Coffee and Cumin Roast Lamb with Quinoa

So, this is yogurt, instant espresso, cumin, brown sugar, and cloves.



Smear it on a boneless leg of lamb… Yes, I know what this looks like. Roast at 475° F until the internal temp reaches 130°.



Meanwhile, wash and then simmer Quinoa for 10 minutes. Then strain, and steam in sieve over reserved liquid, loosely covered, for another 5 minutes. Slightly complicated, yes, but leaves the Quinoa with a much better texture.



Whisk together lemon juice/zest, melted butter, honey, and salt & pepper.



Add the Quinoa and toss with fresh corn, scallions, and tarragon.



Meanwhile, the lamb should be done.



Slice and serve!

Faux Steak Tartar Burgers… and a drink.

Well, this will be short and sweet. I mean, come on. It's a burger. But it tastes really good.

So, you're gonna need parsley, shallot, Worcestershire sauce, capers, Dijon mustard, hot sauce, and an egg yolk.


No surprise here: Put it in a bowl with some ground meat, and mix to combine. In an effete twist, I'm using ground buffalo.


Here’s a little trick I learned. Make a divot in the middle of the patty, and when you cook it, you won't get that bulge in the middle that makes it so hard to cook evenly.


Serve on an English muffin, and a salad (optional).


A simple recipe calls for a simple drink. Mint Juleps!

Pretty simple… Fresh mint, crushed ice, powdered sugar.


Oh, and bourbon.

(my parent's library… I couldn't resist)

Muddle mint, sugar, and a bit of water in the glass.


Add crushed ice.


Pour in bourbon.


Add more ice, garnish with mint, and serve with vintage Tiffany silver straws.


Fan yourself and say, "Lawsy!"

Cornish Game Hens with Fiddleheads

Well, it must be spring. Here's some morel mushrooms, garlic, and rosemary soaked in wine.



And here are a couple of Cornish game hens. I cut out the backbone, and split the breast so they lay flat. Not pictured: Season with salt and pepper, then dust with flour.



These are fiddleheads, trimmed, soaked in lemon water to wash off any debris, blanched in boiling water for one minute, and then shocked in icewater. Sure, it's a bit of work, but don't they look gorgeous?



In some butter, lightly brown a clove of smashed garlic, remove, and then brown the hens.



Toss in the mushrooms, and the rosemary wine, and place in a 350 oven for 30 minutes, or until the meat reaches 170 degrees.



While you're letting the birds rest, heat some oil and toss in the fiddleheads. Sauté for about five minutes.



Add slices of garlic, some pepper, and sauté for another minute or so. Salt to taste.



Serve the hen with the mushrooms and rosemary, and garnish with a bit of parsley.

Braised Beet Greens with Bacon

Yeah, so you've just had those beets, and it's made the "morning ritual" freaky and weird (if you don't know what I'm talking about, you should really eat more red beets). But did you know the greens have even more healthy goodness in them?

But first, they should really be washed. A lot.



This is the rest of the stuff you'll need: Onion, Garlic, Cider Vinegar, Hot Pepper Flake, and Chicken Stock.



...aaaaaand BACON!



In the grease, slowly cook the onion. When brown and yummy, add the garlic and red pepper flake.



Add stock/water, and a touch of sugar, bring to boil, and toss in the greens, coating with the mixture.



Lower heat, and simmer, covered, for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Add a tablespoon of the cider vinegar, and serve with the bacon on top (reserved until last to add a crispy texture). Shown with the great pork recipe from the previous post.

Beet salad with roast mustard pork

So, this is for the pork: mustard, soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, cracked black pepper.



Combine, and coat pork. place on rack, and roast on high heat (450-500) for about 10 minutes, or until just cooked through.



Ok, here are the beets. They have already been tasted, cooled, peeled, and put in the fridge to chill.



For the vinaigrette, we have sherry vinegar, shallots, garlic, oil, and dried basil. Shut up, this will work.



Also, toast some hazelnuts.



Quarter the beets, and toss with 3/4 of the vinaigrette.



Top with nuts, feta, and parsley. Drizzle rest of vinaigrette over top.

Black and blue steak salad with Gorogonzola

Ah, my dear companion. Welcome back.



So, what we're going to need is some fresh spinach, washed.



All at once, now: Red onion, garlic, tomatoes, toasted walnuts.





Using the garlic, make a simple red wine vinaigrette (red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, mustard, oil).



Season steak tips with salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.



Grill for a few minutes on a side, just to sear it.



Let rest, and slice.



Arrange the salad on the plate, and drizzle the dressing over the top.



Lay the beef on top, and sprinkle some Gorgonzola on top of that.