Kickas* Burger

Ever go to that fancy restaurant and have one of those $12 burgers, only to go home dissatisfied?  Well, I have.  Lets see what we can do at home for less than 1/2 the cost.

Pretty hard to make a great burger from anything less than a great steak.  This is a dry-aged top sirloin, about 7oz. That’s a wedge of Lancashire Blacksticks Blue cheese, tomato on-the-vine, red onion, Yukon gold potatoes, fresh rosemary, sweet corn, a wheat Kaiser roll, some of the peppers that we put up last week, thyme, pepper, sea salt and worcestershire without anchovies.

Grind the well-chilled meat and add thyme, pepper, sea salt and a little worcestershire. Form the burger and set aside.

Get the potatoes going with rosemary and garlic. Add the corn and peppers, season with chile powder and cilantro.  Meanwhile, check you burger for your desired degree of doneness.  Assemble, plate and feast.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Cannellini Soup with Grilled Ficelle (favorite)

Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained. Chicken stock, olive oil, cream, cipolline onions, garlic, pepper, sea salt, Italian herbs, rubbed sage and mult-grain ficelle.

Saute the onions and garlic until they begin to brown, then add the sage and cook another minute.

Add the beans and chicken stock, reduce the heat and simmer about 20 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender, then add the cream, salt and pepper and a little butter. I’ve added a chiffonade of red chard for color.

Grill the bread with olive oil and Italian herbs, whisk the soup and enjoy!

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Green Tea-Crusted Cod with Buckwheat Tabouli

Green Tea-Crusted Cod with buckwheat tabouli

Rinse hulled buckwheat and cook according to package directions. Allow to chill in refrigerator for an hour, then combine with olive oil, garlic, mint, parsley, tomatoes, cucumber, green onion, lemon juice, toasted hemp seed nuts and sea salt.

Lightly coat cod with rice flour seasoned with toasted green tea, sea salt and pepper. Pan fry over medium heat in a little oil and butter, turning once (approximately 4 min/side depending on thickness).

Remove fish from pan and deglaze with white wine. Add lemon juice and parsley and reduce for a minute or so. Finish with pat of cold butter and spoon over the fish.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ +

Curried Lamb with Peas and Lentils

Trim any excess fat and cut leftover roast lamb into bite sized pieces. Toast cardamom, coriander, mustard seeds and bay in coconut oil until the seeds begin to pop out of the pan.  Add the cubed lamb and continue to cook until meat is nicely browned.

Transfer the lamb to a dutch oven, adding enough stock and tomato puree to cover the meat. Cover and simmer about 1 and 1/2 hours. Add black gram lentils, peas, tomatoes, ginger, chili powder, curry powder and cilantro, and simmer another 1/2 hour.

Heat a naan on a skillet and serve with lamb and yoghurt or sour cream.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ +

Roast Leg of Lamb

Roast leg of lamb with root vegetables and pan gravy

This is a boneless leg of lamb that I’ve marinated overnight in red wine, olive oil, garlic and peppercorns. To the pan, add 1 cup chicken stock and a variety of seasonal root vegetables  (I’m using potatoes, turnips, parsnips, carrots and garlic). The lamb is seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic and a little dried spearmint.

Place the roast into pre-heated 450 degree oven for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and let cook until a meat thermometer registers 135 degrees for medium-rare, about an hour and twenty minutes for a 3lb. roast.

Remove the lamb and vegetables to a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes.  Deglaze the pan with red wine, scraping all the fond from the sides and bottom. Thicken with rice flour or a little arrowroot disolved in water.

Remove the netting from the lamb, slice and serve with the vegetables and gravy.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦