Another really good recipe...

Lamb Rack Roast and Grilled Veggie Salad

I have not been cooking this week.  Tis the season for wine to be an acceptable substitute for dinner, apparently, although I’ve got to say I’ve been out to two new places this week that blew my mind.

I’ve heard a lot of hype about Ms. G’s in Potts Point, but I’ve been skeptical of the queues and overpriced cocktails.  It was all true.  I would eat there every day if I could.  Besides everything being amazing, we finished off with a dessert called Stoner’s Delight 2.0, which pretty much tastes like magic on a plate.

I think I actually first discovered Duke Bistro in Surry Hills on the internet, somewhere.  Thank you, internet!  It’s one of the coolest venues I’ve found in Sydney, hidden upstairs in what feels like someone’s house, and the food was incredible.  Anyplace that suggests you start off with the bacon jam is my sort of place.

Oh, in case you were more interested in the salad, here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

• .5 kilo lamb rack
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh thyme
• Olive oil, salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup red wine
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 red or yellow pepper, sliced in strips
• 2 portabello mushrooms, sliced
• 2 sweet potatoes, sliced
• Lettuce and tomatoes, or whatever else you want in your salad

Rub the lamb rack with salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup of thyme (no olive oil).  Let it hang out and get happy while you do the rest.

Toss the sweet potatoes in 1/4 cup of thyme, and season with salt, pepper and olive oil.  Bake on 200C / 375F, flipping halfway through, for about 30-40 minutes until they’re golden.

In a hot pan that can go in the oven, with a drizzle of olive oil, sear the lamb for 2 minutes on each side (including the top, so 3 sides), and rest it with the meatiest side touching the pan.  Pour in the red wine and add half the lemon juice, and bake for about 10 minutes.  Flip, and bake for another 10 before removing and letting it rest.  When you flip the meat, grill the veggies with salt, pepper and olive oil.  Or roast them with the sweet potatoes, or eat them raw.  Assemble your salad and pour on the rest of the lemon juice.  Serves 2.

egg nog recipe!

Egg Nog

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cinnamon stick
generous pinch of ground clove
6 egg yolks
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup rum (optional)
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:
Over low heat combine milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, cinnamon stick and clove in a medium saucepan. Rise the heat slowly and bring to a slow boil (it takes about 7 minutes to bring to a boil.) Once the milk mixture starts to boil take off heat and let the cinnamon stick seep for 2 minutes, remove cinnamon stick.

In the bowl of a standing mixer combine egg yolks and sugar. Whisk together until pale and fluffy. With the mixer on low, pour the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks (tempering the yolks) whisk until well incorporated. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and heat on med/med-low for about 5 minutes, continually stirring, until thickened and creamy.  Do not let it boil, or the nog will curdle.

Stir in the rum, heavy cream and nutmeg and refrigerate over night. When ready to serve garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

meatball sub recipe

Meatball Sub

Ingredients:
- 1 lb beef
- 2 tbsp onion powder
- 1-1/2 tbsp salt (more if you like your food salty)
- 1 cup Italian-style bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 container tomato sauce (I used Prego)

Steps:
(1) Preheat oven to 325.
(2) In a large bowl, combine all ingredients (except the tomato sauce) until well-mixed. The meat should be very malleable, and not sticky.
(3) Roll meat mixture into balls, 1-inch in diameter. Place balls on a greased pan. Don’t crowd the pan, but you don’t have to worry about these meatballs spreading, so you can line them closer than you would if you were working with cookie dough.
(4) Bake meatballs for about 8 minutes.
(5) While meatballs are baking, start heating the pasta sauce in a large sauce pan.
(6) Take the meatballs out of the oven and scoop them into the bubbling sauce. Leave the oven on.
(7) Cook meatballs in sauce for about 3 minutes. Turn stove off.
(8) Cut a 6-7 inch wedge off the end of a loaf of French bread. Slice length-wise without severing the loaf all the way in half.
(9) Line the bottom half with provolone cheese. Scoop about 4-5 meatballs into the middle, and top with more provolone.
(10) Place your sandwich onto a baking sheet and slide back in the oven. Bake for about 1 minute, or until the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with chopped or dried parsley.
(11) Eat immediately, with a lot of napkins on hand.

true!

THIS LOOKS BEAUTIFUL

Cute and simple to make!

Candy cane heart suckers! sooo easy! Set them up on a greased baking sheet as shown on the left, bake for 3 minutes at 300 degrees. Carefully pinch together when fresh out of the oven (its hot, careful!). Remove when cool. My kids love helping me make these!

Holiday treats!