Tag: cooking

Lamb Chops Marinated with Dijon Mustard and Herbs

On By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes1 Comment

We enjoy having many different varieties of lamb dishes, especially during our travels, whether it be leg of lamb, lamb biryani, rack of lamb, or in this case lamb chops. Some people find lamb to be a little “gamey”, but we enjoy the robust flavor and it can stand up to a variety of spices. This is a simple recipe and yet it is quite delicious. The key to lamb is to ensure that you get the temperature right because if it is over-cooked, it can become dry, but if it isn’t cooked to mid-rare it can be chewy. We served ours with oven roasted red potatoes and brussels sprouts, which made for perfect accompaniments. You can substitute dry herbs for the fresh herbs, but use fresh herbs if at all possible as it will taste much brighter. Many people have to have mint jelly with their lamb, but if you try this more savory version, you might never go back to the mint jelly. This recipe serves 2 people.

Mustard and Herbs

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 Lamb Chops (about 1 lb)
  • 1/8 cup Dijon Mustard
  • 1/2 tbsp Minced Garlic
  • 1 tbsp Fresh Rosemary – finely chopped
  • 1 tsp Fresh Thyme
  • 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
Marinating the Lamb Chops

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine the mustard, garlic, rosemary, and thyme in a bowl and thoroughly mix. Salt and pepper both sides of the lamb chops. Smother all sides of the lamb chops with the mustard and herb mixture, cover, and put in the refrigerator for an hour. Remove from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for another 30 minutes in order to finish marinating and so that it cooks more evenly. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil and then cook the lamb chops for 4 to 5 minutes on one side, then flip. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes and then set the chops on their fat side (assuming that they are 3/4 to 1 inch thick) for another couple of minutes. Cook until the internal temperature is 135 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cooking the Lamb Chops in a Cast-Iron Skillet
Lamb Chops with Roasted Red Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts

Delish Green Beans with Coconut

On By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Food, India, RecipesLeave a comment

Today we are featuring a post from our friends at A Global Affair who provide wonderful content on travel and delicious recipes.

Many moons ago, when my mom had to leave for India for an extended period of time to care for my grandfather, she wrote down a bunch of recipes of the staple, time honored dishes that my family from Kerala had served for generations in their kitchen. Before I had any money to buy any sort of cookbook, these recipes became my guidepost; a primer that ensured that I would carry on creating the tastes of my mother, grandmothers, aunts and more in my kitchen. Of course, in the rush to give me these recipes, mom sometimes missed writing exact quantities or an ingredient, but they were enough of a foundation to enable me to cook.

Beans Poduthol, also called as Thoran, is a simple dish of whatever veggies are on hand, some oil and spices and lots of freshly grated coconut. It is the kind of dish that is not only super yummy and healthy, but also makes me feel with every spoonful that all will be okay in this world.

Ingredients:

  • A pound of beans, washed, destringed and cut into small pieces
  • A tbsp of oil (traditionally coconut oil is used)
  • A tsp of mustard seeds
  • A tsp of urad dal (skip if you don’t have this, it adds crunch)
  • One or two dried red chili pods broken
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • Four tbsps freshly grated coconut
When I copied mom’s recipe into my first attempt at organizing recipes.

How to:

1. Heat oil in a pan.  Fry the mustard seeds, urad dal (if using) and dried chilly pods.  When the mustard seeds start popping, add the beans, turmeric powder, salt and cumin powder and toss well.

2. Cover and cook till the beans are cooked, yet crunchy (about 10-15 minutes).

3. Add the fresh coconut and toss a few times.

Enjoy!

PS. You can prepare cabbage, spinach, carrots, and raw bananas in a similar fashion.

Asian Chicken and Asparagus Dinner

On By Isobar ExpeditionsIn RecipesLeave a comment

Asian Chicken and Asparagus

When we get Asian food, more often than not it is either chicken or pork. One of the things that we like about this dish is that you can vary the amount of spice to make have a little tang or you can turn up the heat if you want. We chose to keep it on the milder side this time, but if you make extra marinade, you can always make that a little spicier and allow people to choose how much of the sauce to add to their finished dish. Asparagus is in season at the moment, so we chose to pair it with the chicken, but broccoli would work equally well. We also chose to serve it over white rice, but if you prefer brown rice, it will pair nicely as well. We made it for just the two of us, but obviously it is easy enough to increase the size to make it for more people.
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 2

Equipment

  • Skillet

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Chicken Thighs Preferably deboned
  • 8 stalks Asparagus Cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup Potsticker Sauce
  • 1/3 cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
  • 1 tbsp Hot Chinese Mustard
  • 1 tbsp Chili Paste (Sambal)
  • 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • 1 package Quick Cooking Rice cooked to the package directions

Instructions
 

  • Combine the potsticker sauce, soy sauce, Chinese mustard, and chili paste
  • Marinade the chicken for at least an hour or overnight
  • Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat
  • Place the chicken in the hot pan, skin-side down
  • Sear the chicken for about 10 minutes or until the skin is golden brown
  • Turn the heat down to medium-low and turn the chicken over and continue to cook until firm, about 15 minutes
  • Remove the chicken and let rest while the asparagus cooks
  • Turn the heat back to medium
  • Add the asparagus to the same skillet that the chicken was cooked in
  • Cook the asparagus until tender, the time will depend on the thickness of the asparagus. Ours were thin, so it only took 4 to 5 minutes
  • Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and serve with the asparagus over rice