Grilled Lamb with Sweet Herb Rub

Posted on September 30, 2010 by bakingmehungry

Sometimes you just get the craving for something and nothing else with satisfy you. For me, it was taste of sweet and savory lamb chops. This is one of my favorite quick recipes for grilled lamb. The brown sugar adds a touch of sweetness while the ginger and cinnamon adds subtle hints of smoky sharpness. The lamb would pair beautifully with a side of couscous and grilled asparagus. I’ve also successfully substituted rosemary, cumin, sage and dill using this recipe as a guide.

Adapted from AllRecipes.com

Makes 2 servings

1/4 C brown sugar
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp mix of dried tarragon, marjoram and thyme
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sea salt (I used a bit less)
wedge of fresh lemon (optional)

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Rub the lamb chops with the seasoning. Place them on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and let them marinate for an hour.

Preheat the grill until hot. Brush the grill lightly with oil or use Pam cooking spray. Arrange lamb chops on the grill. Cook for about 5 minutes until done. Allow the grilled lamb to rest

Salt and Pepper Shrimp

Posted on September 29, 2010 by bakingmehungry

Adapted from RavenousCouple

16 large head on, shell on shrimp
4 T rice flour
4 T cornstarch
1 T sea salt
3 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp freshly ground Szechuan peppercorns (optional)
2 T butter
2 T vegetable oil
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 red bell pepper, diced small
1 small jalapeno or Thai bird’s eye chili, thinly sliced on the diagonal, more or less to desired taste (optional)
2 stalks of green onion or scallion, finely sliced on the diagonal (optional)

Soak shrimp in salted water for 20 minutes. Rinse shrimp in cold water. Cut off long whiskers and sharp point on the head with scissors and dab dry with paper towel.

In small bowl, combine salt, pepper, and sugar and set aside. If you’re using the Szechuan peppercorns, lightly toast and then using mortar and pestle, crush coarsely and add to seasoning mixture.

Heat large wok or deep fryer with cooking oil to high, about 350 degrees. Combine the rice flour and cornstarch in a shallow bowl. Dredge the shrimp in the mixture to get a light coating, shaking off excess. Deep fry the shrimp in small batches until pink and crispy, about 3-4 minutes. Remove and drain.

Heat another large saute pan with the butter and cooking oil. When oil is hot, add garlic then the onions, jalapenos, and scallions. Quickly stir-fry the veggies for a minute. Add the shrimp and sprinkle about 1 tsp seasoning mixture. Continue to stir fry and make sure seasoning coats well, for another minute. Transfer to serving plate and serve immediately. Sprinkle on additional seasoning according to taste.

A Tale of Two Lasagnas- Hearty Meat and Vegetarian

Posted on September 27, 2010 by bakingmehungry

Lasagna is a popular comfort food we like to make now that fall is around the corner. We decided to do a vegetarian version and a meat version. The meat version is very hearty and smaller servings would be best. The savory vegetarian version is a bit lighter because we love portobello mushrooms. For a quick shortcut, we made the onion-scallion mixture together and divided it between the two different lasagnas. Same with the ricotta mixture.

Vegetable Lasagna

Meat Lasagna

Makes 12 servings per lasagna

1 (16 oz) package lasagna noodles
1 lb portobello mushrooms, diced
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
3/4 C green bell peppers, diced
3/4 C Vidalia onion, chopped
1/2 C scallions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 T vegetable oil
1 jar vegetable pasta sauce
1 jar meat pasta sauce
1 (15 oz) container part-skim ricotta cheese
4 eggs
2 C Parmesan cheese
4 C shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook the lasagna noodles in a large pot of boiling water for 10 minutes, or until al dente. Rinse with cold water, and drain.

In a large saucepan, cook and stir mushrooms, green peppers, onion, and garlic in oil. Stir in pasta sauce and basil; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. In another large saucepan, cook and stir ground beef, onion, green peppers.

Mix together ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella cheese, and eggs.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread 1 cup tomato sauce into the bottom of each greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Layer 1/2 each, lasagna noodles, ricotta mix, sauce, and Parmesan cheese. Repeat layering using vegetable or meat mixtures, and top with remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese.

Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Ricotta Mixture

Browning the beef to make the meat sauce

First layer for each lasagna

Final layer for each lasagna

Vegetable Lasagna

Meat Lasagna

Papas Supreme (Fiesta Supreme Fries)

Posted on September 18, 2010 by bakingmehungry

Taco Bell in Puerto Rico sells papas supreme or supreme fries, a tasty concoction that is basically a beef taco over french fries for $1.29. Taco Bell in the United States does sell french fries, but only at select locations. None of them, at least to our knowledge sell papas supreme.

To recreate this zesty snack or brunch item, we decided to use beef taco filling, pico de gallo, sour cream and cheese smothered on top of store-bought french fries.

1 bag Ore Ida Crispy Crunchies- seasoned, battered fries
1 1/2 ground beef, 80% fat
3/4 C water
1 packet reduced sodium taco seasoning
5 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 Vidalia onion, chopped
a generous handful of cilantro, finely chopped
1 C sour cream
2 C shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a glass dish or on a cookie sheet, arrange the frozen french fries in a single layer. Bake for 30 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.

While the french fries bake, in a large skillet on medium high heat, sauté half of the onions in olive oil. Add the ground beef and stir to break up the clumps. After the beef has browned, drain the excess fat from the skillet. Add 3/4 C water and the taco seasoning. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.

To prepare the pico de gallo, combine the lemon juice, tomatoes, remaining onion and cilantro in a bowl.

Once the french fries are crisp, evenly sprinkle half the shredded cheese on top. Then layer the beef taco meat on next. Dollop on the sour cream and smooth it out. Plop on the pico de gallo and finish with the remaining cheese. Pop the tray back in the oven to melt the cheese. Serve immediately.