This was the question that was asked by my mother every day when we spoke. We both enjoyed talking about food. She passed away in 2006. I miss someone asking that question. So this is where I will tell whomever what I am making for dinner.
I was in bed at 8:30 Friday night and up at 8:30 Saturday morning.
Let's just say I was well rested.
Ingredients-
500g (18 oz) leftover roast lamb, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced
1 celery stick, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato purée
500ml (2 c) chicken stock
dash Worcestershire sauce
salt
black pepper
Mashed Potatoes:
800g (1.75 lb) russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into cubes
1 tablespoon butter
60ml (1/4 c) milk
pinch salt
Method-
Preheat the oven to 400˚F
In a medium saucepan over a low heat, add the olive oil and diced onion, carrots and celery, and cook until soft – this takes around 10 minutes.
Add the crushed garlic and finely chopped rosemary and cook for 1 minute before adding the tomato purée.
Cook for 1 minute.
Add the chopped cooked lamb, stock, Worcestershire sauce, and season with salt and pepper.
Turn the heat up and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down slightly and simmer for 15 minutes.
Cook the Potatoes:
Boil the potatoes in salted water for 15-20 minutes, until tender.
Drain well, then add the butter, milk, and salt, and mash with a potato masher until smooth.
Place the lamb into the bottom of a 20 x 27 cm (7.8 x 10.5") or similar-sized, baking dish.
Spoon the mashed potatoes over the surface and smooth them out with the back of a spoon.
With a fork, drag lines across the top of the mashed potatoes – these will become crispy in the oven.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.
Eat straight away.
Merry Christmas! Today we had my sister, Lenore, and her husband, Ralph, over
for dinner.
I had to remove the cap meat and the sinew from the rack for the Jamie Oliver recipe.
If I do say so myself, I was very impressed with the meal!
We kicked things off with drinks and kept the appetizers easy so we could focus on the main event. I served a spread of Goldfish crackers (a nostalgic favorite!), Salami, and Cheese.
For the first course, Lenore brought her famous Cupalets. They are always a crowd-pleaser and the perfect way to lead into the main course.
The Main Event: The Switch to Lamb
Usually, we lean toward beef for Christmas, but the idea of something different started when I saw the meat specials at Fresh Market. I decided to go with Rack of Lamb. I think I’ll make this a permanent Christmas tradition from now on.
I followed a recipe from a Jamie Oliver video that seemed straightforward and delicious. His recipe suggested one rack per person, so I bought two racks for the four of us.
In hindsight, two racks were very generous! One rack probably would have been plenty for four people, but having leftovers isn't the worst problem to have.
The Verdict? It’s a toss-up! Both were fantastic. The pistachio crust adds a lovely crunch and festive green color, but the herb-crusted rack really lets the lamb's flavor shine through. You truly can't go wrong either way.
Here is the link for the Jamie Oliver Rack of Lamb video.
Link to Jamie Oliver's Rack of Lamb Recipe.
The herb-coated recipe was from Dude that Cookz.
Ingredients-
1 rack of lamb1 tsp garlic powder1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tbsp butter
Method-
Preheat oven to 350˚F.
Season the entire rack of lamb evenly with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Evenly coat the lamb rack with the marinade on both sides.
Heat an oven-friendly skillet or cast iron to medium heat.
Once hot, add 2 tbsp of olive oil and butter to the skillet.
Place the rack of lamb with the fat side down into the skillet.
Sear for 5 minutes. While holding the bones, rock the meat slowly back and forth to brown the top and back of the rack.
Bake the rack of lamb at 400 degrees (I roasted mine at 350 degrees because I was also following the Jamie Oliver recipe) for 20 to 25 minutes*. See notes for cooking time for the desired doneness.
Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes and serve by cutting the chops in between the bones.
* Notes: Depending on how you like your meat cooked: For medium-rare, an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 140 degrees; for medium, the center should read 150 degrees; for well done, the center should read at least 160 degrees.
Side dishes, Vegetable Bundles, and Potato Romanoff.
I wanted something simple tonight. I had picked up some fettuccine from Bishops. I used the Alfredo sauce recipe from Epicurious. The meatballs were made yesterday and cooked in the air fryer. It was amazing how light a meal this was, even with the meatballs. This is not your restaurant-style Fettuccine Alfredo that has a lot of cream and cheese. Well, there is no cream in this recipe. This is the traditional Roman recipe, and they don't use cream.
This is our go-to recipe for Fettuccine Alfredo, from Epicurious.
This soup holds a special place in our home—it's truly one of our favorites, and it was absolutely perfect for a relaxed Sunday night.
The secret is definitely in the meatballs. I use a classic blend of beef, pork, and veal. Instead of breadcrumbs, I chop up about five Apicella Freselles s and soak them in a quarter cup of milk until soft. Once mashed, I mix that gorgeous binder with a beaten egg, plenty of Parmesan, fresh parsley, and just enough salt and pepper. I hand-shape the mixture into small, golf-ball-sized bites.
Starting the soup is simple: sautéing the aromatics—onions, carrots, and celery—in olive oil. Four cups of homemade chicken broth go in next to simmer. Then comes the good stuff: chopped spinach, the meatballs, and some pre-poached, shredded chicken breast. A dash of salt, pepper, and earthy thyme seasons the pot, and it simmers low and slow for about 50 minutes.
Just before serving, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice adds a beautiful brightness that cuts through the richness.
Spoiler alert: It was a winner! A huge, resounding, satisfying success, and a recipe I'll be adding to the regular rotation.
What made tonight so manageable was the magic of meal prep. I tackled the chicken yesterday, which was a game-changer. By getting the fritter mixture prepped and chilled, all I had to do tonight was pull it out of the fridge and start frying.
If you're looking for a super-fast weeknight meal, this is the trick! The fritters came together incredibly quickly in the pan, crisping up perfectly on the outside while staying tender and juicy on the inside.
We served the fritters with a simple, classic pairing. I did not use the suggested dipping sauce from the original recipe:
Noodles: Just plain, buttered noodles provided the perfect comforting base.
Marinara Sauce: A side of Marinara Sauce (Rao's Homemade Tomato Sauce, Sensitive Formula) was absolutely essential. Dipping the crispy chicken into the rich, warm tomato sauce elevated the whole dish. The combination of the chicken, the soft noodles, and the sauce was truly perfect together.
Chris gave it two thumbs up. It’s a definite keeper, and I can't wait to make them again!
Chicken Fritters for Two
Ingredients-
3/4 lbs chicken breasts (1 large)
1 large egg
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp Extra light olive oil, to saute (or any high heat cooking oil)
Method-
Using a sharp knife, dice chicken into 1/3" thick pieces and place them in a large mixing bowl. Tip: If chicken breast is partially frozen, it will be a little bit easier to slice.
Into the mixing bowl, add remaining batter ingredients.
Stir the mixture until well combined, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat and add 2 Tbsp oil.
When oil is hot, add the chicken mixture a heaping Tablespoon at a time.
Slightly flatten out the tops with the back of your spoon and sauté uncovered 3-4 min on the first side, then flip and sauté 3 min on the second side or until outsides are golden brown and chicken is fully cooked through*
Repeat with the remaining fritters, adding more oil as needed.
The recipe is from the Table for Two blog. The recipe is for 4, so I obviously made 1/2 the recipe.
Slow Cooker Osso Bucco
Ingredients-
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 pieces veal shank, each about 1 1/4 inches thick (about 2 pounds total)
1/3 cup (53 g) chopped onion
1/3 cup (34 g) chopped celery
1/3 cup (43 g) chopped carrots
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 1/4 cups (303 g) canned crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup (178 ml) beef broth
Fresh ground black pepper
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 large sprig of fresh rosemary
Chopped fresh parsley, for topping
Method-
Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
I tied the veal shanks so they would stay together while braising. Click here for a video on how to tie the shanks and brown the meat before adding to the slow cooker.
Season veal shanks with salt, then sear all four sides until browned but not cooked through.
Add to the insert of a slow cooker.
Then add the onion, celery, carrots, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, beef broth, black pepper, thyme, and rosemary.
Stir to mix a bit.
Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
Discard sprigs of thyme and rosemary.
Sprinkle fresh parsley on top prior to serving, if desired.
Crispy Pork Schnitzel recipe from The Bold Appetite.
Ingredients-
5 thinly sliced pork cutlets
1 1/4 cup unseasoned panko bread crumbs
1 1/4 cup unseasoned Italian bread crumbs
1 large egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
oil
Method-
Set up your breading station: a bowl of flour, a bowl of beaten egg, and a combo of both breadcrumbs.
Season each bowl with a heavy sprinkle of salt.
Coat each cutlet in flour, followed by the egg mixture, and finally, the breadcrumbs. Be sure to press the breadcrumbs in to ensure complete coverage before setting the breaded pork aside. Either cover and place in the refrigerator for later or move onto frying.
In a large, deep pan or skillet, add about 1/4 inch of oil and heat it to 350°F over medium-high heat.
Fry the pork chops for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until they’re a light golden brown.
Once cooked through, remove the chops from the oil and place them on a paper towel-lined plate.
