Category: Carrot

Lamb Shoulder Chops with Mint Vinaigrette

4/16/2019

So the NBA playoffs are here, and I ain't no basketball widow—I love my Golden State Warriors and Portland Trailblazers. For game one of the round-one series between the Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers, we hosted a pizza party with a close high-school friend of the BF, his lovely wife and twins (boy and girl), who are now finishing up their HS-freshman year. [Ed. note: Time flies! Is April really halfway done?]

We also for the first time met a previously social-media-only acquaintance, a young man who shares the BF's love of San Francisco bay area sports teams. Always better to meet in person! Together, we all enjoyed an emphatic game-one Warriors victory. [Ed. note: Since the Warriors somehow managed to blow a 31-point lead in game two, we now must have pizza parties for all future games. Hey I don't make the rules. :-\ ]

Note to self: make lamb shoulder chops more often. Inexpensive, take little-to-no time to cook (6-10 minutes!) and go with almost anything. Being that it is spring, lamb goes very well with mint, carrots, and potatoes, all of which are are in season.

This beautiful meal will grace our Passover table and will be served as Easter dinner to one client family as well.

NOTES:

Lamb shoulder chops are not the same as lamb rib chops, which are more expensive.
Many side dishes go well with lamb, but may I kindly suggest roasted rainbow carrots from January. (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/roasted-carrot-lentil-salad-with-radishes-and-tahini-dressing).
Totally optional, but I added pomegranate seeds and spiced yogurt.
The mint vinaigrette is very versatile—drizzle over meats, seafood, carrots, potatoes, etc.

PS: One year ago, the BF and I fought off a seriously pesky bug [Ed. note: NOT fun.] and I made white chocolate bark with strawberries and pistachios (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/white-chocolate-bark-with-strawberries-pistachios).

Adapted from: Jessica Seinfeld
Number of servings: 4

Ingredients
Mint Vinaigrette

2 teaspoons honey
¼ cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 shallot, chopped
½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves

Lamb

4 lamb shoulder chops, 1-inch thick (about 2 pounds)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Optional Toppings

Pomegranates
Greek yogurt (add to taste: ground cumin, fennel, dill & garlic, salt, squeeze of lemon)

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper (roughly about 6 turns on pepper mill). Chop the shallot and add to the bowl. Pick the mint leaves from their stems and mince. Add to bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
Pat the lamb dry with a paper towel. Season both sides with the salt and pepper. Place a large skillet on the stove and turn heat on to medium-high. Add the oil and heat until it shimmers (about 1 minute). Add the lamb to the skillet and cook to desired doneness, 3-5 minutes per side for medium-rare.
Drizzle with mint vinaigrette and top with pomegranate seeds and yogurt, if using.

2 Comments

Roasted Carrot Lentil Salad with Radishes and Tahini Dressing

1/3/2019

2 Comments

Did you learn to cook anything new last year? Among many discoveries, I found that roasted radishes are a revelation. A delicious and fantastic complement to carrots, can't believe I have never tried them roasted before. [Ed. note: Calling the proper authorities, this has to be a violation of some kind.]

If you're not a fan of lentils, make the roasted carrots and radishes with tahini sauce. You won't be sorry. It makes a wonderful lunch, side or main course.

NOTE: I'm relying more and more on Trader Joe's pre-steamed lentils, usually located with the fresh produce. It's such a time saver and the lentils are firm, yet tender, which is exactly what you want. If you want to make lentils from scratch, I have included instructions below.

PS: Last year we got a little tipsy on this citrus champagne bundt cake (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/citrus-champagne-bundt-cake) and recovered nicely thanks to this ginger turmeric detox broth (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/ginger-turmeric-detox-broth).

Adapted from: A Beautiful Plate
Number of servings: approximately 4

Ingredients
Lentils

1 cup dried French green Le Puy lentils, sorted (or 1 package pre-cooked Trader Joe's lentils)
3 cups water
1 small yellow onion, cut into quarters
2 cloves of garlic, smashed, divided
1 dried bay leaf
¾ teaspoon kosher sea salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Carrots & Radishes

2 bunches of rainbow carrots (8-10 medium carrots), scrubbed well and trimmed (leafy stem tops cleaned well and reserved for garnish)
7-8 red radishes, stems trimmed and scrubbed well, divided
5-6 garlic cloves, skin-on
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ of a red onion, very thinly sliced

Tahini Dressing

¼ cup tahini paste
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon kosher sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3–4 tablespoons warm water (depending on thickness of tahini paste)

Directions
Lentils

Use your favorite pre-cooked lentils or place the dried lentils in a medium saucepan. Cover with cold water and allow lentils to soak for one hour.
Drain the lentils and return to the same saucepan. Add 3 cups of water, the quartered onion, smashed garlic, bay leaf, and ¾ teaspoon salt. Bring lentils to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer, and cook lentils for 25-30 minutes, or until tender.
Drain in a fine-meshed sieve and discard the onion, garlic, and bay leaf. Place in a large serving bowl to cool. Toss with a tablespoon of olive oil.

Carrots & Radishes

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 °F. Slice the carrots into ½-inch rounds (the skinny ends can be left in larger chunks; try to keep the carrots as consistently sized as possible) and cut the radishes into quarters (reserving one radish for garnishing).
Place carrots and radishes on a large sheet pan, along with the garlic cloves (leave the skin on), and toss with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
Roast for 20-30 minutes, tossing the vegetables every 10 minutes or so, or until carrots and radishes are caramelized and tender. Remove the roasted garlic cloves from their skin (discard the skin, but keep the cloves) and allow vegetables to cool to room temperature. [Ed. note: ROOM TEMPERATURE] Add the roasted vegetables and garlic to the cooked lentils, along with the sliced red onion, and toss gently to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Tahini Dressing

In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini paste, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. It should be thick. Add 3-4 tablespoons of hot water (depending on your brand of tahini paste, you might need more or less to achieve the right consistency) and gently whisk until smooth. It should have the consistency of a thick salad dressing, able to drizzle easily from a spoon.
Using a mandolin or sharp knife, cut the remaining radish into very thin slices. Roughly chop some of the reserved leafy stem tops of the carrots, roughly ¼ cup or so.
Garnish the salad with the sliced radish and chopped carrot stem tops. Drizzle with the tahini dressing and serve at room temperature. [Ed. note: R-O-O-O-O-M TEMPERATURE] This salad makes great leftovers and can be served cold from the fridge.

2 Comments

Moroccan Carrot Soup

12/29/2018

2 Comments

"The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written."
-Melody Beattie

"The beginning is the most important part of the work."
-Plato

"Boy, this year sure was a long decade."
-Anonymous

Happy New Year!

Here's a deliciously bright carrot soup made with ginger, coconut milk, fresh orange juice and infused with warming spices. Simple as can be, plus-bonus-it's vegan and gluten free. It's even BF approved, so you know it's good. [Ed. note: Can confirm. Also, my primary-care physician called. He said, "More vegetables."]

The BF and I hope you're enjoying a wonderful holiday, and that this soup warms up any cold, wintry days.

Adapted from: Feasting at Home
Number of Servings: 8 cups

Ingredients

2 tablespoons oil
2 fat shallots, or one onion, diced
2 tablespoons ginger, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 lb carrots, peeled, sliced into ½-inch rounds
8 ounces potatoes, rough chopped
1 apple, rough chopped
2 cups veggie or chicken stock
2 cups water
1 can coconut milk
1 cup orange juice (juice form 2 oranges)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon cayenne, more to taste
Pomegranate seeds (optional)

Directions

Heat oil in a large heavy-bottom pot. Add onions. Sauté over medium-high heat until tender and golden, 3-4 minutes. Turn heat to medium, add ginger and garlic and cook for 2 more minutes, until golden and fragrant. Add the carrots, potatoes, apples, stock and water.
Bring to a boil, turn heat down to low and simmer, covered for 15 minutes or until carrots are fork tender.
Let this cool, then using a blender, blend in batches until very very smooth. Place back in the pot. Add orange juice, coconut milk, salt and spices. Stir to combine, while reheating over low heat.
Taste, adjust salt and heat, adding more salt or cayenne, as desired. Top with pomegranate seeds.

2 Comments

Spiced Roasted Carrots with Avocado & Yogurt

3/20/2018

0 Comments

Spring is here, a-suh-puh-ring is here
Life is Skittles and life is beer
I think the loveliest time of the year is the spring
I do, don't you? 'Course you do
But there's one thing that makes spring complete for me
And makes every Sunday a treat for me...
~Tom Lehrer

Today is the first day of spring. You wouldn't know it by looking out my window right now, as we're in the middle of a Pineapple Express storm, courtesy of Hawaii. Matters not, I'm breaking out some serious spring veggies.

I could certainly eat this as a main dish. My BF would not. [Ed. note: Carrots are not an entrée!] Still, you can serve this as a side dish to complement just about anything.

If you can't find rainbow carrots, you can go ahead and use regular orange carrots. They're pretty commonplace now, available in most grocery stores. We have them here at the local Trader Joe's, Safeway, Whole Foods, etc.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Spring!

All the world seems in tune
On a spring afternoon
When we're poisoning pigeons in the park...

Adapted from: Smitten Kitchen
Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients
For the Carrots

¼ cup water
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon coarse or kosher salt, plus more to taste
Red chile flakes, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 garlic cloves, minced or grated
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
3 pounds thin-to-medium carrots, scrubbed, peeled or unpeeled; mixed colors are prettier here but not essential. Dry thorougly.

To Finish

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons orange juice (from about ¼ orange)
2 tablespoons lemon juice (from about ½ lemon)
1 large or 2 medium firm-ripe avocados, cut into thin slices
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 cups micro greens, radish sprouts (fresh dill was used here)
¼-½ cup plain yogurt or sour cream
2 tablespoons roasted hulled pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, toasted sesame seeds or a mix thereof

Directions

Heat oven to 400 °F.
Cover a large baking sheet pan with foil for easy cleanup.
In a small bowl combine spices, thyme, salt, pepper, garlic, vinegar and ¼ cup olive oil. Whisk to blend.
Spread carrots out on foil-lined baking sheet. Pour spice mixture over carrots and mix with a spatula (or your hands), making sure to get the spice-oil mixture all over every carrot.
Pour ¼ cup water in bottom of pan.
Cover tightly with foil and roast for 25 minutes.
Remove foil and roast for 30 more minutes, or until carrots are lightly browned and tender, but not falling apart.
Meanwhile, combine 2 tablespoons (each) olive oil, orange and lemon juices into a small dish with salt and pepper. Drizzle this citrus dressing over the carrots, scatter with avocado and sprouts, dollop yogurt/sour cream over the top, and sprinkle with seeds.

[Ed. note: Tom Lehrer was a favorite musical comedian of both our Momalas. No pigeons were harmed in the creation of this blog.]

When they see us coming
The birdies all try and hide
But they still go for peanuts
When coated with cyanide

0 Comments

Vegan Garam Masala Carrot Soup

10/4/2017

0 Comments

The countdown begins: twenty-seven days until Halloween. The pumpkins have found a rightful place in the house. Pumpkin lights are up and dare I say cinnamon-apple-cider candles are lit and wafting their collective fragrance throughout the house. The boyfriend is asking for caramel apple cheesecake—which is a sure sign that autumn is here (at least inside our house). He does not get as excited as I do for fall to arrive [Ed. Note: Perhaps it's the annual fall reminder of how aged I have become, but I digress], but does enjoy the autumnal foods and cute costumed kids ringing our doorbell on the 31st.

Although this post is not a pumpkin recipe [Ed. Note: Spoiler alert--next week], it's the perfect transitional dish through the end of our regular bay-area Indian summers, when the Oregonian in me is chomping at the bit for crisper "soup, sweater, boot" weather.

In the meantime, enjoy this healthy, flavorful soup.

Adapted from: A Beautiful Plate
Number of servings: 3-4 (makes 4 cups)

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds medium carrots, trimmed, peeled, sliced lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium yellow onions, chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons (liquid state) coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons ground garam masala
small pinch of ground cayenne pepper
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
1 can (13 or 14 ounces) full-fat coconut milk (or light)
juice of half a lime
freshly ground pepper
microgreens, for garnishing (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 °F with rack in the center position. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Place carrots and onions on sheet pan, drizzle with coconut oil (or extra virgin olive oil), ground garam masala, cayenne pepper, and salt. Toss vegetables with your hands to evenly coat. Spread into an even, thin layer.
Roast carrots and onions until lightly caramelized and very fork tender, tossing them halfway through, about 25 to 35 minutes.
Place the coconut milk (reserve about 1 to 2 tablespoons for drizzling and garnishing the soup) and 1 ¼ cups boiling hot water in a high capacity blender. If using a smaller blender, you may need to do this step in batches. Using the foil, transfer the roasted carrots and onions to the blender. Add lime juice. Puree until very smooth and creamy. If soup is too thick, add a few tablespoons of hot water at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Season the soup to taste with salt, pepper, and additional lime juice (if desired).
Serve soup hot from the blender, garnishing with a drizzle of coconut milk, olive oil, and fresh microgreens as desired.
NOTE: in the past, I used a hand-immersion blender for convenience, but I urge you to use a blender as the soup has a more velvety texture to it.