Easter Lamb Souvlaki

For me, lamb is a tradition for Easter. My brother-in-law, Tommy and I would roast up a leg every Easter, studded with garlic and dressed with rosemary (see earlier Easter blog entries below). But with kids in school and a new interstate job relocation, no time for a leg of lamb roast this year. No problem - kebabs with boneless lamb is a great second choice. Very simple and quick to prepare, this is still an elegant and festive enough treat, even for guests.

I renamed this Lamb Souvlaki because after posting, I was on a recent trip to Greece, and I had this exact dish! I was so surprised, and satisfied when I ordered Lamb Souvlaki to get a plate with gorgeous cubes of lamb, separated by yellow pepper, marinated with fresh herbs, and served with lemon on the side. I realized the kebabs I made several weeks before were actually souvlaki.
2 lbs boneless lamb, cubed
1 yellow pepper, diced into ½-inch pieces

Marinade:
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup dry white wine
1 tsp Kosher salt
lots of fresh ground pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh lavender or other early spring herb, minced
1 Tbsp fresh sage, minced
Jest of one orange

Mix the marinade and toss with the lamb. Allow to marinate at least an hour, or even better, all day in the refrigerator. Light the grill. Skewer the lamb alternating with the peppers. Grill for about 2 minutes on each of four sides. Serve with couscous and fresh lemon.

Curried Fish with Bruschetta Tomatoes

This dish can be made very, very quickly. I've used frozen green beans, frozen cubed fish and jarred Bruschetta tomatoes all from Trader Joe's - they are all fantastic. For a quick weeknight meal, you can't beat that convenience. And it tastes fantastic as well.

1 lb. fish fillet, such as Haddock or Cod, cubed
1 onion, peeled and diced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
handful of green beans, cut to 1-inch lengths
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
½-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
2 tsp favorite curry powder – I use my Korma Masala
1 cup coconut milk

Bruschetta tomatoes:
3 large tomatoes, diced and drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp lemon juice or Balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
about 12 fresh basil leaves, cut in chiffonade

Mix together the Bruschetta tomatoes and allow to marinate. Meanwhile, sauté the onion, carrots and green beans in a bit of canola oil for about 5-8 minutes, until the veggies begin to soften. Add the pepper, garlic and ginger and cook another 3-5 minutes, until very fragrant. Add the masala or curry powder and cook another minute. Mix in the coconut milk and the Bruschetta tomatoes. Heat through.

In a separate hot non-stick skillet, sauté the fish in a bit of canola oil, until each side has browned just a bit, about 2-3 minutes a side. Pour the curry sauce over the fish and fold together very gently. Serve over white rice.

Here's a version made with grape tomatoes.

Moroccan Orange and Lemon Chicken

1 chicken cut into serving pieces
1 large onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, sliced
½-inch fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
2 cups crushed tomatoes
Juice of 2 fresh navel oranges (or 1 cup orange juice)
juice of 1 fresh lemon
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp Pimenton, smokey Spanish Paprika
1 16-oz can chick peas, drained
zest of 1 lemon
palmful of fresh cilantro or parsely leaves, finely chopped

In a large Dutch Oven or large pot, sauté the chicken pieces until nicely browned, in a bit of olive oil. If necessary, do this in batches to give the pieces plenty of space in between them while browning. Salt and pepper the chicken while browning. Set aside in a bowl. In same Dutch Oven, sauté the onion and jalapeno pepper for about five minutes, until onion softens. Add the garlic, ginger and fennel seeds and continue cooking another 3-5 minutes until very fragrant. Add the cumin and cook another minute. Add the tomatoes, orange and lemon juices, the turmeric, paprika and chickpeas. Stir well, and then immerse the chicken pieces into the sauce. Add any remaining juices collected with the chicken. Cook for about an hour on low heat, turning the pieces every fifteen minutes. Stir in the lemon zest and plate the chicken, topped with cilantro or parsley. Serve with couscous or rice.

Pan Seared Mahi Mahi over Soba Noodles and Edamame

200 g soba noodles
1 tsp sesame oil

1 cup red, yellow and green peppers, thinly sliced
1/3 cup edamame
3 cloves garlic, minced
½-inch fresh ginger, minced
dash red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp light soy sauce

1 lb Mahi Mahi fillets, cut into four servings, lightly salted
toasted sesame seeds

Cook noodles in boiling slated water for about 5 minutes, just until softened. Drain, toss with sesame oil and set aside. Meanwhile sauté the veggies and red pepper in a bit of canola oil until softened and fragrant. Heat a skillet over medium-high with some canola oil until just shimmering. While the vegetables cook, sauté the mahi mahi, laying one side into the hot oil. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes, until the first side browns well – do not disturb it for at least 2 minutes to allow to brown and separate from pan. Flip the fish and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes. You may want to use a non-stick skillet until you get the knack of sautéing fish in a regular skillet! But you really have got to try it sometime because a pan-seared fish fillet is something special.

Fold the noodles into the veggies and toss with the soy sauce. Distribute about four plates. Top noodles with the fish and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Couscous of Curried Chick Peas and Vegetables

1 cup couscous
1 cup water
dash salt
splash of olive oil

1 leek, washed and diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 can chick peas, drained
2 cups cauliflower, cut to bite-sized pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp favorite masala or curry powder

palmful of cilantro or parsley leaves, minced
4 Tbsp Greek Yogurt or sour cream

In a small pot, bring water, oil and salt to a boil. Add the couscous, stir, remove from heat and cover.

Meanwhile, toss leek and peppers into a non-stick skillet with olive oil and butter and sauté for about 8-10 minutes. Add next 4 ingredients and sauté until cauliflower is just beginning to soften, about another 5 minutes.

Fluff couscous and fold into the veggies. Top with cilantro and yogurt. Serve fresh lemon on the side.

Waldbronn Soup with Leek and Smoked Salmon

I know its April Fools Day but I am not kidding you when I say that I have had some of the lightest, freshest food in Holland and Germany this week. Granted I also did eat Grilled Crispy Pork Neck with Spatzle in Germany and we did experience questionable deep fried Von Dortmund croquettes with dubious unidentifiable slimy, meaty filling, famous in the North Sea beach region near Middelburgh, Netherlands. But we also had an absolutely world-class 5-course prix-fixed meal at restaurant TBD in Holland. And after a long 10-hour drive to Waldbronn, Germany, it was a pleasure to happen upon the creamiest potato soup with smoked salmon, late at night in a pub, with live jazz music and great local Pilz beer.

Don't believe world-class cuisine is relegated to environs such as France and Italy. I have to say though that I still love the hearty classics of Germany like roasted pork knuckle with potato dumpling or rich grilled pig neck with cabbage!

3 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
1 leek, cleaned and diced
1/8 lb smoked salmon, finely diced
Zest of 1 lemon
2 slices hearty bread, cut into very small cubes
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
dash red pepper flakes
Palmful of fresh parsley, minced
4 Tbsp yogurt or light sour cream

Boil the potatoes in the stock until soft and purée with an immersion blender. Set aside and keep warm.

Meanwhile, sauté the leek for about ten minutes, until soft and beginning to caramelize. Toss in the smoked salmon and lemon zest just to heat through. While the leeks cooks, heat the oil and butter in a separate pan until frothy. Add the bread cubes and red pepper flakes. Cook about five minutes, tossing to brown the cubes. Divide the leek-salmon mixture between four large bowls. Cover with soup and top with bread crumbs, parsley and a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.