Lamb and Squash Stew

The Italian seasoning made it a little spaghetti sauce-y.  Don't know if I used too much or ...  It was still good.  Probably not so much with cornbread, but it was really tasty with white toast.

• 1 lb lamb stew meat
• 1 butternut squash, peeled & diced (2c)
• diced leftover bits - carrot, red onion, bell pepper (1+c)
• diced & seeded yellow squash (1 1/2c)
• minced roasted garlic
• butter
• 1 large can diced tomatoes
• salt   pepper   Italian seasoning   sage
• chicken broth

1. Brown the meat, set aside
2. Wipe out pan, heat olive oil if needed and saute carrot, onion, pepper, garlic - salted & peppered -  for a bit
3. Stir in yellow squash
4. Stir in butternut squash
5. Stir in meat
6. Stir in some broth and Italian seasoning and heat
7. Dump everything in an oven safe lidded pot
8. Stir in tomatoes and sage
9. Cover and cook at 350 (?) until done
10. Season to taste

Would have been better to do everything in a dutch oven and bring to a boil before going into the oven, but I'm hesitant to stew tomatoes in my cast iron.

Mustard-Braised Brussels Sprouts

Yeah! Using my CSA veggies!  Very yummy. Of course, anything in a maple syrup & mustard glaze has got to be good.

• olive oil
• chopped onions
• minced roasted garlic (jar)
• butter
• sliced Brussels sprouts
• maple syrup
• Dijon mustard
• low-sodium chicken broth
• kosher salt
• fresh ground pepper

1. Heat olive oil in cast iron skillet over med-high
2. Whisk together maple syrup, Dijon mustard, broth:  1T syrup and 1T mustard per 1/2 c broth
3. Sauté onions and garlic
4. Lower temp to medium
5. Add butter to pan and melt
6. Add Brussels sprouts and salt and pepper, heat and stir until starting to brown
7. Add broth mixture, stir, bring to boil, lower heat
8. Cover and cook until done, adding if water if cooks out before sprouts are done
9. If too wet, cook without lid for a few minutes

Purloo variation

Purloo, pilau, pilaf, casserole ... not really sure what it is, but I'm liking the start-on-the-burner-finish-in-the-oven concept.  I know my slow cooker books recommended sautéing before putting veggies into the slow cooker, but I hated to dirty two pans.  Of course, the down side is … OVEN!  Not sure it would be worth it in the middle of the summer.

Anyway, I brought home some link sausage leftovers from Spring Creek BBQ and decided to try another rice dish using that and part of a huge yellow squash that had been loitering in the fridge too long.

Result?  Not as good as the original.  I think the Mexican seasoning was a miss.  Really missed the okra :)

Serves 2-3 (based on rice portion)

1 c onion & a bit of jujube chopped in oskar

1 c celery & carrot chopped in oskar

Kosher salt and ground mixed pepper

3/4 tsp Mexican seasoning

3/4+ tsp minced roasted garlic

1 1/2 c yellow squash, peeled & seeded, diced

3/4 c smoked sausage (leftovers)

1/2 c brown short grain rice, well rinsed

1 c lo-salt chicken broth

cooking oil

Preheat oven to 400˚ F.

Heat cast iron skillet (that has a lid) over medium heat

Add enough oil to the pot to barely coat the bottom. 

Once the oil is hot add the onion, celery, carrots

Season with a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper.

Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft but not brown.

Add the seasoning and garlic.

Saute, being careful not to brown the garlic, until they become fragrant.

Add the squash and sausage.

Taste and adjust any seasoning necessary.

Add the rice and stir it around to coat the grains

Add the broth.

Stir to distributed evenly.

Bring to a boil. !! missed this step!

Turn off the heat, cover the pot with a lid and slide the whole thing into the oven.

Reduce to 325˚ F and cook 45 minutes.

Check rice.  If not tender, return it to the oven for 10 more minutes.  If too wet, leave off cover??

About that purloo ...

Posted last week about the purloo I fixed.  After investigation, it looks like I can repeat the recipe here with my changes so long as it's properly attributed.

Adapted from  Okra and Sweet Corn Purloo by thirschfeld on Food52

Serves 4-6
3/4 c yellow onion, small dice
1/3 c yellow pepper, small dice
1/3 c celery, small dice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp roasted minced garlic
2 c okra, cut crosswise
2 c smoked turkey  - smoked turkey leg
1 c sweet corn (approx 2 ears) removed from the cob
1 c short brown grain rice
2 c lo-salt vegetable or chicken stock
cooking oil

Preheat oven to 400˚ F.
Heat 3-quart dutch oven over medium heat
Add enough oil to the pot to barely coat the bottom. 
Once the oil is hot add the onion, pepper, and celery.
Season with a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper.
Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft but not brown.
Add the seasoning and garlic.
Saute, being careful not to brown the garlic, until they become fragrant.
Add the okra, turkey, and corn.
Taste and adjust any seasoning necessary.
Add the rice and stir it around to coat the grains
Add the broth.
Stir to distributed evenly.
Bring to a boil.
Turn off the heat, cover the pot with a lid and slide the whole thing into the oven.
Reduce to 325˚ F and cook 45 minutes.
Check rice.  If not tender, return it to the oven for 10 more minutes.  If too wet, leave off cover??

Yum! Okra and Sweet Corn Purloo

Last week I fixed Okra and Sweet Corn Purloo. While I came closer to using the recipe as-is than any I've fixed in years, of course I didn't follow it exactly:

• Yellow bell pepper instead of green  (I don't buy green)
• Italian seasoning instead of listed spices
• Used short grain brown rice - needed that extra 10 minutes to cook

One large smoked turkey leg from central market yielded the 2 cups needed for this plus about 3/4 c used elsewhere. Flavor was VERY smoky and salty.  Maybe could use less? On the other hand, even smoky ...

It was SO good I had to have seconds!

Pinto Bean, Fresh Corn, Okra "Stew"

Trying to figure out what to do with leftovers ... very tasty.  It ended up too thick for me to call it a soup - but that's how I like it.

• Sauteed shredded carrots and onions in butter (leftovers - 1/2 c?)
• Added okra (1+c) , stir/heat
• Did I add any oil??
• a bit of chicken broth 
• Added corn (~1c) and corn milk
• 3/4 c medium fresh salsa (probably too much) added nice seasoning but it still had a bit of raw taste to it even after cooking 
• Chicken broth (probably about 2c total)
• 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• Small can tomato paste

Boil, lower heat, simmer 20 minutes or so