Herb Roasted Leg of Lamb with Vegetable Au jus

My best Easter meal EVER

4 medium onions, peeled (roots trimmed, but still attached) and quartered
1 large stalk celery quartered
6 large garlic cloves (peeled, lightly crushed)
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 7 lb leg of lamb, boneless, trimmed rolled and tied
1 tsp Herbs de Provence
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
6 medium carrots, cut into 3" long pieces
2 medium parsnips
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 1/2 cups low sodium beef broth or chicken broth

Preheat oven to 400F

In roasting pan, combine onions, celery, and garlic cloves. Drizzle with 1 tbsp oil, toss well to coat, mound in center of the pan. Set lamb atop of mixture, Drizzle with 1 TBS oil, and sprinkle with herbs de provence, s & p, arrange carrots and parsnips around meat and drizzle with remaining 2 TBSP oil. Pour wine and broth into pan and cover tightly with heavy duty foil.

Roast 1 hur. Remove foil and increase heat to 425F. Roast until thermometer inserted int thickest part of lamb registers 130F for rare. About 15 minutes more for medium rare.

Transfer lamb to carving board and tent w/ foil. Transfer carrots, parsnips and 1/2 of onions to seprate bowl to serve. Force remaining contents of pan thru medium mesh strainer, into sauce pan, pressing well on solids. Skim off (or put thru seperator) and discard fat. Set saucepan over moderate heat, and bring to simmer. Cook, uncovered, until reduced by half-- abt 10 minutes. Season w/ salt and pepper to taste.

Remove string from lamb, cut crosswise into thin slices, Arrange on platter with roasted veggies. Serve warm w/ jus alongside.

Serves 8 to 10

Corn Dogs

1 C flour
1/2 C cornmeal
2 T sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 T shortening
1 egg, beaten
3/4 C milk
10 hotdogs
oil for frying
skewers

In medium bowl, mix flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. With fork cut in t T shortening until mixture resembles fine crumbs. In small bowl, combine egg and milk. Add ot dry mix, mix well.

Pat hotdogs dry. Skew and dip into batter, coating well on all sides.

Drop in 1 or 2 at a time into hot oil. Fry until golden brown, about 1 minute each side.

Serve hot.

Peach Glaze for Ham

The quintessential glaze for Easter Ham.

1 1/2 C brown sugar
1/3 c syrup from canned peaches
3 T vinegar
3/4 tsp cloves

Glaze ham every 15 to 20 minutes while baking.


*Pineapple juice may be substituted in place of peach syrup

Captains Casserole

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 C milk
2/3 C cheddar cheese
1 1/3 C minute rice
1 C tomatoes
1 C water
1/2 onion
2 cans tuna
1/2 C potato chips, crushed

Heat soup, milk cheese, combine in greased shallow baking dish. Drain tomatoes saving 1/2 cup juice. Stir juice and water into rice and onion and tuna. Add tomatoes, pour over sauce and sprinkle with potato chips.

bake 375 20 to 25 minutes

Stir Fry

1 1/2 lbs sliced sirloin or london broil
1/4 C packed brown sugar
1/4 C soy sauce
1/4 C rice vinegar
1/4 head sliced green cabbage
3-4 sliced carrots
4 stalks celery
1 sliced onion
2-3 sliced bell peppers
8-12 sliced mushrooms
2-3 sliced zuchinni
2 C broccoli
1-2 T cornstarch
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 C oil


Place thinly sliced beef in medium bowl. Mix brown sugar, soy sauce and rice wine and pour over meat and refrigerate.
Prepare veggies, do not peel zucchini. Slice carrots, zuch's and mushrooms very thin. Slice bell pepper and onion into strips.

Pour oil into wok (or pan large enough to accommodate) heat oil to 375 F. Add veggies all at once, and stir to coat w/ oil. Drain liquid from meat marinade onto veggies Cover and cook to desired tenderness. Add meat and cook until done (since thin sliced, only takes a few minutes.)

Sweet n Sour Delight

1 lb chicken or pork
1 T vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chunked
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 med carrots, sliced
1 med bell pepper chunked
1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks undrained

1/4 C white vinegar (or rice vinegar)
3 T brown sugar
3 T ketchup
3 T soy sauce
1 T cornstarch
1 tsp ground ginger

Cut meat into bite sized pieces. Brown in oil. Reduce heat to low, add onion and garlic. Cover and cook 10 minutes. Add carrots and bell pepper.

Combine remaining ingredients and stir into skillet. Simmer, covered, 10 more minutes. Serve with rice.

Perfect Summer Shrimp

1 lb peeled, deveined shrimp
1 large lemon – for zesting and juice
½ tsp marjoram
1 cup vegetable oil
Sea Salt to taste

Skewers

Thread peeled, clean, deveined shrimp onto skewers. Put in a casserole dish large enough to accommodate them for marinating

In small bowl, add zest of half the lemon, and the juice of the lemon, marjoram, and sea salt. Drizzle oil in while whisking to make and emulsion.

Pour over shrimp, let marinate in fridge for an hour, flip, and let marinade another ½ to one hour. Pepper to taste.

Cook over medium heat on cast iron griddle, or on grill, 3 to 4 minutes each side until pink.