Grilled Lamb Shoulder Chops with Orange Mint Sauce

Now that spring is here and Easter is upon us, we think of different meals that are light, but yet very delicious.  This recipe could be very well used for your Easter celebration, or any time of the year.  It is light, savory, sweet, succulent and delicious.  I know you will like this!


Ingredients:

4 lamb shoulder chops
olive oil
salt and pepper
garlic powder
¼ c. finely chopped mint leaves
zest of one orange
½ c. orange juice
2 T. sugar
2 T. grand marnier (optional)
1 t. corn starch, diluted in 1 T. water

 

Place lamb shoulder chops onto a platter.  Drizzle liberally, on both sides, with olive oil.  Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Prepare your grill to the appropriate heat, based on how well-done you prefer your meat.  With these cuts of lamb, it is not recommended to cook them to "well done".  In the meantime, prepare your glaze.

 

Zest the rind of one orange, and chop into coarse pieces.  Finely chop ¼ cup fresh mint.  Juice the orange through a strainer until you have ½ c. of juice.

Add mint, zest, juice, Grand Marnier and 2 T. sugar to a saucepan.  Bring to a simmer for approximately 2-3 minutes, then bring to a boil.

Add corn starch to 1 T. water and stir to combine.  Add to boiling water, then stir and simmer for 1-2 minutes.  Serve over grilled lamb chops.

This dish may be served with rice, pasta, or potatoes.

Blueberry Buckle

My mother was partly Pennsylvania Dutch.  One of the recipes I remember her making when I was a child was this blueberry cake.  The cake is heavy and dense, but extremely moist.  This could be used as a dessert or would be excellent as a coffee cake for a brunch or for breakfast.  It is good served warm or cold and can be garnished with whipped cream.


Cake Ingredients:
2 pints blueberries, rinsed and stemmed
4 cups flour
4 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1½ c. sugar
½ c. room-temperature butter
2 eggs
1 c. milk
1 t. vanilla

Topping Ingredients:
1 c. sugar
2/3 c. flour
1 t. cinnamon
½ c. cold butter

Topping:  Add sugar, flour, and cinnamon to a bowl.  Cut butter into small pieces and add to bowl.

Using a fork (or hands, as I prefer), break up the butter into the flour/sugar/cinnamon mixture, until the butter resembles small peas.  Be careful not to overwork it.  This mixture should be crumbly.  Set aside.

Cake:In a large bowl, cream sugar and room-temperature butter until well-blended.

 

In a measuring cup, combine two slightly-beaten eggs with milk and add vanilla.  Slowly add milk and egg mixture to the butter and sugar mixture until well-combined.

 

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.  Slowly add flour mixture to the bowl with the previous mixtures.  This will form a very heavy and stiff batter.  Carefully fold in blueberries until completely combined.

Grease and flour a 13x9-inch cake pan.  Pour batter into pan and spread to an even layer.  Sprinkle topping over the cake and place into a 375º oven for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.

Paella Soup

This soup serves 6-8 people.

This is a Swedish Chef exclusive you will not find anywhere else!  I hate to admit this, but I have never tasted paella.  I have watched it being prepared numerous times on cooking shows, but due to the absence of a paella pan, I have not been able to make it at home.  Maybe a paella pan should be on my wish list.  However, all of the elements of paella are included in this soup.  I think it is delicious, and I think you will too!


Ingredients:
2lbs. fresh clams (to save time, canned clams may be substituted)
6 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2 T. olive oil
2 T. butter
½ bottle dry white wine
1 bunch fresh thyme or fresh basil
20 oz. can crushed tomatoes
pinch of saffron (optional - not critical, if you do not have access to it)
1 bulb fennel
1 bell pepper (any color)
1 medium onion
2 T. dried basil
salt and pepper, to taste
1 bay leaf
15½ oz. can cannellini beans, drained
1 lb. cod, haddock, monkfish, or any other firm-fleshed fish
¼-¼ lb. fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined (optional)
juice from half of a lemon
4 medium potatoes
1½ lbs. smoked sausage, keilbasa, or andouille
½ c. rice
2 T. chopped parsley

 

In this demonstration, I used fresh clams.  You can save time by using canned whole clams (1½ cups).  If using fresh clams, scrub shells in cold water.  Place in a large container (I used the sink).  Add enough cold water to cover the clams.  Sprinkle with ½ c. flour and allow to set for half an hour.  The flour will cause the clams to purge any sand that may be inside.  Drain water, then rinse the shells under cold water.  Add the clams to a large pot.

Add to the pot, 2 T. olive oil, 2 T. butter, 6 cloves of garlic, ½ bottle of wine, and 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme or basil leaves.  Place cover on pot and slowly bring to a boil.  Boil for five minutes, shaking once to redistribute the clams.  Remove from heat and remove lid from pot.  Allow to cool.

Once cooled, remove clams from the shells.  Discard and clams that did not open.  The clam has a connector muscle which should be discarded (it is very tough).  Place clams in a bowl.  Cover and refrigerate.  These will be added just before serving so they will remain tender.  Pour broth through a strainer to remove the garlic and herbs, and any additional sand that may be in the pot.  You should have 1½-2 c. broth.  Allow both to settle in the container so that any sand left will remain in the bottom of the container.

Return broth to pot.  Do not pour the entire contents into the pot, as some sand may remain in the bottom of the container.  Add to broth can of crushed tomatoes, 1 t. salt, 1 t. pepper, and a pinch of saffron.

Chop the top of one bulb of fennel and save the frauns.  Remove the root end and cut in half.  Remove inner core and roughly chop into medium dice.  Remove seeds from bell pepper, and chop into medium dice.  Roughly chop onion.  On a cookie sheet, add chopped vegetables.  Before roasting, drizzle 3-4 T. olive oil and toss by hand so that the vegetables are thoroughly coated.  Sprinkle with 2 T. dried basil.

Place in a preheated 450º oven and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove vegetables from oven and toss with a spatula.  Place vegetables back into the oven for an additional 10 minutes.  Vegetables should be soft and have some brown bits on them.  Remove from the oven and add to broth mixture, along with one bay leaf.

Simmer for 40-50 minutes.

Peel and cut potatoes into one inch cubes.  Add to broth and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.  Add cannellini beans that have been rinsed and drained.  Add lemon juice.

 

Cut sausage into bite-sized pieces and add to soup.  Add one half cup rice.  Simmer until rice is cooked.  If using shrimp, add to soup at this time.  Cut fish into bite-sized pieces and add to soup.  Cook until fish is firm and flaky.  Return clams to soup to simmer until heated through.  Do not boil, or the clams will become tough.

Sprinkle with 2 T. chopped fresh parsley before serving.  Serve soup in bowls and use fennel frauns as a garnish.