Cuisine Eric

I use leftover leg of lamb, which I keep frozen in zip lock bags ready for service. 1/2 cup onion, diced 1/2 cup carrot, diced 1/2 cup celery, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 Tbsp fresh oregano leaves, minced 1/2 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, minced 1/2 lb lamb, cubed 1/2-inch 1 can cannelloni beans, undrained 1/4 cup cooked Black Beluga lentils (I use Simply Balanced) 1/2 Israeli couscous 1 quart chicken broth dash crushed red pepper flakes Sauté the mirepoix (onion, carrot and celery) in a dash of olive oil in a soup pot.   Cook for about 5 minutes, until the veggies soften and become aromatic.   Add the garlic, oregano and rosemary and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add the lamb and cook through.   Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a gentle boil.   Reduce to a simmer and stir.   Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring from time to time. Adjust thickness with a bit of additional water if necessary. Serves 4.

Kebabs are to lamb like a little wine is to love.  They bring the best tender essence and the promise of romance with a splash of flair. So much richer and complex than just a plain, dependable slice of roast lamb, as good as that can be, kebabs are a very act of summer fling. Consider this marinade/sauce for other proteins on kebabs as well such as beef, pork, chicken or tofu.  While leg or shoulder meat is great for simmered curries and stews, lamb loin chop meat is used here, because it remains ultimately tender even with the limited cooking typical of a kebab.  A sweet, savory and tart mixture is split to act as a marinade and a reserved portion as a sauce (never use the marinade itself as a sauce as it may not be cooked through sufficiently - that's why we reserve some mixture before using the rest as a marinade). Summer is for lovers, so get to it and swoon over this. 4 lamb loin chops Marinade & Sauce: 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves 2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves 4 fresh sage l

Everything is all the rage.  You can buy everything in a jar now! Here is a delicious way to roast a head of cauliflower with everything you need. 1 head cauliflower, cut into medium flowerets 1/4 cup good real mayonnaise 2 tsp Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp favorite hot sauce (I used Texas Pete’s) 2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves (I used regular and lemon thyme), stripped from sprig 2 Tbsp Everything Bagel Seasoning (I used Murray’s Bagel Mix, from Manhattan) 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese Preheat oven to 425F.   Place the cauliflower in a large mixing bowl.   Toss together with mayo, mustard, hot sauce, thyme leaves and Everything seasoning to mix well.    Tip cauliflower into a large casserole dish.    Season with a dash of salt (if your Everything mix is not already salted) and ground black pepper. Roast cauliflower for about 20 minutes, until slightly browned.    Reduce oven to 350F.    Stir to mix cauliflower.    Sprinkle Parmesan on top.    Bake another 10-15 minutes until the cauliflower is j

Pull together this gleaming, creamy yogurt-based dressing in a snap and toss with lots of broccoli and some leftover pasta. You could use many other veggies such as cauliflower or asparagus.  I just like to keep the veggie to pasta ratio high to minimize carbs and increase veggie intake. 4 cups broccoli flowerets, cut into small bite-sized pieces 3-4 cups cooked favorite pasta, drained and at room temperature Dressing: 2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar 1/3 cup plain Yogurt 1/4 cup good real mayonnaise 1 clove garlic, minced through a press Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste Fresh mint leaves for garnish (optional) If you haven’t cooked the pasta - get cooking!   Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.  Adjust thickness with a dash water if it is very thick. This will depend on the type of yogurt you use - they vary widely in their moisture content. I always use Greek, so I added a dash of water. The dressing should glide and drip, not fall

Crisping tofu is like cooking salmon - you let it cook, untouched for 3-5 minutes, without disturbing it.  Disturb it and you crumble it. Once the crispness forms, you can gently spatula it off the surface and flip, and crisp the second side. The tendency is to stir fry, tossing constantly.  Tat's one way to handle tofu, but this dish is distinguished by its crisp tensions. Toasting the cashews is also a key secret to flavor and texture in this dish. Untoasted cashews will be ok, but not great, as they will be soft and not as fully flavored. They won't amplify the crispy flavorful Tofu. It is 3-5 minutes of your CONSTANT attention, well spent. 1 14-oz block extra firm tofu garlic powder 1 cup cashews 1 Tbsp soy sauce 1 Tbsp molasses 1 Tbsp sesame oil 1 tsp fish sauce 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 1/2-inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced dash crushed red pepper flakes, to taste 1 15-oz can coconut milk 1 Tbsp fresh mint leaves, finely

Is Butter Chicken really Indian?! Well yes, apparently.  I have read that the recipe for Butter Chicken (originally Murgh Makhani) was first developed in the late forties by the founders of a restaurant in Delhi India, Moti Mahal.  Rumor has it that they used leftover chicken tikka roasted on skewers in tandoori ovens by mixing the pieces in a buttery tomato sauce.  Good thinking, because this dish (like many greats) is even better the next day. But it seems it wasn't until the seventies and later, in the UK and in Manhattan, that the term Butter Chicken replaced Murgh Makhani and captured the fancy of western appetites. It's a staple now on many Indian restaurants. Round, smooth and subtle in flavor, it's very easy to make, and oh so delicious and accessible, especially to those first experiencing Indian cuisine. Try this as your first curry adventure or make it for someone who's first it is. 1-1/2 lb boneless chicken (I prefer thighs but you can use breast

Running out of yeast during the pandemic (what is that all about?!)? Make a savory quick bread.  This loaf goes so well with deviled eggs, or tuna salad, or you name your favorite. You can even toast it. Quick to make, this recipe is an amalgamation of several similar preps from Melissa Clark of the NYT. But I got jamming' with the topping and couldn't resist adding jalapeños and sun-dried tomatoes. Dry ingredients: 1-1/2 cups all purpose white flour 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 1/4 tsp salt 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 Tbsp black toasted sesame seeds 1/4 tsp ground black pepper Wet ingredients: 2 large eggs 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup Greek yogurt 3/4 cup good real mayonnaise 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves 2 small cloves garlic 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves 1 dozen pitted black kalamata olives 2 Tbsp julienned sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained 2 Tbsp jarred pickled jalapeno pepper slices 4 oz grated aged cheddar

What is it about Deviled Eggs that makes them so popular?  Whenever I make them, I can't keep them around.  They make a great summer lunch, cool and creamy in the face of hot weather. Chill them. There are an infinite variety of combos that work, so rip off of this great master recipe, with a classic tarragon-Dijon duo amped up with your favorite chili paste or hot sauce. Fresh herbs are extra credit. 6 large eggs 3 Tbsp good real mayonnaise 2 tsp favorite chili sauce (I used Trader Joe’s Italian Bomba) 1 tsp good Dijon mustard 1/4 tsp dried dill weed 3 tsp fresh tarragon leaves, Minced 3 tsp fresh chives, minced 1/4 tsp garlic powder dash salt and pepper to taste dash crushed red pepper flakes (I used Aleppo pepper), for garnish Hard boil the eggs by placing in a medium pot covered with cold water.  Bring the water just to a boil and cook for 1 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to stand 15 minutes.  Drain warm water and replace with cold w