If you have never had a lamb burger, this would be a good one to start with. The flavours are so perfect together.
- 1 lb. ground lamb
- 1 large egg yolk
- pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
- 4 portobello mushrooms caps
- olive oil
- 4 buns
- gouda cheese slices
- thinly sliced cucumber slices
In a large bowl, combine ground lamb, salt, pepper and egg yolk. Shape into 4 burgers and refrigerate.
Preheat the barbecue on high and brush the grill and oil. In the meantime, make the chutney.
Chutney
- 2 tbsp. shallots, minced
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 4 tbsp. dried peaches, diced
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 4 tbsp. peach nectar
- 3 tbsp. chopped pistachios
- dash of fig balsamic vinegar
In a skillet, sweat the shallots in butter, but do not brown. Add the peaches, nectar and honey. Simmer until the liquid has disappeared. Set aside and cool to room temperature. Add the pistachios and a dash of balsmic vinegar. Refrigerate while now grilling the burgers.
Grill the burgers until cooked. While the heat is high, brush the mushroom caps with oil on both sides and grill both sides until done. Set these aside.
Turn off the burners and grill the buns and keep warm. Also add a slice of cheese on each burger. Close the lid and let the cheese melt.
Place a burger on each bun, add the mushroom cap and a dollop of the chutney, a couple of the cucumber slices for that extra crunch and top with the other half of the bun. This is very yummy.
Lamb Kebabs Using Sumac Butter
Now there’s a spice you probably have never heard of. When buying, it IS a spice. Some companies, however, add salt to the mix so be very careful when salting your foods. Read the label.
In a bowl, combine:
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 2 tsp. sumac
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 2 tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley
Mix thoroughly and shape into a roll. Wrap in saran and refrigerate.
- 1 1/4 lbs. ground lamb
- 1/2 small onion, grated
- 1 large egg
- cinnamon, coriander and cumin to taste
- 3 tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
Preheat the barbecue. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients. Shape into 8 sausages and thread onto skewers.
Grill the kebabs for 4 minutes each side and serve with 2 butter “coins”.
Couscous and a salad make two wonderful side dishes for the lamb. Enjoy.
Tenderloin Medallions with Surprise Risotto
The tenderloin is, without a doubt, my favourite meat to eat. The potato-style “Risotto” is a wonderful addition to show off your talents in the kitchen. Read it through first, pour a coffee and tell yourself “damn I can do this” and go for it.
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8 inch thick slices, then into cubes
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/8 cup finely chopped chives
- 6 x 6 oz. 1 inch thick tenderloin steaks
- 1 1/2 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally for about 5-6 minutes. Add the potato cubes, cayenne pepper, pepper and salt, 1 1/2 cups broth and bring to a boil and cook for about 8 minutes. If needed, add more broth, a tbsp. at a time, to keep it creamy with a little sauce. It should not be dry.
Add the cream and simmer until the potatoes are tender, stirring often for another 10 minutes. Add the cheese and chives and stir to blend.
Sprinkle the steaks with salt and thyme and cook on the barbecue to the doneness you want. (If no barbecue, you can use a frypan). Add a touch more oil and cook for 3-4 minutes each side for a steak that is medium rare.
Split the risotto onto 6 plates, and place a steak on top of each one. Add a vegetable of your choice.
The one thing that is a must would be a glass of Shiraz wine. Okay….now look at the plates, and congratulate yourself for a job well done.
Burgers For Tasting Parties
These are absolutely wonderful to devour..oops..sorry, taste! The Canadian Super Store sell the miniature hamburger buns (or make your own) and they are the perfect size. If your store does not sell these, small soft buns will do. Cobbs Bakery now have the slider buns.
For 8 burgers you will need:
- 1 lb. fine ground beef
- 1/2 oz .sliced Brie cheese (triple cream is best) for each burger
- 2 medium sized porcini mushrooms, sliced
Form the burgers into 1 inch thick patties, adding nothing to the mixture. Season with a tiny pinch of salt and pepper and a smear of olive oil. Grill to medium over a high heat.
Place the burgers on miniature size soft buns that have been lightly grilled.
Add 1/2 oz. of Brie cheese on each burger, by cutting into thick strips and place on a burger once it has been grilled, until it has become slightly molten.
Slice the porcini mushrooms into strips and season with a little oil, salt and pepper. Grill quickly and place on top of the melted cheese and place on the top of the bun. Serve immediately.
Be sure to add a generous dollop of the truffle aioli to the burger. Recipe follows.
Truffle Aioli
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- juice from 2 limes
- 2 tbsp. white truffle paste
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 eggs
Add the eggs to a food processor. Slowly drizzle the oil until a mayo like consistency is achieved. Add the remaining ingredients while the machine is running.
Add this on your burgers….oh my! yummy
Roasted Lamb Chops
Cooking lamb is easy but getting the right flavour, sometimes, takes much longer.
This recipe is for 4 servings…if company coming-great! If not and it is for 2, here you go again…cook once-eat twice… Either way it is pretty tasty.
- 4 large garlic cloves, pressed
- 1 tbsp. fresh thyme, lightly crushed
- 1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, crushed
- pinch of kosher salt
- 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 6 1 1/4 inch thick lamb chops – someone may want 2
Mix the first 4 items with 1 tbsp. of the olive oil in a large bowl. Add the chops and turn to coat. Let this marinate for about 1 hour. You are trying to get great herby flavour here-did I just invent a new word? Nah!
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Now heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a skillet over high heat. Add the lamb, cooking about 3 minutes on each side.
Now transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for about 10 minutes to attain a medium-rare doneness.
Remove from oven, transfer to a plate and let rest, covered, for about 5 minutes.
Serve with garlic mashed potatoes, some fresh asparagus and voila! you have a winning dinner.
Hungarian Pork Cutlets
This is a lovely cutlet and when served with butter-fried cabbage and broad egg noodles, you just saved the airfare to Hungary. Try it ‘cuz it makes a great family dinner.
- 1 1/2 lbs. thin pork cutlets (or 4 boneless chops)
- 6 tbsp. Crisco oil
- flour for dredging plus 2 tbsp. flour for thickening the sauce
- 2 shallots, minced
- 2 tbsp. sweet paprika
- 1 1/2 tbsp. caraway seeds
- 1/3 generous cup dry white wine
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup plain yogurt
Place the cutlets between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound them out (use a rolling pin) until about 1/4 inch thick.
Heat 2 1/2 tbsp. oil in pan on medium high until hot. Dip half of the cutlets in the flour to dredge and shake off any excess. Add to skillet and saute until a golden colour. This takes about 1 minute per side. Remove from heat and add another 2 1/2 tbsp. oil, dredge the remaining meat and saute, then remove from heat.
Reduce the heat to low, add the remaining oil, shallots, paprika and seeds. Saute for about a minute and then add the wine. Simmer until almost dry. Add 1 1/2 cups of the broth, bring to a boil and simmer for two minutes.
Whisk together the remaining stock and 2 tbsp. flour and simmer for a couple of minutes. Return the meat to the skillet and simmer, turning often, until completely warmed through. Return the pork to plates, add the yogurt, pinch of salt and pepper to the skillet and gently heat through. Spoon over the meat. This, my friends, is delicious.
Pour a glass of wine and away you go.
Filet Mignon With Red Wine Sauce
So many ways to cook a steak for sure and everyone has a favourite. Here’s one of mine.
This recipe will feed 4.
- 4 tbsp. chilled butter
- 4 filet steaks (each one about 4-5 ounces)
- 1/4 cup chopped shallots
- 2/3 cup of Pinoir Noir or French Merlot (the other 1/3 for the Chef, of course)
- 1 tbsp. chopped garlic
- 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
Melt 1 tbsp. of butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle both sides of the steak with salt and pepper. Add to the skillet and cook for 4 minutes per side, remove from heat and tent with tin foil to rest.
Melt 1 tbsp butter in a skillet and add the shallots and garlic and saute for about a minute, being careful not to burn. Add the wine, mustard, simmer until sauce has thickened. (about 2 minutes). Stir in the parsley. Reduce the heat and add the remaining 2 tbsp. of butter.
Plate the steaks and spoon the sauce over each one. Add garlic mashed potatoes, a veggie of your choice and my, oh, my, what feast.
More wine, anyone?
Feta Sauce for Steaks
Believe it or not, warmer weather is on its way and the bbq will be up and running. If you want a different sauce to go with your steaks, try this one.
- 3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp. fresh lime juice
- 2 drops cayenne pepper
- 2 drops worchestershire sauce
- 3 tbsp. finely chopped sundried tomatoes
- pinch of pepper
Put all the ingredients in a blender and go for it. Blend until completely smooth and put in a bowl, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Make sure you cut your steak against the grain and it won’t be tough.
If having a salad and/or vegetables you have a great meal. Enjoy!
Beef, Mushroom and Pepper Tart/Pizza
Who says you can’ t have both? Tart or pizza? Combine the two and it is, no matter how you word it……fabulous and super tasty.
Busy schedule during the week or just a TGIF day, this one’s the real lifesaver.
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 8 oz. fresh, sliced mushrooms
- 1/2 green pepper, cut into strips and then cut into small pieces
- 3 shallots, sliced
- pinch of salt
- pinch of pepper
- 1 package of puff pastry, thawed
- 3-4 oz. Manchego cheese
- fresh oregano or basil
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. In a skillet, cook the beef and shallots until starting to turn brown and add the mushrooms and green pepper. Stirring occasionally, add the salt and pepper and drain off the excess fat.
Grease a large baking sheet or line with parchment paper. Unroll the puff pastry and roll it out to about 15 x 12 inches. Top the dough with all the filling, keeping it about an inch off the sides.
Placethe pastry edges up over the mixture, folding as necessary. Do not cover completely, hence the tart feel.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and cooked through. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the cheese over the top and drop some fresh oregano or basil on top. Slice, plate and enjoy.
If staying in, pour a glass of wine for the over 19’s and soda or chocolate milk for the younger set. Mini party in no time.
Oktoberfest Sausage Dinner
This is the time to start thinking about a nice dinner to serve while celebrating.
- 1 tbsp. of olive oil
- 2 lbs. of your favourite sausage (Bratwurst etc.)
- 3 small red onions (about 1 lb. or so)peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
- 1 1/2 lbs. fresh thyme leaves
- salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place a large saute pan over medium heat. When hot, add the oil and sausages, pricked every few inches with a knife point and cooked until browned. Turn the sausages over, and again, prick as you did the first side and cook until browned. This should take about 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the sausage chosen.
Now, transfer the sausage to a baking pan and place in the oven, leaving the fat in in the pan and add the onions and stir. Add 1/2 cup water and scrape up all the brown bits in the bottom of the pan and cook for about 18 minutes. Add another 1/2 cup of water if the pan becomes really dry. These should be cooked for about 15-18 minutes.
Remove the lid and stir in thyme. Season with salt and pepper and add the sausage on top.
Serve this with sauerkraut and rye bread. Could be fun! Oh yeah, almost forgot the beer…lots of beer.
Beef Bourguignon
This is the very best you will ever taste…I think you will agree with me when you make it yourself.
- 8 slices of bacon
- 2 lbs. beef -inside round roast, cut into bite size chunks
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp. flour
- 1 bottle red Pinot Noir
- 1 litre of beef broth reduced by half in another sauce pot
- 4 carrots cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 tbsp. tomato sauce
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 bouquet garni
- bag of pearl onions (blanched and peeled)
- a little chopped flat parsley
- salt and pepper
Cut the bacon in short narrow strips and in a large, heavy bottomed pot, fry until crisp. Remove bacon and bring fat to high heat. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Add the meat in batches NOT all at once, and sear on all sides until it is well browned (not grey). If you dump too much meat all at once, it becomes too crowded and you won’t get the same colour.
Sear the meat, a little at a time, removing it and setting aside at it finishes. When all the meat is done, add the sliced onions to the pot. Lower the heat to medium high and cook until the onions are soft and a golden brown (about 9-10 minutes). Sprinkle the flour and add the tomato paste and continue cooking for another 4 minutes, stirring it occasionally. Add the wine and the broth. With a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pot and loosen the good ‘bits’. Bring to a boil.
Return the meat to the pot but first remove the onions from the broth and discard. Add the carrots, garlic and bouquet garni. Bring to a boil and reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for another 2 hours or until the meat is really tender (breaks with a fork).
**Note: This is important….the liquid should be one-third more than the meat. You may have to thicken it a little with corn starch or add water, depending on the consistency you desire.
Check this every 15 minutes, stirring to scrape the bottom of the pot and making sure it is not sticking or burning. Skim off any foam or ‘scum’ off the top. When done, remove the bouquet garni, add the chopped parsley and pearl onions. Let cool completely and refrigerate over night.
Next day, while steaming baby potatoes, re-heat the meat dish so it is hot, add some fresh baked dinner rolls (to sop up the gravy). Add a few friends , a fresh colourful crab salad (on this site), a bottle of Pinot Noir and Voila! a successful party. Enjoy!
Veal Parmigiana
Your guests will drool when this comes to the table. When they leave, you may hear them say “when can we come back?”. Tis true.
Serves 4
- 1 1/2 cups dry panko crumbs (Japanese bread crumbs)
- 1 cup plus 4 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese (fresh)
- 1 tbsp each minced fresh parsley and basil
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp water
- 1/2 cup flour
- 8 veal scallops
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 8 slices of mozzarella cheese
Put rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Combine panko crumbs, one-half cup cheese, herbs, salt and pepper in a pie plate. Set aside. In a shallow bowl whisk the eggs and water together and set aside.
On a flat plate, spread the flour, coat the scallops in the flour, shaking off the excess and dip in the egg mixture and then the bread crumbs. Pat with your fingers to ensure the crumbs adhere.
Heat the oil in a fry pan over medium high heat and sauté the veal until lightly browned, two-three minutes. Using tongs, turn the meat over and repeat, adding more oil if the pan starts to dry out. Remove the veal and blot with paper towels to remove excess oil.
Oil a shallow baking dish and spread one-half cup of the tomato sauce on the bottom and arrange the scallops over the sauce slightly overlapping them. Sprinkle four tbsp parmesan cheese and cover with the remaining tomato sauce. Top with the cheese slices and bake until completely heated through, about twenty-five minutes.
If you wish more color on the top, place under the broiler briefly.
This recipe will taste as good if not better than restaurant fare and YOU made it.
Remember to proclaim to self “damn, I did this”.