Ontario Lamb Tagine with Apricots

August 17th, 2011

2 pounds lamb shoulder or leg, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons oil
2 large onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 inch ginger finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon paprika

3 ½ cups of diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock
4 strips orange peel
2 cinnamon sticks
20 dried apricots
1 cup of chopped coriander
mint leaves, to garnish

Place the lamb in a bowl and season with 1 tablespoon oil, salt and pepper. Marinate for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, place the remainder of the oil a large fry pan over medium heat, and sauté the onions, celery, garlic, ginger for about 5 minutes till soft. Add in the spices and continue to cook for about 3 minutes. Remove from pan.

In the same pan, add the lamb in batches and brown. Transfer to a heavy Dutch oven or a heavy pot with a lid.

Add the tomatoes, orange peel, cinnamon sticks and apricots to the lamb. Bring to a boil. Then add in the vegetable mixture, mix thoroughly.

Reduce to a simmer, and cook for about 1 hour till lamb is tender. Stir in the coriander.

Serve with mint leaves as a garnish.

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Lamb Curry

January 25th, 2011

1 ½ pounds Ontario lamb shoulder, trimmed of fat
3 tablespoons olive oil (in total for the recipe)
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

1 tablespoon of yellow curry powder
1 tablespoon coriander seeds or powder
1 teaspoon cumin seeds or powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 cardamom seeds

2 cups of chopped onions
1 bird’s eye chili, finely chopped or 1 teaspoon cayenne powder
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely minced

1 ½ cups of beef broth
1 tablespoon tamarind paste*
2 tablespoons dried coconut cream power or ½ cup canned coconut milk**
½ cup fresh grated coconut (optional)
Handful of fresh coriander leaves for garnish

Cut the lamb shoulder into ½ in cubes and remove the fat. Set aside in a bowl.

In a wide heavy pot (that has a lid), heat the pan over medium heat, and toast curry powder to the cardamom seeds for a couple of minutes will you can smell the amazing aroma. Remove from heat and grind to a powder in a coffee grinder or a mortar and pestle. Set aside.

In the same heavy pot add some oil and fry the onions, chili or powder, and ginger for 5 minutes over medium heat till a light golden colour. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add some more oil and increase the heat a bit and quickly brown the seasoned lamb (seasoned with the salt). Then add the spice mixture and stir well. Pour in the beef broth and add the tamarind paste and fresh coconut and stir so everything is incorporated. Bring to boil and then lower the heat to simmering, and cover. Cook for about an hour to an hour and a half until tender. Garnish with coriander and serve with your favorite rice and fruit chutney.

* Tamarind Paste is a jar can be purchased in Asian stores.
** Coconut Cream powder usually comes in small packages in the spice section of Asian stores and creates a less fat alternative to milk in a can.

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Armenian Grape Leaf Rolls

December 17th, 2010

I large jar of Grape leaves (you can usually buy these @ any major grocery store now)
1 ½ lemons – juice
½ cup long grain rice (I like Uncle Ben’s for this recipe)
1 cup of boiling water for rice
1 ½  pounds of ground Ontario lamb
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 cup of fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp. ground coriander
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive Oil

Drain the jar of grape leaves and soak in some warm water with the juice of one lemon for about 2 hours.

Drain in a colander and rinse one more time with some cold water and set aside. Soak and wash the rice in boiling water for about ten minutes. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a large bowl, place the rice, lamb, onions, garlic, parsley, and spices. Mix well.

Place one leaf on a cutting board, vein side up, and cut out the stem.  Place one tablespoon of the filling in the center, bottom on the leaf. Fold over like a roll and them fold in the sides and keep rolling so you have a small log shape. Continue till the entire filling is used. You will have left over leaves.

In a 9X11-baking pan with sides, place a single layer of left over leaves on the bottom. Then sprinkle some olive oil on top and spread with your fingers. Place the rolls in a single layer in the pan.

Squeeze the juice of half a lemon evenly on top…don’t worry about the seeds. And also a sprinkle of olive oil. Then add about half a cup of warm water on top so the rolls are partially sitting in the water. Cover with tin foil.

Bake for about an hour. Remove from pan and set the rolls on a large platter and let cool to room temperature.

I like to then place some lemon wedges on the plate, so guests can put an extra squeeze on top. They are also nice to serve with some yogurt. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days, covered with plastic wrap….but  let them come to room temperature before you serve them.

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Moroccan Lamb Cigars (Briouat bil Kefta)

September 21st, 2010

2 medium onion chopped finely
4 tablespoons oil
1 ½   pounds of ground lamb (or beef)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste
½ teaspoon of allspice
½ teaspoon ginger
1 cup chopped parsley
1 cup chopped cilantro
3 eggs slightly beaten
1 package of phyllo pastry
1 ½ sticks of unsalted butter -melted

To prepare the filling – In a large skillet sauté the onion in some oil for about 5 minutes. Add the meat, spices and cook till done, about 10 minutes.  Make sure it is ground really well. Add in the parsley and coriander and stir.

Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl and pour over the meat. Cook gently for a moment or two only. Let the filling cool.

Lay out one sheet of the phyllo dough at a time on a plastic mat, lengthwise. With a pastry brush lightly coat the top with melted butter. Then cut each rectangle in four long strips with a small paring knife or pastry wheel.

Place about a tablespoon of the mixture at the bottom of each strip. Start to roll up and tuck the sides in along the way. When you reach the top, apply a bit more butter to seal. Place on a lined baking sheet with wax paper.

Complete all the rolls and freeze on the tray. When frozen, remove from the tray and place in a zip lock freezer bags.

To bake, place in a 425 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes till lightly golden.

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Coconut-Cashew Ontario Lamb Patties

September 2nd, 2010

1¼ pounds of Ontario ground lamb
½ cup ground cashew nuts
1 tsp. fennel seeds (ground)
1 small onion or shallots minced
1 tbsp. finely chopped garlic
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 large egg
1 tsp salt
Ground pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients to make patties. Should make around 12 small patties. Keep in fridge till sauce is ready.

Sauce

3 tbsp. tamarind paste* (or to taste)
1 tbsp. coriander seeds or ground
1 tsp. fennel seeds or ground
½ tsp cumin seeds or ground
2 tbsp. sesame oil or vegetable oil
1 med onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
¼ tsp. turmeric
2-3 large tomatoes chopped with liquid or a 28 oz can of chopped tomatoes with liquid
½ tsp salt
½ cup chopped coriander leaves
2 tsp sugar or maple syrup

Grind all dry spices, if using whole.

In a large deep frying pan, heat oil, add onion and garlic and cook till soft. Add ground spices and turmeric and stir. Then add tamarind sauce, tomatoes with liquid and salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the balance of sweet and tart with more tamarind or sugar. Add some water too, if it is too thick. Gently slide in patties and cook at a medium simmer for 20 minutes. Turn over half way through. Just before serving, stir in the coriander leaves.
Serve with your favorite rice.

*Tamarind – You can buy  it in jars in specialty food shops. You can also buy the pulp in brick form (comes compact in a square). Break off half (in pieces) and soak in bowl with hot water for about 15 minutes. Separate the pulp from the seeds and press through sieve. Capture liquid and add to sauce. If using the pulp method, you may need a bit more than 3 tbsp. If you are really stuck, you can substitute tamarind with lemon juice.

Adapted from Mangoes & Curry Leaves

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Lamb Kofta with Pine Nuts

June 7th, 2010
  • 1 ½ pounds ground lamb or beef (I like lamb best for these)
  • 2 medium onions grated or finely chopped
  • 1 egg lightly beaten
  • 1/3 cup of pine nuts (toasted)
  • ½ cup homemade breadcrumbs or Panko
  • 2 garlic cloves crushed
  • 1 tsp. ground coriander
  • Dash of Tabasco
  • Handful of chopped parsley
  • Salt pepper to taste
  • Olive oil

Toast Pine nuts to a light golden brown in a hot fry pan. Watch carefully as they can burn easily. Cool

Mix all the remaining ingredients together. Roll into egg shape and fry in olive oil.

Makes about 16 pieces.

These can be served with a seasonal spinach salad or minted peas. They are also tasty with some hummus and tabbouleh in a warm pita.

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