I love lamb. So does Josh. It's sort of a revelation to me since I never ate it growing up. Once I realized just how darn cheap lamb chops are, I decided to start cooking lamb a lot. This is my favorite lamb recipe so far (well, okay, the only one I've tried). It's delicious and oh-so-simple to make. It's a 20-minute recipe that actually takes 20 minutes. Even when you have to chop up fresh tomatoes instead of using canned. It's especially good with the fresh rosemary I am growing on my porch. If you live nearby and would like a few sprigs, just say the word.
Tuscan Lamb Chop Skillet
Ingredients:
8 lamb rib chops, cut 1 inch thick (11⁄2pounds)
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can 19-ounce white kidney (cannellini) beans, rinsed and drained
1 can 8-ounce Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons snipped fresh rosemary
Fresh rosemary sprigs (optional)
Directions:
Trim fat from chops. In a large skillet cook chops in
hot oil over medium heat about 8 minutes for
medium doneness, turning once. Transfer chops to a
plate; keep warm.
Stir garlic into drippings in skillet. Cook and stir for 1
minute. Stir in beans, undrained tomatoes, vinegar,
and snipped rosemary. Bring to boiling; reduce heat.
Simmer, uncovered, for 3 minutes.
Spoon bean mixture onto 4 dinner plates; arrange 2
chops on each serving. If desired, garnish with
rosemary sprigs.
Also great with Stuart Cellars'Tartria. Okay, the Tatria is pretty much the best red meat wine ever and would go with pretty much anything well, but I might as well put a plug in here. :)
In honor of an exceptionally good season for stone fruit in CA, a great recipe for peach upside-down cake from the fruit and vegetable Bible. I just made this for the first time last week, and we liked it so much I am making it again tonight. I hardly ever make desserts just to eat at home:
The Peaches
3 tbs butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
5 freestone peaches (3 if they're Costco-sized, like mine were)
The Almond Cake:
1/4 pound (1/2 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3 eggs at room temperature
2/3 cup blanched almonds, finely ground
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 375 F. Heat the butter with the brown sugar in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat until the sugar is melted and smooth, then remove the pan from the heat. Peel, halve, and core the peaches. (I did not peel them because I'm lazy. I also cut them in thin slices because the peaches were so big. Still good.) Place them cut side down on the sugared surface. Fill the spaces in between with 1/3 cup chopped pecans.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the vanilla and almond extract. Beat in the eggs one at a time until smooth. Stir in the almonds, followed by the remaining dry ingredients. Spoon the batter over the fruit and smooth it out with an offset spatula. (Whatever that is. I used a spoon and it was fine, probably because I completely melted the butter in the microwave before mixing it, so the dough was really runny. Still good, though.)
Bake in the center of the oven until cake is golden and springy when pressed with a fingertip, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in the pan for a few minutes, then set a cake plate on top of the pan, grasp both the plant and the pan tightly, and turn it over. Carefully ease the pan off the cake. If any fruits have stuck to the pan, simply pry them off and return them to the cake. (Or just eat them. No one will notice...)
Posted by waltondammerung at July 9, 2007 8:57 PM