This was a weekend of one pot meals.
Joe's Cafe Minestrone
First on Saturday I made a large pot of minestrone. The recipe came from a place in Santa Barbara California, Joe' Cafe. Have never been there, but the soup is fabulous. Lots of vegetables, some I've not had in minestrone before but will use again. Tomatoes, broccoli, zucchini, cabbage, and fresh spinach. I used black beans because I like them better than great northern and the pasta was whole wheat penne; and all cooked in beef stock with the usual carrot, celery, onion and garlic. A fragrant colorful bowl.
Braised Lamb Shank with Roasted Tomatoes and Toasted Orzo
Sunday was a one pot meal as well, just in different stages. Braising is a term that is comforting and a lamb shank requires this type of long slow cooking. It was browned in olive oil and them simmered in chicken stock, red wine and carrot, celery, onion and roasted garlic until tender. A couple of hours. Along with it is a toasted orzo and onion cooked risotto style using the strained braising liquid and chicken stock. Oven roasted plum tomatoes are stirred in at the end with lots of chopped parsley. Lots of flavor from the shank. The meat is taken off the bones, cut up and stirred into the risotto. A very nice dish on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
I should have leftovers for most of the week and look forward to them. Next week I will do a St. Patrick's Day meal, but with a bit of a twist. Not just your same old corned beef and cabbage. Take a look!
Cleaver entry title! You're really getting into this aren't you?
ReplyDeleteBoth dishes sound great! Comforting and full of good (for you) stuff. Can almost smell them.
Looking forward to your St. Pat's entry. Intrigued by your mention of a "twist."
We will be having glazed corned beef, roasted vegetables and Irish soda bread.