Italian-Style Lamb Stew

I combined a recipe from Simply in Season with a few crock pot versions I read online. This was a decadent & savory stew.

Though it was listed under Spring recipes, I feel it was best suited for the coldish early Spring days we have been experiencing of late.

I put one lamb shank, about one pound of meat, in the crock pot. Then I poured in one and one half cup of red wine ($3 Three Wishes Merlot from Whole Foods) and one and one half cup of broth.

I added one medium onion sliced into rings, one can diced tomatoes, & three peeled garlic cloves.

Seasoned with a pinch of salt, a bit of pepper, some bay leaves, & a few sprigs of fresh Thyme.

Then left it to cook for seven hours on low heat.

I added a can of Cannellini beans about five minutes before serving.

As it cooked, it slowly saturated the apartment with its seductive aroma.

This made cleaning the living room, doing the laundry, & re-organizing the closet more pleasant.

It is such a good feeling to let go of piles of stuff. Not that we are minimalists by any means, but every six months or so we do bring bags of stuff off to Goodwill.

Out with the clutter & then the other things can be revealed glamour.

And that is much of what Spring, & the cleaning that comes with it, mean to me. Raking away the dead leaves & branches, & watching the flowers that emerge.

Favorite Song (led to in a more or less direct way by my favorite radio station):

Seabear- Owl Waltz

Baked Trout with Lemon Garlic

After doing some spring cleaning in the kitchen yesterday, scrubbing down/in everything & selecting items to give away, we had worked up quite the appetite. And this meal matched it perfectly. Simply in Season came through for us again, with a simple/quick to make meal that shone with a touch of decadence.

We tossed together a salad with a bunch of arugula, two sliced green onions, & the last remnants of a jar of Greek olives that had sat in the far back of our fridge entirely forgotten for 4-5 months. We also finished off two bottles of dressing which had about a tablespoon left but had been sitting in our fridge cluttering up the place. You get the picture...

For our two trout we simply put them in a casserole dish whole. Stuffed them with minced garlic & sliced lemon, also spreading lemon & garlic on the top. Then we brushed them with butter & baked them at 425 for fifteen minutes. Until they were flaky.

Amateur fish lovers that we are, we were amazed when we scooped the trout with a spatula and the heads & tails slipped right off to remain in the dish.

After dinner we picked what meat we could off the heads & tails to save with the small amount of remaining arugula. With lunch today we will have a salad fit for kings.

I am now smitten with trout.

Favorite Song (led to in a more or less direct way by my favorite radio station):

Stealing Sheep- Hole in the Water

Sauerkraut

Cabbage, salt, boiling water, time in a jar. After one week kraut not so sauer. Still quite yummy. Very cabbage & good with caraway. We will try the second jar in a few weeks. And I will post the results.

Favorite Song (led to in a more or less direct way by my favorite radio station):

Sean Hayes- One Day the River

Sesame Chicken Couscous Salad

This recipe has many steps and several ingredients. The end product, though, is well worth it. A festive dish, fresh/crisp, with a kick of lemon.

It made just enough for two people for two meals. As a side rather than a meal I assume it would serve more.

1) Cook half pound of chicken breast. Cool down in ice water. Chill in fridge. (Optionally leave out the chicken to make this vegan.)

2) Combine one and one half cups broth, one tsp soy sauce, & one tsp sesame oil. Bring to boil. Add one cup uncooked couscous. Turn off heat. Cover and let stand 5-8 minutes. Fluff with fork.

3) Stir in two sliced green onions & one large chopped red sweet pepper. Cover and chill in fridge.

4) Steam one and one half cups snow peas (or snap peas) for one minute. Then add 3/4 cup broccoli florets and steam two more minutes. Rinse in cold water & drain.

5) Add chicken to couscous. Add broccoli & peas.

6) Combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, two tbsp olive oil, two tsp soy sauce, & pepper. Mix into couscous mixture.

7) Add 1/4 cup slivered almonds & one tbsp sesame seeds. Mix in immediately before serving. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Favorite Song (led to in a more or less direct way by my favorite radio station): Fernhill-Cowboi

Sausage and Greens Soup

A pleasant & creamy sort of soup. The recipe is quite flexible allowing for many variations of ingredients.

1) Brown eight ounces of ground sausage (I used Italian sausage) in soup pot, remove all but one tbsp of fat, remove meat.

2) Saute one cup onion/green onions/chives in the fat. Return sausage to the pot.

3) Add four cups broth, one cup diced potatoes, salt, & pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about ten minutes.

4) Add one and one half cups evaporated milk, 3 cups arugula (or spinach/kale/dandelion/lambs quarters/purslane/burdock/watercress/or other tender young greens), & parsley to taste. Cook a few minutes.

Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Favorite Song (led to in a more or less direct way by my favorite radio station): Low- Witches

Marinated Radish Salad

Dill, green onions, fresh red radishes: three ingredients that have a certain overpowering harshness to them if one is not careful with them. In my mind, an unlikely list of ingredients for the main flavors of a salad. However, as I discovered with the help of Simply in Season, after just a few hours of marinating (the recipe warns no more than four) all of the flavor is still there but none of the pungency.

For eight servings:

1. Combine eight large bunches of radishes (sliced, diced, or julienned), eight sliced green onions, & 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill (or one tbsp dill seed).

2. Stir together 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice, one tsp sugar, one tsp Dijon mustard, salt, & pepper. Pour over radish mixture & toss.

3. Cover & refrigerate for at least two hours but no more than four.

It suggests to serve with a bit of shredded swiss sprinkled on top. I skipped this, however.

Favorite Song (led to in a more or less direct way by my favorite radio station):

Isbells- As Long As It Takes

Minestrone

One of my favorite soups, much better fresh than from a can.

Saute one medium finely chopped onion in two tbsp olive oil. Add three cloves of minced garlic. Season with salt, pepper, & preferred Italian seasonings.

Add two cups of broth & one can of tomato sauce.

Add two chopped carrots, three small chopped potatoes, & four chopped stalks celery. Bring to a boil & then cover to simmer for an hour.

Add one can cannelloni, aka white kidney, beans. Stir in one cup chopped parsley.

About 5-10 minutes before serving, add a few cups of shell pasta.

Favorite Song (first heard on my favorite radio station): Ben Weaver- The Rooster's Wife