"Tranquilessence"

Tranquilessence by Triniti

Simple Lamb Stew

I made this in a crock pot but you can also do it on the stove top. Just cook the meat on medium heat and reduce to low heat after adding veggies.

This is the one of the recipes to go into my cookbook.


INGREDIENTS:

1 can beef broth (14.9 oz)
2 lbs lamb stew meat, cubed (i used lamb and goat stew meat)
1 1/2 tbsp parsley (fresh would be better but i only had dried)
1 tsp dried thyme
1 lb baby carrots, chopped
1 lb potatoes, sliced (i used red potatoes, skin on)
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 tbsp chopped garlic
3 tbsp flour
1/4 cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil for kitchen newbies)
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp curry
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 cup vinegar (same as 1oz)
1 pack Sauzon (you can find this near other mexican spices. comes in a box with 10 pks)
hot sauce, salt and pepper (to taste)


Directions:

1. Combine broth, meat, vinegar, parsley, thyme, garlic, cayenne, curry, cumin, sauzon, hot sauce, S/P in crock pot on high, covered. Allow to cook while chopping veggies. Stir occasionally.
2. Chop and add veggies as you go. Carrots first, then potatoes, onions next, mushrooms last. Cook for 30 min
3. Mix flour and oil in a cup until smooth (or you can make a rue instead). Stir into stew. Add more or less of mixture to thicken as you like. Cook for 2-2 1/2 hrs on high heat, stirring occasionally.


TIP: Goat meat has many bones and is very fatty. I trimmed much of the excess fat but left some for flavor. I did the same with the bones, trimming the meat from the small bones but leaving the bigger bones in. Once the meat was able to pull off the bone easily, the dish is done.

Its a bit spicy because I like spicy but you can omit the cayenne and hot sauce if you want it mild. I also added a cup of chicken broth, thinking that one can wouldn't be enough (got ahead of myself). In the end, I realized I didn't need it cause it came out more like a soup than a stew. No worries though. You can pour this over rice or mashed potatoes.

Grilled Stuffed Chicken with Shrimp Skewers and Asparagus

Chicken stuffed with spinach and feta cheese, asparagus, and shrimp skewers.
All grilled and served with rice.

Everybody wants to know how I made this. Most of the time when I cook, I just put stuff together, not really following a recipe or using exact measurements. So, I'm gonna tell you the process and ingredients I used. You can tweak to your liking.

Ingredients:

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 sm box of frozen spinach
Feta cheese
Asparagus
Shrimp
Rice
Greek salad dressing
Chopped garlic
Lemon or lime juice
Sauzon (seasoning, comes in a box of packets, find in mexican food section)
Butter
Oil (I used peanut oil)
Cumin
Season salt
String or toothpicks (I didnt have sting but I think it would work better with string)

Directions:


Stuffed Chicken - Remove fat from chicken. Pound it out to help tenderize and flatten out the chicken. Sprinkle lightly with season salt and spread out on a baking sheet or plate. Place frozen spinach according in boiling water to cook. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool down. Squeeze out as much water as possible. Add chopped garlic (I used alot but you can use a little or you can skip it). The chicken thighs are small and cannot hold much. My one pack of thighs (about 6) and one small box of spinach was enough, but there was left over feta cheese. Take about a heaping tablespoon of spinach and some crumbled feta, mix and mold with hands into a small football shaped lump. Put the lump on one end of the thigh and roll up. It doesnt have to be perfect. If you have string, you can use the string to wrap around the thigh to keep it closed (string would need to be soaked so it doesnt burn while on the grill). I didnt have string so I used a few toothpicks at the seam to hold it together. Put on the grill. Place seam down and spoon greek dressing on top. Periodically spoon more dressing over chicken while grilling.

Asparagus - Clean and cut off bottoms. Add oil, chopped garlic, and season salt. Toss.

Shrimp - I used 21-25 shrimp no shells. Add greek dressing, 1/2 packet of Sauzon, lemon or lime juice and cumin in a bowl. Toss shrimp and let sit. Skewer shrimp before putting on grill.

Asparagus and shrimp wont take long to cook so when chicken comes off, put both on grill. Use some of the marinade to spoon over shrimp.

Rice - Cook. Add butter and cumin.


If someone uses this recipe process, please let me know how it turns out and take pictures.