Stacey's Basic Lamb Stew

Stacey’s Basic Lamb Stew

1 lb (more OK!) lamb shoulder cut into ½  inch cubes

3 T flour

1½ t salt

½ t pepper

½ t cinnamon

½ t freshly ground cumin

1 pod of cardamom (ground)

1 t red pepper flakes

4 T olive oil or bacon fat

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 quart of stewed tomatoes

(can add eggplant, okra or zucchini also if you want)

1 can garbanzos

Water or broth

Yogurt

Roasted pumpkin seeds (roasted in walnut oil with cumin and salt)

Mix up flour, salt, pepper and cinnamon.  Toss meat in the flour mixture and brown in the oil.  Add garlic, onion, cumin, cardamom and red pepper flakes and sauté ‘til onions look transparent.  Add tomatoes.  Cover and cook medium heat for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the lamb is done to your satisfaction. Add water or broth if you think the stew is getting too dry.  (You can also put this covered into a 450 oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes instead of using the stove top.) If you decide to add eggplant or okra or zucchini, add it during the last 30 minutes (I would just choose one).  When lamb is complete, add the drained can of garbanzos and heat through.  Adjust seasonings to taste (more cinnamon?).  Serve in bowls with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds.

Ostreoidea Adventure 
or Fried Bivalves on Fruity Slaw
(Breaded oysters on a slaw of lettuce, kiwi, green apple and avocado)

According to my friends at Wikipedia: "The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of different families of saltwater clams, bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackishhabitats. In some species the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but not all, oysters are in the superfamily Ostreoidea."
_______________________________________

I love oysters.  I love them raw, cooked, in stews, fried, and served in cardboard trays outside dockside diners.  In fact, I even like the oysters served at the Waterford, CA Car Wash. . . seriously.  My kids grew up knowing how to slurp oysters raw with a dash of lemon or hot sauce after picking them by the buckets in British Columbia. It's the family clan challenge:  do you like oysters?  yes or no.

Living inland can present some challenges to procuring a ready supply of fresh oysters, though.  Hence, I've come to appreciate the grocery store jarred oysters.  They are great for chowder, stuffing, and  a Hang Town fry. 

Tonight was a Friday, and my training as a good Catholic school teacher just overwhelmed me at the grocery store.  Now, this is something, as I'm Lutheran. . . but I did teach for years in a Catholic school, and this fish on Friday thing definitely has legs. .  . or fins. . .  or in the case of oysters. . . adductors (?). So, into my cart went the oysters and a whole bunch of other useful things.  When I got home, I told Mr. Artifact that we were having oysters for dinner.  Then. . . I scrambled for a complete meal from what was on hand.  After a  glass of wine, I came up with this recipe.   I have to say:  I rock!

Ostreoidea Adventure 
(serves 3-4)

Ingredients:

for the oysters:

• 1 jar fresh oysters
• 1/2 C sunflower (or peanut) oil

dredge:

• 1/2 C flour:
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• dash of cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper

wet soak:

• 1/2 C buttermilk
• 1 egg

breading (mix all in food processor):

• 2 C fresh bread crumbs (I used leftover sourdough bread that I pulsed in the food processor)
• 1/4 C parsley
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 T chopped  red onion
• 1/2 C Parmesan cheese
• zest of lemon to taste
• 1/2 t salt

Salad:

• 2 C shredded iceberg lettuce
• 1 avocado chopped
• 1 green apple, sliced thinly
• 2 kiwis, sliced thinly
• 1/4 C red onion sliced thinly into rings
• drizzle of lemon juice for apples and avocado

Salad dressing:

• 1/3 C lemon juice
• 3 T sugar
• 1/2 t dried ginger
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/8 t white pepper (or more to taste)
• 1 t Dijon mustard
• 1/2 C olive oil
• 1/4 C mayonnaise

Method:

Make the salad first.   Chop all the veg and put into a bowl.  Drizzle lemon juice over apples and avocado to prevent browning.  Set aside.

Make salad dressing by combining all ingredients except mayonnaise and oil.  Whisk together.  Whisk or blend in mayo and olive oil to form emulsion.  Set aside.

Preheat the oil in a large frying pan.
Put oysters into the dredge (or drop into a plastic bag and shake with the dredge).  Dip in buttermilk and egg soak.   Roll in breadcrumb mixture, then fry for about 3-4 minutes. Salt them more if you like when you take them out of oil.   Put on wire rack and keep warm in 250 oven while you get the salad plated.

Assemblage:  plate salad, dress with sauce. Place warm oysters on top of greens, add more sauce.  

Serve, Eat, Enjoy.

Fig O Nut Crisps

Adapted from SkinnyJeansFood’s Raincoast Crisps
(makes about 40 crisps)

We had a wonderful trip to Puget Sound for fishing recently to celebrate my dad's 80th birthday.  After pulling in some awesome ling cod, we got interested in snacking.  At a local store, we bought some scrumptious Raincoast Crisps at an exorbitant price.  Figuring that these could be made just as yummy for much less, I set about searching for internet recipes.  This one below is based on a recipe I found, but with a twist of adding dehydrated leeks.   And, they were even better than the ones we bought!

DRY INGREDIENTS

2 C all purpose flour

2 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1/4 C brown sugar

WET INGREDIENTS

2 C buttermilk  (Bulgarian)

1/8 C honey

1/8 C maple syrup

ADD-INS

1 C dried calimyrna figs, large chopped

1/4 C red wine

2 T balsamic vinegar

1/3 C brined kalamata olives, sliced

1/3 C dehydrated diced leeks or green onions

1/2 C chopped walnuts

1/2 C raw pepitas

1/4 C white sesame seeds

1T chia seeds

Set oven at 325.

·         Before you get going, put figs, wine and balsamic vinegar into a saucepan and reduce over low heat to infuse the figs and rehydrate them.  Reduce til most liquid is gone.

         

       Meanwhile, separately combine the wet and dry ingredients.

·         Then add them together.  After stirring to combine, add the olives, nuts,  figs, and other stuff.  Stir.

·         Grease (coconut oil) 2 medium loaf pans (8 x 3).  Divide mixture and put into oven.

·         Bake for 40 minutes.

·         Cool completely.

·        

      Slice very thin and put on cookie sheet (ungreased).

·         Bake at 325 for 3-4 min per side or until desired browning and crispness. (If they do not crisp to your desire, you can always crisp them immediately prior to serving.  But, do not overcook.  Better to have them underdone.)

Serve with a cream cheese spread or goat cheese and jam.   

I used Jezebel spread:  2T horseradish, ½ cube cream cheese, ½ C peach preserves, 2 T brown sugar:  blend and spread.