Extreme Comfort Food

If you subscribe to the Not Just Vanilla's Facebook or Twitter page you will know that I took a short break from blogging while my Uncle D. was in the hospital. I am back with some amazing comfort food recipes. 

With a few long days in the hospital and lots of cold, icky weather... we were due for a week of soups, stews and just good comfort food!  My mom and I both love the Fine Cooking Magazine, and the newest issue is all about soups and stews.  This Lamb Tagine is so full of rich and exotic flavors. I love saffron, but I don't cook with it due to the cost. This dish is worth making again. It is a new family favorite and absolutely worth the cost of saffron. It is hard sometimes to get lamb with out going to Indianapolis, but this stew would be delicious with chicken or beef. Enjoy! I know you will love it.  

Lamb Tagine with Honey, Prunes, Onions and Toasted Almonds.
from Fine Cooking  Soups & Stews, Number 34 page 52
Serves 6
Moroccan tagines are stews that are best served over couscous or with chunks of warm, crusty bread.

16 pearl onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 lb. lam stew meat cut into 1-inch cubes, or 1/2 leg of lamb cut into 1-inch cubes, bone reserved
1 medium onion, finely diced
10 threads Spanish saffron
1  1/2 cups homemade or lower-salt beef broth
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1.8 teaspoon ground mace
1 cup (about 24) pitted prunes
20 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup whole almonds

Heat the oven to 375˚ F. In a small saucepan filled with boiling water, blanch the pearl onions for 1 minute. Drain and let cool. Peel the onions and set aside.
In a medium Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the meat in batches on all sides. Transfer the meat to a platter. Add the diced onion to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
Grind the saffron in a mortar and pestle (or rub it between you fingers) and add it to the beef broth. Return the meat to the pot. Stir the saffron mixture into the pot with the lamb, along with any bones. Stir in the honey, turmeric, cinnamon, mage and prunes. Add the cilantro. Cover the pot tightly with foil and then with a lid. Put the pot in the oven and bake until the lamb is tender, about 50 minutes. Add the pearl onions, cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small dry nonstick frying pan, toast the almonds until golden. Set aside.
Remove the foil and lid. Carefully spoon off any grease. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1  1/2 teaspoon pepper. Return the pot, uncovered, to the oven, and let the sauce reduce slightly, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the tagine with the toasted almonds, Serve on rimmed plates or in shallow bowls.

Garlic and Rosemary the Flavors of the Day

Grilled Leg of Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic
From Chef Phil Costas
     This recipe is a favorite of my family. We always make this lamb for family and friends. Garlic and rosemary what could be better? This lamb has a really soft bright rosemary flavor, the  smokey taste and roasted garlic flavor merge in your mouth and it just melts. One of the best parts of this lamb is it is an all season recipe. We all know that there are (for the most part)
recipes that can not be made during the rest of the year and normally you have to wait for the ingredients to come back into season. With this awesome and very flavorful lamb, all you need is to dust off your grill and hit the market! Please enjoy and share with your family and friends! This is a great holiday meal,  yum!

Grilled Leg of Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic
8 to 10 servings
3/4 cups olive oil
2/3 cups dry red wine
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
6 garlic cloves, pressed
1   7- to -7 1/2 pound leg of lamb, boned, butterflied (about 6 1/2 pounds boned).

Mix the first 5 ingredients in a large glass baking dish. Add lamb and turn to coat. 
Cover and refrigerate overnight, turning occasionally. The marinade will help to add flavor and tenderize the meat.
Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper. Grill to desired doneness, about 20 minutes per side for medium-rare. Slice and serve (don't forget to let the lamb rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing so it will keep all the wonderful juices)!

The Olives Table

White Bean and Roasted Garlic Hummus with Warm Rosemary Oil

Now I loved this dish. It was warm and soft and we ate it with veggies and on the lamb. I hate, yes  hate beans. The texture always gets me. I don't like a lot of food because of the texture. But this hummus was smooth and just lovely! I will make this time and again. This is a new and unexpected favorite dish for me and hopefully you will love it too!

• White Bean and Roasted Garlic Hummus is a great dip for grilled shrimp, cut-up vegetables, and toasted bread triangles. It’s also delicious on a sandwich or fresh beefsteak tomatoes, Cheddar cheese and avocado slices. 

Makes about 1 ½ cups

 ¼ cup olive oil

1 medium-sized Spanish onion, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, pressed or thinly sliced

½ teaspoons ground cumin

2 1/2 cups cooked white cannelloni beans, rinsed

2 bay leaves

1 cup water

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or additional to taste) about ¾ lemon)

1 bulb roasted garlic, peeled

1/3 cup sesame tahini

2 to 3 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves

Shaved or grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

     Place a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat and when it is hot, add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the onion, garlic, cumin and cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the beans, bay leaf, and water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the beans are soft and the mixture is thick, about 20 minutes.  Remove the bay leaves and add 1 tablespoon olive oil, the lemon juice, garlic and tahini. Transfer the mixture to a food processor fitted with a blade and purée until completely smooth. Place the mixture in a fine-wire-mesh strainer and strain into a bowl, pressing with the back of a wooden spoon.  Discard the solids. Add the salt and if desired, additional lemon juice to taste.

 To make the rosemary oil: Place the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and rosemary in a skillet over low heat and cook until just warm, about 5 minutes.

 Place the hummus in a small serving bowl and serve drizzled with the rosemary oil and sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

The Olives Table Roasted Garlic

Makes 2 garlic bulbs

• Always buy the freshest garlic you can find: the fresher it is, the sweeter it will be. The best garlic has firm, tissue-like skin and should not be bruised, sprouted, soft or shriveled. If you find cloves that have tiny green shoots, be sure to discard the shoots: they will only add bitterness.

2 garlic bulbs, unpeeled, tops sliced off

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400˚ degrees.

Place the garlic bulbs in a small baking dish and sprinkled with the oil, salt and pepper.

Bake uncovered, until the garlic is lightly browned and soft, about 25 minutes.

Use immediately, or store in the refrigerator for no more than 1 week.