lamb meatballs with yogurt and pomegranate sauce.

I'm here to make a case for lamb since I don't think it gets the respect it deserves.  Beef and pork get most of the culinary love and it really makes me sad since lamb is rather wonderful.

Most people think of lamb as a spring food but for me it's the essence of winter eating.  Lamb pairs brilliantly with lots of warm Middle Eastern spices, and I find warm spices are best suited for cold wintry evenings.  These lamb meatballs are the best weeknight winter meal ever.  They come together in under 30 minutes, yet they taste as if you spent hours on them.  They exude elegance (the pomegranate sauce make s me swoon, so chic) and they smell so damm good as they cook.  The spice mix used here is assertive yet not overpowering and the yogurt sauce provides a nice bright and tart contrast to the spiced meat.  These work well stuffed in pitas for an easy weeknight dinner but I also love them served atop baby spinach as a substantial and unique salad (the yogurt sauces serves as an excellent salad dressing in that case).  

Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt and Pomegranate Sauce

Recipe adapted from Serious Eats 

Serves 4

For the Lamb Meatballs

1 pound ground lamb

½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves

¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper (optional)

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 ¼ teaspoons salt

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tablespoon oil

For the Yogurt and Pomegranate Sauce

5 ounces Greek yogurt

1 ½ tablespoons milk or water

½ cup pomegranate seeds

¼  cup chopped fresh mint

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses (optional)

½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper (optional)

4 pitas, warmed

For the lamb meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the ground lamb, fresh mint, cayenne, cumin, coriander, Aleppo pepper (if using), cinnamon, salt, and garlic. Mix together with your hands until thoroughly mixed and slightly sticky. Form mixture into 16 balls, approximately two inches wide.

Adjust top oven rack to six inches below the broiler. Preheat broiler to high. Add oil to rimmed baking sheet. Add the meatballs, and roll them around until they are coated in the oil. Arrange in two rows in such a way that they will cook evenly under the broiler element. Transfer pan to the broiler, and cook until meatballs are browned on the top, 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully remove the pan, and use a pair of tongs to flip the meatballs. Return pan to the oven, and cook until browned on the other side, another 4 to 5 minutes. Remove and set pan aside.

For the yogurt and pomegranate seed sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt and milk. When smooth, add pomegranate seeds and fresh mint. Stir well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle the pomegranate molasses and sprinkle the Aleppo pepper over the top.  Stuff each pita with about a quarter of the sauce and four of the lamb meatballs. Serve immediately.

rectangle.

In spending too much time thinking about ridiculous wedding details, I've come to the conclusion that I am only attracted to rectangular tables.  No circular tables for me

Rectangular tables are better for eating family style which in my mind is the only way to eat. 

(Wouldn't mind having an indoor/outdoor space like the below.  This is pure magic.  It's begging for newspapers and croissant crumbs to be strewn over the table top. God I love rectangular tables.)





































Image via Pinterest. 

roasted feta with honey.

I think if I could only use one word to describe my eating preferences it would probably be cheese-aholic. I'm not ashamed to admit that I don't usually consider something a meal unless it includes something of the dairy variety.  I am not embarrassed to admit that I can only eat scrambled eggs with grated Gruyere melted in.  I will continue to be vocal about the fact that it is not a pizza unless it includes cheese. (If it doesn't have cheese, it's a flatbread.  Glad we are all on the same page now.).  

After that cheese confession, it seems only natural that we discuss a cheese recipe which means now is a good time to bring up the awesome roasted feta with honey that I made last week before I was infected will the flu. This is the kind of appetizer I dream about.  It exudes fanciness and is one (very easy) step above a putting a wheel of brie on a cheeseboard.  The roasting of the feta softens it, making it spreadable and malleable and perfect for topping crackers with.  The honey balances out the saltiness and the rosemary brings a little earthiness and extra warmth to the plate.  While this makes a great appetizer, I prefer serving it with an arugula salad for a satisfying winter dinner for two.  

Roasted Feta with Honey
Recipe adapted from Food 52

There are so many ways I can adapt this that the sheer amount of possibilities scares me.  Amanda uses thyme instead of rosemary which would be wonderful.  I think a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper or Urfa chiles at the end would be a pretty stellar change.  

One 8-ounce slab Greek feta, blotted dry 

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 

1 tablespoon honey

Freshly ground black pepper 

1 sprig rosemary, minced (optional)

Greek-style pita bread, toasted and cut into wedges or hearty crackers (I prefer the crackers here)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Select a small oven-to-table earthenware dish or a small ovenproof sauté pan lined with aluminum foil to help transfer the cheese to a plate after roasting. Place the feta in the dish and cover with the olive oil. Bake until the cheese is soft and springy to the touch but not melted, about 8 minutes.

Preheat the broiler. Heat the honey in the microwave or over a pan of simmering water until it is fluid enough to be spread with a pastry brush and then paint the surface of the feta with it. Broil until the top of the cheese browns and just starts to bubble. Season with black pepper and the minced rosemary (if using). Serve immediately with pita wedges or crackers.

greenery and gold.

I've got weddings on the brain.  

In particular, the dinning aspect of the wedding.  Obsessing over the below table settings.  It feels chic and sophisticated and utterly appropriate in a industrial space.

Image via Pinterest.

coconut banana bread.

It's been nearly five days and this flu/fever/chest congestion thing I've got going on continues to rear it's ugly head.  The worst part about it is that I have no appetite.  Yes, I don't want to eat which if you know me you know that this is a big deal since I always want to eat (I mean I do write a food blog).  Looking at certain foods makes me physically nauseous which is how I've found myself living on a diet of toast, brothy soups, and simple breads like this (because my desire to cook hasn't gone anywhere).

This is the kind of bread both kids and adults can appreciate. It's flavorful (coconut oil and spices) and moist (coconut milk and smashed bananas) and reminiscent of tropical locations and summer days (only 165 days to summer!).  It's also healthy (OK healthy-ish) and the kind of snacky thing I crave everyday around 3:30 PM with a cup of hot tea.  I imagine if you make this it will disappear from your kitchen as fast as it disappeared from mine.  

Coconut Banana Bread

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

I made a lot of changes because I'm that person.  Upped the healthy aspect by swapping in some whole wheat flour, added some smashed bananas because we had them on hand and bananas and coconut just always work together, and used coconut oil instead of butter because the more coconut flavor I can add the happier I am.  

Makes 1 loaf

2 large eggs

1 1/4 cups coconut milk (or if you don’t happen to have that exact amount of coconut milk in the fridge like I did 1 cup of coconut milk and ¼ cup of skim works splendidly)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour 

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 cup sugar

2 bananas mashed

6 tablespoons (85 grams) coconut oil, melted (butter can also be used)

Vegetable oil or nonstick cooking spray

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla.

In a medium bowl, sift together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and ginger. Add sugar and smashed bananas, and stir to mix. Make a well in the center, and pour in egg mixture. Gradually mix with dry ingredients, until just combined. Add melted coconut oil, and stir until smooth. Do not overmix.

Oil and flour an 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Pour batter into pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool in pan 5 minutes, remove bread from pan, and finish cooling on a rack. 

 

spicy miso butternut squash soup.

I've got the flu (Happy 2014).

I can't bring myself to eat anything so instead of eating, I've spent the last 48 hours doing nothing but watching the Food Network and the Cooking Channel, drinking copious amounts of tea, and cooking in between hours spent lying on the couch.  (I am the worst sick person ever and can't lie down for more then a couple of hours.)

This soup was the result of me really wanting to use my new immersion blender and trying to make something super comforting. It's stick to your ribs thick (and healthy) with an incredible umami kick from the miso and tahini.  Those flavors pair incredibly well the sweet squash and tart lime juice.  All you need to serve it with is a thick slice of crusty bread to sop up any remnants.

Spicy Miso Butternut Squash Soups

Serves 3

3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, grated
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups butternut squash or pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons white miso
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
1 tablespoon tahini
Juice of 1 lime
Sesame seeds and additional cilantro for sprinkling

In a large pot, heat the coconut oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic and the ginger and cook, stirring on occasion until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the cayenne and the cumin and stir to combine.  Gradually pour in the vegetable or chicken stock.  Add in the squash puree, miso, rice vinegar, cilantro, and tahini. Cook for about 10 minutes allowing the flavors to meld.

Blend the soup using an immersion blender or pour it in a blender or Cusinart to blend. Pour the juice of the lime into the soup.  Serve immediately with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and cilantro if desired.