil was the secret ingredient. I thought a lot of what they made sounded good, and some sounded odd. It looked, though, that the judges were pretty tough on both contestants, and didn't rave about any of the food. I was a little surprised they were so blase about what they were served. Sally o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by shaun (My Page) on Wed, Mar 4, 09 at 10:35 marlingardener I'd really love to see a picture of the recipe you posted for the cherry tomatoes. Do you happen to have one? o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lisazone6_ma (My Page) on Wed, Mar 4, 09 at 12:31 I make a dipping oil for bread using pesto in the winter, and fresh basil in the summer. I don't measure, I simply add things to taste, but I'll put in approximate amounts - you can change amounts to increase/decrease the total. The basic ingredients are as follows, but you can add other things or leave what you don't like out and it'll still work. 1 cup extra virgin olive oil 2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar Sea salt or kosher salt Fresh cracked black pepper 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 1 hot dried red pepper crushed or 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes 2-3 tbsp pesto or 6-8 large fresh basil leaves chopped 2 tbsp Garlic paste made from roasted garlic, or couple cloves chopped (even if using the pesto, and I like a lot of garlic - you can reduce the amount if you prefer it less intense) I roll the fresh basil leaves together then cut them with a scissors to make strips or chiffonades (sp?) Mix all ingredients and let sit for a bit for flavors to combine. You can just refrigerate any leftovers and bring to room temp to use again. The cheese, and especially if you use the pesto, makes it on the thick side, but that's the way we like it! Lisa o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by chase (My Page) on Wed, Mar 4, 09 at 12:43 Think I might make this dish. Haven't had it for a long time. Cherry Tomato, Onion, Basil Sauce 2 Tbl olive oil 1/2 sweet vidalia onion sliced thin few drops best balsamic vinegar 2 garlic cloves minced 1 Lb cherry tomatoes halved 8-10 Basil leaves chopped salt and pepper 4 Oz Small Mozzarella Balls (Boccacini) Or Fresh Moz Cut In 1/2 Inch Squares Place oil in saute pan, add sliced onions and saute on medium heat until limp. Do not let brown or crisp. Add a few drops balsamic. Cook a few more minutes.Add garlic and continue to cook until onions are caramelized. Add cherry tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium low heat until the tomatoes loose their shape and give up their juices. Add basil and simmer until basil is limp and sauce is fragrant. Add the moz and toss with fresh cooked pasta such as linguine. Serve with Parmesan cheese. Here is another favourite dish of mine. Very special. Pork With Herb Crust I usually only do one 5 rib roast but I keep the same measurements for the herbs! Serve with Garlic Parmesan mashed potatoes and green beans 2 (3- to 4-pound) racks of pork 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 Tsp salt 7 garlic cloves minced 1/3 Cup fresh basil Chopped 1/3 Cup fresh thyme Chopped 1/3 Cup fresh parsley Chopped 2 Tbl pepper Coarsely Ground 1 1/4 Cup butter (or margarine)cut up 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 2 Can chicken broth 1 Tbl tomato paste 2 Tbl fresh sage Chopped 1/4 Tsp pepper Rub pork with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Stir together garlic and next 4 ingredients; press onto pork. Place pork on a rack in a lightly greased broiler pan; cover bone tips with aluminum foil to prevent burning. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 150max, I prefer 140-145 ! Transfer pork to a serving tray.Cover and let rest while making sauce (even if you don't make the sauce let the pork rest for at least 10 minutes to redistribute juices and let the internal temp climb a bit more) Pour pan drippings into a skillet. Add butter to drippings; cook over medium heat until butter melts. Whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, until caramel colored. Gradually whisk. in broth and next 3 ingredients; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Serve with 'pork. Garnish, if desired. Yield: 8 servings.~ o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by cloudy_christine (My Page) on Wed, Mar 4, 09 at 12:59 Franco and Margaret Romagnoli had a cooking show on PBS years ago. One of my favorite pasta dishes comes from their cookbook, The Romagnolis' Table. It's a rich, butter-based sauce that couldn't be easier. The recipe intro says the sauce is classic with mostaccioli, ziti, and rigatoni, "and rather more special and delicate with homemade fettucine." I usually make it with our favorite thin spaghetti, DeCecco fedelini. Pasta with Tomato and Basil Sauce 8 tablesooons unsalted butter 12 fresh plum tomatoes, or 3 cups canned (I often use more than 12) 6 fresh basil leaves (or more) 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (I use less) 6 Tablesoons Parmesan cheese, sprinkled on the sauced pasta 1 1/4 pounds of pasta (I use less), or a 5-egg batch of home-made fettucine. Melt the butter in a big frying pan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add the tomatoes. If you use fresh plum tomatoes: peel them, and cut them into chunks before adding to the butter. If you use canned tomatoes: crush them gently with a wooden spoon as you stir them in. Break the basil leaves into the pan, add the salt, raise the heat, and when the whole combination starts to boil, lower the heat to a simmer. Let it bubble along about 20 minutes, or until the juice has cooked away a bit,and the color darkened. Stir occasionally during the simmering process. If the sauce hasn't simmerd enough, it will sink to the bottom of the dish instead of coating the pasta when mixed. Cook and drain the pasta, and turn it out on a deep platter or a wide, shallow bowl, cover with the sauce, and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Turn the pasta with a serving fork and spoon to get the saude to coat it. Serve immediately. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Thu, Mar 5, 09 at 7:38 Basil is a tough ingredient for me at this time of the year. I like fresh basil with tomatoes, corn, etc. and I rarely buy those ingredients except in the summertime. I have been making this recipe with dried basil since my college days and it's as economical now as it was then. Even though it doesn't use much basil, it definitely is the standout flavoring. CHICKEN LIVERS AND RICE - 2 to 3 servings 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch slices 1 lb. chicken livers, trimmed and quartered 1/4 cup flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup uncooked rice 1 envelope instant chicken broth 1/2 tsp. dried basil, crumbled 1 whole bay leaf 1 1/4 cup water 2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley (do not omit) Cook bacon until crisp in large skillet. Combine flour, salt and pepper and dredge chicken livers in it. Remove bacon and reserve. Brown livers in bacon grease. Remove and reserve. Saute onion over medium heat in same skillet (add 1 Tbs. olive oil of needed.) Stir in rice, broth pack, basil, bay leaf and water. Heat to boiling; then turn heat to low. Stir mixture thoroughly, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. Cover. Simmer 20 minutes without lifting lid. Spoon reserved livers over rice but dont stir. Put lid back on and simmer for another 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove bay leaf. Sprinkle with bacon and chopped parsley. Note: You can substitute 1 1/4 cups of chicken broth for the water and omit the instant chicken broth packet. Photobucket o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by theresafic (My Page) on Mon, Mar 9, 09 at 13:49 For various reasons I was unable to participate in the first two cookalongs but I plan to on basil. My husband bought me an aerogarden for Valentines day and I have basil growing. Not enough for a whole recipe but enough for garnish or to enhance the flavor of the dried basil I will use. I am not sure of what I will make but I want something different than pesto or using it on pasta. I'll think about it and post back later. I hope that people are still interested in the cookalong for this weekend. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Mon, Mar 9, 09 at 14:58 I often make a salad with basil to pack for lunch - great northern beans, tuna, chopped red onion, tomato, parsley, basil, sprinkle of garlic powder and sliced black olives with an olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing. I mix all the ingredients ahead of time except the tuna and then add it the morning I'm going to eat it. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by chase (My Page) on Mon, Mar 9, 09 at 15:34 I'm still in....hoping to see lots of basil ideas. David's soup is calling me but I'm not settled on a main dish but Woodies Crispy Chicken sure is sounding good! o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by joanm (My Page) on Mon, Mar 9, 09 at 20:03 The only recipe I make often that has basil leaves is Rachael's chicken meatballs. Chicken Sausage Meatballs Rachael Ray 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken 1 tablespoon grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick) 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1/3 palm full 1/4 cup tender sun dried tomatoes (available in pouches or tubs in produce section) 10 leaves fresh basil extra-virgin olive oil Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place chicken in a medium bowl with grill seasoning and add the fennel seeds. Pile sun-dried tomatoes on top of each other in small stacks then slice into thin strips. Coarsely chop the thin strips and add to bowl. Stack 10 basil leaves together then roll them up into a log. Shred the basil by thinly slicing the log. Add basil to the bowl. Drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil over the chicken, mix meat together and roll into mini balls, 1 1/2 inches across, and arrange on a nonstick cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degree F for 10 to 12 minutes or until firm and lightly golden. Remove meatballs from oven, add to sauce and serve with pasta. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by gardenguru1950 (My Page) on Mon, Mar 9, 09 at 20:51 I'm not sure if I can participate in the Cookalong (is that like a billabong?) but I invented this last Friday night and it came out pretty dang good: Three recipes [to assemble] ... CREAMY BASIL PESTO WITH ROASTED GARLIC For 2 pizzas Ingredients 2- 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves 1/4 cup fresh fennel leaf 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup pine nuts, dry toasted (stovetop pan) 1 head garlic, roasted, peeled 2 oz cream cheese (or mascarpone or "Better Than Cream Cheese") 1/2 cup packaged mixed Italian cheeses, shredded 1 tsp lemon juice (about ¼ lemon) 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly finely grated Directions Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add more olive oil if its too thick to spread. ----- ROASTED VEGETABLES For 2 pizzas Ingredients 2 medium yellow onions, cut into thin wedges 1 large fennel bulb, cored, cut into wedges 1 small red bell pepper, chopped 1 small green bell pepper, chopped 1 medium whole head garlic, a little bit of the tops chopped off 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp dried basil 1/2 tsp fennel seed 1/2 tsp fresh milled black pepper pinch of salt (optional) 4 + 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil 6 medium white mushrooms, sliced 1 small Japanese eggplant, peeled and sliced crosswise 1 small zucchini, sliced crosswise Directions Place onion, fennel and bell pepper pieces on a deep cookie sheet and sprinkle with the herbs and pepper (and, if you wish, salt). [Save a teeny bit of the basil and oregano for the garlic.] Drizzle the veggies with 4 Tbs of olive oil and tossed well to coat. Place the garlic head on a piece of foil and sprinkle with a bit of the herbs and drizzle it with a bit of oil. Wrap the foil into a closed tent and place on the cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet with veggies and garlic into a 280°F oven and roast for one and one-half hour, turning the veggies every half hour. After one and a half hours, toss the mushrooms, eggplant and zucchini with 2 Tbs of olive oil and then mix it with the onion mixture. Roast/bake for an addition hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Use the garlic for the pesto. ----- DLS PESTO AND ROASTED VEGETABLE PIZZA Serves 4+ Ingredients 2 packages Trader Joes plain pizza dough 4 Tbs olive oil creamy pesto per recipe roasted vegetables per recipe 8 oz mozzarella, sliced thin 1/2 pound provolone, sliced thin Directions Follow directions on pizza dough package with these exceptions: have a pizza stone warming in the 450°F oven. When the pizza has set its 20 minutes, place it on the pizza stone and "blind bake" for 6 minutes. If it puffs up too much in the middle, punch it with a few fork holes. Remove it from the oven and brush the edges and about 1 inch from the edge on the top with olive oil. Spread half of the pesto onto each pizza crust, making sure not to take it to the very edge. Spread half of the roasted vegetables on each pizza crust. Lay half of the mozzarella on each crust. Top with half of the provolone per crust. Bake at 450°F for 8 minutes. Best dang pizza I've ever eatin'! Joe o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by coconut-nj (My Page) on Fri, Mar 13, 09 at 2:07 Caught this on page 2. Joe, that pizza sounds great. I like both cheeses on my pizza too. The provolone is great. The one I made for myself last week had hunks of ricotta on it too. I'm going to be making one of my favorite uses for basil. Ratatouille. I got very nice eggplant, and the squash looks very good too. I get groceries delivered and had ordered 2 lbs of white mushrooms, which they refer to as large bulk mushrooms. The person who filled the order sent me almost 2 lbs of portobello mushrooms for the price of loose white mushrooms. Well, they are large. So... the rat stew will benefit from that nice mistake. The store is very nice when they make mistakes and naturally don't charge you extra. Smiles. I remember the recent discussion about keeping herbs/basil so I thought I'd share my method. I use a lot of basil. I make big batches of pasta sauce so that I can eat it for breakfast and lunch for most of a week. I rarely go two weeks without having it. Right now I have four, gallon size freezer bags stuffed full of basil. Many have said they make pesto and freeze it or put it in ice cubes with water. I just wash big bunches well, shake the excess water off and stuff it into the bags. The bit of water that clings seems to protect the leaves. If the basil came from the garden and the stems are long I cut them back, wash them and bag them seperately. The stems are great in sauce for long cooking and easy to fish out. My favorite is to let the basil go to flower at the end of the season and pull the whole plants up. I then cut off the flower heads and bag them seperately. I love the flavor of the flowers in sauce. Very tender. Seperate the heavy stems and rest of the plant and wash and freeze. I have heard people say that when you freeze the leaves they then turn black. Well, you don't thaw when you go to use them or they would turn black/dark. You just use them right from the frozen state and they cook up very much like fresh. When I have the big bags frozen, as I go to use each bag I crush the frozen leaves up in the bag. If there are big blocks [from leaving them too wet], I just hit them with a rolling pin or hammer. After the leaves are crushed it's ready to use. It's best to use a soup spoon to scoop the leaves out when you use them because otherwise they will stick to your hands. Smiles. The pieces of stem that were attatched are now loose and I take those pieces and put them in the sauce first. Many soften enough to be eaten, or they can be fished out if they're too big. I've done this for a number of years and it keeps me and my basil addiction going through the winter and until fresh is ready to pluck again. If you like your basil fine, you can put some in a measuring cup with some water and give it the hand blender. I might make some gnocchi with a basil and sour cream sauce for an appetizer for the ratatouille dinner. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by annie1992 (My Page) on Fri, Mar 13, 09 at 12:50 Wow, I'd forgotten all about this. I'm leaning toward Ruthanna's chicken livers! Annie o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by cabogirl (My Page) on Fri, Mar 13, 09 at 17:43 My daughter loves this dip and makes it every time we have a get together. I believe she found it on Allrecipes Sun-Dried Tomato Dip INGREDIENTS: 1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 cup mayonnaise 2 cloves garlic, minced hot pepper sauce to taste 3/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup fresh basil DIRECTIONS: In a food processor, mix the sun-dried tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, hot pepper sauce, salt, and pepper. Process until well-blended. Add basil, and continue processing until smooth. Chill at least 1 hour in the refrigerator before serving. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Fri, Mar 13, 09 at 19:56 I did break down and buy some fresh basil today. I could have bought 13 pounds of cabbage this week for the same price. LOL So I'll have to see what I can come up with for tomorrow night. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Sat, Mar 14, 09 at 9:46 I'm not going to be doing anything with basil tonight, because we have a wedding to go to. I might do something tomorrow, but I don't know what, yet. We've been so busy the last couple of weeks that I just haven't had time to think it out. Plus, I was hoping we'd get some basil plants into the nursery, but that didn't happen yet. Hmmm, I'll have to figure out what to cook, if anything, and do it tomorrow instead of tonight. Sally o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by compumom (My Page) on Sat, Mar 14, 09 at 10:16 I think I may try Cabogirl's dip! I've been MIA this week more or less and today I'm cooking a big pan of Mac& Cheese for DGS's birthday party. Since I'm going off to the market(s) this morning, I'll p/u the ingredients for this too. Coconut, thanks for the tips on how to keep fresh basil around longer! o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by canarybird (My Page) on Sat, Mar 14, 09 at 10:19 Well I've bought my basil but still need some more pine nuts, for tomorrow's pesto dinner. I would have liked to try something new but sometimes other obligations get in the way and suddenly it's the 'Basil Weekend' LOL. So it will be a Sunday dinner for us. Looking forward to seeing what you all are cooking up today and tomorrow! SharonCb o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Sat, Mar 14, 09 at 10:34 I woke up to a never before seen sight this morning - my DH browsing through a pile of my cookbooks. Except for this week when we were out of town most of the week for a death in the family, I've tried making the Cookalong ingredient in different ways and DH enjoyed the anticipation of which would be next. So he announced that he had found a perfect (?) recipe using fresh basil and I have all the ingredients for it so we'll see how it turns out. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Sat, Mar 14, 09 at 12:34 I'm making Jessy's mango chicken tomorrow, except I'll modify the recipe to make it in the crockpot--I'm taking dinner over to a friend's house. I'm making CloudyChristine's gingerbread for dessert from the last thread, with lemon curd sauce. And that morrocan salad with carrots. Now I just need one more vegetable. A modified ratatouille might actually be good, I have some canned tomatoes in the fridge to use up. Today I'm making the tomato soup with basil and saffron for lunch. I'll report back. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by malna (My Page) on Sat, Mar 14, 09 at 17:43 I hate it when life/work gets in the way of "cooking along". It was late last night by the time we got off the phone with clients, and the meat was defrosting...so stew tonight. Not something I could figure out how to get basil into - LOL. This is what I was PLANNING on making for tonight: Pesto Chicken Roll Up from Chef Bonnie Mair of The Hub Cafe 1 package of puff pastry (2 sheets) 1 (7oz) container of Pesto (or 1 cup of your own) 2 cups of baby spinach 2 cups of chicken cut into bite sized pieces 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided 1 tsp garlic salt 1 egg, lightly beaten Cook chicken in a little bit of oil and season with pepper and garlic salt. Drain and set aside. Or you can use precooked chicken, but I think this way gives it more flavor. Roll out pastry sheets onto a cookie sheet. Divide all ingredients into two and evenly use on both sheets. Spread Pesto over both sheets. Top with mozzarella, 1/2 of the parmesan cheese, spinach and chicken. Roll the pastry sheet into itself until it is into the desired shape. Place the seam on the bottom and adjust it on the cookie sheet. Do this with both rolls. Brush each roll with the egg and then sprinkle it with the rest of the parmesan cheese and garlic salt. Make several slits in the top of the roll to vent. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Slice into individual servings. With a cup of minestrone soup to start, and this for dessert: Mini Cheesecakes (from All-Recipes) with Blueberry-Basil Topping INGREDIENTS: 1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs 1 tablespoon white sugar 1 tablespoon margarine, melted 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese,softened 1/4 cup white sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 egg DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 6 cup muffin pan. 2. In a medium bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and margarine with a fork until combined. Measure a rounded tablespoon of the mixture into the bottom of each muffin cup, pressing firmly. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 5 minutes, then remove to cool. Keep the oven on. 3. Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla until fluffy. Mix in the egg. 4. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the muffin cups, filling each until 3/4 full. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 25 minutes. Cool completely in pan before removing. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Blueberry-Basil Topping from an idea borrowed from Bakerella's recipe for Blueberry-Basil cupcakes: Purée 1 can of blueberry pie filling and 1 T. ground basil in a food processor. Sigh...I knew I should have cheated and made this a couple of days ago. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by annie1992 (My Page) on Sat, Mar 14, 09 at 18:24 I've had the "day off" cooking all day. My corned beef is out of the oven, my barm brack is baked. I have chicken stock simmering on the stove and chicken enchiladas ready to cook tomorrow after the farm. So what about the basil? I made that green pasta with all the basil, and had some for dinnr with a sprinkle of grated asiago because I'm out of parmesan. I figured leftovers will make a great St. Patrick's Day lunch, they're so nice and green, LOL. Photobucket Annie o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Sat, Mar 14, 09 at 22:01 We had pureed spinach soup with garlic, fresh basil and dill, potato rolls and a chef salad. Photobucket o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by theresafic (My Page) on Sat, Mar 14, 09 at 22:49 DH and I made Rachel Ray's chicken meatballs except about the only ingredient we used from HER recipie was basil. Basically we made Turkey Meatloaf: 1.25 lb ground turkey 1 egg 1 cup oatmeal 1/2 roasted red pepper Handfull chopped walnuts shredded romano cheese fresh basil oregano garlic Mix together and place in loaf pan, cook @ 375f for 45 minutes. We both loved it, a keeper! From Desktop From Desktop o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by coconut-nj (My Page) on Sun, Mar 15, 09 at 2:10 Malna, you'll make it when you get a chance. You could have made it the other day, I don't think we are that strict about when we cookalong, eh? Smiles. Anne, you pasta looks great. I can almost taste it. That spinach soup has me wanting that too. Nice RuthAnna. I spy some basil on that salad too, eh? I love meatloaf Theresa and that looks like one we both would like. Well, I did make the gnocchi for a first course. After I saw Annies pasta I zapped some of my frozen basil with the egg and added it to the gnocchi as well as making a basil sour cream sauce for them. They were great. We got kind of full on them so we waited a while then had a nice bowl of the ratatouille a bit later. We were running late all day so it was nice to just slow down and enjoy our basil feast. I made the ratatouille with eggplant, basil, spanish onions, green and red peppers, portobello mushrooms, yellow summer squash and zucchini. We had it over some rice. It really hit the spot since I hadn't made it in a while. I used a ton of basil, including a bunch of my basil flowers, just how I like it and lots of garlic too. Our camera is still acting up. For some reason the battery will only last for one or two pics and if you leave the batteries in they go dead when you turn it on again. Odd. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Sun, Mar 15, 09 at 15:25 I'm home from vacation and cooking something for dinner tonight with basil..... ????? Just a reminder, those that posted on Cookalong #4, please check this thread tomorrow. I'll draw a name tomorrow morning...it might be you and we will be anxious to see what the next Cookalong ingredient is. Nancy o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by canarybird (My Page) on Sun, Mar 15, 09 at 17:07 Oh there are some really good sounding recipes here. I must try your meatballs Joan. I even have sundried tomatoes that a friend brought down from England and gave to me just this week, and I bring Montreal Steak seasoning back from Canada every year, so this is one of the rare instances when I have all ingredients. But today was our basil day and since we have a hot desert wind from the east this weekend, the temps have been around a balmy 28�C (82.4�F) and I didn't feel like doing rolled chicken breasts in the oven, so went for the pesto and noodles with a salad. We sat outside on the patio for lunch for the first time in ages. My hubby set the table and did a pretty good job.....despite that he put the tablecloth on face down (JIM TEX I'm still using the one you sent me in the swap years ago). The blackbirds and doves kept us entertained with a songfest and flying acrobatics back and forth across the garden. It's been a lovely day. I was recently asked to write restaurant reviews for a new golfing website in the south of Tenerife. I'm one of the few members of a local forum who lives in the north of the island so I accepted to test and write about restaurants here where we live, adding photos of the food and surroundings. I sent in my first draft yesterday and was pleased to see it published this morning without so much as a word changed. This is going to be very enjoyable as once I showed the writeup to the restaurant owner she invited Wolf and I to our next meal. This is a perfect hobby for foodies isn't it! Link to my writeup. SharonCb o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Sun, Mar 15, 09 at 21:49 SharonCb, I don't know what to say other than awesome! Great column and wonderful pictures. There are some really good recipes here. I guess that's already been said but I wanted to say it again. Good job CF'ers! I made the recipe that Sharon (Chase) posted, Cherry Tomato, Onion and Basil Sauce. We enjoyed it! Sauce simmering in the pan... Photobucket Finished and ready for me to dig into... Photobucket After a week of dining out and having some pretty rich foods, this was a refreshing dish. Great way to use Cherry Tomatoes too! Nancy o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Sun, Mar 15, 09 at 22:20 Well the best laid plans . . . I did end up cooking and I did end up using some basil, and it was definitely a CF inspired meal, but it wasn't quite the dinner I was planning. I found out that instead of a quiet working dinner with just my friend/colleague, one of our friends and her husband was in town visiting and she just got back from deployment in Iraq. So it was dinner for five and I did most of the cooking but I brought it over to my friend's house. The dinner was in the new kitchen addition my friend is building. Sorry no pics, it just wasn't that kind of a night even though my friend has a camera. There was too much catching up to do. Our friend is from PA but now she and her husband live in Colorado so it was a treat to see them. I made curried chicken thighs and I was going to use Jessy's mango basil recipe, but while searching for mango chutney at the grocery, I found a jarred mango chutney sauce that had all the ingredients except basil, so I bought it. With that hot chicken curry I made Thai fried rice with dried mint and basil from the garden and fresh cilantro. That plus garlic, soy sauce and lime juice. The veggies were from a frozen mix plus fresh purple cabbage. It was very good with the chicken curry. Salad was plain romaine lettuce and spring mix with blue cheese dressing. Dessert was CloudyChristine's gingerbread from the last ginger thread, plus lemon curd sauce. Yes, I made lemon curd for the first time and it was yummy! Never got around to making the soup, but I finally got the ingredients for it. I just didn't feel like going out yesterday to the grocery store. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Sun, Mar 15, 09 at 23:18 Everyone's food looks and sounds so good! Alas, I just didn't have it in me this weekend to participate. We've been so busy the last couple of weeks, and had a lot going on, that by the time today rolled around I was doing good to open a can of soup for lunch, and I won't admit to what I ate for supper. Now that I've looked at and read about what everyone else did, I'm sorry I didn't put forth a little effort. Sally o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lakeguy35 (My Page) on Sun, Mar 15, 09 at 23:46 I agree, lots of good looking food here for this cookalong. I went with Sharon's rack of pork recipe but used a short hunk of loin I had in the feezer. Here it is after resting a bit.... Image Hosting by I had it with some steamed cauliflower and little roasted reds....homemade rolls too...forgot to include them in the pic. Image Hosting by Taking the leftovers to work tomorrow for lunch. Yum!! David o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by compumom (My Page) on Mon, Mar 16, 09 at 1:38 Wow David, it looks great! I'm back to report that Cabogirl's SUNDRIED TOMATO BASIL DIP was a big success! I subbed 2% Greek Fage Yogurt for the sour cream and it worked perfectly and cut a bit of fat, nevertheless everyone raved and DH asked me to make it again, soon! It took about an hour + for the basil favor to come through. I served it with Pita Crackers from Trader Joe's, they worked well or as a fresh veggie dip. It did set up firmer than this photo shows as it was taken right after it came out of the food processor. I'm also trying Cocoanut's idea of freezing the washed basil leaves to see how they come out. No report yet! Thanks!! Here is a link that might be useful: Sundried Tomato Basil Dip o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by jojoco (My Page) on Mon, Mar 16, 09 at 9:04 These all look great! My favorite way to use basil is to eat it on a sandwich with tomato, mozzarella, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. S&P, too. Preferably, use fresh mozz, and go pick the tomatoes just before making the sandwich. Use great bread. If you can get Judy's peasant bread from New Haven, Ct, all the better. Truly, my favorite sandwich and one of my favorite meals. Jo o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Mar 16, 09 at 9:30 Our next Cookalong topic will be picked by Lakeguy35 David please pick an ingredient and I'll start the thread. Sweet? Savory? Baking? Cooking? It's up to you! Nancy o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Mon, Mar 16, 09 at 9:36 I still have a bunch of cilantro left so I'm going to try to whip up a batch of this Thai curry paste and freeze it in cubes like I do pesto. I know cilantro looses its punch in the freezer, but adding corriander helps. This recipe is from Moosewood Restaurant Lowfat Favorites. Thai Curry Paste 1/4 cup chopped scallions 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, basil or Thai basil (I'll use cilantro mixed with dried basil, which I need to use up) 2 TBLSP garlic cloves 2 TBLSP ginger root, fresh grated 1 TBLSP fresh grated lemon or lime peel, or minced inner stalk of fresh lemongrass 1 TBLSP brown sugar 1-2 fresh red or green chilis (I'll use dried) 3 TBLSP fresh lemon or lime juice 1 TBLSP dried ground corriander 1 tsp. tumeric 1/2 tsp. salt Combine in blender or food processor and puree until quite smooth. Keeps a week in the fridge, longer in th freezer. Thai basil and fresh lemongrass gives the most authentic taste. Good with jasmine or basmati rice. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by jessyf (My Page) on Mon, Mar 16, 09 at 9:52 Yummy dinner last night - grilled chicken with mango basil sauce, garnished with basil (of course). Guests were slopping up the sauce off their plates with bread. Also making an appearance was grilled sparagus and orzo pilaf. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lakeguy35 (My Page) on Mon, Mar 16, 09 at 14:34 Okay, I wanted to pick something that would be good for both sweet and savory. Y'all know I love my desserts. I pick LEMON! I'm thinking you can make dinner, desserts, or both.. : ) David o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by dixiedog_2007 (My Page) on Mon, Mar 16, 09 at 15:13 I've just run through real quick but there is a lot of good sounding recipes and pictures. I need to go back and really look through everything more closely. I wish I could have contributed but too much going on right now. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Mar 16, 09 at 15:55 Here's the link for Cookalong #5 -- Lemon Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #5 -- LEMON o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Thu, Mar 19, 09 at 21:51 Last night I made the Provençal Tomato Soup with Orange, Saffron, and Tiny Pasta from Orangette's blog. This is some of the BEST tomato soup I have ever had! The pinch of saffron really makes it! I used dried lemon peel and a dash of orange juice instead of orange peel, dried parsley and basil and canned tomatoes, still yum! o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by rob333 (My Page) on Fri, Oct 23, 09 at 8:50 still need 1 and 2......

* Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Tue, Nov 17, 09 at 20:26 I am getting so hungry reading all these recipes and posts! Here's the potato-fennel soup recipe I mentioned earlier. It was posted on this forum back, oh wow, exactly 3 years ago today, November 17, 2006, by Lynnalexndra. She said in the post that it was an Ina Garten recipe. Roasted Potato-Fennel Soup 4 pounds red potatoes, unpeeled and quartered 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good olive oil 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves) 1 tablepspoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper 4 cups choped yellow onions (4 onions) 4 cups chopped fennel bulb (about 2 pounds) 3 quarts chicken stock or water 1 cup heavy cream Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, until cooked through. Saute the onions and fennel with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large stock pot on medium heat until translucent, 10 - 15 minutes. Add the roasted potatoes (including the scrapings from the pan) and the chicken stock. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, until all the vegetables are very soft. Add the heavy cream and allow the soup to cool slightly. Pass the soup through the largest disk of a food mill or chop coarsely in batches in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. (I use an immersion blender). Taste for salt and pepper. Reheat and serve hot. This past weekend I made a different roasted potato soup which combined this cookalong with the squash one. I just made it up as I went along. I made a mistake or 2, but it ended up tasting quite good. One of the mistakes I made was cutting the squash up into too small of pieces. I tried peeling it before roasting, but the scalloped shape made that too frustrating, so I decided to roast it first, then scrape the squash out. Well, it was a pain to do since I had cut it up into small pieces. My goal was to get all the vegetables cut into fairly equal sizes. The second mistake was just not having the equipment. I didn't have my trusty immersion blender with me (we were at our Oklahoma house), so I couldn't puree the veggies. I was never able to smash up the onions, so they remained in pretty big pieces. We just called it country style. Next time I make this, I'll experiment with the size of squash pieces and use a blender. Roasted vegetable soup Pre heat oven to 375 degrees 1 acorn squash 2 russet potatoes 2 onions 1 bulb of garlic Olive Oil Salt and pepper to taste dried sage, around 1/2 to 1 teaspoon or to taste Cut up the potatoes and onions into similar sizes. If you can peel the squash ahead of time, that's great, otherwise, just cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, and place along side the other vegetables on a large baking sheet. Coat the veggies with olive oil, and sprinkle with the salt, pepper and sage. Bake until the veggies are barely tender, around 40 minutes to an hour, stirring them every 15 or 20 minutes. Towards the end of roasting time, in a large soup pan, bring some water to a boil, enough water to cover the vegetables. When the veggies are done roasting, add them into the boiling water. Scrape the squash pulp out of the skins and add to the pot, too. Stir and let simmer till the veggies are tender. Turn off heat and puree using an immersion blender if you have one, or just smash them with your spoon as best you can, which is what I did. That makes it more "country style." Enjoy. Sally o RE: Cookalong #15 ------------ POTATOES clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lakeguy35 (My Page) on Wed, Nov 18, 09 at 0:03 Nancy and all, glad to see the cookalongs are back!! Lots of great recipes above that I'll be saving and working my way through. I've loved these pancakes for years and finally found a copy cat recipes that I've been playing with. I add at least twice as much onion and double the parsley. Sour cream and applesauce are my choices to go on top of them. Perkin's Potatoe Pancakes Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup whole milk 4 eggs 3 tablespoons butter, melted 3 tablespoons sugar 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 1 tablespoon minced onion 4 shredded fresh potatoes -or- 2 1/2 cups frozen hash browns (defrosted) Directions: Combine all of the ingredients, except for the potatoes, in a large mixing bowl. Beat by hand until smooth. Add the potatoes to the batter and mix by hand until the potatoes are combined. Let the batter rest while you preheat a skillet to about medium heat. Grease the pan with some butter. Ladle 1/4 cup scoops of batter into the pan. Cook as many at a time as will fit comfortably into your pan. Cook each pancake for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side until brown. David o RE: Cookalong #15 ------------ POTATOES clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Thu, Nov 19, 09 at 22:20 Looking through the recipes that have been posted already, I can see that I will be using this thread many, many times. It's a good reminder of some of the very best uses of potatoes. Then I got to thinking that I didn't notice any basic potato salad recipes..... and what potato collection would be complete without potato salad. I also wanted to share a favorite soup, I make a double batch of this and take to my DM in 8oz freezer containers, every few months.... she loves it! I usually cut back the milk a bit so that it is almost like a side dish. Loaded Baked Potato Soup 4 lg baking potatoes, baked (Note: Plan ahead and bake the potatoes when convenient) 2/3 C butter 2/3 C flour 6 C milk 3/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 4 green onions, chopped and divided 1 1/4 C grated cheddar cheese, divided 12 slices bacon (thick is best), cooked, crumbled and divided 1 8-oz carton sour cream (can use plain yogurt) ~Cut potatoes in half, scoop out the pulp and set aside. Discard skins (or make some potato skin snacks) ~Melt butter in a heavy saucepan, add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook 1 min., stirring constantly and gradually add milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly. ~Add potato pulp, salt pepper, 2 tbsp of the green onion, 1/2 C bacon and 1 C cheese. Cook until thoroughly heated and stir in sour cream. Add extra milk for desired consistency. ~Garnish with remaining onion, bacon and cheese. Yield: about 10 cups. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Backwoods Basic Potato Salad 3# cooked and cooled red potatoes, chopped 4 hard boiled eggs, chopped 2 lg stalks of celery, chopped 6 green onions, chopped ¼ C sweet pickle relish Dressing 1½ C Hellman's (Best Foods) mayo 1 tsp celery seed 1 Tbsp vinegar 1 Tbsp sugar ½ tsp garlic powder 1 tsp salt ½ tsp pepper 1 tsp dry mustard Combine dressing ingredients and toss with potato mixture. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Backwoods Deli Style Potato Salad 3# red potatoes, cooked, cooled and chopped 2 stalks of celery, chopped 6 green onions, chopped ½ C chopped red pepper ½ C thin sliced radishes Dressing 1½ C Miracle Whip 2 Tbsp vinegar 2 Tbsp sugar 1 tsp celery seed 1-2 Tbsp prepared mustard Combine dressing ingredients and toss with potatoes and vegetables. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Blue Cheese Potato Salad 3# cooked red potatoes, cooled and chopped ¼ C dry white wine ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp pepper ½ C mayo (Hellman's) ½ C sour cream 1½ Tbsp Dijon mustard 4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled 3 green onions, chopped fine 1 C coarsely chopped celery In a large bowl combine potatoes, wine, salt and pepper. Let sit until the wine is absorbed by the potatoes, about 30 minutes. Combine mayo with remaining ingredients. Add to potatoes and stir well. Allow about 30 minutes for flavors to combine before serving. This blue cheese salad is great with a good steak or grilled tenderloin. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ranch Potato Salad 3# cooked red potatoes, cooled and chopped 5-6 green onions, chopped 6-8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled ½ C shredded cheddar cheese 1 envelope dry ranch dressing mix 1½ C Hellman's Mayo (sometimes I use part sour cream if I have it on hand) Toss together the potatoes, onions, bacon and cheddar. Combine the ranch dressing mix and mayo, pour over the potato mixture and stir to combine. Nancy o RE: Cookalong #15 ------------ POTATOES clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Sun, Nov 22, 09 at 22:55 Was this the weekend to do the cookalong? Did anybody else do it this weekend? I tried Lori's Gnocchi. It was the first time I've ever eaten them, and certainly the first time to make them, but that was half the fun! I think I need more practice, but DH really enjoyed them, so I don't think he'll object to me practicing on him. I did the sage butter sauce that she recommended. Very simple but quite delicious. On the side, I served a spinach salad with dried cranberries, shallots, shredded carrots and toasted almonds, and a vinaigrette made from Trader Joes Orange Mango Vinegar sauce and olive oil. Photobucket Sally o RE: Cookalong #15 ------------ POTATOES clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Nov 23, 09 at 1:14 I'll be here tomorrow, to draw a name. Got caught up in watching the AMA awards tonight... LOL Nancy o RE: Cookalong #15 ------------ POTATOES clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Nov 23, 09 at 10:45 Just drew a name.... Sherrman....hope you check this thread! Please pick a new topic and post it here asap. I'll be checking. Nancy o RE: Cookalong #15 ------------ POTATOES clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Nov 23, 09 at 12:03 TTT so Sherrman can see :) o RE: Cookalong #15 ------------ POTATOES clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by chase (My Page) on Mon, Nov 23, 09 at 13:42 I'm way late posting but ;last night I made Potato and cheese pierogi for the cook a long. Sauted the pierogi in butter and onion after boiling. Served with cabbage roll's, sour cream and sauerkraut. It was so good! Can't wait to hear what Sherrman has up her sleeve! o RE: Cookalong #15 ------------ POTATOES clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by annie1992 (My Page) on Mon, Nov 23, 09 at 14:40 Sharon, I'm late too. I was in Toledo, Ohio, I took my mother to the library there to do her geneology stuff, she was looking for birth/death/marriage records, etc. Anyway, while I was at Elery's I made potato bread using the King Arthur Flour recipe. I made it Friday evening and baked it on Saturday to take to Mom's cousin for dinner on Saturday night. I forgot my camera, so no pictures, but here's the recipe: Potato Bread 1 tablespoon dry yeast 9 tablespoons (1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon) granulated sugar 1 1/2 cups lukewarm (110°F) potato water (water in which potatoes have been cooked) 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened 1 1/2 tablespoons salt 2 eggs 1 cup mashed potatoes (5 small potatoes, 2 medium or 1 large) 6 cups (approximately) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour Boil unskinned potatoes until easily pierced with the tip of a knife. Remove potatoes from water (reserving water), and let sit till they're cool enough to handle. Peel potatoes and mash them. Set aside. Dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar in lukewarm potato water. Beat in butter, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, salt, eggs and potato. Stir in enough flour to make a dough suitable for kneading. Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Or, knead in a mixer equipped with a dough hook for 5 minutes, or in a food processor for 90 seconds to 2 minutes. Place kneaded dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat all sides. Set bowl in the refrigerator overnight; for maximum flavor, we like to refrigerate it for about 16 hours. Remove dough from refrigerator and shape to fit 3 medium-sized (8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch) loaf pans, or 1 medium-sized and 1 large (10 x 5-inch) loaf pan, or 8 mini (6 x 3 1/2-inch) loaf pans. Let rise until doubled in bulk, about 4 hours (remember, dough is cold from refrigerator, and will take longer to rise). Bakes loaves in a preheated 375°F oven for 45 minutes, or until bread tests done. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Annie o RE: Cookalong #15 ------------ POTATOES clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Nov 23, 09 at 19:59 TTT...still waiting for Sherrman.. o RE: Cookalong #15 ------------ POTATOES clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Tue, Nov 24, 09 at 7:07 TTT o RE: Cookalong #15 ------------ POTATOES clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Tue, Nov 24, 09 at 9:44 Annie, I'm glad you posted that potato bread recipe, because when I made the gnocchi, I boiled one too many potatoes. They were very large, so I decided I didn't need 3. I'm wanting to make potato bread with the 3rd potato. Thanks. Sally o RE: Cookalong #15 ------------ POTATOES clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Tue, Nov 24, 09 at 12:03 I have to go out for the rest of the day but I'll check back this evening. Sherrman......where are you???? Nancy o RE: Cookalong #15 ------------ POTATOES clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Tue, Nov 24, 09 at 23:23 TTT o RE: Cookalong #15 ------------ POTATOES clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Wed, Nov 25, 09 at 11:48 Sherrman? o RE: Cookalong #15 ------------ POTATOES clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by kathleen_li (My Page) on Wed, Nov 25, 09 at 15:37 I bought a 50 lb bag of potatoes at the farm and I have been trying to find 50 ways to use them on my blog.. I cut them with fall shaped cutter, tossed them in oil and s and p and baked till browned.. I intend to do them with star cutters for Christmas. The gkids loved them.. Photobucket So many excellent potato recipes from all of you here..thank you! Here is a link that might be useful: LOTS of POTATOES... o RE: Cookalong #15 ------------ POTATOES clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by woodie2 (My Page) on Wed, Nov 25, 09 at 17:29 Kathleen - they're beautiful! What a cool idea. o RE: Cookalong #15 ------------ POTATOES clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Thu, Nov 26, 09 at 8:02 How cute! I can't imagine trying to use up 50# of potatoes before they start growing. I see you don't have the limited imagination I do. Sally

o RE: Cookalong #41 -Greens, Cooked and Raw clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by caliloo (My Page) on Fri, Feb 17, 12 at 14:27 Oh Lpink - I'm sure you and BF will love the Southern Style... I was amazed how good it was! Oh, and since we did have some leftovers, DH finished them over a bowl of Garlic Smashed Potatoes... he was a happy man! Alexa o RE: Cookalong #41 -Greens, Cooked and Raw clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by jude31 (My Page) on Fri, Feb 17, 12 at 15:26 Sol, I have so-o-o missed your posts and your beautiful photos. jude o RE: Cookalong #41 -Greens, Cooked and Raw clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by jude31 (My Page) on Sat, Feb 18, 12 at 9:31 Sol, I have so-o-o missed your posts and your beautiful photos. jude o RE: Cookalong #41 -Greens, Cooked and Raw clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by dcarch (My Page) on Sat, Feb 18, 12 at 9:56 Posted by jude31 "Sol, I have so-o-o missed your posts and your beautiful photos. jude" You can say that again! :-) Simply stunning. In addition to being able to create beautiful food, Sol is amazing in creating the right atmosphere for the beautiful food. dcarch o RE: Cookalong #41 -Greens, Cooked and Raw clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by MichelleDT (My Page) on Sat, Feb 18, 12 at 12:07 So many great recipes above! We love kale chips but that is kinda boring! How about Sausage, Cauliflower and Kale Potpie?? Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 pound sweet Italian sausage links, casings removed and meat broken into 3/4-inch pieces 2 medium onions, chopped 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary kosher salt and black pepper 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 bunch kale, torn into bite-size pieces (about 10 cups) 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1 small head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into florets 2 sheets puff pastry (one 17.3-ounce package), each cut into 4 rectangles Directions: Heat oven to 400F. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, tossing occasionally, until browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a large bowl. Add the onions, rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to the drippings in the skillet and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the broth and simmer until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the kale, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and cook, tossing, until the kale is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the kale mixture and cauliflower to the sausage and toss to combine. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch or some other 3-quart baking dish and top with the puff pastry, overlapping the rectangles slightly. Bake until the pastry is golden and the filling is bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. By Dawn Perry and Charlyne Mattox, Real Simple March 2012 o RE: Cookalong #41 -Greens, Cooked and Raw clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Sun, Feb 19, 12 at 9:27 Sol, my jaw literally dropped when I saw your photo. Then I followed your link, and my jaw is still on the ground, making it very hard to type this. Wow! I'm planning to keep this thread and cook my way through it like Julie did with Julia's book! There's a recipe I used to make when my kids were little, and they loved it, even though it had turnip greens in it. I couldn't get them to eat turnip greens to save my or their lives, but with this recipe they did. Unfortunately, I don't know where I have it, but I'll try to remember it. I've been making a vegetarian version of it for years, but when they were little, I made it the original way. It came from a magazine, probably Woman's Day, way back in the 1980's. I don't even remember the name of the recipe. The recipe calls for canned black-eyed peas, which makes it a good quick supper recipe, but I'm sure you could use all fresh ingredients if you wish. This makes a thick stew kind of dish. Turnip Greens and Black-eyed peas 1 kielbasa or smoked sausage, cut into bite size pieces 2 15 oz. cans black-eyed peas, drained 1 28 oz. can tomatoes 1 16 oz. bag frozen turnip greens lemon juice salt and pepper to taste Combine all the ingredients and heat till done. Add a squeeze of lemon juice just before serving. Season to taste. I don't remember if I sauteed the sausage before adding it, but I think I just added everthing into a pot. To make it vegetarian (which my dh doesn't like nearly as well, but I like it (grinning thinking about the lying vegan thread!), omit the sausage, and use olive oil for the fat - a couple of tablespoons is good. I add a very small amount, maybe 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of liquid smoke to get that smokey flavor that the sausage gives the meat version. If I find the original recipe, I'll check to make sure I didn't make a mistake on this. Sally o RE: Cookalong #41 -Greens, Cooked and Raw clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by teresa_nc7 (My Page) on Sun, Feb 19, 12 at 9:39 Y'all can really be a good influence! Yesterday at the grocery store I bought a big bag of frozen chopped spinach (on sale!), a head of cabbage (.25 a lb.), and a bag of chopped collards. Those plus a pack of frozen sugar snap peas and 2 bags of carrots (.57 per lb. bag), sweet potatoes and a couple of baking potatoes kept my focus on buying more vegetables than meat. I did a freezer inventory last weekend and saw that I need to use up the meat in my freezer before I buy more. Today I'm making a spinach and cheese quiche for dinner tonight and lunch on Meatless Monday. I also plan to try a bean/sausage/greens recipe on Kalyn's Kitchen blog that I found this past week. Teresa Here is a link that might be useful: Sausage, Beans, and Greens crock pot recipe o RE: Cookalong #41 -Greens, Cooked and Raw clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by jasdip (My Page) on Sun, Feb 19, 12 at 9:56 Sally2, I'm perusing Sol's site as I type this. I LOVE the way you write, Sol. Very very funny and witty, I'm laughing, sitting here with my coffee. Thanks for your recipes, your photography and your blog. o RE: Cookalong #41 -Greens, Cooked and Raw clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Sun, Feb 19, 12 at 10:25 I got to thinking, and that recipe I posted above probably had an onion in it. I'd probably saute the onion, then the sausage, then add the other ingredients - after draining excess fat, of course. Sorry about the omission. Sally o RE: Cookalong #41 -Greens, Cooked and Raw clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ann_t (My Page) on Sun, Feb 19, 12 at 11:15 I love this salad. I can't say that about many salads. This is my version of the house salad at Vittorio's in Toronto. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Vittorio's Spinach Salad ======================== Washed and dried spinach (Baby) 4 hard boiled eggs, peeled 4 or 5 cleaned mushrooms, sliced 1 can of artichoke hearts halved or quartered 3 Roma tomatoes, quartered 2 chopped green onions Kalamata olives Dressing 1/4 teaspoon tarragon 1/2 clove of garlic 2 or 3 tablespoons wine vinegar 1/2 cup homemade mayo or Hellmans Salt and pepper . Place spinach in a large salad bowl. Decorate with eggs, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, tomatoes and green onions and olives. Drizzle with dressing and toss. Can be made on individual plates as well. Dressing Soak tarragon and garlic in vinegar. Add salt to dissolve. Mix vinegar mixture into mayonnaise and adjust seasoning to taste. o RE: Cookalong #41 -Greens, Cooked and Raw clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by arley (My Page) on Sun, Feb 19, 12 at 11:46 Inspired by this thread, I tried sauteeing some romaine lettuce last night. Simply washed the greens, cut them crossways so you had about an inch of stem flanked by some curly greens, and sauteed them in a little butter/evoo mix until the greens were a little wilted. Fantastic! Needed no accompaniment, though I bet a little freshly grated parmesan would do great on it. o RE: Cookalong #41 -Greens, Cooked and Raw clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ynnej (My Page) on Sun, Feb 19, 12 at 12:31 Ann, that dressing sounds amazing. Sol, your blog is just wonderful, and I can practically hear your voice as you read. You have a terrific writing style. My husband showed up with a big bunch of beets for me this Valentine's Day. He knows me too well. Beet Green and Sage Pesto with Slow-Roasted Tomatoes Photobucket This was the first time I've tried slow-roasted tomatoes. What a difference! I don't think I'll ever go back to sundried. o RE: Cookalong #41 -Greens, Cooked and Raw clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by jasdip (My Page) on Sun, Feb 19, 12 at 12:34 I've got cabbage and leeks in the slow-cooker now, with a bit of chicken broth. When it's cooked, a cream sauce gets made for it. I'll let you know how we like it. o RE: Cookalong #41 -Greens, Cooked and Raw clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Mon, Feb 20, 12 at 12:38 Every time I read this thread, I drool. Imagine, drooling over greens. But I've always loved greens. As a child, spinach was my favorite vegetable. I even ate the stuff the school cafeteria passed off as spinach - that's how much a spinach-aholic I am. Here's a recipe I tried last night. Yesterday I was weeding my garden, thinking about this cookalong, and kept eyeing the beet greens. I have some beets left over from fall or even last spring, where the beets are way too mature to eat, but they keep producing nice greens. So, I decided to try a recipe from Annie Somerville's cookbook, Fields of Greens. I thought it an appropriate cookbook for this cookalong. In case anyone doesn't already know, beets and Swiss chard are very closely related. I use their greens interchangeably. So, for last night, I subbed beet greens for the Swiss chard called for in the recipe. I also used regular raisins, since we didn't have the currents or golden raisins on hand, and I didn't want to go to the store. I think regular raisins are just fine in this recipe, and I don't even like raisins. I did feel like cooking and having fun with my grandson, so we made pasta from scratch. He had fun feeding the pasta dough through the machine! It's not necessary to make it from scratch at all, as the note that goes with the recipe indicates. Sorry, I forgot about picture taking until it was all gone. Fettuccine with Swiss Chard, Currants, Walnuts, and Brown Butter from Fields of Greens, New Vegetarian Recipes from the Celebrated Greens Restaurant, by Annie Somerville Serves two to four We use fresh fettuccine here, but penne is also a delicious pasta choice. It can be cooked in advance, tossed with a little olive oil, and reheated with the sauce, a make-ahead technique that works well for this dish. 1/3 cup brown butter (recipe follows) 1 tablespoon dried currants 2 tablespoons golden raisins 1 bunch of red or green Swiss chard, about 8 cups packed leaves 1 tablespoon light olive oil 1/2 medium -size red onion, thinly sliced, about 1 cup Salt and pepper 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1/2 pound fresh fettuccine 1/3 cup walnut pieces, toasted Grated parmesan cheese Make the brown butter and keep it warm over very low heat. Set a large pot of water on the stove to boil. Plump the currants and golden raisins in a small bowl covered with 1/4 cup hot water. Trim the stems from the chard and slice across the leaves to make 2-inch-wide ribbons. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan; add the onion, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a few pinches of pepper. Saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the onion softens and begins to release its juices. Add the garlic, chard, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes, until the chard is just barely tender, then reduce the heat to low. When the water boils, add 1 teaspoon salt. Add the fettuccine to the boiling water, timing it to finish cooking with the chard. (The chard should be very tender but not overcooked when the pasta is done.) When the pasta is just tender, drain it immediately in a colander, shake off excess water, and add it to the onions and chard, along with the plumped fruit, walnuts, and brown butter. Toss together and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan. Variation: We often make this pasta with a mixture of winter greens - spinach, Swiss chard, and kale make a particularly satisfying combination. Kale is the slowest cooking of the greens, so add it to the onions 2 or 3 minutes before the chard. The spinach can be wilted quickly, so add it just before tossing with the cooked pasta. Brown Butter The time and attention needed to make brown butter are minimal - just be sure to use unsalted butter and remove it from the heat before its warm amber color begins to darken. The butter will hold indefinitely in the refrigerator, so make enough to have on hand when you need it. 1/2 pound unsalted butter Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. As the butter gently simmers, the butter fat and mil solids will separate from each other. The solids will settle to the bottom of the pan, coloring the butter as it cooks. When it turns a rich amber color, in about 8 to 10 minutes, remove from the heat. Line a fine-mesh strainer with a paper towel or cheesecloth and pour the butter through it, straining out the solids. The butter can be used immediately or cooled and refrigerated in a sealed container. Makes about 3/4 cup. One additional note from me. I doubled this recipe to make enough to serve 5 as a main dish. I doubled the amount of brown butter, which I think was a mistake - it was too greasy. If doubling, I'd suggest using just a little more brown butter rather than doubling it. Sally o RE: Cookalong #41 -Greens, Cooked and Raw clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ynnej (My Page) on Mon, Feb 20, 12 at 13:24 That sounds really good, Sally! I've got a few beet greens left over and I think I might try this. o RE: Cookalong #41 -Greens, Cooked and Raw clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by cloudy_christine (My Page) on Mon, Feb 20, 12 at 13:25 This is by far my favorite thing to make with kale. An Irish dish that is bright green, perfect for St. Patrick's Day. Colcannon kale potatoes -- Not the waxy red ones. Yukon Golds are especially good. But russet types, being drier, let you use more of the scallion-infused milk. scallions milk butter Wash the kale and strip out the tough stems. Cook it in a large pot of boiling water until tender. (This keeps it bright green. Steam it if you insist.) Drain the kale; when it's cool enough, squeeze it to get out as much water as you can. Chop it finely. I like a knife chop, but if your kids will be put off by "pieces" you can process it. Meanwhile, boil peeled potatoes until tender. Heat some milk with finely sliced or chopped scallions. Use some butter and the scallion milk to mash the potatoes. Serve with a good-sized pat of butter. Little kids will eat a lot of "green mashed potatoes." o forgot clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by cloudy_christine (My Page) on Mon, Feb 20, 12 at 13:57 The recipe should say to add the cooked chopped kale to the mashed potatoes. o RE: Cookalong #41 -Greens, Cooked and Raw clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Tue, Feb 21, 12 at 12:56 Ynnej I would love it if you would post the recipe for the beet green pesto and also the slow roasted tomatoes. I tried doing some roasted cherry tomatoes a couple of weeks ago, they were good but I don't think I roasted them quite right. Sally2 I'm like you, I would love to cook my way through this post. Unfortunately, my rate of participation on this Cookalong has slowed due to my ruining my oven's computer once again, and this time I think for good. Last time it healed itself after a few weeks, but last time the clock at least kept working. Now it seems to be dead as a doorknob. I've already researched fixing it and getting a new stove, so it's just a matter of time before I get the new stove. Meanwhile, I'm a stovetop cook. Also, I've been under the weather for a couple of days, so not much cooking going on and then there will be stuff to do to make up for my lost work time. Meanwhile, here's the soup I made last weekend. It's kind of hard core vegetarian and you'll love it if you love the combo of beans, butternut squash and greens. It's a good healthy and colorful starter for a Mediterannean type meal. Butternut Squash Greens Soup (Lpink's adaptation of a recipe she got off a recipe card she got at some grocery store ages ago.) 1 TBLSP of extra virgin olive oil (or less) for sauteeing 1/2 cup each diced onion and celery (you could probably use fennel in place of celery. Omit celery if using beet greens, use the beet stems instead. White onions are good, I also like this soup with red onions, they're colorful). Bunch of fresh greens, about 1 1/2 cooked cups worth. I most often use beet greens and the amount is what comes from a bunch of beets. I have also used frozen chopped greens for this dish, such as frozen kale or frozen spinach. 1 1/2 cups butternut squash (I just use a 10 oz. block of the Bird's Eye frozen pureed butternut squash). 3-4 cups vegetable or chicken broth 1 can small white beans (I usually use canelinni) 1/4 cup chives (I often use 3 scallions or 1/8 cup dried chives when I don't have fresh chives) 1/2 - 1 tsp. good italian seasoning 1 dash balsamic vinegar (slightly more than 1 tsp.) salt and pepper to taste Sautee onion, celery in oil until translucent. Add greens and cook until wilted. Add 2 cups broth and bring to a simmer. Add the block of frozen butternut squash. (You can microwave it to thaw it out if you want, or use 1.5 cups fresh squash, cooked and pureed). Cook until squash is combined. Add one can of beans, rinsed, and the italian seasoning. Add more broth until the soup reaches the consistency you like (1-2 more cups). Add scallions or chives and simmer 10 min. Adjust seasoning with a healthy dose of salt and pepper. Add a dash of balsamic vinegar. Taste and adjust additional seasonings to taste as you wish. Serve with croutons floating in the soup and a dusting of parmesean cheese. Here's a pic. I was almost out of soup and out of croutons by the time I remembered to take a photo. o Squash soup post script clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Tue, Feb 21, 12 at 12:58 Oh I forgot to add GARLIC in the soup recipe. The original recipe doesn't call for it, but I think a little bit is OK. I just add a dash of garlic powder, but you could add 1-2 cloves minced garlic in with the onions. o RE: Cookalong #41 -Greens, Cooked and Raw clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ynnej (My Page) on Tue, Feb 21, 12 at 13:07 Garlic is non-negotiable in my book! I put it in just about everything. For slow-roasted tomatoes, I just halve them, toss them in a little oil with salt, pepper, and thyme and heat in 220 oven for 2-3 hours. Here is the Beet Green Pesto Recipe. Beet Green and Sage Pesto 2 cups chopped beet greens, center ribs removed 1/2 cup walnuts 1/2 cup sage leaves 1 cup fresh grated parmesan 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2 tsp lemon juice 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste 1/4 tsp pepper, or to taste 2 tbsp water 1/2 cup olive oil+ more for frying Add enough oil to coat a large frying pan and bring to medium low heat. Add beet greens and cook until wilted. Let cool. Add walnuts to food processor and grind until fine, then add cooked greens and all other ingredients, streaming in olive oil at the end. o RE: Cookalong #41 -Greens, Cooked and Raw clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Tue, Feb 21, 12 at 13:15 Oh, that's what I did wrong with the tomatoes, I fast roasted them, in the oven at 400 for about 15 min. They tasted good but burst out of their skins leaving sad little skin curls in the pan. o RE: Cookalong #41 -Greens, Cooked and Raw clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ynnej (My Page) on Tue, Feb 21, 12 at 14:20 And the skin's the best part! I wouldn't say you did it wrong, though. Slow-roasted is just a completely different outcome- like sundried tomatoes, only juicier. o RE: Cookalong #41 -Greens, Cooked and Raw clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by magothyrivergirl (My Page) on Tue, Feb 21, 12 at 18:01 Lpink - I posted the Kale and Chicken Stew recipe ~ I am glad you and BF love it ~ we feel the same ~ can't make it often enough! KALE & CHICKEN STEW Here is the recipe from the Nov's New Recipes post with the changes I make. I found this recipe when searching for ways to cook kale. We thought it was delicious. Changes I made: I use a Rotisserie chicken & homemade chicken broth I had in the freezer. I also added Trader Joe's Everyday Seasonings - so season with your favorite spices. Potatoes I used: Yukon golds, Red potato, Russet, and an all purpose white. Scrubbed and did not peel. Roast on some nonstick aluminum foil. I always rinse & drain the beans. I cooked it early and let it sit to meld the flavors. It is going to be a favorite comfort food this year as the weather turns cold. Kale and Chicken Stew Serves 6-8 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 5 medium mixed potatoes; diced (I used Yukon gold, red and purple) 1 teaspoon fresh thyme 4 tablespoons olive oil Kosher salt freshly cracked black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion; chopped 1 large shallot; minced 2 carrots; peeled and diced 6 cups chicken stock 2 sprigs fresh thyme 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese; finely grated 5 cups chopped kale 15-ounce can cannellini beans; drained salt and pepper to taste Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan. Rub with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. In a separate sheet pan, toss the potatoes with olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat. Cover and set aside. Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and shallot and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the carrots and cook 15 minutes until softened. Add in chicken stock, thyme, chicken, potatoes, Parmesan, salt and pepper bring to a simmer. Add the kale and beans and simmer for another 20 minutes, until the kale is tender and the beans are hot. Related: Five Ways to Eat: Kale Rebekah Peppler November 2, 2010 06:00PM o RE: Cookalong #41 -Greens, Cooked and Raw clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Tue, Feb 21, 12 at 19:40 Lpink, that soup sounds delicious. So does the pesto, Ynnej. I'll have to make some of that. Sally o RE: Cookalong #41 -Greens, Cooked and Raw clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by solsthumper (My Page) on Wed, Feb 22, 12 at 9:37 Jenny, you're sweet; thank you! I followed the link to your wonderful blog, and I'm looking forward to trying your dishes on my boy, a vegetarian who hates vegetables :) Thank you Ann, Lpink, Jude, Sally and Dcarch for your very kind words! Your comments may just turn me into a Peanuts character, big head, tiny body. I apologize for the lack of new blog entries. The blog was accidentally deleted by Blogger recently, and even though they brought most of it back, I've been busy doing damage control. I hope to get it up and running by this weekend. It has been an unusually-mild winter this year, and I've been craving more greens than ever before. So, I'm saving this entire thread and the delicious photos. Arley, I've taken note of the parmesan tip on the cooked romaine! Sol o RE: Cookalong #41 -Greens, Cooked and Raw clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by bbstx (My Page) on Wed, Feb 22, 12 at 11:43 Great minds think alike! Cooking Light has kale recipes today. Here is a link that might be useful: Cooking Light - 14 Kale Recipes o RE: Cookalong #41 -Greens, Cooked and Raw clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by MichelleDT (My Page) on Wed, Feb 22, 12 at 12:56 This was very good! Chowhound's Garlic and Smoky Greens Soup w/Poached Egg. 3 large garlic heads 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving 2 medium leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced crosswise (white and pale green parts only) 2 bay leaves 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 medium russet potato, peeled and medium dice 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, plus more as needed 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth 12 ounces kale, tough stems removed and leaves cut into 1/2-inch slices (about 4 cups) 1 cup water 4 poached eggs (optional) Prep Heat the oven to 375F and arrange a rack in the middle. Peel any loose outer skins from the garlic heads and cut off the top quarter of each head to expose the cloves. Place the garlic heads, cut side up, on a large piece of foil, drizzle 1 tablespoon of the oil over all 3 heads, and wrap tightly to form a foil packet. Place the packet on a baking sheet and bake until the garlic cloves are golden brown and very tender, about 60 to 75 minutes. Remove from the oven, open the packet, and let the garlic sit until cool enough to handle. Squeeze the roasted cloves from their skins and place in a small bowl; set aside. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the leeks, bay leaves, and rosemary, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until the leeks have begun to soften and the herbs are fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add the potato, roasted garlic, and paprika, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until a bit of crust begins to form on the bottom of the pan, about 10 minutes. Add the broth and, using a wooden spoon, loosen the crusty bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a tightfitting lid, and let simmer until the potatoes are knife tender, about 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and remove the pan from the heat. Using a blender, puree the soup in batches until smooth, removing the small cap from the blender lid (the pour lid) and covering the space with a kitchen towel (this allows steam to escape and prevents the lid from popping off). Place the blended soup in a clean saucepan. (Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the original saucepan.) Return the soup to a simmer over low heat. Add the kale and water and stir to combine. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is tender but still brightly colored, about 10 to 12 minutes. Taste and add more paprika, salt, and pepper as needed. Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with olive oil, season with pepper, and top with a poached egg if desired. Photobucket (Pic from the recipe on Chowhound) Link has two other soups - one with bok choy wontons which sounds like another one to make! Here is a link that might be useful: Soups with Greens from Chowhound o RE:: Cookalong #41 -Greens, Cooked and Raw clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by MichelleDT (My Page) on Wed, Feb 22, 12 at 19:23 Cooking Light just posted 14 tasty kale recipes for those interested. Here is a link that might be useful: Cooking Light Kale Recipes o RE: Cookalong #41 -Greens, Cooked and Raw clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Wed, Feb 22, 12 at 19:43 What a great Cookalong thread! I haven't been on line much lately but have been eating my greens. I made Chi83's Massaged Kale & Avocado Salad and it was excellent. CC, I haven't made Colcannon for a couple of years. Thanks for the reminder since I just bought 10 lbs. of potatoes. I also made some chard soup. CHARD AND SAUSAGE SOUP 1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed, crumbled 1 Tbs. chopped garlic 1 pound Swiss chard, trimmed and coarsely chopped 4 to 5 cups chicken broth 1/2 cup broken (1 inch) pieces capellini or vermicelli pasta 4 slices crusty French or Italian bread, 1/2 inch thick 4 tsp. olive oil 4 tsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese Heat a large saucepot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, stirring and chopping to break up clumps, until browned, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Add chard and broth and bring to boiling. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, then bring back to a boil. Add pasta, cover and boil 2-4 minutes or until pasta is done. Meanwhile, heat broiler. Broil bread slices on cookie sheet about 1 minute per side, until toasted. Drizzle each slice with 1 tsp. oil; sprinkle each with 1 tsp. grated Parmesan. Divide soup among 4 large soup bowl and top each with prepared toast. Serves 4 I had more chard left so tonight made these sci-fi-looking blobs on a flying saucer of Hollandaise. Photobucket No real recipe but I blanched the chard leaves in the microwave and put them in greased custard cups with the ends of the leaves hanging over the sides. Then I added a filling of cooked basmati rice, cubes of cooked chard stems and golden beets, parsley, S&P, some grated Parmesan and a beaten egg white to bind. After covering the rice mixture with the overhanging chard leaf pieces, I baked them in a pan of hot water at 350 for about 20-25 minutes. I let them cool for about 3 minutes before inverting onto the plates. DH loved his greens "surprise package". Photobucket o RE: Cookalong #41 -Greens, Cooked and Raw clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by teresa_nc7 (My Page) on Thu, Feb 23, 12 at 10:28 The chard bundles are very creative, Ruthanna! That chard and sausage soup sounds good to me - if/when we get some more cold weather. Who knew we loved our greens so much? Teresa

Cookalong #44 --------LAMB Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 11:05 LindaC has picked lamb for this Cookalong. It's in season and I just know many of you have good lamb recipes. I have a challenge for you, can you post a recipe that will make me like lamb???? I do like gyros.. Have fun and remember, I draw a new name from all the people who post on this thread for the next Cookalong. Nancy Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #43 ----- CABBAGE! Follow-Up Postings: o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ann_t (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 11:28 Great choice Nancy and Linda. I love lamb. Don't often follow a recipe, but I have a few recipes that I use as a "guide". Lamb Shanks Greek Style Lamb Shoulder Greek Style Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Lamb Shoulder/Breast Greek Style ================================ Lamb Shoulder/Breast or shanks 1 head of garlic, cloves peeled and cracked 1 onion cut into 8ths Oregano Lemon Salt Pepper Olive oil Chicken broth . Brown the meat on top of the stove or in a hot oven. Add the onion, and the peeled garlic cloves. Cook until golden. Add the Oregano, salt, pepper and the juice of a lemon. Cover and place in a 350°F oven. Cook until tender. Cooking Time will depend on the size of roast. Note:Option: Use Dill instead of Oregano.. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by trixietx (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 11:30 This is one of my favorite recipes! Peppered Lamb Chops 4 lamb loin chops 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 2 teaspoons crushed peppercorns 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/4 teaspoon thyme 1 clove garlic, minced Combine all ingredients and marinate at least 1/2 hour. Broil or grill to medium rare. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by cloudy_christine (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 11:34 Just what I was hoping someone would pick. Here's a favorite of ours. Perfect with a nice Shiraz. It's a huge recipe. I make half of it in an 11 x 11 Corningware dish. You may want to increase the tomato paste a little bit. I make the meat sauce ahead of time and freeze it. Moussaka a la Grecque Recipe adapted from The New York Times Cookbook, Craig Claiborne, Harper/Rowe, 1961 Serves: 8 to 10 servings Ingredients 3 medium eggplants 8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 3 onions, chopped 2 pounds ground lamb 3 tablespoons tomato paste 1 1/2 cup red wine 1/2 cup chopped parsley Pinch cinnamon 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 quart whole milk, heated 4 large eggs, beaten Pinch nutmeg 2 cups ricotta 1 cup fresh bread crumbs 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan Directions Peel the eggplant and slice it crosswise 1/2-inch thick. Sprinkle both sides of each slice lightly with salt, arrange in 1 layer on paper towels and let drain for 30 minutes. In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over moderate heat; add as many slices as will fit in 1 layer and brown on both sides. Repeat the procedure with 4 tablespoons of the remaining oil and the remaining eggplant. Drain the eggplant as they are cooked on paper towels. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the onion to the skillet and cook until the onions are brown. Add the ground meat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is no longer pink. Combine the tomato paste with the wine, parsley, and cinnamon. Add this mixture to the skillet and simmer over low heat, stirring often, until all the liquid has evaporated. Add salt and pepper, to taste. In a sauce pan, over low heat, melt the butter, add the flour and whisk for 5 minutes. Turn up the heat to moderate and add the milk in a stream, whisking. Simmer for 5 minutes, add salt and pepper, to taste, and remove from the heat. Cool slightly and stir in the eggs, nutmeg, and ricotta. Grease and 11 by 16-inch pan and sprinkle the bottom lightly with bread crumbs. Arrange alternating layers of eggplant and meat sauce in the pan, sprinkling each layer with Parmesan and bread crumbs. Pour the egg sauce over the top and bake one hour in a preheat 350 degree oven, or until top is golden. Let cool twenty minutes before slicing. Here is a link that might be useful: Moussaka - from NYT cookbook o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by annie1992 (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 11:44 Nancy, I'm with you, I've not yet had lamb I was crazy about, but I marinated some in Jessica's lime chipotle marinade and even Amanda and I ate it. Elery loves lamb and his insurance company dietician (yes, Blue Care Network has one of those and everyone must talk to her) says it's a very healthy meat choice, people should use it more. So, I'll be watching for something that sounds good. Heck, if i don't eat it, Cooper and Elery love the leftovers! Annie o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ann_t (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 13:57 This is my favourite Moussaka Recipe. I love the potato layer. Moussaka Source unknown Edited 2 eggplants cut into 1/4 inch round slices 3 large potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch thick long slices 1/2 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper Vegetable oil. (1 to 2 inches deep) For the beef tomato sauce: 2 pounds lean ground beef/veal/pork or lamb 1 large onion, medium diced 2 tablespoons minced garlic Salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 to 2 teaspoon ground allspice 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1 large can tomatoes, chopped Bechamel 4 tablespoons butter 4 tablespoons flour 2 cups milk Garlic clove cracked (not minced) 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1 tablespoon lemon juice 3 egg yolks 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese Salt Freshly ground black pepper To Finish: 3/4 cup breadcrumbs 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated Slice eggplant and salt Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes Wipe dry Season flour with salt and pepper. Dip eggplant into flour and fry in hot oil turning when golden. Dry on Paper towels. Fry potato slices until lightly golden. Remove the potatoes to a paper Towel. Saute the ground beef for 2 minutes, until it Begins to turn brown. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 5 more Minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Drain off any excess fat from the Pan. Season the mixture with allspice, oregano, and cinnamon and cook For 3 more minutes. Add the tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally Until the mixture is a thick tomato sauce consistency, about 30 Minutes. Check for seasoning. Remove from the heat and cool. Bechamel: In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour to make a roux. Cook the Roux over medium heat for 3 or 4 minutes, or until it becomes a very Pale tan color. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly. Add the garlic clove, the Nutmeg and the lemon juice. Simmer, stirring constantly, over low heat For 15 minutes. The mixture should be fairly thick. Remove the garlic clove. In a separate bowl, Whisk the eggs together. Take 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture and whisk It into the beaten eggs. This will temper the eggs. Whisk the egg/milk Mixture back into the milk mixture. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir. Over very low heat, cook this mixture for 3 more minutes. Be careful Not to let the mixture simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from The heat and cool. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle the bottom of a Baking dish with 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs. Place a layer of the eggplant Over the breadcrumbs. Place a layer of the potatoes over the eggplant. Place 1/2 of the beef tomato sauce mixture over the potatoes. Add Another layer of eggplant and another layer of potatoes. Top with the Remaining lamb mixture. Place one more layer of eggplant and potatoes. Over the beef mixture. Top with bechamel. Sprinkle with The Parmesan cheese. Place in the oven And bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Remove from The oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------Rack of LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ann_t (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 14:03 Grilled Rack of Lamb is another favourite. No recipe. Just rub the racks with lot of real garlic and rosemary, course ground black pepper, salt and olive oil. And grill. Rare or Medium rare. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by jasdip (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 14:47 At a little Greek restaurant in the food court, we were eating souvlaki. Pork, chicken or lamb was the choice of meat. I told the owner I had never had lamb (chose chicken). He cut me a slice off the gyro. I didn't care for it at all. Now I know that can't compare to lamb chops, ribs etc, and these dishes so far sound fantastic. I'm looking forward as well, to see what gets posted. I may get tempted to try it! o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by Lindac (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 18:29 Cookie asked for a more reasonable lamb meal than lamb chops....reasonable as to price that is. I can get a small New Zealand leg of lamb, Sam's and costco both often have it. Some times it's bone in....sometimes it's boned.... I buy it boned if I can ( if not I grit my teeth, get out by skinny knife and set to work) The boned leg will have the bone removed and leave a sort of hollow piece of meat, good for stuffing if that's what I had in mind. Cut as much fat off the meat as you can. The fat is what gives the meat the flavor that so many don't like, so besides being healthy and minimizing flare ups you will make it taste better too. Flatten out the boned leg, and insert wooden skewert to sort of stabelize the meat so it doesn't flop around when you try to turn it....that step isn't necessary, but I like to do it. Then...crush about 4 cloves of garlic, more if they are small cloves and rub it all over the inside of the meat....the part that was next to the bone, not the skin side. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle generously with chopped oregano....fresh is best.....rub it around. Let it sit at room temperature for 45 minutes, and add the juice of half a lemon ans sprinkle with Kosher salt. Start your grill, when it's hot put the lamb on, with the herbed side down, and squeeze the juice of the other half lemon and a little more salt on the top. Grill as you would a steak medium rare or rare....or even medium....but no more done than medium. Slice the meat.....and I like it with oven roasted potatoes....and fresh asparagus this time of the year......and since the lamb is so lean, I splurge and add Hollandaise sauce to the asparagus! Linda C o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ann_t (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 18:44 I do a butterflied leg of lamb the way Linda does using garlic, oregano and lemon. I also do the same swapping out the oregano for rosemary. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by annie1992 (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 19:25 OK, now a question for the lamb experts. Is there a difference in flavor between grass fed lamb and milk fed lamb? A local (to Elery) farmer in Chelsea sells organic grass fed lambs, $4.99 a pound, for a whole or a half. He says he likes to get the lambs to about 100 pounds but sometimes they are less, so a half would be 50 pounds on the hoof, probably 30 or 35 pounds processed. that's a much better price than the grocery stores in Grand Rapids who want anywhere from $10 to $15 a pound for it, and my local grocery store doesn't even have it, they say they can't sell it. Well, at $15 a pound, probably not. So, if lambs are grassfed, are they "stronger" in flavor? Is the stuff at the local grocery store grass fed or milk fed or does it even matter as far as flavor goes? Annie o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by Lindac (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 19:57 Any lamb old enough to weigh 100 pounds is akin to mutton....no wonder you don't like it. The most expensive lamb and in my mind the best is about 4 months old and getting milk as well as some grass....momma eats grass. those lambs weigh about 65 pounds...partly depending on the breed. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by annie1992 (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 20:17 Well, I was thinking that anything old enough to eat grass and be that big was probably not exactly young lamb. I've never eaten any of it, though, Elery was thinking of buying a half. I guess not... the only lamb I've eaten has been from the grocery store. Some is worse, some is better, none has been delicious but some has been edible. Kind of. I don't know where the heck it came from, of course, or how big it was or what it ate or how it was raised. I don't like that, as you know, but other than buying a lamb locally, which I have been unable to do thus far, there doesn't appear to be an option. Annie o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by katiec (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 23:21 I didn't like lamb and DH wouldn't even try it, but after having it at a Mediterranean restaurant I think I was either fed mutton or really overcooked lamb. We bought a 4H lamb last summer. I have no idea how it was fed, but live weight was 120 lbs. and it is excellent. I've been looking at lots of lamb recipes, since I'd never cooked it, and things like moussakas and stews and curries are definitely arbitrary. I made a boneless leg roast (rubbed with a little olive oil, garlic, rosemary and S&P) and then this curry with the leftovers. It was pretty tasty. I cubed the lamb, used a mix of hot and sweet curry powders, golden raisins instead of currants and my peach-jalapeno chutney instead of mango. And basmati rice. Savory Lamb Curry 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced 1 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 Tbsp. butter 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 Tbsp. curry powder 3 Tbsp. flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. white pepper 2 cups chicken stock 1/2 cup apple cider 1/2 cup currants 3 cups sliced cooked lamb 1/2 cup mango chutney 1/2 cup sliced toasted almonds Hot cooked rice In large heavy skillet, cook apple, onion, and garlic in butter and olive oil until tender. Sprinkle with curry powder; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add flour, salt, and pepper; cook for 3-4 minutes longer until bubbly. Then add chicken stock and apple cider; cook and stir with wire whisk until slightly thickened and bubbly. Stir in currants and sliced lamb. Bring back to a simmer; simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes until thoroughly heated. Stir in chutney and toasted almonds and serve over hot cooked rice. Serves 6 o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by sherrmann (My Page) on Wed, Mar 28, 12 at 6:27 I've tried lamb several times in restaurants, so, although these recipes all look good, I am going to pass on fixing it at home. I am just going to be hard-headed about it and not risk the investment. No sense of adventure when it comes to lamb. My dad always fixed a leg at Easter when I was a kid. He loved it, and usually ended up eating most of it himself, which was probably fine with him. My mom, brothers and I ate the roast beef instead. I do remember that he poked the lamb full of little holes that he stuffed with a mixture of garlic, parsley, parmesan and salt. The stuffed holes were delicious! o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by arley (My Page) on Wed, Mar 28, 12 at 9:12 Here's my favorite. While I do like rosy-pink lamb chops, this is one way to cook lamb well done and so juicy and tender you can cut it with a spoon. (In fact, another name for this recipe is 'gigot a la cuillere', or 'spoon lamb') Gigot de sept heures (Seven hour leg of lamb) 1 leg of lamb, about 6# 4 garlic cloves, sliced, plus 20 whole garlic cloves 1/4 cup olive oil salt & pepper 2 small onions, thinly sliced 4 carrots, peeled 1 bouquet garni 1 cup dry white wine 1 cup flour, 1 cup water Preheat oven to 300˚ F. (If necessary, trim most of the external fat off the lamb. Some legs of lamb will come with a heavy fatty connective tissue, called the 'fell', covering a lot of its surface. Remove as much of it as practical--leaving it on will make the dish gamier because a lot of the gamy flavor is in the fat and connective tissues.) Make many small stab incisions in lamb and place slivers of garlic in each incision. Rub lamb well with olive oil, season with salt & pepper. Place it in Dutch oven and add onions, carrots, bouquet garni, garlic, wine. Put lid on Dutch oven. Combine flour and water, make a 'caulk' and use it to seal the lid to the dutch oven. (Note: That's not necessary if you have a casserole or Dutch oven with a fairly snug-fitting lid.) Place it in the 300˚oven and cook for 7 hours. Yes, 7 hours. NO PEEKING--leave it alone. A half hour before it's done, fix some noodles or rice or couscous to soak up the juices. Remove the Dutch oven and break the seal. You don't eat the cooked flour paste. That's it! About a half hour to an hour of prep, then you leave it the heck alone for 7 hours. It's nearly foolproof. Serve it with whatever else you want, and a medium bodied red wine goes quite well with this (say, a nice Zinfandel) but a dry white (such as the remainder of the bottle you opened to get the cup of wine in the recipe) is fine as well if that's your preference. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Wed, Mar 28, 12 at 12:32 Although my mother never made lamb, I remember roasts of greyish-looking meat (always served with mint jelly) at friends' houses and our college dining hall. I didn't like it at all. Fortunately, I tried it later in French and Middle Eastern restaurants and once I found some local markets that sold fresh lamb, I began to experiment in cooking various cuts of it in different ways. I most often buy ground or cubed lamb. Linda in Tennesee posted this recipe here about 10 years ago and I've made it many times. I usually serve them with a tzatziki sauce or with a tomato sauce with cinnamon and fresh mint. STUFFED KIBBEH For the shells: 8 (about 1 1/2 cups) ounces bulgur (cracked wheat) 1 pound ground lamb 1 onion, coarsely chopped salt & pepper For the stuffing: 1 onion, finely chopped 2 Tbs. Olive oil 2 Tbs. Pine nuts 1 pound ground lamb salt and pepper Oil for deep frying To make the shells, soak the cracked wheat for about 20 minutes in hot water to cover by at least one inch; then drain and squeeze dry. Mix the meat, onion, salt and pepper for the shells until creamy. (An electric mixer can be used.) Then add the cracked wheat in batches and continue until the mixture is soft enough to work like a dough. Knead well by hand. For the stuffing, fry the onion in oil until soft; then add the pine nuts and fry until golden. Add the meat, salt and pepper and stir until the meat changes color. Wet your hands. Take a small egg-sized portion of the shell mixture and roll it into a ball. Make a hole in the center with your finger and shape into a thin-walled pot with a pointed bottom by turning and pressing it into your palm. Place some stuffing in the hole and pinch the top of the pot together to completely seal it inside. Shape the top into a point. Repeat with the rest of the mixtures, wetting your hands frequently. Heat the oil. Deep-fry 4 or 5 kibbeh at a time until golden brown and drain on paper towels. Serve hot. Makes 15 to 20 depending on what size you make the balls. I follow the recipe exactly but instead of deep frying, I like to cook them outdoors on the grill, turning frequently. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by gina_w (My Page) on Wed, Mar 28, 12 at 13:43 Annie, most Australia or New Zealand sourced lamb is still grass fed, but I hear that's changing. I should call Costco and ask, since that's where I buy it. If it is grass-fed meat, it is a much healthier choice, even the fat is a healthier composition than that of grain-finished meats. And it tastes good. I haven't heard of milk-fed. Ann all those pictures look great - I love lamb. Cookie, I found that you can treat a less expensive lamb roast, like a boneless leg on sale, and cook it like a beef pot roast with potatoes and carrots. It comes out nicely and you can serve it with the pot juices or with horseradish, dijon mustard, mint jelly or whatever you like. Much less expensive than chops, and tastes the same except for the grilled taste! o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by Lindac (My Page) on Wed, Mar 28, 12 at 13:46 Dolmades!....the Greek version of golumpki! Ground lamb 1 1/2 pounds 3/4 cup raw rice juice of half a lemon 1 onion chopped fine teaspoon of dry dill weed.( some use dry mint, I prefer dill) Salt and pepper to taste....some add some all spice here.add broth if it needs more moisture Roll in canned grape leaves which have been well rinsed in hot water and the stems cut out....then stacked in a dutch oven with the other half of the lemon, sliced and a little water and baked an hour or more at 325. serve as part of a main dish or an appetizer. Linda C o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by jessicavanderhoff (My Page) on Wed, Mar 28, 12 at 15:51 Speaking of delicious Greek food, I think Kofta converted me from a lamb hater. Does anyone have a tried and true recipe? o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by cookie8 (My Page) on Wed, Mar 28, 12 at 16:46 I am definitely going to try out a few of these recipes. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by shambo (My Page) on Thu, Mar 29, 12 at 3:25 I found some really nice ground lamb at the store this afternoon, so I'm fixing this tomorrow. This was my mother's signature dish. My dad loved it, and after we got married, my husband learned to love it too. Instead of presents, my mom would treat my husband to a full casserole of stuffed grape leaves on special occasions -- Father's Day, Christmas, his birthday, etc. Here's our family recipe: Yaprakia/Dolmathes (Stuffed Grape Leaves) This classic Greek dish can be served as an appetizer or main dish. Rolling the grape leaves may be time consuming, but it is certainly worth the effort. Delicious! Filling: 1-1/2 pound lean ground beef or lamb 1 large onion, finely chopped 2-4 cloves garlic, finely minced 2 tablespoons olive oil 1-cup long grain white rice 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce 1-tablespoon mint 1-tablespoon dill weed 1-tablespoon oregano 1/2 cup chopped, fresh parsley (optional) 1-teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 16 ounce jar grape leaves (approximately 50 leaves) Juice of one lemon Beef broth, chicken broth, or vegetable broth Remove rolls of grape leaves from jar and unroll. Rinse leaves under cold water and drain well. Set aside badly torn leaves for use later. Cut stems off grape leaves. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent; cool. Combine rice, onion and garlic mixture, tomato sauce, mint, dill weed, oregano, parsley (if using), salt and pepper in large bowl; mix well. Add ground beef or lamb to filling ingredients and mix thoroughly using hands. Lay a leaf, vein side up, in your hand with stem pointing toward you. Place tablespoon of filling (depending on size of leaf) on the part of leaf where stem begins (near center). The filling should form a narrow cylinder; do not over fill or the rolls will burst during cooking. Tuck in side edges to secure filling. Roll from you toward the tip of the leaf, forming a small cylinder approximately 2-1/2 inches long and 3/4 inches wide. Do not wrap too loosely or the roll will come undone during cooking. Stove Top Method: Line bottom of 5 quart Dutch oven with a single layer of the reserved torn grape leaves. Place rolls seam side down in bottom of pot, tightly together in concentric circles, layer upon layer. You want a tight fit so that rolls don't unravel when cooking. Continue until all rolls are in pot. Any leftover filling may be rolled in cabbage leaves or lettuce leaves or made into tiny meatballs and placed on top of rolled grape leaves in pot.(Optional: Cover top with another single layer of the reserved torn grape leaves.) Cover rolls completely with broth and lemon juice. Place a heavy plate that fits inside the pot over rolls as a weight to keep leaves from unrolling. For good measure, place a clean rock or stone on top of the plate to secure the rolls. Cover pot and bring to slow simmer. Simmer gently about 75-90 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat when done. Let stand covered for 20-30 minutes before serving. Baked Method: Line bottom of 13 x 9 baking dish with a single layer of the reserved torn grape leaves. Place rolls seam side down in rows in baking dish, layer upon layer. You want a tight fit so that rolls don't unravel when cooking. Continue until all rolls are in baking dish. Cover top with another single layer of the reserved torn grape leaves. (Optional: Cover top with another single layer of the reserved torn grape leaves.) Cover rolls completely with broth and lemon juice. Cover pan with aluminum foil that has been greased on inside. Bake at 350 for 75-90 minutes until both meat and rice are done. Let stand covered for 20-30 minutes before serving. Yaprakia/Dolmathes may be served hot, warm, or cold. If hot or warm, serve with avgolemono sauce prepared from broth or serve with plain, unflavored yogurt. If cold, serve with plain, unflavored yogurt. Here is a link that might be useful: Step-by-step lesson featuring my mom as guest chef o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Thu, Mar 29, 12 at 10:10 Here are a couple more recipes I make with ground lamb. Back in the days when I used to participate in recipe contests, this was a winner of the Best Potluck Recipes in the USA contest in Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso's column in Parade Magazine. MAKE-AHEAD LAMB AND RICE 1 cup uncooked brown rice 1 chicken bouillon cube 1 lb. lean ground lamb 3 medium-sized tomatoes, cut into 1/ 4" dice to make about 1 1/2 cups (reserve tomato juices) 1/4 cup sliced pitted black olives 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley 1 Tbs. fresh chopped mint 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. black pepper 2 Tbs. olive oil 2 medium-sized onions, coarsely chopped 1 Tbs. pine nuts 1 Tbs. minced garlic 1 large zucchini, quartered lengthwise and then cut crosswise into 1/4 inch slices (about 1 1/2 cups) 1/4 cup tomato juice (optional) 1/2 cup coarsely crumbled feta cheese Cook rice according to package directions, adding bouillon cube to water; set aside. In a nonstick skillet, saute lamb over medium heat until browned through, breaking up while cooking; set aside. Place tomatoes (and their juices), olives, parsley, mint, cinnamon, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Heat olive oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, pine nuts and zucchini. Saute, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Add rice, lamb and zucchini mixture to the bowl; fold all ingredients together well. (If mixture seems dry, add chicken broth or tomato juice to moisten.) At this point mixture can be covered and refrigerated up to three days. To serve hot, place in large shallow casserole dish, sprinkle with feta cheese and bake, loosely covered at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes, just long enough to heat through. Or heat on high power of microwave for about 4 minutes and sprinkle with cheese before serving. Can also be served at room temperature on a bed of frisee or some other crunchy greens. CURRIED LAMBBURGERS Combine: 1/4 cup plain yogurt 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp. curry powder 2 Tbs. minced onion 1 garlic clove, finely minced 1/2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper 2 slices fresh bread, crumbled 2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley Add 1 pound lean ground lamb and mix thoroughly. Shape into 6 thin oval shaped patties and grill until done but not dry. Serve in pita bread pockets topped with chopped tomatoes and feta cheese. Note: Fresh chopped cilantro may be substituted for the parsley for a different flavor. Also good topped with cucumber-yogurt sauce. MOROCCAN LAMB SAUSAGE (serves 4) 1 lb. lean lamb 6 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley 6 Tbs. chopped onion 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram 1/2 tsp. ground cumin 1/2 tsp. ground coriander seed 1/2 tsp. dried oregano 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1/2 tsp. salt Grind lamb and add parsley and onion; mix well. Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly; grind again. Divide into 4 portions and, with moist hands, shape into sausages 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick and about 4 1/2 inches long. Can be wrapped and frozen at this point. If you don't freeze, store covered in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to allow spices to permeate the meat. Broil or grill 4 inches from source of heat until brown, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes for lamb pink inside, about 15 minutes for well done. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by bizzo (My Page) on Thu, Mar 29, 12 at 10:30 Ah, Ruthanna! you beat me to it! I love ground lamb and rice (I don't often follow a recipe though I do something very similar to the recipe you posted) and I adore lambburgers. I think I need to buy some ground lamb o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by cloudy_christine (My Page) on Thu, Mar 29, 12 at 17:54 Here's a recipe to ease you into the flavor of lamb, LOL. The smoked paprika masks it almost too much. From Nancy Silverton in Food and Wine. Lamb Meatballs with Roasted Red Pepper and Chickpea Sauce 1/2 cup roasted red peppers from a jar (4 ounces), preferably piquillo (I used roasted red bell peppers) 2 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth 1/2 cup whole-milk yogurt, preferably Greek, plus more for serving 2 pounds ground lamb 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish 1 tablespoon thyme leaves 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 3/4 cups* chickpeas from a jar or can, drained (*you need a lot more chick-peas than this to accompany two pounds of meat) In a mini food processor, puree the peppers. Transfer the puree to a bowl and whisk in the broth and 1/2 cup yogurt. In a large bowl, combine the lamb, eggs, garlic, 1/4 cup parsley and the thyme and smoked paprika. Add the 4 teaspoons kosher salt. Using your hands, gently mix, then roll into sixteen 2-inch meatballs. In a very large skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the meatballs and cook over moderately high heat until browned all over, about 8 minutes. Slide the meatballs to one side of the pan. Add the red-pepper sauce and the chickpeas and bring just to a boil. Simmer the meatballs over moderately low heat, stirring and turning them occasionally in the sauce, until the sauce reduces slightly, 10 minutes. Season with salt. Transfer the meatballs and chickpeas to a platter, spoon the pepper sauce on top, garnish with parsley and serve with yogurt. Here is a link that might be useful: Lamb meatballs o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by janicep (My Page) on Thu, Mar 29, 12 at 22:06 Shambo! You are one of the very few people I have met/seen refer to stuffed grape leaves as "yaprakia"! Most recipes for stuffed grape leaves are called "dolmades". My grandparents, who came from Samos, Greece, called stuffed grape leaves "yaprakia" and stuffed cabbage was called "dolmades". The island of Samos was part of Turkey for a very long time, so the name might have come from the Turkish language. In any event, it was cool to see you refer to stuffed grape leaves as the name I grew up with. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by jessyf (My Page) on Thu, Mar 29, 12 at 22:43 The go-to method for me with lamb involves Penzey's Lamb Seasoning. OMG that stuff is perfect with lamb. I'll take a roast, chops, anything and rub it with a mix of lamb seasoning, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and lots of garlic, S&P. Usually I grill it. Lamb seasoning. Salt free. For Passover I try to have lamb since that was the animal involved in 'passing over'. I've made this Epicurioius recipe with lamb shanks for my crowds, adjusting time for the longer cooking shanks. I used Michigan cherries from Nancy (wizardnm) the first time I made it, grin. I made changes....noted below Lamb Chops with Dried Cherries and Port Bon Appetit : April 2008 Bon Appetit Test Kitchen Yield: Makes 2 servings ingredients 2 teaspoons olive oil 4 4-to 5-ounce loin lamb chops 1/3 cup chopped shallots 3/4 cup ruby Port 1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth 1/2 cup dried tart cherries 3 tablespoons cherry jam (I use pomegranate molasses) 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (I usually omit) Chopped fresh mint or parsley preparation Heat oil in heavy medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper. Add lamb to skillet; cook to desired doneness, turning often, about 10 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer lamb to plate. Pour off drippings from skillet. Add shallots to same skillet; saute 1 minute. Add Port, broth, cherries, jam, vinegar, and cardamom; boil until cherries plump and liquid is syrupy, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over lamb. Sprinkle with mint. Here is a link that might be useful: Epicurious Lamb chops o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by dcarch (My Page) on Fri, Mar 30, 12 at 0:11 Ann, great looking lamb dishes. Talking about lamb and squash. They happen to pair very well for me. Sous vided leg of lamb, mint/Herbes de Provence sauce. dcarch Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by shambo (My Page) on Fri, Mar 30, 12 at 0:29 Janicep, that's exactly the way my family called things. Yaprakia referred to stuffed grape leaves and dolmathes were stuffed cabbage leaves. My maternal grandparents came from a Greek village that was part of Turkey, so maybe that's the connection. By the way, I made the grape leaves today and we had them for dinner. Pretty good, even if I say so myself. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by gina_w (My Page) on Fri, Mar 30, 12 at 16:53 Found an old picture of a Lamb Shank dinner: Also, in this month's Martha Stewart Living there is a good-looking recipe of a lemony lamb roast with potatoes. I'll have to try that next time I buy a roast since I love lemon. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by Lindac (My Page) on Fri, Mar 30, 12 at 17:42 On the few occasions I have been lucky and found lamb roasts "reduced for quick sale" after Easter I have made a wonderful Mediterranean-ish stew. I cubed the meat, dredged it in flour and browned in a bit of oil, added a good amount of chopped garlic an onion or 2, green pepper. 5 or 6 or more roma tomatoes, seeded and cut up or a large can or plum tomatoes cut up, a couple of canned blackened red peppers, a generous glug of dry red wine, rosemary and oregano to taste and simmered until the meat was very very tender. One time I added calamata olives, but wished I hadn't! Served with rice. My mother made a very different lamb stew...I need to try to recreate her's....because I loved it! Linda c o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by janicep (My Page) on Fri, Mar 30, 12 at 21:43 Shambo, your recipe is very similar to mine, so I'm sure that they're good! LOL!! I really enjoyed your video - great job!! o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Mon, Apr 2, 12 at 7:38 Eggplant was on sale at the farmers' market this weekend so I made two dishes with it and lean ground lamb. Neither had a real recipe. Lamb and eggplant soup with ditalini pasta. It had more broth than shown in the photo. Photobucket Eggplant stuffed with lamb, orzo, tomatoes, oil-cured olives, feta cheese, etc. Photobucket o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by Lindac (My Page) on Mon, Apr 2, 12 at 9:52 Oh yum! Eggplant and lamb go together so well!!! o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by cookie8 (My Page) on Mon, Apr 2, 12 at 11:42 I did a butterflied leg of lamb on Friday and had it all day Saturday and Sunday it was so good. To think I didn't use to like lamb. Well, there are some cuts off putting to me. Or maybe it's the preparation. I did a dry rub and let it sit on top of lemon slices all afternoon. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by jessicavanderhoff (My Page) on Mon, Apr 2, 12 at 13:13 I made a lamb stew once that I really liked. I think it was sauteed garlic/onion, lamb cubes well browned in a lot of chicken fat, chicken stock, thyme, sweet potatoes, and a splash of sherry. I remember it being really good, but the preparation was so simple that I think I must have just gotten some really good lamb. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Apr 9, 12 at 11:43 Time for a new Cookalong! I'll set it up tonight, after I get a subject from: **************** Arley *********************** Thanks to all who took the time to respond to this Cookalong. There are some really good recipes posted. Nancy o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Apr 9, 12 at 12:37 Arley has picked Chili for the next Cookalong. Please post your favorite recipe on that thread. Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #45---------CHILI!! o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by jolj (My Page) on Fri, May 4, 12 at 23:54 We roast lamb with rosemary,salt & pepper.