IRISH STEW

Again, this is from another unknown source.

5 pounds lamb shoulder chops
20 baby red-skinned potatoes
6 large carrots, peeled, quartered
3 medium onions, quartered
2 medium leeks (white and pale greens parts only), split lengthwise, cut
into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 cups water

Trim and reserve fat and bones from lamb. Cut meat into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Place fat in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook fat until 3 tablespoons drippings are rendered, about 5 minutes. Using large spoon, remove any solid fat from pot; discard. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add lamb to pot; sauté until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch. Using slotted spoon , transfer lamb to plate. Add bones to pot; cook until brown, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer bones to plate.
Add vegetables, parsley and thyme to pot; stir to coat with drippings. Return meat and bones to pot. Add 2 cups water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover pot tightly; simmer until lamb is tender and vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours.
Discard bones. Place 1 cup vegetables in processor; puree. Add to stew. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Simmer before serving.)

Serves 6.

LAMB CHOPS WITH HERBED SWEET ONION COMPOTE

I wish I had marked where I got this recipe to credit it. It is a wonderful recipe!.

This elegant dish is perfect for weeknight entertaining. There are many different kinds of herbed white wine vinegars; choose your favorite. Serve with: Green beans sautéed with mushrooms, and mashed potatoes with chives.

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
8 lamb loin chops (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 sweet onion (such as Vidalia), thinly sliced
2 tablespoons herbed white wine vinegar

Mix mint, oregano, and garlic in small bowl. Sprinkle lamb generously with salt and coarsely ground pepper. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons herb mixture over lamb chops; press to adhere (reserve remaining herb mixture for compote).
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb and cook to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium. Transfer lamb to platter (do not clean skillet). Tent lamb with foil. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Add onion and sauté until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add vinegar and reserved herb mixture; sauté 1 minute. Season compote to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon compote over lamb and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Xanthan Gum portions

Because I am forever losing this information:

For every cup of wheat-free/gluten-free flour use:

½ tsp. Xanthan/guar gum for cakes
1 tsp. Xanthan/guar gum for breads or pizza
½ tsp. to no xanthan/guar gum for most cookies.

Cornstarch Pudding

This came from the Argo Cornstarch website, I modified it with rice milk. It came out ok, but it was the best I can find for pudding!

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Chill Time: 30 minutes minutes
Yield: 3 cups

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons Argo® or Kingsford’s® Corn Starch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups rice milk
• 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1. combine sugar, corn starch and salt in medium saucepan. Gradually stir in milk until smooth. Add egg yolks.
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, and boil 1 minute. Stir in vanilla.
3. Pour in a serving bowl OR pour equal amounts into 4 individual serving bowls. Cover and chill a minimum of 30 minutes before serving.

Perfect Pizzelles

I found a recipe online for GF Pizzelles and put my own spin on to it! I originally wanted the recipe to make ice cream cones - I bought the thing to roll around...not much luck! They didn't come out good! But if you're better at rolling than I am, all the best luck to you! LOL! but they make perfect pizzelles that taste like the real thing! My eldest daughter commented on how buttery they taste (without butter)!

1/2 cup Spectrum 100% palm shortening
2/3 cup sugar
3 eggs plus 1 egg white (if you're using smaller eggs, make it 4 eggs)
2 cups Bob's Red Mill GF All Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt

Melt shortening and cool a bit. Beat eggs in large bowl, add vanilla and beat. Add sugar to egg mixture and beat well. Add shortening and beat. Sift in flour, xanthan, baking powder, and salt into wet mixture. Beat all together until consistency of a loose dough. Bake in pizzelle maker. Makes about 2 dozen pizzelles

If dough is too thick, add another egg white and beat it in. If you want a different flavor (e.g. anise), add about 1/2 teaspoon of flavoring.

Minty Chocolate Treats

I found this recipe in Parents Magazine and tried it tonight with the kids (they loved smashing the candy canes and rolling the balls in the smashed candy). I still need to tweak it a bit (came out a bit sticky), but it was delish as is! Here it is with my adaptations!

1 box (9 oz) Ener G chocolate cookies (they're the same as the chocolate wafers but wheat, soy, dairy free)
3/4 cup cashews
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup sugar
scant 1/4 cup chocolate rice milk (I think even less, that may be why it was so sticky)
1/3 cup light corn syrup
8 candy canes, crushed in ziploc bags

In a food processor, grind first four ingredients. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add milk and corn syrup. Shape into 1/4 inch balls and roll in the crushed candy canes. Store in an airtight container.

We made about 2 douzen, but I think some didn't make it to the final destination! :)

Chicken prima

I just sort of made this up tonight because I'm getting tired of tomato based sauces!

1 lb chicken breast, cut int bite sized pieces
1 pacakge frozen peas (I like Bird's Eye Steamers)
4 slices bacon (nitrate free and lactic acid free. We usually get some from the local butcher otherwise Oscar Mayer is lactic acid free but NOT nitrate free)
1/4 cup kalamata olives
1/4 olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash garlic & pepper
1 lb rice pasta (ziti, squiggles, anything fun!)

Cook pasta as directed. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add peas directly to the pasta and water, finish cooking.

Par cook bacon in frying pan, so most of the grease has been cooked off, set aside.

Empty grease from pan and wipe pan with paper towel. Lower heat to medium and add oil and garlic. Cook garlic until flavor is released. Add chicken and cook until no longet pink. Add bacon and cook another minute, add olives and spices and heat through (another minute).

Drain pasta & peas and toss with chicken mixture.

Serves 4-6 depending on portions.