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Books & Spoons Preparing the Easter Lamb

27/3/2015

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With Easter just around the corner, many thoughts turn into a lamb, as the traditional Easter meal.
In many countries, lamb is an expensive meat, and some find it intimidating to prepare.
But it is actually rather easy meat to prepare. Leg of lamb is tender meat, and cooking of it is simple, results juicy and tasty. With the tenderness of the meat, you really don't need to marinate it, and if you choose so, not longer than an hour or two.
My favorite way is just to use herbs, garlic, and salt & pepper. I also like to cook it with the bone, for the flavors it will give,  even though carving it will be a little more difficult.
I love roasting robust vegetables with the lamb in the oven, but steaming/boiling or boiling them works well, too.

1.Take the meat out of the refrigerator an hour before cooking to let it come into the room temperature for more even cooking.
2.Rub the meat with olive oil, salt and pepper on a rack in a roasting pan
3.Broil the leg of lamb for five minutes on both sides, until it looks seared and brown.
4.Take it out of the oven. Turn the oven on 160 C/325 F.
5.Rub the minced garlic and rosemary into the meat, evenly coating it. I have seen people inserting whole cloves of garlic into the meat, but when you pierce the meat, you loose juices from it while cooking it. I would always use minced garlic.
6.Loosely cover the pan with an aluminum foil, and set in the middle of the oven for about an hour.
7. Remove the foil after an hour and take the temperature of the lamb. If the lamb has come to the temperature of 57 C / 135 F, you can take it out of the oven, remember it will continue cooking while it rests.
If the lamb has not reached the desired temperature, keep cooking it, and check the temperature every 20 minutes.
8. Let the leg of lamb rest for 15 minutes before carving it.

Internal Temperatures for Bone-In Leg of Lamb
All of these cooking times take into account the fact that we broil the lamb first to sear it.
They also assume a resting period of at least 15 minutes, during which the lamb actually continues cooking internally. It's best, especially if you like rare or medium-rare lamb, to take it out at a lower temperature.
REMEMBER! These times are only guidelines. Depending on many factors, your lamb leg may roast slower or faster. Check after one hour and then continue roasting, checking frequently, until the lamb reaches your desired internal temperature.
Roasting Temperature: 160 C / 325°F
  • Rare: 52 C / 125°F (about 15 minutes per pound/500 g)
  • Medium-Rare: 55 C / 130°F to 135°F (about 20 minutes per pound/500g)
  • Medium: 60 C/ 135°F to 140°F (about 25 minutes per pound/500g)
  • Well-Done:  68 - 70 C /155°F to 165°F (about 30 minutes per pound/500g)



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Books & Spoons Recipe: COD WITH A KICK

20/3/2015

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Here's some burning hot flavors with cod, even though I believe any white fish would go nicely with the marinade. I used cod because that's what was fresh at my market.
This dish is great for dinner, Sunday lunch, or whenever you are craving some fish. I made enough, so there were leftovers for lunch the next day, and yes, I wrapped the leftovers into a tortilla, like you can see in a post a couple of weeks ago.
~ Cheers!
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1 lb / 500 g of any white fish
3 dl / 1,2 cups of uncooked rice

TOPPING:
1/2 red chili pepper, coarsely chopped
A bunch of coriander, chopped fine
5 TBSP of olive oil
2 TBSP of coarse breadcrumbs
Salt + pepper

SALSA

200 g / 7 oz of cherry tomatoes, cut
3 ea shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 red chili pepper, coarsely chopped
1 TBSP olive oil
A bunch of coriander, chopped
Salt + pepper
Set oven to 200 C / 400 F
Cook the rice according to the directions

Topping
Mix together the chopped chili pepper, coriander, olive oil, bread crumbs, and salt and pepper.
Fold on top of the fish fillets
Bake the fish for about 10 minutes, until done

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Salsa
Mix the cherry tomatoes, chili pepper, and shallots in olive oil, add salt and pepper as needed. Top with coriander.
Serve the baked fish with rice and salsa, and with lime and salad if you so wish.
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Books & Spoons Recipe for Chicken & veggies with Rice & Beans

13/3/2015

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This is a fabulous, quick, and tasty meal for a family of four. I love the slow burn of the chili peppers, the balance between all the flavors is nice. It's a convenient dish to make cause it takes just a one large saucepan, and about 30 minutes. And the leftovers are easy to heat up, or eat cold, as the case might have been over here.. It's easy to make this into a vegetarian version, just leaving the chicken out, but I that case I would be using vegetable stock instead water, to bring a bit more flavor into the dish. I hope you enjoy
~ Cheers!
400 g / 14 oz raw chicken, cut into small pieces
salt, pepper, oil
1 red onion, cut into thin slices
1/2 leek, cut into small slices
1 chili pepper, cut into tiny slices
1/3 of Chinese garlic (2 cloves of garlic) crushed
3 dl / 1 full cup of rice
5 dl / 2 cups of water
1 can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of crushed tomatoes
Cayenne pepper
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, cut into 4
1 cup of sugar pea pods, cut into 4 pieces

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Fry the pieces of the chicken in a large saucepan in oil, remember salt and pepper.
Add the cut leeks, onion, and garlic. Fry for a couple of minutes.
Add water and rice, cook until the water is absorbed. Add the kidney beans, and crushed tomatoes, and let it small cook for about 5 minutes.
Add the cut cherry tomatoes and sugar pea pods, let them steam under the heat of the lid for a couple of minutes.
Add Cayenne pepper and salt by taste
You can serve with slices of lime and fresh, cut parsley if you so desire.
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Salmon All wrapped up

6/3/2015

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It doesn't get much better than this! I love salmon wraps, they are healthy, delicious, and filling. I make them every chance I get. They are fast to make on a spot, or even faster if you have some salmon leftover from previous meals.
~ Cheers!
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SALMON WRAPS
1 Red onion
1 Green bell pepper
1 Cucumber
1 tsp Tabasco
1 Lime
4 TBSP Olive oil
1 TBSP white wine vinegar
0,5 kg / 1 lb salmon file
salt pepper
4 Tortillas

Cut the vegetables in thin strips
Mix with olive oil, Tabasco, lime juice, and white wine vinegar


Season the fish fillet with salt and pepper
Cut the fish in small cubes about 1 cm / quarter inch in size
Fry the fish in a pan, until just done. This happens fast, in just a couple of minutes.


Portion out the vegetables on the four tortillas, top with the fish.

You can use herbs on the top, like coriander or flat leaf parsley, and aioli, or extra Tabasco if you so desire




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