2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 lamb rib chops
1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)
½ cup homemade or store-bought low sodium chicken broth
2 (15-oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon harissa
3 cups packed fresh spinach leaves (about 3/4 ounce)
2 tablespoons fresh juice from 1 lemon, plus lemon wedges for serving
1/2 cup fresh picked cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
Combine the cumin, turmeric, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper in a bowl. Heavily season the chops with the mixture and set aside.
Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chops and cook without moving for 3 to 4 minutes, then flip and continue to cook until the internal temperature reaches 130°F as registered on an instant-read thermometer, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Remove from pan and set aside on cutting board, tenting loosely with foil.
Return pan to medium heat without wiping it out. Add the shallots, cook until softened, about 1 minute, then add the stock, scraping up any brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add the chickpeas and harissa and stir to combine. Simmer for 2 minutes, then add the spinach and cook until wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in lemon juice and half of cilantro off-heat (you could also add a few leaves of mint at this time too). Transfer to serving plates, top with lamb chops, sprinkle with remaining cilantro, drizzle with olive oil, and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Turnip Greens
1 Bunch Turnip Greens, chopped
1 T Butter or Bacon Grease
1/4 c Chopped Bacon, Ham, or Smoked Pork Hock
1 c Water or Stock
1 Shallot or Small Onion, minced
1 Clove Garlic, minced
Salt to taste
In a heavy skillet, over medium-high heat melt the butter or grease. Add the bacon/ham/pork and cook until just browned. Add the shallot/onion and garlic, and cook until translucent. Add the greens and liquid and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, until the greens are very soft and tender. Remove the greens from the skillet. Increase the heat and reduce the liquid until syrupy. Drizzle over greens and serve immediately.
South African Grilled and Stuffed Butternut Squash
1 Butternut squash, halved and seeded
1 c. Cooked chopped spinach
2-4 Shallots, minced
8oz Feta cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
Olive Oil
Rosemary
Heat the grill - either light the charcoal or turn on the gas.
Heat a splash of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until softened. Add the spinach, feta, and garlic. Cook until heated through. Remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Scoop the spinach/feta mixture into the hollowed out halves of the butternut. Sprinkle with chopped rosemary and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap the individual halves in aluminum foil.
Place on the grill, or better yet nestled directly in the coals. Cook for 40-45 minutes or until soft, testing for doneness with a knife.
Swiss Chard and White Bean Stew
(from Smitten Kitchen)
1 pound Swiss chard (can also swap kale, spinach or another green), ribs and stems removed and cleaned
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup (5 1/4 ounces) chopped carrots
1 cup (5 ounces) chopped celery
1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) chopped shallots, about 4 medium
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
2 15-ounce cans (or about 3 3/4 cups) white beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups (or more to taste) vegetable broth
1 cup pureed tomatoes (from a can/carton/your jarred summer supply)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
Bring medium pot of salted water to boil. Cook chard (or any heavier green; no need to precook baby spinach) for one minute, then drain and squeeze out as much extra water as possible. Coarsely chop chard.
Wipe out medium pot to dry it, and heat olive oil over medium. Add carrots, celery, shallots and garlic and saute for 15 minutes. Barber warns not to brown them but I didn’t mind a light golden color on them. Add wine (scraping up any bits that have stuck to the pot) and cook it until it reduced by three-fourths. Add beans, broth, tomatoes, a few pinches of salt, freshly ground black pepper, thyme and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. Add chard and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove thyme and bay leaf. Add more broth if you’d like a thinner stew and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Serve as is drizzled with sherry vinegar. Or you can ladle the stew over thick piece of toasted country bread or baguette that has been rubbed lightly with half a clove of garlic, top that with a poached egg and a few drops of sherry vinegar and/or some grated cheese.
Roasted Vegetable Pasta
1 medium delicata squash, seeded & sliced 1/3-inch thick
3 shallots, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil or melted clarified butter
fine grain sea salt
4 medium cloves garlic, peel on
12 kale leaves, washed & dried well, de-stemmed & cut into 3-inch strips
1 1/2 cups / 9 ounces uncooked orzo pasta, or other pasta
1/2 cup / plain yogurt
For serving: slivered scallions, fresh oregano, toasted nuts or seeds
Preheat the oven to 400F / 205C with racks arranged in the top and bottom thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment. You're going to roast the squash, shallots, and garlic on one sheet, and the kale on another.
Prep the delicata squash, and toss it in a large bowl with the shallots, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and a big pinch of salt. Arrange in a single layer on one of the baking sheets, add the garlic and place on the bottom rack, for about 30 minutes. Spin once or twice along the way to get even roasting - let it all get deeply golden.
After the squash is in the oven, use the same bowl to toss the kale with another splash of olive, and pinch of salt. Arrange the leaves on the other baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, or until you get a touch of browning, but the leaves are primarily still green. Set aside.
Get the pasta water boiling, salt well, and cook the orzo pasta. Drain and use quickly (warm) OR (if you won't be serving for a while) run under cold water, and toss with a tiny splash of olive oil.
For the dressing, extract the roasted garlic from its peel, and mash it with a bit of the yogurt and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Work in the rest of the yogurt, taste, and add more salt if needed.
When you're ready to serve, toss the orzo, and roasted vegetables with about half of the yogurt. Turn out onto a platter and sprinkle with scallions, oregano, and seeds/nuts. Serve the remaining yogurt to the side.
Serves 4-6.
Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 30 min