Chocolate-Mascarpone Tart

Ingredients for the Crust:
2 cups whole almonds, toasted and cooled
scant 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
4 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of a food processor, process the almonds and sugar together. Pour in the melted butter and pulse until incorporated. Press the mixture into a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.
Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the crust has turned a slightly darker shade of brown.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Ingredients for the Filling:
8 oz. mascarpone cheese, softened
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbs. cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 cup heavy cream
about 1/4 oz. semisweet or milk chocolate

Preparation:
To make the filling: In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat together the cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
Turn the mixer to low and add the cocoa powder. Mix until creamy--about one minute. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the cheese mixture and stir just until the ingredients are blended.
Pour into the prepared crust and, using a vegetable peeler, shave the chocolate over the top of the tart.
Freeze for at least two hours.
To serve, let the tart sit at room temperature for 10 minutes and then cut.
After serving, return the remaining tart to the freezer. Wrapped well, the tart will keep for up to two weeks in the freezer.

Serves 10 to 12

Ginger Mascarpone Icebox Cake Recipe

From Cooking New American by Editors of Fine Cooking (Taunton Press)
Plan ahead to make this cake in advance so it has time to chill overnight. Fresh fruit such as blueberries, mangos, or peaches give the cake crowning glory, but it's wonderful on its own.
INGREDIENTS:
12 ounces gingersnap crumbs, about 2 1/4 cups (about 40 cookies)
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2/3 cup sugar; more for the pan
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup minced candied (crystallized) ginger
1 pound mascarpone
1/3 cup heavy cream
PREPARATION:
Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray or grease it lightly. Dust with a little sugar and knock out any excess. Rub the gingersnap crumbs and butter together with your fingertips to combine. Sprinkle half over the bottom of the pan and pat down evenly; reserve the rest.
With an electric mixer, whip together the cream cheese, yogurt, sugar, vanilla extract, and candied ginger until smooth. Add the mascarpone cheese and cream and whip until the mixture is thorough combined and just holds peaks. Carefully spoon half of the mascarpone cream over the crust, spreading it evenly to the edges of the pan.
Sprinkle half of the remaining crumbs over the mascarpone cream in the pan. Top with remaining mascarpone cream and finish with the remaining crumbs. Gently tap the pan on the counter to eliminate any air bubbles. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Serves 12

Recipe from: Cooking New American How to Cook the Food You Love to Eat, 200 Recipes From the Editors of Fine Cooking. Recipe by Heather Ho (Taunton Press)
Copyright 2004 by The Taunton Press, Inc. Reprinted with express written permission.

Ultra-Juicy, Skillet Grassfed Goat-burgers

Sloans Creek Farm ~ Dodd City, TX ~ AGA Member
Should serve 4 hungry folks without any problem.
http://www.americangrassfed.org/fantastic-grassfed-goat-recipes/

Here is a unique twist for hamburgers for your family. Use grassfed goat-burger for an interesting taste experience. Goat, or chevon as it is widely known, is a staple red meat for much of the rest of the world outside the US. It is very lean and healthy, especially when it is grassfed. If you enjoy whitetail deer meat you should really enjoy this grassfed goat-burger experience. Goat has a specific taste, but we don’t think it is near as stout as wild venison. This recipe should make some succulent grassfed goat-burger patties for you and your family to enjoy!
1 lb of grassfed ground goat (goat-burger), thawed
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1 teaspoon of dried rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon of dried cilantro
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of sea salt or natural trace mineralized salt such as Redmond™
Black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
5 tablespoons of olive or canola oil
1 tablespoon of butter
Note: When available use locally produced or homegrown organic ingredients. Support your local, sustainable agricultural producers.

1) In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium to high heat. Add the onion, lower the heat, and sauté for about 20 minutes until nicely browned and caramelized. Be careful to not allow onions to stick to skillet. Set aside to cool.

2) Place the goat-burger in a mixing bowl, mix in the onions, rosemary, thyme, cilantro, cumin, salt, pepper, cumin, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.

3) Shape the goat-burger into 4 to 6 patties.

4) In a cast iron skillet heat the remaining olive oil and the butter over medium-to-high heat.

5) Cook the patties in oil and butter until medium to medium-well, from about 10 to12 minutes on each side. The oil is to help retain moisture and prevent sticking. Grassfed goat-burger is very lean.

When done, serve with your favorite hamburger buns, sliced cheese (grassfed and/or organic), fresh lettuce, homegrown tomatoes, and your favorite condiment—such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, barbeque, or other sauce.

Country Sage Bread

All I can say about this bread is FLAVOR FUSION!!!  It will have your taste buds doing a happy dance with the first bite.
The unique combination of sage, celery seed and nutmeg makes this bread deliciously different.  I was able to use fresh rubbed sage  out of my little herb garden which may have enriched the flavor some..

16 ServingsPrep: 20 min. + rising Bake: 35 min.

Ingredients

• 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
• 3/4 cup warm milk (110° to 115°)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 2 teaspoons celery seed
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 egg
• 3 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, sugar, shortening, celery seed, salt, sage, nutmeg, egg and 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft
• dough.
• Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours.
• Punch dough down. Shape into a round loaf. Place in a greased 8-in.or 9-in. pie plate. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.
• Bake at 400° for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and bread sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pie plate to a wire rack to cool. Yield: 1 loaf (16 slices).
• Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 slice) equals 119 calories, 3 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 15 mg cholesterol, 232 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein.
  © Taste of Home 2009 

Lamb Salad, Saté-Style

# Servings: 8

1/2 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup lime juice, divided
2-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1-1/2 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 pound boneless American lamb steaks, sirloin or leg
2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter
1 teaspoon brown sugar, packed
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound green beans, cut and steamed
1 large yellow, orange or red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro or parsley

In blender or food processor, combine onion, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, sugar, garlic, 1 teaspoon ginger and cumin. Pour into large glass dish. Place lamb in marinade, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate 4 to 12 hours.

Broil lamb steaks on grill 4 inches from heat source for 8 to 10 minutes on each side. Cool and cut into strips.

In medium bowl, prepare dressing by whisking together peanut butter, remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, remaining 1-1/2 teaspoons soy sauce, brown sugar, remaining 1/2 teaspoon ginger, cayenne pepper, peanut oil and salt; cover and set aside.

In large bowl, combine lamb, green beans and bell pepper. Toss with dressing. Transfer to serving platter. Garnish with peanuts and cilantro.

Braised American Lamb Shank with Three Bean Ragout

Chef Tim Love, Lonesome Dove Bistro (Fort Worth, Texas)

# Servings: 

Lamb

4 American lamb foreshanks
1 cup diced onions
1 cup diced carrot
1 cup diced celery
6 cloves of garlic
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 cup guajillo chile powder
1 cup white wine
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cups veal stock (recipe follows)
Three Bean Ragout (recipe follows)

Veal Stock

8 pounds veal bones, cut into 2-inch chunks
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
1 leek, coarsely chopped
2 large tomatoes, quartered, or 1/2 cup tomato paste
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
8 garlic cloves, smashed

Three Bean Ragout
1/2 cup white beans
1/2 cup black beans
1/2 cup cannellini beans
4 ounces bacon
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
1 cup chicken stock
8 garlic cloves
2 jalapenos
Salt and pepper, to taste

Lamb

Mix flour, chile powder, salt and pepper together.Roll the shanks in the flour mixture. In a large roasting pan, heat the oil; sear both sides of all shanks at the same time. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and continue to sear. Add wine, stock, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves; bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cover for 2 -1/2 hours, turning the shanks every 15 minutes. Meat should be very tender but stay on the bone. Strain the sauce; reduce by half and add butter.

Serve shanks with Three Bean Ragout, fresh ricotta and a little of the pan sauce. 

Veal Stock Preheat oven to 450ºF. Arrange bones in a roasting pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Roast in the oven until dark golden brown, about 1-1/2 hours, turning to brown all sides. After the first hour, add the remaining ingredients. Transfer the bones and vegetables to a large (10- to 12-quart) stockpot. Pour off the fat from the roasting pan and deglaze the pan with 2 cups of water, scraping up any particles that stick to the bottom of the pan. Pour this into the stockpot with enough additional water to cover all ingredients by 3 inches. Bring water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 4 to 6 hours, skimming the foam as it accumulates on top, and adding water as needed to keep the bones and vegetables covered at all times.

Strain the liquid into a clean pot, pressing down to extract all juices. Reduce this mixture over medium heat until 2 quarts remain. Cool and refrigerate in a covered container for up to 3 days, discarding any hardened layer of fat before using or freezing. Makes 2 quarts.

Three Bean Ragout Pick through all beans, removing any foreign objects. Put all beans in a large pot and cover with cold water. Put a lid on this pot and let beans soak for 6 hours or overnight.

Rinse beans and return to pot, add all other ingredients and cover with water; bring to a boil for 2 hours, adding water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Braised Lamb Shoulder with Tomato Marmalade

 Chef Michael Symon, Lola and Lolita (Cleveland, Ohio)

# Servings: 6

Braised Lamb Shoulder

2 pounds American lamb shoulder, visible fat removed and cut into bite size pieces
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin, divided
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, divided
1 tablespoon ground coriander, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups fat free chicken broth
1 cup tomato juice
2 large onions, sliced
2 large carrots, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Tomato Marmalade (recipe follows)

Tomato Marmalade 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2-1/2 cups chopped Roma tomatoes (about 8 large)
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Braised Lamb ShoulderPreheat oven to 325ºF.

Pat lamb dry with paper towels; set aside. Mix salt, pepper, 1-1/2 teaspoon each cumin, cinnamon and coriander. Add to meat and toss to coat. In large oven-proof pan with cover, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add lamb; stir and brown. Stir in broth, tomato juice, onions, carrots, garlic and remaining seasonings. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cover. Braise at 325ºF for 2-1/2 hours.

Tomato Marmalade
In small skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. Mix in tomatoes, brown sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in mint, cilantro and orange juice.

To Serve: Ladle lamb into low-sided bowls. Top with Tomato Marmalade.

Nutrition:

621	calories	61	g protein
28	g carbohydrate	29	g total fat
42%	calories from fat	183	mg cholesterol
5	g fiber	1693	mg sodium
11	mg niacin	.44	mg vitamin B6
4.01	mcg vitamin B12	6	mg iron
11	mg zinc