Lamb Chops with Hot Pepper Jelly

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Jelly isn’t just for toast or the filling of a magnificent doughnut. Jelly also makes the key component of this lip-smacking sauce, with a healthy dose of heat and vinegar just perfect for lamb. Speaking of perfect matches, chives and sour cream with potatoes are about as classic as it comes, and healthy broccolini makes for a fresh side dish. There’s nothing in this meal that isn’t perfectly balanced, as it graces your table for an Easter Sunday Dinner.

 

Lamb Loin Chops dressed with Hot Pepper Jelly and Garlicky Parmesan Chive Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Broccolini

#TheQuarantineKitchenDiaries

Serves 2

Ingredients:
Vegetable cooking spray
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sour cream
6 chive sprigs
2 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet™ Greek Seasoning
½ pound broccolini
4 tablespoons Miss Jenny’s Hot Pepper Jelly™
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes
Four 6-8 ounce Lamb Loin Chops 1 1/2-inch thick
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt, taste
Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400° F.
Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and coated with  cooking spray

Prepare the Ingredients: Mince the chives. Cut potatoes into large evenly-sized chunks. Trim the end of the broccolini stems. Pat lamb chops  dry with paper towels. and season both sides with seasoning blend.

To Make the Mashed Potatoes: Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes. Cook until fork-tender, 14-18 minutes. Reserve ¼ cup of cooking water. Drain potatoes in a colander and return to pot. Add cheese,  the chives, butter, sour cream, reserved potato cooking water, and season with salt to taste. Mash until smooth. Keep warm and set aside.

To sear the lamb chops, place a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Add  lamb chops to hot pan and sear undisturbed until browned, 3-4 minutes. Transfer lamb to one half of prepared baking sheet, seared side up. Reserve pan; no need to wipe clean.

Finish the lamb chops and roast broccolini by placing the broccolini on empty half of baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and a pinch of  pepper. Massage oil into broccolini. Spread broccolini into a single layer on their side. Roast in hot oven until broccolini is tender and lamb reaches a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees, 8-12 minutes. Rest roasted lamb, at least 3 minutes. While lamb rests, make sauce.

To Make Hot Pepper Jelly Sauce: Return the skillet used to sear chops to medium heat. Add vinegar to hot pan and cook until liquid is reduced by half, 30-60 seconds. Whisk in jalapeño jelly until smooth. Remove from the heat.

To serve, place the chops, broccolini and potatoes on the plate, spooning sauce over lamb chops.

Bon appétit!

Cook’s Notes:
Lamb chops are best when cooked medium, when the internal temperature of meat reaches 145° F on the instant thermometer. Avoid lamb chops being well done, even though they are still delicious that way, too.

Keep in mind, lamb loin chops are very tender cut and they cook relatively quickly. It’s really enough just to cook them on the stove top on high heat for 3 minutes on one side, flip them and cook for another 3 minutes on the other side. Then let them rest off heat, covered, in the hot skillet for about 10-15 minutes. It’s not necessary to put them in the oven, but if you want them on a more done side, you can cook them longer on low heat on the stove top or put them in the oven at 350° F for 10 extra minutes, after searing for 3 minutes on each side.

If you prefer to make your own Greek Seasoning, be sure to use a robust blend of onion, garlic, oregano and mint. The blend will add an authentic Greek flavor to chicken, lamb, kabobs and salads. Use this blend in the same amount as McCormick Gourmet™ Greek Seasoning.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups
Ingredients:
1/4 cup McCormick® Onions, Chopped
3 tablespoons McCormick Gourmet™ Organic Mint
2 tablespoons McCormick Gourmet™ Organic Basil
2 tablespoon McCormick Gourmet™ Organic Oregano
1 tablespoon McCormick® Garlic, Minced
3/4 teaspoon sea salt from McCormick® Sea Salt Grinder

Directions:
Mix all ingredients until well blended. Store in tightly covered jar in cool, dry place.

 

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Parsnip and Leek Soup

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Photo Credit:Jonny Valiant, 2011.

 

 

For those celebrating the religious calendar, Lent is upon us, and for many it is the time to give up meat in our diets. For busy home cooks, this soup can be made in ahead of time, basically because it is an uncomplicated vegetable puree. For an added touch you can dressed-up this soup with a touch of American whitefish caviar, the salty counterpoint to sweet parsnips in the mix, makes the soup plenty festive for Easter Dinner.

 

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:
For the Soup:
1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut 1/4 inch thick
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut 1/4 inch thick
3 cups chicken stock
2 1/2 cups water
2 dried bay leaves
1/2 cup whole milk

For the Black-Pepper Cream:
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
2 ounces whitefish or other caviar, for garnish

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Directions:
To prepare the leeks, rinsed well to remove the sand and grit. Cut the white and pale-green parts only into 1/4-inch-thick semi-circles and set aside.

To Make the soup: Cut a round of parchment to fit inside a large pot. Melt butter in pot over medium heat. Add leeks and a pinch of salt, and cover with parchment round (this will help keep moisture in). Cook, lifting parchment to stir occasionally, until leeks are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir in parsnips, potatoes, chicken stock, 2 1/2 cups water, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon salt. Raise heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer gently, partially covered with lid, until parsnips are soft, about 20 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Let cool slightly, about 10 minutes.

Working in batches, puree vegetable mixture in a blender, being sure to hold lid down. Return soup to pot, and stir in milk. Reheat soup over medium heat (do not boil).

To Make the black-pepper cream: Stir 1/4 teaspoon pepper into creme fraiche.

To Serve: Ladle soup into 8 small bowls, and top each with a dollop of black-pepper cream and 1/2 teaspoon caviar.

Cook’s Notes:
Whitefish caviar is a relatively inexpensive variety and can found at Whole Foods  Markets or specialty gourmet food markets.

The soup can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months. Stir in milk and rewarm over medium heat just before serving. Black-pepper cream can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Vegetable Frittata

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Photo Credit: © 2017 GIANT LLC All Rights Reserved.

Frittatas just happened to be one of those dishes that you can use up a whole lot of random leftover vegetables and turn them into a savory meal for brunch or dinner. We like to serve this classic egg dish with fruit for breakfast or with Italian bread and a small mixed greens side salad for a light dinner.

Adapted from Giant LLC
Savory Magazine
September 2017

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
One 8-10 ounce bag baby spinach leaves, washed and roughly chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
2 cups baby Yukon gold potatoes
2 medium tomatoes, diced
8 large eggs
½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach to the skillet and cover; allow to cook 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic salt and cover again for another 5 minutes; remove from heat and allow to cool. Place the spinach in a clean kitchen towel. Roll the towel up and squeeze the moisture from the spinach. Remove the spinach from the towel and place in a bowl and set aside.

Cut the potatoes into quarters. Heat the remaining olive oil in a 10-inch nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes start to brown.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs with 2 tablespoons of water and a pinch of salt. Arrange the spinach over the potatoes. Scatter the tomatoes over the spinach, then pour the eggs over the vegetables. Sprinkle with the cheese. Cook until the edges are set, about 3 minutes.

Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 12 minutes, or until the eggs are completely set in the center.

To serve, slide the frittata out of the skillet and onto a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, slice it into wedges and serve warm with a fresh fruit for brunch or with a small side salad of mixed greens for a light lunch or dinner.

All photographs and content, excepted where noted, are copyright protected. Please do not use these photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this photograph and all other contents, then we kindly ask that you link back to this site. We are eternally grateful and we appreciate your support of this blog.

Thank you so much!

Protected by Copyscape