Wet Behind the Ears

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to pop a pill rather than go to all the trouble of shopping for groceries, schlepping them home, storing them, using them in a timely fashion before they rot, dreaming up what to prepare, preparing, waiting for praise and finally cleaning up after yourself?  I know I have.  Three meals a day times 365 days a year...that's 1,095 meals a year. On the other hand, there are few activities more enjoyable than eating a good meal.  So, it's best to concentrate on enjoying and finding inspiration where we can.

Be that as it may, the recipe of the day is rack of lamb.  I tend to cook lamb chops the same way as steak, sprinkling on steak spice, garlic and onion flakes.  Easy as pie.  Rack of lamb is something I've ordered many times in restaurants, paying their hefty prices.  It seemed less daunting to prepare than I imagined it would be as there weren't too many ingredients to gather.  A quick google yielded the following recipe which I based on the Allrecipes.com recipe.

Roasted Rack of Lamb

                            INGREDIENTS

Breadcrumb Coating    

  Instructions:  Mix in a large flat pyrex dish.

1/2 c fresh bread crumbs

1 T minced garlic

1 T chopped fresh rosemary  

1 t salt

1/4 t black pepper

1 T olive oil

Seasoned Lamb

                                          

1 (7 bone) rack of lamb, trimmed and frenched

1 t salt

1 t black pepper                             

1 T olive oil

1 T Dijon mustard

Season the lamb with salt and pepper. 

Use less salt if you are (wisely) paying attention to all the

health news about the dangers of consuming too much salt.

Seared Lamb

Sear the lamb, on top of the stove in a heavy skillet, 

for about 2 minutes per side, 

over high heat, in a tablespoon of olive oil. 

Cool for a few moments then coat with

a tablespoon of Dijon. 

Coated Lamb with Wrapping

Lay the lamb down onto the breadcrumb mixture, coating all sides.

Wrap the exposed ends in tinfoil so they don't burn. Preheat your oven and r

oast the rack bone side down, at 450 degrees F for 16 minutes, covering and allowing the meat to rest for 5 minutes before carving.

So, it wasn't much trouble and it does make an impressive meal.  It takes some practice to get the meat to your preferred level of doneness, but as long as you don't overcook it, you can easily slip it whole or cut, back into the oven for a little more cooking.  This Jittery Cook was satisfied with the results, but relieved that she got to experiment on her hubbie for their pre-anniversary dinner for two rather than being jittery for the maiden voyage in front of guests.

So tomorrow is the big day.  Celebrating 24 years of marriage.  Really, really celebrating the joys of having a wonderful blended family.  His, mine and ours.  Thanks Jared, Erin, Adrianne and Andrew for making us pleased as punch to be in this adventure together.

My talented, art director brother-in-law, George Richardson,  supplied me with this Jittery Cook drawing.  I asked for a cook balancing on a tightrope with cooking implements in each hand.  Perfect!

Note to all new parents:  Get your hands on a book (Feeding your Baby the Healthiest Foods, 2000) written by Louise Lambert Lagace.  You will be on your way to creating a versatile foodie from the get go.  Following this brilliant nutritionist's advice will open up your child to healthy food habits that will last a lifetime.  I just had to get that off my chest.

hb