dinner with Julie

Day 234: Lamb Rogan Josh and Roasted Chick Peas with Chard

It turns out I am a grown-up, after all. I spent last weekend choosing a new washer and dryer. When it arrived yesterday, Mike and I were so excited that we sat in front of it and watched the water level rise through the window, as if it was a TV. Today I took the dog to the vet and drove home in the rain and rush hour, listening to the CBC news. Then I made a practical dinner; something I actually planned ahead this time. By the time I got home

One day not so long ago while I was attempting to do inventory in my freezer, I pulled out a small chunk of lamb, thinking I’d do something with it. I didn’t, so cubed it, tossed it with some spices in a plastic bag, sealed the bag and tossed it back in the freezer with ROGAN JOSH written on the outside. (I think I am finally beginning to learn that what goes in isn’t necessarily identifiable by sight when it comes out.) I planned to make a recipe for lamb R.J. that I found in an old copy of Cooking Light I bought at a garage sale for 25 cents. (Cooking Light recipes are fantastic.)

And I am now addicted to roasted chick peas and chard; awhile ago I roasted the chick peas in oil and garlic, salted them and ate them in front of a movie. Far better for you than chips or popcorn, but still fairly calorie-dense, unfortunately. It went swimmingly with the lamb.

Rogan Josh
(adapted from the April 2005 issue of Cooking Light)

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2-1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1/4 tsp. saffron threads (optional)
1/4 tp. ground allspice or cloves
1- 1 1/2 pounds boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tsp. canola oil
1 cup less-sodium beef broth
1/2 cup low-fat yogurt or sour cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Combine first 9 ingredients in a plastic bag. Add lamb; seal and shake to coat. Chill for several hours or overnight, or freeze for up to 4 months.

When you’re ready to make dinner, heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the lamb on all sides, but don’t worry about cooking it through. Add the broth and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour. Uncover and cook 5 minutes or until sauce thickens. Remove from heat; stir in yogurt and cilantro and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Per serving: CALORIES 193(38% from fat); FAT 8.2g (sat 2.5g,mono 3.5g,poly 0.9g); IRON 2.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 67mg; CALCIUM 90mg; CARBOHYDRATE 4.8g; SODIUM 396mg; PROTEIN 24g; FIBER 1.5g

August 21 2008 | lamb | 10 Comments »

Day 233: Butter Chicken, Aloo Gobi and Peroghies at Globalfest

We completed our mission to eat our way around the world tonight. Or at least made it to India and the Ukraine.

Both were just alright. The samosas were about the size of a postage stamp. (OK, two postage stamps.) The aloo gobi (curried cauliflower and potatoes) was the best part, I think. I asked for the recipe, but was not obliged. I did find one from Chef at Home that looks worth a try. The naan was not naan, but a piece of pita. Boo.

Whenever peroghies are an option, it’s an option we take. They were good, but I’m always a little disappointed when they aren’t browned in a skillet and served with caramelized onions. It did remind me that I really should make a batch of peroghies again; I haven’t for probably 10 years. It was about a decade ago that I insisted Mike’s mom dig up some sort of family recipe – what good is marrying into a Ukranian family if they aren’t going to provide you with some deadly secret grandma-recipe for peroghies and cabbage rolls? She didn’t deliver on the cabbage rolls (probably a good thing - his dad’s cabbage rolls were nasty when he bothered to make them) but I did get a peroghy recipe. It might not be the best recipe, but it has family history, dammit.

(I had never met Mike’s Ukranian grandma, a woman who birthed 14 kids in a 3 bedroom house smaller than ours in Cudworth, Saskatchewan. I heard stories of her feeding Mike gravy at 2 weeks old, which explains a lot, and in the glaring photo on Mike’s mom’s bookshelf it’s difficult to distinguish between her and her husband; both scowling at the camera, with eyebrows growing straight up into their hairlines to accentuate their expressions.)

But let me tell you quick about lunch: lentil-barley salad again, with parsley, tomatoes and feta and balsamic vinaigrette, and roasted blueberries over lavender ice cream. I had bought a package of disappointing, wrinkly blueberries and so spread them out on a cookie sheet, sprinkled them with sugar and roasted them at 400F until they softened and released their juices. Another good thing to do with this sort of berry is to throw them into a pot of maple syrup and warm it until they pop, like cranberries do when you make cranberry sauce, turning the syrup a brilliant indigo.

It made a big batch, so I spooned some over some MacKay’s lavender ice cream (fortunately/unfortunately I have a friend who works for MacKay’s, and so is always bringing me samples when she visits – right now I have samples of wine, Big Rock beer and jaggerbomb ice cream in my freezer) and froze the rest in batches to add to smoothies or thaw and layer with yogurt and granola.

August 21 2008 | eating out | 8 Comments »