new zealand lamb burgers

new zealand played their first game today, so i made lamb burgers.  (i'm a sucker for a burger).  i think lamb is something you either love or hate.  there's no in between.  i love it.  i sauteed onions, garlic, and mushrooms, then added feta and mint after the onion mixture cooled, then made my patties.  i also made a slaw for the topping of thinly sliced cucumbers, red pepper, onion and mint.  along with an eggplant " taziki" sauce.  i simply sauteed some diced eggplant and folded it into greek yogurt with some lemon juice, salt and pepper.  it was an awesome burger.  totally different and interesting to eat.  stay tuned as i travel the world for more tasty meals! 

kick off to the world cup

 

it's finally here.  the world cup.  it's been 4 years since the last one and this house is very excited about it.  the first two games to start off this month long tournament are south africa vs. mexico and uruguay vs. france.  we are taping the games and watching them this evening.  when there is a special event, i like to cook for it.  themes, if you will.  you know, st. patrick's day - corn beef and cabbage, birthdays - a cupcake, july 4th - ribs.  you get the point.  well tonight, i am making a special meal for my husband and myself.  starting the evening off with a black bean and corn salsa that we can nibble on during the mexico/south africa, and a french meal for the second game we watch, called  souris aux aulx.  what a fancy name, wish i new how to pronounce it - good thing blogging only consists of writing.  it's a lamb shank with garlic and vermouth.  along with it, mashed potatoes and hericot vert (green beans).  i can't wait.  i thought long and hard about this dish, it's perfect because i made it this afternoon, so i won't be stuck cooking during the games.  the shanks are braised, which means they cook in my oven for a good 4 hours.  the house smells amazing right now.  for the next month i think i am going to try (on the weekends, that is) to create a meal in honor of the countries that are playing that day.  it will open my eyes to so many different recipes and foods that i have never eaten or made, so stay tuned, it should be a fun ride.  i'm sure i am in store for some incredible meals and maybe even a few disasters!

fire up the grill for lamb chops!

yep, that's right. it's finally grilling season. outdoors at least. i made these tonight for my clients, aren't they gorgeous! sadly, i didn't make any for myself. not much needs to be done with lamb chops, salt and pepper would be delicious on its own, but i like to marinate mine for a few hours with fresh herbs from my garden. any herb, really. my choice this evening was mint, basil and rosemary. put the herbs in a processor with some garlic and olive oil and pour over the chops. take the chops out of the fridge and let sit for 20-30 minutes, just to let the chill off. salt before grilling. i cooked these medium rare by placing them on high heat, 2 minutes the first side, 3 minutes the second. by the way, these are fantastic to serve as an appetizer for a cocktail party, their easy to eat. (just received a text from one client telling me the lamb chops were "delicious")