(Veggie)Cottage pie and peas for me!

I finally found a shop that sells more unusual cuts of lamb (both Dan and I love lamb) so I bought some minced lamb and 4 lamb shanks.  I can't wait to try the shanks - I have a recipe for wine braised lamb shanks that is accompanied by a parsnip puree.  I think I will add a simple salad (maybe an arugula salad to off-set the sweetness of the parsnips and the star anise in the shanks pot) as well to complete the meal.

Parsnips is another thing that I never had when I was a kid (along with lamb) but love them totally now that I am an adult.  I think that celery root puree would go nice with the shanks as well, but the sweeter taste of the parsnips will probably go better.

-Val

Don't know what's for dinner tonight, but last night my husband tried something he had not made before, crab cakes.   I adore crab cakes and he did a fine job.  Mmmmmmmmmmmmm

See my hubby is home now and will insist on feeding me proper food!
Tasty, but doesn't make me lose weight!
Veggie burgers last night(and the remnants tonight!), though I doubt I'll be able to eat anymore crusty rolls, once I get my veneers on Thursday!

The other night I made curried lamb shanks with chickpeas and potatoes.  Very yummy and I am a hard sell on anything with curry in it (I have had some bad experiences eating curry chicken). 

But it was completely all right and the curry spice and lamb went really well.  This was my first time cooking lamb shanks and it turned out pretty well.  The dish is slow cooked (I used my Dutch oven but it probably would be ideal in an actual slow cooker pot as well) for 3 and half hours in the oven and on the stove top. 

Tonight we are having pan seared duck breasts and the left over curried veggies from the lamb dish.  I love duck but it is harder to buy than chicken here in our part of Canada.  You can find it easier than you could in the past but still it only comes into the main grocery stores about once a month or so.

I have cooked whole duck before, as well as making duck confit (a really, really long process!!) but my favourite is just single duck breasts done medium rare in a cast itron skillet and finished off in the oven. 

-Val

I made 'Risengrød' for dinner. It was yum! And now I'm stuffed! 

It's rice porridge with milk and rice, served with a knob of butter on top and then covered with cinnamon and sugar. 

Yum! That's what I'd call a comfort food! 

Tomorrow I'm making Eggs Benedict for dinner (I know it's a breakfast food, but I could never eat that much in the morning)...