Happy Holidays: Easter Dinner

Hello again! Did you miss me? I hope you did, 'cause I'm back!

So as you know, last weekend we celebrated Easter. And of course, in my family, celebrating a holiday means cooking up something special for dinner. The choice this year: ham or lamb. Well, it was no contest. Don't get me wrong; I enjoy ham as much as the next fellow. But c'mon... lamb. Pardon my drooling, but it's juicy, tender, and delicious in a lot of ways.

The next step: how to prepare it. We brainstormed for a bit and then I went hunting in the wilds of the Internets in search of a method we would all like. And I found one here. It was just what I had been hoping to find. We had bandied about with the idea of doing a Greek menu, and this seemed to be the perfect fit for just that.

So we planned out the meal, went shopping, and were all ready to go Sunday afternoon/

Then my dad said, "Son, why don't you take the lead with dinner tonight?" Gulp.

Ok, it was just my parents and me, so it wasn't like I was cooking for two dozen people on Thanksgiving or anything. But still, taking the lead on a holiday... I guess there's always a first time, right? So I plucked up my courage and set about getting it done and getting it done right.

Here's what I made:

THE INGREDIENTS!!!

For the lamb:
4-5lb boneless leg of lamb
6oz spinach, chopped
1/2cup fresh mint, chopped
1tsp(about) fresh ground black pepper
1tsp(ish) salt
2tsp(sorta) minced garlic
1/2cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/2cup onion, chopped
1cup panko
1/4cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4cup half-and-half
2 eggs
more salt
more pepper
olive oil
fresh rosemary, chopped fine

For the sides:
10oz package couscous
1lb asparagus
2cups sliced strawberries
4cups baby spinach
1/4cup + 2tbs lemon juice, divided
6tbs olive oil, divided
2tbs honey
fresh thyme, finely chopped (or Italian seasoning)
1/4cup fresh mint, chopped1/3cup pecans, lightly toasted and chopped
salt
pepper

THE METHOD!!!
For the lamb:
Preheat the oven to 425. Unroll the leg of lamb (skin side down) and pound on it a bit to flatten things out. Use a knife to facilitate spreading if need be. Mix the spinach through the eggs together in a large bowl. Spread the mixture over the lamb, taking care not to overstuff. Roll it up like a jelly roll and tie into place with butcher's twine. Rub the outside of the lamb with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and rosemary.

Place the meat in the oven-proof vessel of your choice, and spread any remaining filling around the lamb. Roast in the oven for 15minutes, then drop the temperature down to 325 and go for another hour. When it's done, let it rest for 10-15minutes, lightly covered with foil, before serving.

And yes, it tastes as good as it looks!

For the sides:
Prepare the couscous according to the package's directions. When it's done, add 2tbs lemon juice, 3tbs olive oil, the mint, the pecans, and salt & pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Meanwhile, trim the asparagus to rid yourself of the woody base. To do this, use this trick my sister taught me: hold each stalk at its base and around the middle. Bend the stalk gently. If all goes well, the end should snap off right where you would want it to. Cut the asparagus into 1inch lengths. Drop the asparagus into boiling water for 3-4minutes to blanch them. This will improve their color and texture as well as cooking them. When they're done, drop them into a bowl of ice water to stop them from overcooking.

Combine 1/4cup lemon juice, 3tbs olive oil, 2tbs honey, a dash of salt & pepper and your thyme in a small lidded vessel, like a mason jar. Microwave for less than 10seconds, just to help melt the honey down. Shake to combine. Toss the dressing with the asparagus, spinach and strawberries, and serve as a salad.

TA-DA!!

And there you have it, folks, a delicious lamb dinner! And y'know? It was actually all pretty easy, too. I mean, it's mostly just chopping and mixing. The best part was that I never felt like I was rushed or otherwise pressed for time. Everything happened as it was supposed to, and it all turned out pretty well. All and all, I declare the meal to be a great success!

Well, I hope you enjoyed sharing this experience with me. And I also hope that some of you will give this or some other method a try, especially if you've never had lamb before. Trust me, you'll love it!

As always, comments are appreciated. Go forth and eat well!

Happy Holidays: Deep-Fried Strawberry-Filled Brownies

Hi all,

I'm not a huge fan of Valentine's Day. I never have been, not since I was a kid. Back then, it was all about paper valentines and candy in class. And I liked that, because there was a lot less pressure, and plus, it was about the food. I say, why not make it be just about the food once more? So I came up with something tasty.

That's right: I deep-fried a brownie. It's like the State Fair without all the walking around. You may ask why? You may say I'm mad. I say what better way to pay tribute to a celebration of the heart than by clogging your arteries a little. So there!

The cool thing about this is that it's relatively simple, although I did hit a few bumps along the way. But they were generally agreed to be delicious, so I'll let you the reader be the judge.

THE INGREDIENTS!!!
1 box deluxe brownie mix
All the fixings needed to make said brownies (oil, water, eggs)
8 small strawberries, stems removed and cut in half longways
1 good beer (I used Young's Double-Chocolate Stout. Because why not?)
2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

THE METHOD!!!
Mix a batch of brownie batter. I followed the suggestion on the box for "thicker brownies" which meant less water and an extra egg, but follow your heart here. Submerge the strawberry halves in the brownie batter. I went with a simple four-by-four grid. You can try to mess with the size but I don't recommend it. Bake the brownies as the box commands you. After the brownies have completely cooled, cut into 16 individual pieces.

Combine the flour, salt and baking powder together in a mixing bowl, then slowly incorporate the beer. Whisk together, then let the batter sit for about 10 minutes so all the flour can hydrate. Coat each brownie in batter, then deep fry at 350 for two to three minutes or until done. Drain on paper towels, then dust with powdered sugar. Consume.

Simple, right? Ok, I'll admit, the beer batter was way too thick for practical use. I had to try a variety of methods for coating the brownies, because dunking them just wasn't as effective as I'd like it to be. The tricky little buggers didn't want to hold together too well. I ended up placing each brownie on top of the batter, then spooning some over top to coat. Still, it was tricky. In the end though, I call them a success, because they tasted wonderful (think chocolate funnel cake) and were more or less bad for you, which makes them even better.

Anyway, let me know what you think!

Thanks for reading. Go forth an eat well!

Happy Holidays! Leftover Turkey Enchiladas

Hi again!

I know, really close to my last posting, ain't it? But, I wanted to get this up so people might still have a chance to try it out while they still have leftovers. And yes, you read that title correctly: enchiladas made with leftover turkey.

While planning out meals for the week, I decided to make enchiladas. There's a method on allrecipes.com that I'm fond of, so I decided I'd make those. I even considered blogging about it as a F.E.A.S.T., because it is rather simple to make and it tastes quite good. But! Then the idea came up to make the enchiladas using some of the leftover turkey in the fridge and, since the method was designed with leftover chicken in mind anyway, I decided that I just had to try it out.

Without further ado, here we go!

THE INGREDIENTS!!!
1 tbs butter
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic power
1 4oz can chopped green chiles
1 10.75oz can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups cubed leftover Thanksgiving turkey
1 cup (or a little more!) shredded cheddar/colby jack cheese, divided
1/4 cup milk
6 fajita size flour tortillas


THE METHOD!!!
To begin, reheat your turkey; this can be done via the microwave or in your skillet. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350, and spritz a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.

In your skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the green onions with a little salt until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add your garlic powder, then stir in the chiles, soup, and sour cream and combine well. Pull about 3/4 of the mixture out into a soup bowl and set aside. To the 1/4 mixture that's left, toss in your turkey and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Combine well.

Fill each of the six tortillas with 1/6 of the mixture, roll up, and place seem side down in the baking dish. Pour the milk into the soup bowl with the reserved mixture and stir to combine. Poor this new mixture over the tortillas. Be sure to get even coverage. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup (or a little more!) of cheese, again, going for even coverage.

Bake in your heated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the cheese is lightly browned and nicely bubbly.

Ok, I'm gonna level with you: this worked surprisingly well. The turkey actually tasted really good when combined with the cheese and chiles, so I think this is something everyone should try. I'll just let the results speak for themselves.

As always, thanks for reading. Go forth and eat well!

Happy Holidays! Broken Glass Cupcakes

Happy Halloween everyone!

I love Halloween. Next to Christmas, it's probably my favorite holiday. I love the fun, the costumes, the creepiness, and, of course, the food. So the more ways I can find to combine a few of those things together, the better, I say. And is there a better way, here, than to make fun, creepy food? I say stoutly, that no, there is not!

BEHOLD!!

MWA HA HA HAH HAA!!

::ahem::

Sorry, but I can't resist a little maniacal cackling in the kitchen now and then. Anyway, I saw a version of these on Facebook last year, after Halloween had already come and gone. But I was so enamored with the idea that I vowed on the spot that I would make them for next Halloween. I swore that nothing would stop me from creating these creepy little gems and sharing them with my friends and family.

Naturally, a year later, I almost forgot about them.

Luckily, I remembered in time, and I was able to put them together for a Halloween party. I am quite pleased to say that they were a big hit. As such I would like to share them with you. Though not the original method I saw last year, I thought that this version was the best one to try. As usual, you are welcome to follow along with me as I plow through.

THE INGREDIENTS!!!
The Cupcakes
1 box Red Velvet cake mix
Eggs (as per the cake mix, plus 1 egg)
Milk (substituted for the water in the mix)
Melted butter (twice as much as the oil called for in the mix)

The Frosting
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1 1/2cup stick butter, softened
1tsp vanilla
dash of salt
4cups powdered sugar
1cup white chocolate chips

The Candy Glass
1cup sugar
1/2cup light corn syrup
1-2tsp clear flavoring (I used clear artificial vanilla)

The Edible Blood
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
red food coloring
black food coloring
clear flavoring, to taste (I used raspberry)

THE METHOD!!!
To begin, make the candy glass. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper. Stir the sugar and corn syrup together in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave the sugar on high for 3 minutes. Carefully! remove the plastic wrap (beware of steam!) and stir in your flavoring. Recover with fresh plastic, then microwave for another 2-3 minutes. You have to watch it; if you let it go to long, the sugar will start to turn an amber color, and that means you've gone too far. For me, it took 2minutes 15seconds, and I think I could've gotten away with a bit less.

Working carefully!, remove the plastic wrap and pour out onto your cookie sheet. Spread slightly with a spoon or spatula, then set aside to harden. This will take several hours, hence doing it first. Once it's hardened, you can take a knife tip to it to break it into sharp (no, really, they are sharp!) little shards. Just place the knife tip down on the candy and gently but firmly tap down to break it up.

Next, make the edible blood. Mix everything together.

No, really, that's it. Just play with the colors until it looks like blood. I wanted a nice dark red, but I went through an entire tube of black gel and barely got it past pale red-colored-milk red. So use your best judgement.

To make the cupcakes, follow the instructions on the box. The method calls for a few easy substitutions, which I enumerated above, all of which I recommend. Add an extra eggs. Sub out an equal amount of milk for the water. Use double the amount of melted butter as oil. (Mine called for 1/3cup oil, so I measured out 2/3 cup butter and melted it gently in the microwave). Other than that, I recommend you find some cool black and white paper cups. On mine, the red velvet cake actually turned the white paper red, which I thought looked pretty damn cool.

Last, make the frosting. Beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and salt together on medium speed until smooth. Incorporate the powdered sugar a cup at a time, and beat until combined. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave (go in 20-30 second increments, stirring in between. It only took me two rounds to get it smooth), and mix that in as well. If desired, but it in a piping bag (or a ziplock with the corner cut out so a piping tip can peak through) and get ready to decorate!

To create your creepily wonderful cakes, frost each cool cake as desired. I used a star tip in a ziplock bag, as I said, and went in tight spiral, getting a double layer of frosting on each cake. Next, insert a few shards of candy glass at odd or violent angles. Finally, go to town with the blood! You can put it in another bag, sure, or you can do what I did. Dip a fork in the blood, lift, and then flick the resulting drizzle across cake, frosting, and glass alike. Remember, these are supposed to be tasty and creepy, so think blood spatter and gore here. After all, you want to get into the holiday spirit, right?

These were a lot of fun to make and eat. The cake turned out nice and moist, and just dense enough to really have some good body to them. The glass turned out great, even if I did make it a smidgen too dark. The blood was also tasty, if not quite the shade of red I wanted. But the frosting... now that was the best. Lightly rich, not at all saccharine, with hints of cream cheese tang and white chocolate sweetness. It was perfect for these cakes. Like I said, they went over really well at the party, and I will definitely be making them next year!

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this little piece of my insanity. As always, thoughts and comments are appreciated, and thanks for reading!