Spicey Green Beans

One medium yellow onion
1-3 tablespoons mustard seeds
1-6 teaspoons thinly sliced or slivered fresh ginger
4-6 helpings worth of green beans
1-8 teaspoons red chili powder depending on type and taste (NOT a chili and kidney bean spice mix, but red pepper as in cayenne or Indian red chili powder)
Salt
Garlic Powder

Cut the onion into rectangular pieces, 1/2-1" long.

Heat skillet to medium heat, add grapeseed oil (or other high temp oil). If a healthy oil I like to be generous.

Add the onions, then mustard seed and don't stir until the first cooked surface has started to brown. Then stir frequently until the onions just start to soften or turn transluscent.

Push onions to the sides and add green beans. I like to break them down to about 2" lengths. Let the green beans sear a couple times then stir it up and add the red chili powder a generous sprinkling of garlic powder and cover for five minutes.

About half way through the five minutes add the ginger and stir. I work to get an amount that pops, but is not pervasive in every bite. Slices cut in half may be the way to go. Add water to make a pleasing sauce from the chili and garlic powder.

The cooking time should be adjusted up or down for thin or thick green beans. They should be slightly softened, while retaining just a little cruchiness.

Sweet and Sour Ginger Lamb

A few days before Christmas I roasted a nice leg of lamb and had quite a bit left over. Made up a recipe which was quite a hit.

2 medium granny smith apples, peeled and chopped
1/2 - 1 cup (white) raisins
2-5 teaspoons rosemary, depending on the gaminess of the lamb
several tablespoons of fresh ginger, minced or slivered
1-3 tablespoons basalmic vinegar

1-2 cups asparagus, chopped to 3/4-1" long pieces
1-2 cups snow peas, broken in half
1-2 medium shallots finely chopped
1/2-1 cup chopped green onion
2 cups leftover lamb roast, 1/4 inch cubes.


Heat a small skillet to medium, then add a high temp oil like grapeseed.
Add the apples and raisins. Let sit for a few minutes to carmelize the apples just a bit.
Stir the apples and raisins fairly often, and as the apples start to break down add water, as needed to keep them from getting dried out. As the water starts getting slightly applesauce-like add the ginger. Don't completely break down the apples, and once they get pretty far along add the basalmic vinegar.

Heat a large skillet or wok to stir fry temperature, add high temp oil and the asparagus and snow peas. Add chili oil to taste if desired.
Stir infrequently allowing the vegetable brown a little bit a couple times.
Add the shallots and stir more often to cook (and cover) everything. When nearly done add the green onion and lamb. Salt and pepper to taste and when everything is about done...

Stir the contents of the small skillet into the wok or large skillet, and add water to get the desired sauciness. The apples and raisins should serve to thicken the mix just right, and if not add a little corn starch or your favorite thickener.

Serve over rice.

Lamb and Chicken Meatloaf

I haven't been writing much here lately, so I thought I'd archive a few recently developed recipes. These are directions for me, so ingredient quantities are pretty rough. Deal with it, and follow your mood for the day. That should help you get things the way you like.

This is a recipe that surprised us (my brother and I) as it was developed during an elimination diet. I was only eating lamb, rice, and chicken, and the second time I made it I had added a few veggies to my diet.  No wheat, gluten, dairy or eggs and people usually love it, even those who say they don't like meatloaf.


2 lbs lean ground lamb
1 lb lean ground chicken
9 crushed rice cakes (I like the brown rice ones)
1-2 medium shallots finely chopped
2-4 teaspoons rosemary (depending on your taste and gaminess of lamb)
2-4 tablespoons parsley (for appearance)
chopped celery (roughly one cup)
chopped mushroom (roughly one cup)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350

Mix all together and form into two loafs. I put in a bread pan with a bit of olive oil and rub a little oil on the upper surface. If the meat is not lean this wouldn't be needed.
Bake until internal temperature reaches 165, 50-60 minutes.

Update (02Nov12):
I sometimes substitute three pounds lean ground beef for the chicken and lamb, and sage for the rosemary.  Everything after the rice cakes the amounts are very approximate.  I tend to go heavy on the veggies and mushrooms, by guess and by golly, and by feel.  I kind of like to have enough so the loaves barely hold together, but I'm become a veggie fan mid in life.

And today I'm out of sage so I'm using a oregano with a little rosemary, and a touch of smoked paprika...  I'll re-update on that combo.

It smelled terrific. I think I like the sage a little more, Ericka liked this combo much more.