spicy lamb meatballs with raisin pesto.

Over the last couple of weeks we've started (once again) eating alfresco.  When you're four flights up facing a courtyard and surrounded by herbs and twinkly lights, you no longer feel as if you are in the city, it feels as if you are somewhere else.   Drinking cocktails, eating the latest farmers market offerings, and watching the sun set - it's magical. 

Dinners, as is typical of me this time of year, revolves around small plates of different things.  Fresh farmers market vegetable salads, really good cheeses, and occasionally local meat.   We recently got a phenomenal butcher in our hood and it's been fun trying their offerings (we are big fans of their cheesesteak sausages).   I love the fact that when you go in for ground meat, it has actually just been ground.  It's such a novel and old fashioned concept.   

I made these meatballs with the aforementioned freshly ground lamb and I have to say, these are just insanely good.  The meatballs are spicy and come together quickly but it's the raisin pesto that I want to eat by the spoonful.  Salty, sweet, herb-y, it pairs brilliantly with the lamb and yogurt.   This will be my Summer 2018 repeat dish.   

Spicy Lamb Meatballs with Raisin Pesto
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit 

For the Meatballs

1 large egg
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes or aleppo pepper (if using aleppo increase to 1/2 tsp.)
1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
1/4 tsp. sumac (optional)
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 clove of garlic 
1 lb. ground lamb

For the Pesto

1/2 cup parsley leaves with tender stems
1/4 cup pistachios
1/4 - 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic
1/2 cups mint leaves
1/2 cup cilantro
3 Tbsp. golden raisins
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tsp. pomogranatte molasses
1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
Black to pepper to taste

Plain whole-milk Greek yogurt (for serving)

Place a rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 425°. Combine egg, panko, cumin, red pepper flakes, turmeric, sumac, finely chopped parsley,  oil, and 1½ tsp. salt in a large bowl. Finely grate 1 garlic clove into bowl. Add lamb and mix with your hands until evenly distributed.

Gently roll lamb mixture into 1½"-diameter balls (about the size of a golf ball; you should have about 20). Place on a rimmed baking sheet, spacing evenly apart. Bake meatballs until browned and cooked through, 8–10 minutes.

Meanwhile, puree parsley, pistachios, garlic, mint, cilantro, raisins, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, salt and pepper, and a 1/4 cup olive oil in a blender until smooth. Taste pesto; season with more salt if needed - if too thick, add more olive oil.

Spread yogurt over plates and divide pesto and meatballs on top. Top with sesame seeds if desired.  

Do Ahead: Pesto can be made 2 days ahead; cover and chill. Meatballs can be formed 2 months ahead; freeze on baking sheet until firm, about 2 hours, then transfer to a freezer bag and keep frozen.

warm hummus with spiced lamb.

I've tried to find things to make me laugh over the past couple of weeks.  John Oliver helped, so did the Biden/Obama memes that are circulating.   Hearing about all the people donating to Planned Parenthood in Mike Pence's name is about as genius as it gets.  But even with all of this, the election still hurts.  I think it will for some time. 

I've also spent a lot of time in the kitchen; looking for ways to find comfort in the everyday and the things I can control.  I spotted this hummus recipe on David Lebovitz's blog and everything about it was calling to me.   Warm hummus paired with spiced and fragrant lamb eaten with toasted pita is my kind of ethnic comfort food. It's the perfect dish to be served as part of a large mezze smorgasbord which means it begs to be served at your next party.  

Warm Hummus with Spiced Lamb
Recipe adapted from David Lebovitz 

The hummus should be served warm along with the spiced lamb. This is one of those places where the often-maligned microwave oven could come in handy, to rewarm it before topping it with the spiced lamb mixture. Conversely, you can warm the hummus is shallow baking dish, in a 300ºF (150ºC) oven, covered with foil for 15 minutes. 

8 ounces (225g) ground lamb
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (110g) canned chopped tomatoes, with liquid
1/4 cup (60ml) chickpea cooking liquid, chicken stock, or water
4 scallions, chopped (white and green parts)
1 1/2 teaspoons harissa
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
Hummus for serving (this is my go-to recipe)   
Additions: Pita or other flatbread, good feta, pickled carrots 

Heat the 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the lamb, season with the salt, and cook it, breaking it up as it cooks, until it's almost cooked through, about 4 minutes.

Add the allspice, black pepper, cinnamon, tomatoes and 1/4 cup (60ml) chickpea liquid. Cook until the liquids are slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the scallions and harissa and cook for another couple of minutes, until the liquid is reduced (but the meat is still very juicy) then remove from heat and add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Mix in the flat-leaf parsley.

Serving and storage: To serve, spoon the warm hummus onto a serving plate or bowl and use the back of a soupspoon to make a crater in the middle of it, leaving a rim. Spoon the spiced lamb into the middle of the hummus and sprinkle with pine nuts.

Both the hummus and lamb sausage can be made in advance and refrigerated up to 3 days.

man’oushe.

If you are looking for something epic (and beyond the standard pita bread) to pair with homemade hummus this is the bread for you.   

I love pita, but making it isn't always easy.  Pita bread can be finicky.  Trying to create enough steam in the oven to "puff" the bread up can be a downright frustrating task.  This flatbread on the other hand is incredibly easy.   Man'oushe is a traditional Lebanese breakfast snack.  If you are a fan of the savory breakfast, I can see how eating one of these warm from the oven would be an appealing way to start the day.   But in all honesty, I can't see how you couldn't incorporate one of these breads into almost every meal you have.  Stuffed with feta, tomatoes, and cucumbers and rolled like a burrito it could be a portable lunch.  At dinner use it to sop up whatever remains on your plate from a stewed meat dish.   It's a flavorful bread that works all the time.   

Man’oushe
Recipe from David Lebovitz

Yields - Six flatbreads

Flatbread Dough

1 cup (250ml) tepid water (slightly warmer than room temperature)
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 1/2 cups (350g) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt

Za’atar Topping

1/4 cup (40g) za’atar
1/4 cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil

To make the dough, in a bowl of a stand mixer (if mixing by hand, use a large bowl), sprinkle the yeast over the water along with the sugar and let sit in a warm place until the yeast starts to bubble, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the olive oil, flour, and salt. If using a stand mixer, use the dough hook attachment. If mixing by hand, stir with a wood spoon or spatula until it becomes too thick to stir, then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Knead the dough in the machine on medium-high speed, or by hand, until the dough forms a smooth ball, but is slightly sticky when you touch it with your finger. It’ll take about 5 minutes and will pull away from the sides of the mixer bowl. Cover the dough in the bowl with a kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place until the dough doubles in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.

To make the flatbreads, preheat the oven to 500ºF/260ºC and move the oven rack to the upper third of the oven. Set a baking steel on the rack. (Check the manufacturer’s instructions for your baking steel or stone.) Otherwise, line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat the baking steel or stone for 45 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured countertop and divide the dough into six pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a small oval, rolling it just until each starts to resist. When each one does, set it aside on the countertop and begin rolling another. Continue to roll each of the six pieces of dough into ovals, stopping when the dough starts stretching back on itself.

When ready to bake, take the first oval of dough and roll it out to its final size, adding a bit more flour if necessary to keep it from sticking to the counter or rolling pin, turning it over a few times to ensure it’s not sticking. Roll it until it’s about 12-inch long by 4- or 5-inches wide (30cm by 10- to 12cm).

Spread the oval with a layer of the za’atar mixture, about 1 1/2 tablespoons per flatbread leaving, not quite reaching the edge so there’s space for a crust. Don’t worry about any bare spots when smearing on the za’atar: it doesn’t need to be perfect.

Lift the finished flatbread with your hands, or slide a pizza peel dusted with flour underneath, and transfer the flatbread on the baking steel or stone. Continue rolling and topping the rest of the flatbreads, baking each until the crust is golden brown, about 7 minutes.

Remove the flatbreads from the oven when the crusts are golden brown and serve warm or at room temperature.

Serving and storage: The flatbreads are best when eaten warm or shortly after baking, preferably within a few hours. You can make the dough in step 2 and chill it, letting it come back to room temperature before letting it rise and rolling it out. I would not freeze these flatbreads.

chile-cumin lamb meatballs.

These are the best lamb meatballs I have ever made (Tyler was in agreement).   

I have a love affair with meatballs due to the fact that they are endlessly adaptable and absurdly easy.   These are a tiny bit more labor intensive then your everyday turkey or beef meatball with red sauce but it's worth it.   The chile sauce which you might think is unnecessary is totally necessary - it provides the perfect smoky and acidic counterpart to the gaminess of the lamb and any leftovers make for a pretty swell sandwich spread.  


Chile-Cumin Lamb Meatballs

Recipe adapted slightly from Bon Appetit

Chile Sauce

3 pasilla chiles, seeds removed, chopped
1½ teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
¼ cup Sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
1 garlic clove, chopped
½ cup olive oil
Kosher salt

Meatballs and Assembly

¼ small onion, chopped
8 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
¾ teaspoon fennel seeds
¾ teaspoon ground coriander
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more
1 large egg
1¼ pounds ground lamb
1 tablespoon rice flour or all-purpose flour
4–5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
½ English hothouse cucumber, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1½ tablespoons Sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup plain sheep’s-milk or cow’s whole-milk yogurt
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
Crushed red pepper flakes (for serving)

Chile Sauce: Toast chiles, red pepper flakes, and cumin seeds in a dry small skillet over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until fragrant and cumin seeds are golden, about 3 minutes. Let cool. Working in batches, finely grind in spice mill, then transfer to a blender.

Add vinegar, paprika, and garlic to blender and blend until smooth. With motor running, gradually stream in oil and blend until combined. Transfer to a large bowl; season with salt.

Do Ahead: Chile sauce can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.

Meatballs And Assembly: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Pulse onion, chopped garlic, parsley, oregano, sage, fennel seeds, coriander, cumin, and 1 Tbsp. salt in a food processor, scraping down sides as needed, until finely chopped. Add egg, lamb, and flour and pulse until evenly combined. Form lamb mixture into 1 ½" balls.  Drizzle with olive oil and transfer to the oven.  

Cook meatballs for 15 - 18 minutes or until cooked through.  Transfer all meatballs to bowl with chile sauce and toss to coat.

Toss cucumber in a medium bowl with lemon zest, lemon juice, vinegar, and remaining 2 Tbsp. oil; season with salt and pepper.

Spoon yogurt into bowls. Evenly divide meatballs among bowls; top with dressed cucumber and mint and sprinkle with red pepper flakes.

carrot salad with tahini, crisped chickpeas, and pistachios.

Since adopting Jackson, Tyler and I have been buying carrots with abandon, something that previously we never did.  This dog is a foodie and is particularly fond of carrots and all other orange-hued vegetables so he gets them as a snack with peanut butter (it's like we have a five year old). Feeding him so many carrots got me thinking - why don't we eat carrots more often?   I remember eating them as a kid - cooked slowly in orange juice and and brown sugar - but since then, I haven't really given them much thought.  

That was until I stumbled across this recipe from the Smitten Kitchen archives in an attempt to up my own carrot intake.   I know that carrot salad sounds very unexciting, but this recipe is so incredibly good.  I have a hard time getting excited about salads in January, mostly because all the produce needs to be imported from some far off country and that makes me sad.  Carrots on the other-hand can still be found at the farmers markets in January which makes this an incredibly seasonally appropriate dish.  The bright Middle Eastern spices, tahini dressing, and crisped chickpeas takes this from ho-hum side dish to delicious main especially if served with some good cheese and even better bread.   

Carrot Salad with Tahini, Crisped Chickpeas and Salted Pistachios

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Serves 6

Chickpeas

1 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 15-ounce can, drained and patted dry on paper towels

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1/2 teaspoon zatar

Salad

1 pound carrots, peeled and coarsely grated

1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley or cilantro

1/4 cup shelled, salted pistachios, coarsely chopped

Dressing

1 medium garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 tablespoons well-stirred tahini

1 tablespoons water, plus more if needed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon zatar

1/2 teaspoon sumac

Salt and red pepper flakes (or Aleppo) to taste

Roast chickpeas: Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Toss chickpeas with one tablespoon olive oil, salt and cumin until they’re all coated. Spread them on a baking sheet or pan and roast them in the oven until they’re browned and crisp. This can take anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size and firmness of your chickpeas. Toss them occasionally to make sure they’re toasting evenly. Set aside until needed.

Make dressing: Whisk all ingredients together until smooth, adding more water if needed to thin the dressing slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning; don’t worry if it tastes a little sharp on the lemon, it will marry perfectly with the sweet grated carrots.

Assemble salad: Place grated carrots in large bowl and toss with parsley. Mix in 2/3 of the dressing, adding more if desired. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle with a large handful of chickpeas (you’ll have extra and if you’re like us, won’t regret it) and pistachios and dig in.

Do ahead: Salad keeps well in the fridge for two days, however, I’d add the chickpeas and pistachios right before serving, so they don’t get soft.

red pepper and baked egg galettes.

The more I cook, the more I understand my style.  I love seasonal food that is full of flavor.  Sure there is something to be said for a simple baked potato with butter but I think that baked potato is made exceptionally better when you add in a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper or a dusting of smoked paprika.  Those bold flavors keep things exciting.   

Yotam Ottolenghi shares this sentiment.  It's why I own three of his cookbooks - he understands me and my need to use 10 different spices in every dish I make.  He wouldn't think I'm crazy for sprinkling zatar on just about everything instead he would encourage it.  

I've been flipping through his cookbooks a lot lately.  They've become my default starting place when it comes to figuring out what do with 4 pounds of cauliflower and leeks I couldn't leave behind.  Last weekend I bought as many red peppers as I could figuring it would probably be the last weekend for them.  I went home and roasted them and then wondered what exactly I should do with them beyond my standard roasted tomatoes + mozzarella tartines.  At that moment, I stumbled across this recipe.

This is about as simple as it gets.  It makes for a killer weekend breakfast though I would happily eat this for dinner with a peppery salad.  It's a satisfying kind of dish made all the better with the addition of (many) herbs and spices.  

Red Pepper and Baked Egg Galettes

Recipe adapted from Jerusalem 

The original recipe calls for roasting the onions and peppers together.  I took the slightly lazier approach of using my pre-roasted peppers and omitting the onions (we were short on time).  Truth be told, I think if I was to add onions in, they would be caramelized onions (because caramelized onions are the only way I will eat onions).

If you were making this as a to-go meal, I would swap the egg for some good feta.   

4 large red peppers

1 teaspoon cumin or zatar

1 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon sumac

Salt and pepper to taste

Handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

4 tablespoons sour cream or labnah

4 large eggs or 8 tablespoons crumbled feta

Set the oven to 400 degrees.   Place the peppers on a baking sheet and roast until blackened and collapsed, about 45 minutes.  Remove the peppers from the oven and place them in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. When cool, peel the skin off the peppers and slice then flesh into 1/2 inch wide slices.  Season the peppers with the cumin or zatar, coriander, sumac, salt, and pepper, and half the parsley and cilantro.  Set aside. (Can be done 3 days ahead.  Store the peppers in the fridge in a plastic container.)

Turn the oven up to 425. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface until it reaches a 12x12 inch square. Cut into four 6 inch squares. Transfer to two parchment or silpat lined baking sheets and place them in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Remove the pastry from the fridge and spread 1 tablespoon sour cream or labnah on each of the pastry squares. Top each square with 1/4 of the pepper mixture spreading it out evenly, leaving the borders free, and leaving a shallow depression in the center for the egg, which will go in later.

Bake for 12 minutes or until the pastry begins to puff and brown. 

Remove from the oven and carefully crack in egg into the center of each galette.  Return the galette to the oven and continue to bake until the egg white is set, about 6 - 8 more minutes.  (Note - If using feta instead of egg, bake for a full 15 minutes and them sprinkle with cheese.  Continue to bake for another 3 - 5 minutes).  

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining herbs and additional salt and pepper.   Eat.   

hummus with white miso.

This past weekend, in between the hours of driving Tyler and I did through New Jersey, Upstate New York, and Pennsylvania, we stopped for dinner in Philadelphia at High Street on Market (home of the greatest potato bread that has ever existed).   While I did not get to bring home a new loaf of potato bread (let's not talk about it), I did get to stuff my face with an incredible spring hummus that reminded me of how much I love hummus and variations of hummus and basically any and all chickpea dips.   

I wasn't seeking to unearth a new favorite hummus dip, but with Memorial Day right around the corner, I've had mezze on the brain. Summer eating means less meals and more of an "assortment of things that are in season and easy to make".  Extra points if they are portable, can be consumed via chips, bread, or pita, and pair well with an ice-cold white wine or a grapefruit beer.  

And this dip does all that and more.  The inclusion of miso is rather genius - it provides that salty-rich-umami bomb that I seem to crave all of the time (who knew miso and tahini were a match made in food heaven?).  It also pairs brilliantly with any kind of spring/summer salad (current version involves asparagus, beans, feta, and lemon) you can dream up which means it will be on heavy rotation all summer long.  

Hummus with White Miso
Recipe from the Seven Spoons Cookbook

Makes about 2 ½ cups (600 g)

1/4 cup (60 g) blanched almonds

2 cups (450 g) cooked chickpeas or 1 (15-ounce/425 g) can

1/4 cup (60 g) well-stirred tahini

1/4 cup (60 g) white (shiro) miso

2 cloves garlic, smashed with the side of a knife

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Juice from 1/2 lemon, approximately 2 tablespoons, plus more as needed

About 1/2 cup (120 ml) ice water

Fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Toasted sesame oil (optional)

Optional Toppings

Extra-virgin olive oil

Flaky sea salt

Coriander seeds or cumin seeds, roasted and cracked

Ground sumac or za’atar

Toasted sesame seeds, white or black, or pine nuts

Minced fresh flat-leaf parsley and chives

Assorted sprouts (such as mung bean, broccoli, alfalfa)

Fried shallots

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, process the almonds into a fine meal. Add the chickpeas and run the machine again, stopping and scraping down the sides occasionally, until the beans are crumbly and light. Pour in the tahini, miso, garlic, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice. Blend again for 2 minutes or so, then scrape down the sides of the machine. Switch on the motor and start drizzling in enough water so that the hummus billows up, aerated and fluffy. Depending on the beans, you may not use all the water, or you might need more. Let the machine go for 2 to 3 minutes after the consistency seems right. Taste and check for seasoning. For a roasted accent, drip in some toasted sesame oil.

Let the hummus sit for 30 minutes at room temperature before serving, or refrigerate in a covered container for up to 3 days. Serve with the garnishes of your choosing.

sesame-spiced turkey meatballs with chickpea salad.

In an effort to streamline weekday evenings, I've taken it upon myself to turn Sunday into a full blown day of cooking.  This usually involves a big batch of something that can be transformed into other meals throughout the week.  This concept is nothing new (I mean Rachel Ray did have an entire show about this) but it takes a lot to have the foresight to plan out a whole week. I've found it helpful - it makes me less stressed and less overwhelmed and it ensures we don't eat every night (just some nights) until 8.  

This is why I've been scouring my large inventory of recipes as of late - looking for things that can be made in big batches and transformed throughout the week.  I've been relying a lot on beans (why don't beans get the respect they deserve?!) but this past week I tried something new with these spiced turkey meatballs.  

Middle-eastern flavors are the way to my heart so the second I spotted these in my ever reliable Smitten Kitchen cookbook, I knew they had to be made.   These are easy-peasy. So easy in fact that you could make them in the middle of the week and still get dinner on the table in under 30 minutes. They are chock full of flavor (so many spices!), protein-packed, and fairly healthy.  Really, what is there not to love?

Sesame-Spiced Turkey Meatballs with Chickpea Salad

Recipe adapted from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

Me being me (and considering I was serving this to adults), I upped all the spices (and added some new ones), I don't think Deb would mind.  

Serves 4 – 6 depending on the individuals and the appetites

For the Meatballs

1 pound ground turkey

⅔ cup fresh breadcrumbs 

¼ cup water

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 large egg

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
¼ teaspoon sumac
1/4 teaspoon Zatar

Pinch of cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

For the Chickpea Salad

1 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

½ cup pitted green olives, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon ground sumac

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon Zatar

1 garlic clove, minced

Pinch of cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon sea salt

Olive oil

For the meatballs: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all the meatball ingredients in a medium bowl and mix with your hands. Form into 1½" balls and arrange on a baking sheet lightly greased with olive oil or nonstick spray.

Bake meatballs for 20 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through. Serve with chickpea salad.

For the chickpea salad: Combine all the salad ingredients except the olive oil in a medium bowl. Very lightly smash the chickpeas with a potato masher or fork, leaving small bits. Drizzle with olive oil and stir to combine.

slow roasted lamb shoulder.

My mom and I share many things, most notably our love of corny jokes best suited for a 5 year old. 

What cheese do you use to lure a bear out of its cave?

Camem-bear!  (i.e. Camembert if you are anything like Tyler who doesn't know the name of cheeses.)  

(This makes me laugh every time.)

We also share a love of reporting to each other the best things we've made in the last week which is why most of our phone calls revolve around re-capping our latest cooking adventures.  It is pretty awesome to have someone in my life who is just as excited about cooking as me (I had to get this gene from somewhere!).  

Mama had commented recently that I don't blog very often about meat.  This stems from the fact that I don't eat much meat but also because meat dishes aren't always pretty.  Not in the way a salad or pizza is with it's plethora of colors.   Meat can be monotone and one note and maybe it tastes amazing but we all know people eat with their eyes and no one will think to make something if it looks ugly.   

But!  At the encouragement of the mama and the fact that Tyler declared this the best lamb he's ever eaten, I figured it earned the right to appear on this blog.  Tyler and I celebrate 9 years together this past Sunday.  When we first started dating, I would have never imagined we would end up here.  I think most people who knew us when we first started dating never thought this would last much past the study abroad trip we were on in Switzerland but somehow it did.  And here we are 9 years later which is why we deserved to celebrate with some lamb.   

I naturally gravitate more towards meat in the winter.  With the lack of famer's market produce, it only makes sense to look for nourishment in other ways.  This is why I find myself at Dicksons's far more regularly.  If we are going to have meat it's going to be damm good meat and this lamb shoulder is about as good as it gets. Here it's rubbed in a spice mixture and then slow roasted until it becomes as tender as can be.  Served with yogurt sauce and stuffed in a pita, you have pretty much my ideal meal perfect for celebrating.   

Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder
Recipe from Esquire 

Me being me, I upped my spice game (I couldn't help it).  A little bit of sumac (1 teaspoon), some urfa chile (1/4 teaspoon), some aleppo pepper (1/2 teaspoon), a little cumin (1/2 teaspoon), and a little bit of smoked paprika (1/2 teaspoon).  I realize not everyone has these spices and you don't need to go out and buy them, but if you do have them add them!  

I realize this may not look like much, but seriously, it is really good.   

For the Lamb

1 boneless lamb shoulder, butterflied and tied by your butcher (about 3½ lbs)

Spice mix: 2 tbsp whole coriander seeds, 2 tbsp whole fennel seeds, 2 tbsp whole black peppercorns, 3 bay leaves, toasted in small pan over medium heat until aromatic (2 to 4 minutes)

¼ cup harissa paste

3 garlic cloves, peeled

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp coarse salt (plus more for preseasoning)

¼ cup water

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Additional spices if desired, see note above

Remove lamb from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature, up to 2 hours, so that it cooks evenly. Place meat on a roasting rack and then a sheet pan. This way, the roast isn't resting directly on the pan (causing its juices to pool there) and air can circulate on all sides. Thirty minutes before cooking, liberally season with coarse salt.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Put dry spice mix in blender (or small food processor) with harissa, garlic, cinnamon, salt, and water (and other spices if using). Blend slowly, add olive oil, and set aside.

Sear: Place lamb in the middle of the oven and roast for 20 minutes.

Slow-roast: Remove lamb from the oven, leave the door ajar for 10 minutes to cool it down, then bring it to 225 degrees.

Rub lamb all over with harissa mixture and place in oven until the internal temperature is 140 degrees. This can take anywhere from 2½ to 3½ hours.

Rest: Remove roast from oven and let rest for 30 minutes. Don't ruin a great piece of meat by slicing it too quickly. The fibers of the meat still need time to relax after cooking, letting the natural juices redistribute so they don't pour out when you carve. So wait a half hour, then remove the butcher's twine from the lamb and cut into quarter-inch slices. Serve with yogurt sauce.

Yogurt sauce

2 cups yogurt
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp freshly ground cumin
3 tbsp chopped mint
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 tbsp finely diced preserved lemon skin (available at good stores; dice only the skin, discard flesh and white pith) or 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Kosher salt (to taste)

Stir to combine.

caramelized onion dip with feta, spinach, and walnuts.

New Year's eve can be oysters and champagne but if we are being honest (and I hope we can be honest) I'm pretty happy with pigs-in-a-blanket and a couple of beers. (Sometimes low-brow is best.)  

And dip!  Or at least this dip which I am so obsessed with that I may have gone to the farmer's market again today to purchase the ingredients so I can make it for a second time. (Ain't no shame in being a repeat offender.)  

I have a kind of love hate relationship with dips because most are composed of canned/jarred/bottled ingredients and while those dips can taste great they don't really involve much cooking and they aren't really special.   

But this dip is so life-changingly good that I may never need another dip recipe again.   I realize it may not be low-brow but it is a riff on onion dip which some may consider a less then classy dip.  Onion dip is traditionally composed of sour cream and mayo and pretty much everything that is bad for you but tastes good.  This version is greek yogurt and feta and all things I love which ensures you produce a dip nearly impossible to resist.  The addition of spinach and toasted walnuts is practically genius and it provides the perfect textural contrast to an otherwise smooth dip.  I'm not suggesting you have to serve this at your New Year's Eve celebration but it would be wise if you did (and this holds true even if your New Year's celebration is just you and your significant other.)  

Caramelized Onion Dip with Feta, Spinach and Walnuts

Recipe adapted from Tasting Table

Yield: About 2 ½ cups

¼ cup canola oil

1½ cups finely diced onions

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups packed baby or regular spinach

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 ½  cups whole-fat Greek yogurt

1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano, divided (or 1 ½ teaspoon dried)

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

⅓ cup walnuts, toasted and crushed

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Crackers, for serving

In a large skillet over medium heat, warm ¼ cup of the canola oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Season them with salt and pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until the onions are light golden brown and very soft, 20 to 25 minutes. Add the garlic and spinach and cook until the spinach has wilted and all of the liquid has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes.

In a food processor, combine the yogurt and feta and pulse until a little chunky.   Add spinach and onions to the food processor and pulse a few more times.  Transfer to a medium bowl.   Add 2 tablespoons of the oregano  or 1 teaspoon of the dried oregano) and the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. If the dip looks too thick, stir in a tablespoon of water (as needed).

To serve, put the dip in a bowl and top it with the remaining oregano and walnuts. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with crackers.

slow cooked chickpeas on toast with poached egg.

"If you want to make it dinner put an egg on it.  If you want to make a dinner put an egg on it.  Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh."

-Lyrics written by me but sung to the tune of Beyonce "Single Ladies".  

I've mentioned it before and I'll mention it again, throwing an egg on just about anything makes it a meal. It's my cooking motto, my life motto, my "I don't know what to eat but we are hungry so an egg it is" motto. The fact that I now have a song to go along with it just further reinforces the fact that this is a completely valid maxim.  

Most throw an egg on recipes come about out of necessity and the need to use up what we have languishing in the fridge.  On occasion I stumble across one that drives me to make it out of sheer desire for the end product. That is is why this particular recipe got made.  

Yotam Ottolenghi knows his way around vegetable and grains and beans so when he tells you to make to make a chickpea dish that takes 5 hours to cook, you may think that sounds absurd, but you do it because he always seems to know best.  And boy does the man does know best.  This recipe is brilliant. Chickpeas are bathed in an amp-ed up tomato sauce that leaves them as tender as can be.  They are piled high on sour dough toast and topped with that requisite egg and a sprinkling of za'atar.  It's warm and comforting and impossibly addicting especially with a the mix of runny yolk and tomato sauce.  Eggs and winter just belong together.  

Slow Cooked Chickpeas on Toast with Poached Egg 

Recipe from Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi  

I wont lie that a little bit of goat chesse spread on the grilled sourdough is a mighty fine (and delicious) addition.  

Rounded 1 cup/220 g dried chickpeas, soaked in water overnight with 2 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. olive oil, plus 1 tbsp. to finish
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup/140 g)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons tomato paste
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ tsp. smoked paprika
2 medium red peppers, cut into 1/4-inch/5-mm dice (about 1 1/4 cups/180 g) (Can also use canned roasted tomatoes) 

1 2/3 cups/300 grams crushed or diced canned tomatoes
½ tsp. superfine sugar
4 slices sourdough bread, brushed with olive oil and grilled on both sides
4 eggs, freshly poached (or over easy)
2 tsp. za'atar
Salt and black pepper

Drain and rinse the chickpeas and place them in a large saucepan with plenty of water. Place over high heat, bring to a boil, skim the surface, and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Place the oil, onion, garlic, tomato paste, cayenne, paprika, red peppers, 1 teaspoon salt, and some black pepper in a food processor and blitz to form a paste.

Wipe out the chickpea saucepan, return it to the stove over medium heat, and add the paste. Fry for 5 minutes (there’s enough oil there to allow for this), stirring occasionally, before adding the tomato, sugar, chickpeas, and a scant 1 cup/200 ml water. Bring to a low simmer, cover the pan, and cook over very low heat for 4 hours, stirring from time to time and adding more water when needed to retain a sauce-like consistency. Remove the lid and cook for a final hour: The sauce needs to thicken without the chickpeas becoming dry.

Place a piece of warm grilled bread on each plate and spoon the chickpeas over the bread. Lay a poached egg on top, followed by a sprinkle of za’atar and a drizzle of oil. Serve at once.