wham! bam! lamb, ma’am!

The title of this dish might lead you to believe that it is a dish quickly assembled and haphazardly prepared. But no. Nor does it necessarily take a great deal of time to make. Rather, it is the surprise that comes when you taste how good the oddly paired ingredients are in concert that gives the dish its puckish title. It was not created as a dish for company, but as one to fend off the chill of a wintry night.

• 10 oz lamb stew meat, in 1” cubes
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• ½ cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced (do not substitute)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 cups vegetable stock (or vegetable bouillon made with cubes)
• 1 tsp pasilla chile powder
• 1 tsp yeast extract (e.g. Marmite® or Vegemite®)
• 1 tsp beef bouillon granules
• ½ head cabbage, diced
• 1 carrot diced
• ¼ cup Madeira wine
• ¼ cup dried potato flakes

Brown the lamb, mushrooms, garlic, and onion together in the oil. Add wine, vegetable stock, pasilla, yeast extract, and beef bouillon granules. Bring to a simmer and cook 30 to 45 minutes, until the meat is tender.

Add the cabbage and carrots and simmer for another 15 minutes, until the vegetables are limp. Add the Madeira and potato flakes. Simmer until the alcohol is just dissipated and the potato flakes have thickened the mixture to a good stew-like consistency, about 5 minutes. Add more potatoes if you like it thicker, or less if you find it too thick.

Serves 3 to 4.

blue lamb loaf

My brother Bill forwarded me a recipe for “blue cheese meatloaf.” It wasn’t the greatest meatloaf, but it was interesting. His recipe was made from ground beef and pork, with bread crumbs. Of course, I had to change it to better conform to my diet and tastes, and to elevate it from the interesting to the outstanding (if you like blue cheese and lamb).

• 1 lb ground lamb
• 1 cup TVP
• 1 cup water, hot
• 2 tsp Kitchen Bouquet® browning sauce
• ½ tsp ground rosemary
• ½ cup scallions, minced finely
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup ketchup
• ¼ cup egg substitute (X)
• 1/8 cup milk
• 1 package gelatin
• 4 oz blue cheese, crumbled

Reconstitute the TVP in the hot water, browning sauce, and rosemary, in the microwave for about 1 minute. Sprinkle the gelatin over the milk, add the egg, mustard, and ketchup, and blend thoroughly. Then combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Place in a lightly oiled nonstick aluminum lined loaf pan. Bake at 350°F for 60-75 minutes, or until firm in the middle. Let it rest 15 minutes before serving.