Halal roasted lamb shank rubbed with Ras el Hanout and orange marmalade for Easter Dinner

Wonderful fresh lamb shank available now at the new location of Millad's Supermarket, located at 396 Notre Dame in Winnipeg.  This was so simple to prepare, with fantastic results!

1 lamb shank, enough for 4 people
2 tbs Ras el Hanout
2 tbs Orange Marmalade
good drizzle olive oil
1 tsp salt

Roast on a bed of veggies (here I have leeks, onion, carrots, red peppers) with water.

Mix the spices, marmalade, olive oil, and salt together and rub mixture over the lamb shank.  Let sit in the refrigerator for a few hours.  Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Place veggies in the bottom of roasting dish and the lamb on top, as pictured.  Roast for 20-25 minutes/lb, or, until the meat comes easily off of the bone.  Let the meat rest, and carve and serve.

Enjoy!

I served the lamb with the vegetables, puréed with cream, as a sauce, with pilaf and fiddleheads.

Local Halal Valentine's Aphrodisiacs on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

Tomorrow on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with guest host Nadia Kidwai, I will be presenting the following dishes, Rack of Lamb with a Ras el Hanout rub, and Solberry Chicken.  Both feature my Ras el Hanout spice blend, which is considered an aphrodisiac.  Recipes to impress but so easy to prepare, these are full of flavour and sumptuous for a Valentine's dinner.  (Photos tomorrow when food is cooked).  

There are many reasons to love Halal meats.  They are raised ethically and organically from birth to processing but you don't pay for the word Organic.  The meat is always excellent quality when it comes from producers and suppliers that are so ethical and particular.  

The chicken is from Waldner's Meats that I purchased from Millad's Supermarket on Notre Dame.  Waldner's were the first Halal producers in Manitoba.  They are now at risk of closure from potential changes in government regulations.  Manitobans LOVE their local chicken.  Please get to know your producer and make sure that you will have access to excellent quality products.

1. Ras el Hanout Rack of Halal Lamb

1 rack of lamb (This Halal Lamb is available at Millad’s Supermarket on Notre Dame)

1 + Tbs Ras el Hanout (or your favourite spice blend), available this weekend at St. Norbert’s Farmer’s Market on Saturday from 10-1PM, or the Pop-up market at VIA Rail Station on Sunday.

Salt, to taste,

¼ preserved lemon peel, finely chopped (make your own earlier than today or find at Millad’s, Dino’s, etc.)

Olive oil

 Rub rib rack(s) all over with mixture of spices, preserved lemon peel. Sprinkle with salt.   Place in a thick plastic bag with olive oil. Spread oil around so that it coats the lamb rack(s) all over. Squeeze out as much air as you can from the bag and seal. Place in a container so that if the bag leaks, the container catches the leak.

 If you want, place in the refrigerator overnight. Or, if you are not marinating overnight, let lamb rack(s) sit in the rub marinade as it comes to room temperature before cooking.

 Bring lamb to room temp: Remove lamb rack from refrigerator to 1 1/2 to 2 hours before you cook it so that it comes to room temp. (If the meat is not at room temperature it will be hard for it to cook evenly.)

 Preheat oven to 450°F, arrange the oven rack so that the lamb will be in the middle of the oven.

 Place the lamb rack bone side down (fat side up) on the pan. Wrap the exposed ribs in a little foil so that they don't burn.

Roast first at high heat to brown, then reduce heat to finish: Place the roast in the oven roast at 450°F for 10 minutes (longer if roasting more than one rack), or until the surface of the roast is nicely browned.

Then lower the heat to 300°F. Cook for 10-20 minutes longer (depending on the size of the lamb rack, if you are roasting more than one rack, and how rare or well done you want your lamb), until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat 125°F on a for rare or 135°F for medium rare. Remove from oven, cover with foil and let rest for 15 minutes.

Cut lamb chops away from the rack by slicing between the bones. Serve 2-3 chops per person.

2. Solberry (Soulberry) Halal Chicken

2 tablespoons Ras el Hanout*

1/2 cup Solberry puree (found at Vita Health, Red River Co-op Stores, etc.)

1/4 cup good olive oil

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

pinch salt

1 Chicken, skinned and pieced

Mix first 7 ingredients together well to blend in the olive oil. Place chicken thighs in marinade in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 1-4 hours. Place chicken thighs on a hot BBQ for up 4 minutes a side if boneless, twice as long if with bone in.  Let meat rest and enjoy with grilled Naan bread, salad, rice, etc.

*Ras el Hanout can be used as a spice rub for your BBQ meats, in vegetable stews (recipe in blog), on roast chicken, lamb, goat, etc.

Spätzle and Halal Veal Schnitzel with Jaeger Sauce on CBC's Weekend Morning Show!

This morning I will be presenting these comfort foods on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Terry MacLeod.  These dishes are so easy to prepare.  I used Halal Veal from Millad's Supermarket on Notre Dame in Winnipeg.  The calf is raised free and naturally and without cruelty.  

The Spätzle is available from Nature's Farm at today's St. Norbert's Farmer's Market at the Eagle's Club from 10 - 1.  Preparing it couldn't be easier.  I simply sautéed it in brown butter with nutmeg.

Enjoy!

Jaeger Schnitzel with Spätzle

Veal cutlet, pounded thin and floured both sides (Local Halal Veal is available at Millad’s Supermarket on Notre Dame) Optional method:  Slice veal into strips, toss with a bit of seasoned flour, and then brown, remove from pan instead of larger pieces of meat.

1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced (or more if desired)

1 tsp. garlic and fresh parsley, chopped

2 tbsp. onion (or shallots), finely chopped

1 finely diced carrot

½ cup white wine (some people use apple juice)

¼ cup cream

½ cup +/- veal or beef stock (optional if prefer more cream)

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Optional:  smoked hot or sweet paprika

Cooking Directions

Pan with oil/ butter, mix hot, sauté veal cutlet on both sides until lightly browned. Take cutlet out of pan, keep to side. Add mushrooms, garlic, onions and parsley, and sauté until partially cooked. Add wine, de-glaze pan, then and cream. Put cutlet back in pan and let simmer in sauce for one minute to two minutes.

Serve with Spätzle from Nature’s Farm that has been sautéed in brown butter with nutmeg, as follows:

1 pkg Spätzle from Nature’s Farm (available at St. Norbert’s Farmer’s Market on Saturday at the Eagle’s Club)

1/3 -1/2 cup Notre Dame Butter

Healthy grating of nutmeg or good pinch ground nutmeg

Salt and pepper, to taste

Ethically sourced veal and foie gras on CBC's Weekend Morning Show!

This morning I presented the following dishes for CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Terry MacLeod.  I chose these as they are considered controversial but do not necessarily need to be, if sourced and handled properly.  It is important to get to know your butcher, farmer or producer to understand the products offered.

The Foie Gras comes from Brome Lake, Quebec.  It is a free range duck.  They are not penned and walk around freely.  They come to be fed.  The whole duck is used in different products.  They provide an excellent foie gras and is available at DeLuca's on Portage Ave.  

The Veal steak is also a free range product and not treated as large commercial production of milk-fed veal.  This was Halal and is available at Millad's Supermarket on Notre Dame in Winnipeg.

Photo coming soon!

1. Seared Foie Gras with fig or pear compote

Prepare crostini or toasts and top with warm compote as recipe follows;

1/2 - 1 whole sliced pear or 2-3 sliced fresh figs
1/2 tsp butter
ground hazelnuts (optional)
deglaze with Frangelico or Disorrono

Cook pear or figs in pan and cook down with liquor.

Prepare foie gras slices by slightly seasoning with sea salt.  In a hot pan, sear foie gras on both sides until brown and deglaze with liquor.  Place on prepared toasts, top with a few grains of Fleur d’sel or good sea salt and serve immediately.
Enjoy!

2. Veal TBone steak
Talk with your butcher as to wanting free range or rosé veal.  Halal veal would qualify.

Prepare steak as to your desired doneness, recommend rare, serve as desired.

Enjoy!