Braised Lamb with Hokkaido Squash and Swiss Cheese Mash

The name of the recipe sounds more intimidating than it really it is. It's actually pretty simple. For Christmas, my husband bought me two cookbooks, one of the two was Gary Rhodes Cookery Year: Fall into Winter. Whenever my husband gifts me with a cookbook, it's sort of a present for himself as well, because he's the first to dive in looking for recipes he'd like for me to try. It's perfectly fine, though! I love to try new things and  the recipes he usually chooses are very different from anything I would think to try myself.


The cut of lamb that I actually braised was the shanks and arm chops. Why? Well, originally I just wanted 4 lamb shanks, but my local butcher, a halal butcher, only had two left. There were also some lamb arm chops available which I read are actually really good to braise so I bought two of those. Lamb shank is cut from the arm of shoulder, contains leg bone and part of round shoulder bone, and is covered by a thin layer of fat and fell (a thin, paperlike covering). This cut of lamb is pretty tough, so one of the best cooking method for it is braising or slow cooking to get that meat nice and fall from the bone tender! It's also a very cheap cut, so this meal looks fancy, but it's pretty cheap! Perfect for an elegant Valentine's dinner on a budget!

The flavor of the lamb was perfection, but not as strong due to long simmering, made fancy with a red wine, and aromatics. The squash with the gruyere cheese was truly a delight. I am not a fan of swiss cheese, but the delighful collaboration on the nutty, slightly sweet squash and the bold, creamy gruyere was absolutely divine. This would make an heavenly side dish with any meal. Originally this recipe called for pumpkin, but from the time I read through the recipe I knew I was going to use hokkaido squash instead! Please give this a try if you want impress your loved ones, lover(s), friends hell anyone. You're welcome ;)



Braised Lamb Shanks With Hokkaido Squash and Swiss Cheese Mash
Slight changes from Gary Rhodes: Cookery Year, pg 59
Printable Recipe
Ingredients
4 lamb shanks
Salt and Pepper
2-3 tablespoons cooking oil
Large knob of butter (heaping tablespoon)
2 onions, each cut into 6 wedges
2 carrots ut into 1/2 inch slices
3 celery sticks, cut into 1/2 inch slices
4 garlic cloves
Large sprig of thyme
2 bay leaves
Juice of 2 oranges and rind of 1
1 bottle full-bodied wine
600ml or 1 pint water
Generous pinch of turbinado sugar
Cornstarch, optional

For Squash
2 1/4lb hokkaido squash, peeled, seeded, and diced about an inch wide
Large knob of butter (heaping tablespoon)
1 heaping tablespoon shallots, chopped finely
Freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoon greek yogurt
2 or 3 oz Gruyere cheese, grated

Directions
Preheat oven to 325F (160 C). Season lamb with salt and pepper. Heat the cooking oil in a large frying pan. roasting pan or dutch oven with cover. When at a medium heat, place the lamb in pan and slowly fry until golden brown all over. This will take up to 15-20 minutes and  a good percentage of the lamb fat will be released. Remove from pan keep warm on plate covered in aluminum foil. Discard any lamb fat and return pan.


Add knob of butter and then add cut vegetables,  garlic cloves, thyme, and bay leaves in the pot. Cook over moderated heat they begin to soften, about 10-15 minutes.


 At this point, add orange juice, orange rind, red wine, 600 ml or 1 pint water and turbinado sugar. Bring to a simmer.

Add lamb to the pot, cover, and put pot into preheated oven.


The secret to really good lamb shanks is to cook them very slowly. This will take about 2-3 hours, be sure to check every 30 minutes, turning and basting the lamb joints, and checking their tenderness. This will quite easily be identified by applying slight pressure by hand or with a spoon- the meat should give, almost wanting to fall from the bone. During the cooking time, should the simmering process be too lively, simply reduce temperature of the oven. After 2 hours have a good check. If still slight firm, leave for another 30 to 60 minutes to achieve perfect carve with spoon texture.

Once cooked, carefully lift the shanks from the pot and keep warm to one side, Strain the liquid through a sieve. If you wish, to serve th vegetables, garlic and herbs, they can be kept with the lamb. The cooking liquid can be served as thin or thick as you want. Be sure to skim impurities from top of liquid during simmering and not to reduce more than half or else wine flavor with be too intense with the lamb. If your looking for a thicker consistency, simply add a tablespoon of cornstarch and whisk briskly until combined, then thickened. Return  shanks and vegetables (if desired) to liquid and warm through for 10-15 minutes.



For Squash

The last 30 minutes the shanks are braising, prepare squash. Add large knob of butter to saucepan, and once bubbling, add shallots. Cook for a few minutes then add squash. Gently cook with out covering, then add 4 tablespoons of water, then cover with lid.

 Cook for 10-15 minutes gently stirring occasionally. Once cooked, drain, then add to serving dish and mash. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg; then add greek yogurt. Spread out nicely, then add grated gruyere cheese. By this time, shanks should be out of oven, so preheat the broiler, then broil squash until cheese turns golden and bubbly.


Serve along with lamb and veggies. Enjoy! preferably with a glass of red!

Mama's Christmas

Growing up we didn't make a big thing out of Christmas. I never believed in Santa and we never ever had a tree, though my father would throw some multi-colored Christmas lights on the balcony.

To me Christmas was about Christmas music on the radio, bigger crowds, Christmas movies, and waiting impatiently on Christmas eve for 12 am so we could open the presents our parents gave us (so we didn't feel left out at school after winter break). We also spent time with extended family, however the older we got, the less 'Christmassy' things got. By the time I was a teenager Christmas was just another day.

So after I met my husband, he shared a lot of his Christmas traditions with me and my son. I didn't know A LOT and it has been so much fun learning from him. It was so much fun decorating a Christmas tree for the first time with him. I don't know why, but I was extremely nervous about it. I actually have a video of it, but it's on a broken laptop that my husband is now tinkering with! 

So every year my husband and my children are making our own little traditions, and trying to ensure our children have fond memories of Christmases and pass it on to their own children. This Christmas my eldest son is with his biological father so it was a bit sad, but my 3 and 1 year old were a lot of fun and very appreciative! 

We didn't bring the presents out until the very early hours on Christmas morning so the kids would think Santa brought them loads of gifts, but the first thing my daughter said was "THANK YOU MA AND DAD!" She's too clever and funny ;)

Some photos:

Christmas Eve

A simple dinner- Baked Penne with Sausage and Ricotta with a side salad from vegetables and apples from the crisper and a balsamic vinaigrette 

Mince Pie and spiked eggnog for Santa and a carrot for the Reindeer....yes 1 carrot- we ain't got it like that ;)

Discovered this Christmas morning! Looks like Santa didn't wipe his feet- rude!

At least he's appreciative!

Definitely a White Christmas

Kids woke up late but they got into the presents quickly!!

Peppa Pig obsessed baby was quite happy with this :)

Homemade Vanilla Hot Chocolate to kill the morning chill

Daughter getting ready for Christmas Dinner

The "princess dress" she's been asking for since her birthday :)

Christmas Dinner thanks to Cook's Illustrated Holiday Issue:

 Ultimate Stuffed Beef Tenderloin (stuffed with mushrooms and spinach) 

Candied Sweet Potatoes (not too sweet- just perfect) 

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Green Beans with Mustard Vinaigrette

Rolls from Rachael Ray. Those rolls were a hit 2 years straight. They're f##king awesome. Excuse my freedom. ;)

Tunnel of Fudge cake! Soooooo rich and perfectly fudgy! Also from Cook's Illustrated Holiday Entertaining Issue!

My friend's son said the dinner was the best he's ever eaten. I love this kid even more now ;) The dinner was a big hit and we hardly have any leftovers! We still have cake and that's all that matters ;)

Husband aka Santa

Pale is Bon! French Chicken in a Pot

Kind of looks like my chicken is doing a Martial Arts stance- its flavor is kicking!!! (I'll get me coat)

It's flipping cold, so warm comforting dishes are staple around these parts. Recently I bought Cook's Illustrated's Holiday recipe special. How could I not with the AMAZING Stuffed Beef Tenderloin on the cover calling my name whenever I glance at the magazine section at the shoppette?

While relaxing in the tub, where I do my best thinking, I read through this issue and decided to use most of the recipes in my Christmas Day meal and some for baking. There was also this amazing French Chicken in a Pot recipe that I had to try. What I love about Cook's Illustrated is that they test everything and write all about it. Not only do I love  reading about the history of a dish, I also love to read about different techniques that makes recipes work; one of the many reasons why I love this magazine.

When I saw the French Chicken in the pot recipe I was intrigued by the subtitle: Taking cues from a French technique for cooking chicken in a covered pot we forgo crisp skin for succulent meat and unforgettable flavor. 


I must say my favorite thing about Roast Chicken is the crispy skin. My 5 year-old's too. He always ask for plenty of skin whenever I roast chicken. With this chicken, what you get is a wonderfully aromatic dish full of bold flavor. Nothing bland, but the lack of of tan *zig zag snap*! The amazing flavor of this chicken will make you  forget all about crispy golden skin. Heck, I lost my summer glow (all of my base make up is a shade darker! Don't buy foundation in the summer) my chicken did, too!


French Chicken in a Pot
Adapted from: Holiday Entertaining From Cook's Illustrated, pg 12-13


1 (4 1/2 to 5 pound) whole chicken (mine was about 3 pounds) giblets remived and discarded, wings tucked under the back
2 t of kosher salt or 1 t of table salt
1/4 t black pepper
1 T olive oil
1 small onion, chopped medium (about 1/2 cup)
1 small celery rib, chopped medium (about 1/4 cup)
6 medium garlic cloves, peeled and trimmed
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh rosemary- optional (i used thyme!)

Directions
Adjust the oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Pat Chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

(dont forget to tuck those wings!)

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until just smoking.



Add chicken breast side down; scatter onion, celery, bay leaf, and thyme (if using) around chicken. and vegetables are well browned, about 5 minutes.


Using a wooden spoon inserted into cavity of the bird, flip chicken breast side up and cook until chicken and vegetables are well browned, 6 to 8 minutes.



 Remove Dutch oven from heat; place large sheet of foil over pot and cover tightly with lid. Transfer pot to oven and cook until instant read thermometer registers 160 degrees Fahrenheit when inserted into thickest part of the breast and 175 degrees in the thickest part of thigh. It took my chicken about 50 minutes as it it was smaller!

Transfer to a carving board, tent with foil, then allow to rest for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, strain juices from pot. Allow to stand then skim fat from top of sauce with a spoon.



Allow liquid to settle, then simmer over low heat. Add any accumulated juices from  rested chicken and lemon juice. Douse chicken in delicious sauce!



I hope you try this delicious dinner. It's so fragrant full of flavor. Not your typical roast chicken with crispy skin, but the taste is just as amazing, if not more!! This was loved by everyone in my family! Serve it with a veg and my Skillet Potatoes and you're golden! Bon Appetit!

Still have some leftovers? Try these Turkey Dinner "Pasties"

So yesterday was my 27th birthday! A friend told me that since my age and birth date are the same it's my Golden Birthday! Never heard of that, but I thought I'd  try to make it special.

The night before I was brainstorming what to do with the leftovers. Turkey salad, turkey soup, turkey pot pie, turkey sandwiches, etc etc ran through my mind. All sounded amazing, but I wanted something different. So remembering back to a post I read on an online expat forum I visit, a girl asked about how to make the perfect cornish pasty (the 'a' sounds like the 'a' in cat). Cornish Pasties orginates from Cornwall, England and is also known in Michigan, USA. It's an amazing dough typically made with lard or suet as the fat and filled with steak and vegetables, and the pastry is crimped all pretty-like. I did not have any lard as I planned this last minute. I thought maybe I could do butter and shortening, but I was all out of shortening as well. Luckily I had 4 stick of butter in the freezer! Instead of using steak and veg, I used some leftover Thanksgiving sides and turkey and thought I combine those and made a bacon gravy, and leftover compound butter.  I also SUCK at crimping. Something I will continue to practice at, but for now,  pinching and a fork will do!! So these are not traditional pasties hence the quotation marks! It was fun making my first meat pie, though!



They tasted amazing I only wish I had made mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes to complete it!!!

If you don't have time to make the pastry, use puff pastry dough. This dough can also be used for pot pies!!! If Santa buys me pots I will use this dough recipe. It's so delicious, buttery, and flaky! nomnom

Turkey Dinner "Pasties"
Pasty Dough adapted from Emeril Lagasse
 
For the Short-crust Pastry:


2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon salt

7 ounces cold butter ( shredded frozen butter)

1 egg yolk

12 tablespoons cold water (more as needed)

Filling
3 cups worth of leftovers- i used turkey (white and dark meat) stuffing, cranberry chutney, and vichy carrots

About 3/4 cup of gravy of choice- I made bacony-herb gravy. Recipe follows

Herbs of your choice- i used fresh thyme, sage, and chives

Compound butter- optional

Bacony Sage Gravy
2 tablespoons bacon fat

4 tablespoons flour

1 cup hot chicken/turkey stock

salt & pepper

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon dried sage

Directions

Sift the flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt into a mixing bowl

Add the butter. Using your fingers, 2 knives, or a pastry blender, cut the butter and lard into the dry ingredients until mixture resembles fine crumbs.

 In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk and water together

Add to the flour mixture

 Mix quickly, but thoroughly, until mixture just comes together to form a dough.

 Knead briefly until pastry is smooth with no cracks; the trick to making this delicate pastry easy to work with is kneading it just enough so that it can be rolled out and manipulated without breaking but yet retains its lovely crumbly texture. Press into a flattened disk shape and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight before proceeding.

Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and unwrap. Allow to soften slightly, then place on a lightly floured work surface and roll the pastry to a thickness of 1/4-inch. Using a small plate or saucer as a guide, cut out 6 (6-inch) rounds. (Scraps may be combined and reformed if you cannot get 6 rounds out of the first batch.)

 Stack the pastry rounds onto pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper (with pieces between each round to keep them from sticking together) and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

Filling & Gravy

First prepare gravy by mixing fat and flour in a small saucepan. Cook over medium low until mixed well and a little browned. Add hot stock slowly whisking vigourously until smooth. Mixture will thicken as it cooks. Add salt and pepper, heavy cream and sage. Allow to cool.

 

Make filling using whatever herbs, sides, and meat you want. Make sure its about 3 cups worth!

Add gravy and mix

 

Assemble

Remove the pastry circles from the refrigerator.Place the pastry circles on a clean work surface and place about 1/2 cup of the filling in the center of 1 side of the pastry. Add a knob of butter if you like!

Using the beaten egg, brush the edges of the pastry and then bring the unfilled side over the filled side so that edges meet.Press edges together to seal and then crimp using your fingers or a fork.

 Repeat with the remaining turnovers and then transfer to a baking sheet. Brush the tops of the turnovers with the remaining egg and then cut several slits into the top of each pastry.

 Bake for 20 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown around the edges. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue to bake until the pasties are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

The Husband enjoying. He says he looks goofy here hehe

Of course I made myself cake. Well more like Peanut Buttery Chocolatey Cupcakes with....a Peanut Buttery Chocolatey Drizzle...