Lamb Stew
You can vary this stew by changing vegetables and seasonings. Stews are a forgiving food. They are easy going and open to substitution. Stews are a great “make ahead” meal. If you have a busy schedule you can always prepare a stew a day or two in advance of serving. This finished product is always welcome. Be creative and use your favorite vegetables and seasonings.
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Cubed Lamb
8 Cups Water
1 Cup Chopped Onions
1 Cup Chopped Potatoes
1 Cup Chopped Green Peppers
1 Cup Chopped Tomatoes
1 Cup Chopped Zucchini
1 Cup Chopped Celery
4 Teaspoons Beef Bouillon Granules
1 Teaspoon Mint
1 Teaspoon Lemon Peel
1 Bay Leaf
4 Teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
Combine the lamb, water, vegetables, bouillon granules, herbs, bay leaf and Worcestershire sauce in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil over a high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 hours until the meat is tender. Remove the bay leaf and skim off the excess fat. Serve with sourdough bread and you have the best winter meal ever! Serves 4
Glazed Ham
A Boxing Day Tradition!
INGREDIENTS
1 Five Pound Cooked Ham
¼ Cup Whole Cloves
¼ Cup Maple Syrup
2 Cups Honey
2/3 Cup Butter
Score the ham and stud with the whole cloves. Place the ham in a foil lined pan. Preheat the oven to 325° F. Using a double boiler, heat the maple syrup, honey and butter. Keep the glaze warm while baking the ham. Brush the glaze over the ham and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Baste the ham every 10 minutes with the glaze. During the last 5 minutes of baking, turn on the broiler to caramelize the glaze. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 15
Cotswold Potatoes
These mashed potatoes are made with Cotswold cheese. If you don’t have Cotswold cheese then cheddar will do fine.
INGREDIENTS
2 Pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 Cup Heavy Cream
5 Tablespoons Butter (Room Temperature)
1 ½ Cups Shredded Cotswold Cheese
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
¼ Teaspoon Paprika
Boil the potatoes, in a medium size saucepan, for 20 minutes until tender. Drain well. Put the potatoes back in the saucepan and stir over a low heat for 2 minutes until dry. Remove from the heat and add ½ cup of the cream and butter. Mash well. Add the grated cheese and seasonings. Combine with a wooden spoon. Add the remaining cream and serve. Serves 4
English Toffee
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Unsalted Butter
1 1/3 Cups Sugar
1 Tablespoon Light Corn Syrup
3 Tablespoons Water
1 Pound Bittersweet Chocolate
1 Pound Ground Pecans
Melt the butter and sugar in a medium size saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the corn syrup and water. Boil over a high heat until the candy thermometer reads 300° F. Pour onto a greased cookie sheet. Melt the chocolate over a low heat in a small saucepan. Evenly spread the toffee with the melted chocolate. While the chocolate is still warm cover with the ground pecans. Cool for 20 minutes and then cut into pieces. Serves 10
Lemon Pudding
INGREDIENTS
2/3 Cup Sugar
¼ Cup Cornstarch
1 Teaspoon Grated Lemon Zest
1/8 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
2 ½ Cups Milk
2 Large Egg Yolks
1/3 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice
Whipping Cream For Garnish
In a large saucepan stir the sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest and salt with a wire whisk. Make sure that the ingredients are well blended. Stir in a small amount of milk until smooth and then stir in the remaining milk. Cook over a medium high heat. Wisk constantly until the mixture thickens and boils. Boil for one minute and continue to whisk. Remove from the heat. In a small bowl beat the egg yolks and lemon juice. Into the yolks whisk half of the hot milk mixture and then pour the yolk mixture back into the milk mixture in the saucepan. Stir rapidly to prevent lumping. Cook over a low heat for 2 minutes until very thick. Make sure to stir constantly. You don’t want to end up with scrambled eggs. Remove from the heat and spoon the pudding into shallow bowls or parfait glasses. Press plastic wrap onto the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming as the pudding cools. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve topped with whipped cream. Makes 6 servings.
Steak &Kidney Pie
You don’t have to go to the pub to get great Steak & Kidney Pie. Now you can make it at home.
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 ½ Pounds Diced Chuck Steak
½ Pound Diced Ox Or Lamb Kidney
2 Chopped Onions
2 Diced Carrots
2 Tablespoons Butter
12 Ounces Puff Pastry
3 Chopped Garlic Cloves
2 Diced Celery Stalks
2 Tablespoons Flour
2 Cups Beef Stock
1 Teaspoon Tomato Puree
2 Teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 Bay Leaves
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Beaten Egg
Heat up 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. The pan should be smoking. Add the onion, carrots and celery and sauté for 8 minutes to brown lightly. Remove from the pan and set aside. Season the beef and kidneys with the salt and pepper. Add the other teaspoon of olive oil to the pan and get the pan very hot again. Brown the meat for 5 minutes turning to ensure that all sides are browned. Make sure that you don’t over crowd the pan and cook in batches if need be. Remove and set aside. Melt the butter in the pan over medium heat and cook the garlic. Stir in the flower and cook for 3 minutes. Add the tomato puree, Worcestershire Sauce and bay leaf. Pour in the stock and bring to a simmer. Add the meat and vegetables back into the pan with the stock mixture. Simmer gently for 2 hours. It is a good idea to partially cover the pan. Transfer to a 2 cup pie dish or casserole dish and allow cooling to lukewarm. Preheat the oven to 425° F. Roll the pastry to ¼ inch thick. Place the pastry on top of the pie or casserole dish. If you want you can line the pie dish/casserole dish with pastry to make a full pie. Crimp the sides for a neat finish. Brush the top with the egg wash (beaten egg) and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 35 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot. Serves 6
Split Pea & Ham Soup
Ever since I was a kid I have love Split Pea & Ham Soup. I always looked for the chunks of ham and carrots. Here is my recipe that I think that you will like.
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Chopped Onion
1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
1 Pound Dried Split Peas
1 Pound Diced Ham
3 Diced Carrots
1 Chopped Garlic Clove
½ Teaspoon Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
In a medium pot, sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil on medium heat. Add the split peas, ham and 6 cups of water to cover the ingredients. Add the carrots. Season with the salt and pepper. Cook covered on medium low for 2 ½ hours until it is just green liquid and no peas left. You may need to add more water as the soup continues to cook. When the soup is done turn off the heat and let stand for 20 minutes so that it will thicken. When you are ready to serve heat through so that you will be serving warm soup. Serves 4
Hurricane Beef Pot Pie
When there is a chill in the air and a hurricane on the way it is a good time for heartier fare. This savory meat pie makes the perfect dinner.
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Lean Boneless Beef Chuck Cut Into Cubes
4 Teaspoons Olive Oil
2 Minced Garlic Cloves
2 Sliced Carrots
1 Diced Red Onion
1 Beef Bouillon Cube
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
10 Ounces Peas
Parsley Crust
Pat the beef dry with paper towels. In a large skillet heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium high heat. Add the beef and cook until browned on all sides. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute longer. With a spoon transfer the beef mixture to a bowl. In the same skillet, heat the remaining olive oil. Add the carrots and onion. Cook for 10 minutes until browned. Next, add the beef back to the skillet along with the beef bouillon, salt and 1 ¼ cups water. Heat to boiling over a high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 40 minutes. In a cup mix the cornstarch and ¼ cup of water and gradually add to the skillet. Cook over a high heat for 1 minute until the mixture thickens. Stir in the peas and remove from the heat. Prepare the Parsley Crust. Preheat the oven to 425° F. On a lightly floured surface, with a floured rolling pin, roll half of the dough into a large round that is large enough to fit into a 9 inch pie plate. Ease the round into a greased pie plate and spoon the filling into the crust. Trim any pastry edge, leaving a 1 inch overhang. Roll the remaining dough into a 10 inch round. Cut into ½ inch wide strips. Place half of the strips about ¾ inches apart across the pie. Do not seal the ends. Fold every other strip back halfway from the center. Place the center cross strip on the pie. Replace the folded part of the strips. Fold back alternate strips and add the second cross strip. Repeat to weave the strips into a lattice. Seal the ends. Fold the overhang under and make a fluted edge. Bake on a cookie sheet for 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Serves 4
Parsley Crust
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
½ Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
1 Teaspoon Salt
¾ Shortening
6 Tablespoons Cold Water
In a large bowl, mix flour, chopped parsley and salt. With a pastry blender cut in ¾ cup of shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the cold water 1 tablespoon at a time. Mix lightly with a fork after each addition until the dough just holds together. Do not over mix. Divide the dough in half and shape each into a ball.
Prime Rib Roast “Au Jus”
Prime Rib Roast or Standing Rib Roast is a cut of beef from the rib section. The entire rib section comprises ribs six through twelve of the cow, but can comprise anywhere from two to seven ribs. A slice of Prime Rib Roast will include portions of the “eye” of the rib as well as the outer, fat marbled muscle known as the “lip” or “cap.” The traditional preparation for this roast is to rub the outside with salt and seasonings and slow-roast with dry heat. In the U.S., it is common for bbq purists to apply smoke to the uncooked rib roast at low heat for 2 to 3 hours before dry roasting. In England, Yorkshire Pudding is frequently served as a side dish with prime rib.
INGREDIENTS
3 ½ Teaspoons Sea Salt
1 ½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
3 Cloves Roasted Garlic
4 Tablespoons Softened Butter
1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Fresh Thyme Leaves
1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Fresh Rosemary
1 Prime Rib Roast of Beef (4 to 6 Bones)
2 ½ Cups Red Wine
2 ½ Cups Beef Stock
Preheat the oven to 450° F. Place the garlic cloves in a small bowl and mash with the back of a fork until mostly smooth. Add softened butter, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, the rosemary and thyme, and stir to blend. Pat the mixture evenly over the top and sides of the roast. Season the roast all over with the remaining 2 ½ teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Place the roast in a roasting pan and add 1 ½ cups red wine and ½ cup beef stock to the bottom of the pan. Roast for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350° F and continue to roast to the desired degree of doneness. Roast 18 minutes per pound for rare and 22 minutes per pound for medium. Let stand at least 5 minutes before carving.
To make the au jus, place the roasting pan on the stove burners over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup of the red wine and scrape the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add 2 cups beef stock and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook for 5 minutes until the wine is reduced by half. Strain the sauce through a sieve to remove the solids before serving. Degrease if necessary. Servings 4 to 8 depending on how hungry you are!
Classic Beef Wellington
It is thought that this classic English dish was named after Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington. Apparently, the Duke loved a dish of beef, truffles, mushroom, Madeira wine and pâté cooked in pastry. Other accounts credit the name to a patriotic chef wanting to give an English name to a variation on the French filet de bœuf en croûte during the Napoleonic Wars.
Wellington is sometimes informally used to describe other dishes in which meat is baked in a puff pastry. The most common variations are Sausage Wellington, Lamb Wellington and Salmon Wellington. Beef Wellington is a preparation of fillet steak coated with a pâté (often pâté de foie gras) and duxelles, which is then wrapped in a puff pastry and baked.
INGREDIENTS
3.5 Pounds Tenderloin Roast
Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
¾ Pound Butter
1 Pound Flour
½ Ounces Kosher Salt
1 Ounce Sugar
2 Egg Yolks
¾ Cup Water
¼ Cup Pâté de Foie Gras
1/8 Cup Diced Truffles
1 Egg Yolk
¼ Cup Milk
Preheat the oven to 450° F. Dry the roast on paper towels and rub all sides lightly with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and place in an open baking pan. Bake for 40 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the butter into the flour along with the salt and sugar. Mix the egg yolks with water and add gradually to the dry mixture. Gather the dough together and roll it out to a size that will encompass the roast. When the beef is ready, remove from the pan and cover with the foie gras and a few diced truffles. Place beef on top of the dough and roll the dough around it so that the roast is completely surrounded. Combine 1 egg yolk with milk and brush on top of the dough. As a decorative touch, the dough may be scored lightly in a criss-cross pattern before brushing with the egg and milk mixture. Place in the oven for 20 minutes or until the dough has become a golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the meat rest for 5 minutes before carving. Transfer to a warmed serving platter. Serves 6
