Lamb Tajine With Pears And Honey

(Serves 6)
2 - 3 lbs. boneless lamb shoulder
2 lbs. fresh pears
4 medium onions
4 TBS. butter
5 TBS. honey
1 TBS. cinnamon
1 pinch saffron
salt and fresh ground pepper
Cut the lamb into cubes about 1" square.
Melt the butter in a dutch oven or casserole (which has a cover). Add lamb, salt, pepper, cinnamon and saffron. Mix well and sauté lamb until brown.
Cover meat with water. Cook covered for 30 minutes.
Peel the onions. Cut into large pieces. Add to the lamb mixture. Cover and cook an additional 30 minutes.
When the lamb is thoroughly cooked and tender (perhaps an additional 15 - 30 minutes), remove the lamb (only) from the casserole. Peel the pears. Cut into large pieces. Add pears to the casserole along with the honey. Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes until the pears are just becoming tender.
Add the lamb back to the casserole and cook for another 10 minutes to blend all the flavors. (At this point, if the sauce is too thin, it can be reduced by temporarily removing it from the meat, pears, and onion mixture and cooking the sauce in a separate saucepan until it thickens. Then add the thickened sauce back to the lamb, pears and onions).
Serve with couscous.
(from: Odile Grand-Clement, our friend from Paris, France)

Mexican Lamb Chops with Spicy Chili and Coriander

Ingredients
4 tbsp chili powder
handfuls coriander, hopped
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
8 lamb loin chops, ones trimmed back
1 tbsp olive oil
30 g shallots, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
450 ml dry red wine
450 ml beef stock
50 g butter, chilled and cut into 1cm pieces
2 - 3 squares of dark chocolate
To serve:
. lettuce
. white beans
. avocados
. peppers
. coriander
Yields 4 servings
1. Combine 2 tablespoons of the chilli powder, the coriander, oregano, cumin and garlic powder in
small bowl and coat the lamb with it. Place the lamb chops in glass baking dish, cover and refrigerate
for 8 hours or overnight.
2. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and fry for 2
minutes before adding the red wine, beef stock and remaining chilli powder. Cook for about 30
minutes, until the sauce is reduced to about 200ml. Remove from the heat, add the butter, a little at a time, and then add the chocolate, whisking after each addition.
3. Meanwhile griddle the lamb chops as desired, remove from heat, and serve immediately with the
sauce and a side salad of lettuce, white beans, avocado, peppers and a sprinkling of coriander

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast)

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Yield: 2/3 cup
Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William and Morrow, 1993.

Picadillo Stuffed Peppers in Slow Cooker

1 (26-ounce) jar no-salt-added or regular marinara sauce
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
4 medium green bell peppers
10 ounces ground lean lamb
1 small zucchini, diced
½ cup quick-cooking barley
⅓ cup finely chopped onion
¼ cup raisins

In a large bowl, combine marinara sauce, vinegar, cumin and cinnamon.

Spoon 1½ cups mixture into a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Slice off top ½ inch of peppers; seed peppers and reserve tops.

Add lamb, zucchini, barley, onion and raisins to remaining sauce; mix well.

Evenly spoon mixture into peppers (pack filling if necessary); replace tops. Stand upright in cooker.

Cover and cook on low 5 to 6 hours or until tender and when internal temperature of filling is 165 degrees. Serve with sauce.

Serves 4.

Irish Lamb Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

# Servings: 4
Lamb Filling:
1 pound ground American lamb
1/4 cup instant rice
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
8 large cabbage leaves, blanched

Sauce:
1 can (15 ounces) stewed tomatoes
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon paprika

Directions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. In medium bowl, blend lamb, rice, egg, garlic salt, pepper, dry mustard, sage, coriander and allspice. Form into 8 rolls, each 3 inches long. Place in center of each cabbage leaf; roll up, tucking in sides. Place seam side down in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish; set aside.

For sauce: In medium bowl, combine stewed tomatoes, onion, green pepper, lemon juice, brown sugar and paprika. Pour over lamb cabbage rolls.

Cover and bake in oven for 50 to 60 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of the American Lamb Board.

One-Skillet Lamb Chops with Pears & Balsamic Pan Sauce

INGREDIENTS:
4 medium or 6 small 3/4-inch thick lamb loin chops (1 to 1 1/4 lb), fat trimmed
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup 100% unsweetened apple juice
1/4 cup low-sodium beef broth
1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 firm-ripe pear, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices
3/4 tsp fresh rosemary, thyme or combination, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS:
Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add lamb; cook to desired doneness, about 2 1/2 minutes per side for medium rare or 4 minutes per side for medium. Transfer lamb to plates and cover to keep warm.
Discard any fat from skillet and return to medium heat. Add apple juice, broth, vinegar and pear to skillet, and cook, scraping up any browned bits in the bottom of the pan until liquid is reduced by about half, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in herbs. Top lamb with pears and pan sauce, and serve. Garnish with additional rosemary or thyme, if desired.

Leg of Lamb with Roasted Pear and Pine Nut Relish

You can also serve the relish with roast beef, pork, or chicken. Prepare it up to two days in advance, but be sure to stir in the nuts just before serving so they stay crunchy. Embellish the platter with fresh pears, roasted onion wedges, lemon slices, and flat-leaf parsley.
Photo by: Becky Luigart-Stayner

YIELD: 18 servings (serving size: about 3 ounces lamb and about 3 tablespoons relish)
COURSE: Main Dishes
Ingredients
Relish:
6 firm ripe Anjou pears, peeled, cored, and quartered
1 medium Rio or other sweet onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Lamb:
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
4 garlic cloves
1 small onion, cut into 8 wedges
1 (5-pound) boneless leg of lamb, trimmed
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°.
To prepare relish, arrange pears in a single layer in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Arrange onion slices in a single layer in another 13 x 9-inch baking dish; lightly coat onion slices with cooking spray. Bake pears and onion slices at 400° for 40 minutes or until tender, turning once. Cool; chop.
Combine 2 teaspoons rind and next 7 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon black pepper) in a large bowl; add chopped onion and pears, tossing gently to combine. Stir in nuts just before serving.

To prepare lamb, combine 1 tablespoon lemon rind and next 10 ingredients (through onion wedges) in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Roll roast, and secure at 3-inch intervals with twine. Spread the onion mixture over lamb; cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 450°.
Place lamb on the rack of a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; place rack in pan. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes. Decrease oven temperature to 300° (do not remove lamb from oven); bake an additional 1 hour or until thermometer registers 145° (medium-rare) to 160° (medium). Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Serve relish with lamb.