Cranberry and Walnut Stuffed Lamb Patties

Tonight was family game night at our house, and my darling little sister adores lamb, so I decided to treat her and my brother to some delectable lamb patties.  I mixed celery, dried cranberries, diced scallion and walnuts into the ground meat to make the patties have a little extra pizzazz.  

The Meat

- 1 1/2 pounds of ground lamb

- 1 scallion, diced

- 2 stalks of celery, diced

- 1/4 cup of dried cranberries

- 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts

- 2 stalks of green onions, diced

- 4 slices of Port Salut cheese

- salt, pepper, dill, marjoram, savory, cinnamon, paprika to taste

The Veggies

- 1 head of cauliflower, chopped

- 1 large sweet potato, chopped

- 2 turnips, chopped

- 1 zucchini, cut into large pieces

- 1 summer squash, cut into large pieces

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- salt, pepper, dill, marjoram to taste

- 1 cup water

Preheat the oven to 380 degrees.

Put the chopped veggies into a glass baking dish.  Brush the tops with olive oil and season everything.  Pop the pan in the oven and cook the veggies for 45 minutes.

In a metal mixing bowl, prepare the ground lamb with the goodies listed above.  Form the patties with your hands (remember to take off your rings!) and place them on your griddle pan to cook.  Cook them on high heat, turning occasionally, until the inside is just pink in the center if you cut one open.  The lamb will continue to cook a few minutes after taken off of the heat, so you don't want them to dry out.  

Layer the Port Salut cheese on top of the patties and let it melt for a minute before serving.  Sprinkle green onion on top of everything and enjoy the meal!

Grilled Swordfish In Creamy Mustard Sauce

This swordfish dish is really good, especially after last night's heavy meal!  The sauce goes really well with the fish, squash, and cauliflower.  

The Meat

 - 2 fillets of swordfish

- salt, pepper to taste

- 2 teaspoons lemon juice

The Veggies

 - 1 zucchini squash, sliced

- 1 summer squash, sliced

- 1 yellow heirloom tomato, chopped

- 1/2 head cauliflower, chopped

- 1 cup water

- 1 tablespoon olive oil

- salt, pepper, dill to taste

The Sauce

- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt

- 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard

- salt, pepper, dill, red chili flakes to taste

Chop and season the veggies.  Steam the veggies in a pot with high heat for 20 minutes.  It doesn't get any easier to make delicious veggies!  





Grill the swordfish fillets on a griddle pan with a little bit of lemon juice squirted over the skins.  Season the fish with the salt and pepper and cook it on high heat, skin down, for 5-6 minutes and then flip the fish and grill up the other side of the fish. 





Mix together the sauce by stirring the mustard into the Greek yogurt and adding the spices.  Smother your cooked fish and veggies with the creamy smooth sauce and serve yourself something awesome! 

Creamy Chipotle Pork Chops

This meal is a total winner.  The sauce is creamy yet spicy, and the chunky salsa and shredded smoky paprika cheddar go excellently on top of the thicker pork chops.  

The Meat

- 2-3 thick cut pork chops, with around 1/4 inch thick fat

- bacon grease for frying

- salt, chipotle pepper, cilantro, celery salt to taste

The Veggies

- 3 small zucchini, sliced

- 1/3 head cauliflower, chopped

- 1/2 cup water

- 8-10 stalks asparagus

- salt, pepper to taste

- 3 medium slicing and heirloom tomatoes, chopped into large chunks

- 1/2 green bell pepper, diced

- 1/3 red onion, diced

- chipotle habanero sauce to taste

- 1 tablespoon lemon juice

- 1 tablespoon lime juice

- salt, pepper, chipotle powder, cilantro to taste

- 1/3 cup shredded smoked paprika cheese

The Sauce 

- 1/2 cup heavy cream

- 2 tablespoons butter

- chipotle habanero sauce to taste
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch

- chipotle powder, cilantro, crushed red pepper to taste

Slice and chop your zucchini and cauliflower and put them in a saute pan with the water.  Cook on medium heat for around 15 minutes until the zucchini is soft.  Lower the heat and put the sauce ingredients into the pan.  Mix it together well and let it simmer for around 10 more minutes.

You can cook the asparagus and chops together on the same griddle pan.  Grease it well with bacon grease before hand, spice your meat, and lay out your food so it all has even cooking surface to cook on.  Flip the pork chops every 3-4 minutes until the centers are cooked through, approximately 12 minutes.  The asparagus will take less time, only around 7-8 minutes to finish.  Make sure to turn those at least twice as well to prevent charring.

Chop up all the tomato, pepper, and onion, and mix them with the lemon and lime juices.  Season liberally and add the chipotle habanero sauce to make it a little spicy.  Feel free to add jalapenos or habanero peppers to it if you'd like it to be even spicier.  Shred some smoked paprika cheese on top.

I put the veggies and sauce on the bottom of the dish and lay the pork chops on top, making to spoon a little bit extra sauce on top of them.  Then I smothered the whole plate with the salsa.  Dive into the spicy, smoky, creamy flavors that explode in your mouth throughout this tasty dish!

Cauliflower Potato Salad

We had a birthday barbecue to go to this weekend, and it was requested by the very lovely birthday girl that I make my Cauliflower Potato Salad and then post it on the blog, so she can steal the recipe ;)  

This served 8-10 people...so if you want to make it for yourself at home, you can halve the recipe (or make a lot and refrigerate it, because it's delicious and you'll happily eat it all week).  This potato salad goes great with all sorts of barbecue, as well as lunch meats or even by itself.

Cauliflower Potato Salad

- 1 head cauliflower, chopped

- 9 medium-large yellow potatoes, skinned and pierced with a fork

- 2 green onions, sliced

- 4-5 tablespoons hemp seed oil based mayonnaise

- 2-3 tablespoons stoneground whole grain mustard

- 3 teaspoons minced horseradish

- 2 teaspoons lemon juice

- 2-3 raw cloves of garlic, pressed (use this)

- salt, pepper, mustard seed, dill, paprika, basil, dried bay leaf to taste

- extra seasoning to sprinkle on top

In a large pot, boil the potatoes and cauliflower for around 25 minutes, until the potatoes break apart when poked with a fork.  Drain the water and put the hot potatoes and cauliflower into a large mixing bowl.  

With your potato masher, mash up both the cauliflower and potatoes for 45 seconds.  You should have a chunky mashed potato consistency with a few medium sized bites of potato in the mix.  Dollop the mayonnaise and mustard into the mixing bowl, then add the horseradish, raw garlic, and seasoning, and finally use a big spoon to fold all the ingredients together until the mustard and mayonnaise are evenly blended and you don't see globs of unmixed ingredients.  The potato salad should be a little creamy and a little chunky and have lots of kick to it, thanks to the raw garlic and horseradish floating around in there. 

Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.  To serve, sprinkle the sliced green onion and extra prepared seasoning on top of the potato salad to make it look all pretty and presentable.  Watch guests devour your potato salad and feel accomplished.  Enjoy the party/barbecue/lunch.

Thai Basil Curry Crockpot Goodness

I. Love. My. Crockpot.  We received it as a gift for our wedding in the spring, and ever since then I use it regularly to make delicious curries and slow-cooked meats.  I love it because I will make the meal right before I go to bed, and when we wake up in the morning, we open the bedroom door and our entire home is drenched with delicious aromas.  Then I send my husband off with his Thermos.  This is a great Thai curry with lots of savory spice and hints of coconut.  

The Meat

- 1 pound of beef stew meat

The Veggies

- 1/2 head cauliflower

- 8-10 carrots

- 3 yellow potatoes, skinned and chopped into large pieces

- 1/3 eggplant, chopped into large pieces

- 2 summer squashes, chopped into large pieces

The Sauce

- 1 cup coconut milk

- 1/2 cup water

- 1 teaspoon onion powder

- 2 tablespoons Thai chili paste

- 1 tablespoon coconut oil

- 1-2 teaspoons tamarind puree

- 1 teaspoon tapioca starch

- 2 teaspoons lime juice

- salt, garlic powder, lemongrass powder, basil, coriander to taste

Chop all your veggies the night before, and toss the raw meat and veggies in the crock pot.  I make my veggie pieces extra large, because they get so soft in the Crockpot that if they are small they will literally cook away to nothing.  Mix together the sauce (or, you could be lazy and buy World Foods' Thai Basil Curry Stir-Fry Sauce.  It has sugar in it, but is gluten free, and has no artificial preservatives or genetically modified ingredients.  Use the whole jar).  Pour the sauce over the veggies and meat, turn the Crockpot on "low" heat, and let it cook overnight (around 6-8 hours).  Go to sleep.





When I wake up, the first thing I do is open my eyes and wish I could sleep later...then I get up and go turn the Crockpot setting to "warm." I send my husband to work with a Thermos of curry and some crunchy apple slices and nuts.  The veggies and meat are SO soft, they melt in your mouth.  I use a slotted spoon to get the curry from the Crockpot to the bowl/thermos, because there is usually greasy liquid at the bottom of the Crockpot.  It is tasty too though if you feel like splashing some into your meal.

Pan Fried Mahi Mahi With Roasted Vegetables

This meal was great!  Fish is so tasty, we love eating it!  The roasted vegetables were great with the fish and the spinach with our lovely garlic butter was fantastic, as usual.  

The Meat

- 1 pound (2-3 fillets) of mahi mahi
- salt, pepper, dill, thyme, sage, lemon juice to taste

The Veggies

- 2 heirloom carrots, sliced

- 1/2 head cauliflower, chopped

- 1 turnip, chopped
- 1/2 cup water

- salt, pepper to taste


- 3/4 pound of spinach
- 3 tablespoons of water

- 1 green onion, sliced

- 2 mushrooms, sliced

- 1/2 slicing tomato, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil

The Garlic Butter

- 3 tablespoons butter

- garlic (looots of it)

- salt, dill to taste


Preheat the oven to 380 degrees.


Dice up your veggies and put them into your baking dish with the water and seasoning.  Prep your garlic butter (like in this post) and cook the garlic butter for around an hour.  The vegetables will cook for 40-45 minutes.  If you want to get crazy, you can add crushed red pepper or some seasoning salt into the vegetables.  





The fish was cooked on my griddle pan, but you could also bake it for 25 minutes in the oven with your veggies.  Season your fish and sprinkle some lemon juice on top of the fillets.  I cooked it for around 8 minutes per side.  You want the fish to cook until it is opaque, flaky, and still a little juicy.  Mahi mahi is so tender and full of flavor, it doesn't really need much!








I wilted the spinach in my saute pan with the water on medium low heat for around 6 minutes and then tossed it with the garlic butter.  In my smaller saute pan I cooked up the mushrooms and tomato for around 4 minutes, until they were soft but not mushy.   I placed everything on the plate and then it was time to eat!

Turkey Patties with Dill Yogurt Sauce

This is a light dinner, it tastes amazing and the ground turkey tastes soooo good with the Greek yogurt sauce.  We have been enjoying fresh cucumber in all sorts of ways this summer, and putting the diced cucumber into the Greek yogurt is a great way to lighten up your dinner and add some zesty crunch!

The Meat

- 1 pound ground turkey, divided into 4 patties
- curry spice, salt, pepper, dill, crushed red pepper to taste

The Veggies

- 1 head of broccoli, chopped

- 1 small head purple cauliflower, chopped
-lemon juice to taste

2 summer squashes, sliced

- 1/2 cup red grapes, sliced in halves

- 1 large slicing tomato, chopped

- 1 tablespoon dried cranberries
- salt, pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon olive oil

The Sauce

- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt

- 6 slices cucumber, diced

- 1 teaspoon lemon juice

- salt, dill, pepper to taste

- 1/2 green onion, sliced


Preheat the oven to 380 degrees.


Slice the squash and tomatoes and put them into your small baking dish.  Then add the water, seasoning, cranberries, and oil.  Pop it all in the oven and bake it for around 35 minutes.





Put the broccoli and cauliflower into your steamer and steam for 15 minutes.  Splash them with the lemon juice when they are all done.  I like to keep them a little firm, I feel like the vegetables taste better when they aren't too mushy.  The lemon is a nice way to give them a tangy kick without relying on too much seasoning.





The patties I cooked on my griddle pan at high heat, flipping them after 4 minutes.  While they cooked I whipped up my sauce, folding in all the ingredients and spooning it together until it is creamy and consistent.

Blueberry Ribs And Heavenly Roasted Garlic Butter

My husband is always excited when I make him ribs.  His favorite meals include bones - he says it makes him feel like a caveman, that he truly feels primal when ripping meat off bone. Personally, I don't like getting so messy, but I will say that these ribs taste sweet, spicy, and juicy.  I make them in the oven since we can't easily barbecue, and I think they taste just as good.  The roasted garlic butter is an old addiction.  We got some gigantic cloves of garlic at the farmers' market this morning and I decided to indulge in the spicy, flavorful treat.  We developed a serious love for garlic when we lived in Korea, and every now and then I get nostalgic for the dragon breath that my husband emits after inhaling a dozen cloves of garlic.  

The Meat

- 2 racks pork spareribs

The Veggies

- 1 head of broccoli

- 1/2 head of cauliflower

- 2 cups water

- pepper, salt to taste

The Sauce

- 3 tablespoons of ketchup

- 2 tablespoons of wholegrain mustard

- 1 tablespoon of olive oil based mayonnaise

- 1 tablespoon of crushed blueberries

- 1 teaspoon of blueberry jam (no sugar added)

- spice to taste

The Garlic Butter

- 3 tablespoons butter

- garlic (as much as you want!)

- salt, dill to taste (be liberal)

Preheat your oven to 380 degrees.

First, prepare your garlic butter by dicing up the garlic and placing it on an aluminum foil sheet.  Add the salt, dill, and 3 tablespoons of butter on top of the garlic, and then fold up the aluminum until you can make a pouch.  I usually double layer my aluminum foil so it doesn't leak.  Place it directly on the rack and let it cook for an hour.  

Next I made the sauce in a small metal mixing bowl.  You can use a mortar and pestle, or just the back of a teaspoon to squish up the blueberries.  Depending on my sides, I will switch up my spices sometimes for this sauce.  Tonight I just added a little bit of salt, pepper, and red chili flake.  

I put the ribs on my baking sheet and brushed them with the sauce.  They cooked in the oven (next to the garlic) for around 40 minutes.  After 20 minutes have passed, take out your ribs briefly, brushing on more sauce and turning them over.  

I steamed some broccoli and cauliflower for around 20 minutes on high heat in my steaming pot. When the garlic butter was done, I tossed the veggies with it.  Ah-ma-zing.

I use my meat scissors to cut the ribs when they are all cooked, and I usually bring out washcloths and an extra bowl to the table for the bones, because this is one deliciously messy meal. 

A Big Hunk Of Meat

Having a huge slab of meat on your plate can be one of life's greatest pleasures.  This tangy, juicy flank steak makes me feel like a cavewoman, but the roasted vegetables keeps the dish from losing any sophistication.   

The Meat

- 1 - 1 1/2 pounds of flank steak

- 2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard

- 1 teaspoon malt vinegar

- 1 teaspoon horseradish

- 1/2 teaspoon habanero sauce (or to taste)

- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

- salt, chipotle pepper, rosemary to taste

The Veggies

- 1/2 cup cauliflower, chopped

- 1/2 cup broccoli, chopped

- 2 summer squashes, sliced

- 1/3 cup baby carrots

- 1/2 cup red wine (I used Cabernet Sauvignon)

- 1/2 cup water

- 1 tablespoon olive oil

- salt, pepper, dill, marjoram to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Mix all the ingredients for your meat marinade and slather it onto both sides of your raw flank steak at least 30 minutes before grilling.  You can play with the amounts of ingredients to match the marinade to your taste - some people like it spicier or less mustardy, it is up to you!  We liked this marinade because it was tangy and had a kick, plus we love the way the mustard, vinegar, and horseradish blend with the rich flavor of the steak. 

I roasted my vegetables in some wine and water tonight.  I coated the veggies with the seasoning and olive oil, then popped all the veggies into the oven together in a ceramic baking dish with the liquid at the bottom.  I baked them uncovered for around 40 minutes.  By that time most of the liquid had cooked off and the carrots were firm to the touch but soft to the bite - I prefer this over mushy carrots soo much.  The squashes we soft but alos a little crispy, and the broccoli and cauliflower still had a hint of crunch to them.  We love our vegetables like this.

I grilled the steak on my griddler for around 13 minutes.  I used the double-sided grill to sear the meat.  The cut I had found was 1 1/2 pounds and mostly around 1 1/4 inches thick, the perimeter was a little thinner.  We like our meat pink in the middle, so grilling it for this long left us with a rare-medium rare center.   If you prefer it more medium-well done, leave the steak on a few more minutes.  

Feeling Yellow-Orange?

Every now and then my husband asks for a meal that is all the same color.  He thinks it is great fun to challenge me to make a tasty meal while staying in a color group or two.  Tonight was one of those nights, and yellow-orange was the color.  Good thing I'd been to the Farmers' Market this weekend!


The Meat
- 2 fillets of sockeye salmon with the skin
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- salt/pepper/dill to taste
- 1 slice bacon, crisped and crumbled


The Veggies
- 1 cup yellow cauliflower, diced
- 2 yellow potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 1/4 cup onion, sliced
- 2 yellow summer squash
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice (or more, to taste)
- dill, thyme, salt, pepper, paprika, cracked red pepper to taste


The Garnishes
- 4 slices of yellow heirloom tomato
- cracked pepper goat cheese


I threw the veggies in my 3" deep pan and let them cook away with the water, lemon, and spices, on medium high heat for around 20 minutes.  While they simmered I "dressed" my salmon with the lemon juice and spices and fried up the slice of bacon.  Then I grilled up the salmon on my awesome griddler with a little bit of bacon grease left over from making the slice of bacon on my nonstick griddle pan (different from the griddler).  Since the griddler cooks both sides simultaneously, it only took around 7 minutes to finish the fish.  You want to cook the salmon until it is flaky, but check it often to make sure you aren't overcooking it - dried out salmon is not appetizing.


When the veggies and salmon were cooked, I layered the vegetables on the bottom and put the salmon on top.  I sprinkled on the bacon, a few slices of big, juicy tomato, and some delicious goat cheese coated in cracked pepper.  Voila!