Garlic and Herb-Crusted Lamb

I love lamb. No other words, I just love me some lamb! Here is my version of a cooking light recipe.

 

Garlic and Herb-Crusted Lamb

• YIELD: 20 servings (serving size: 3 ounces lamb and 2 tablespoons sauce)
• COURSE: Main Dishes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh chives
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1 (8-pound) leg of lamb
• 12 fresh garlic cloves
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 cups fresh sourdough breadcrumbs (about 4 ounces)
• 2 1/4 cups  beef broth
• 1/2 cup Merlot or other dry red wine
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°.
 Place garlic, mustard, and oil in a food processor; process until smooth. Stir in chives and thyme leaves.

Trim fat from lamb. Cut 12 3/4-inch slits in lamb; Sprinkle surface of lamb with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper; rub heavily with roasted garlic paste mixture. Press breadcrumbs over surface of lamb. Place lamb on a broiler pan. Insert meat thermometer into thickest part of lamb, making sure not to touch bone.

Bake at 425° for 10 minutes. Decrease oven temperature to 325°. Bake an additional 2 hours and 10 minutes or until thermometer registers 140° (medium-rare) to 155° (medium). Remove lamb from rack; place on a shallow serving platter. Lightly cover with foil; let stand 15 minutes.
Drain fat from bottom of pan (do not scrape pan).

 Place broiler pan on stovetop over medium-high heat. Add broth, and bring to a boil, scraping to loosen browned bits.

Combine red wine and cornstarch, and stir with a whisk. Add to beef broth, and return to boiling. Cook 1 minute or until mixture is slightly thick, stirring constantly. Stir in 3/4 teaspoon salt, and serve immediately with lamb. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 211 per serving

 

My adpatation of a Cooking Light recipe featured in the  APRIL 2003 'zine

BLUE HAWAII CUPCAKES

You know... I am not quite sure when it started.... My fascination with cupcakes that is. I think it has to do with the splendid awe of a tiny cake iced just for one (me) and the cutest decorations that come on top. Then ... I discovered I had a extra yummy fascination with alcoholic cupcakes.... I mean WHO DOESN'T like a shot AND cake???

Here is one of the cupcake recipes that absolutely gets my mouth watering...

Ocean blue cupcakes that take your taste buds on an Hawaiian vacation with coconut, pineapple and blue curacao.

Ingredients

FOR THE CUPCAKES:

• ½ cup Blue Curacao Liqueur
• ½ cup Cream Of Coconut
• 3 Egg Whites
• ⅓ cups Vegetable Oil
• 1 box (18.25 Oz. Box) White Cake Mix
• 8 ounces, fluid Crushed Pineapple (with Juice)
• Blue Food Coloring

Ingredients for Spiked Whipped Cream:

3 cups (1 pint) heavy cream, cold
5 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon Vodka
1 tablespoon blue curacao
Food coloring, if desired (for more blue effect)

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Make sure to line 2 cupcake pans with cupcake liners.

For the cupcakes- combine blue curacao, cream of coconut, egg whites and oil. Blend together with an electric mixer. Add cake mix and beat until well combined. Stir in pineapple with juice and blue food coloring.

Pour batter into lined cupcake pan, filling cups 2/3 full.  (Be sure not to over fill) Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool completely or frosting will not set.

For the Spiked Whipped Cream: Beat cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. (if mixing with electric mixed use on highest setting, watching constantly- do not over mix) Next, Gently fold in liqueur with a rubber spatula. Color with a few drops of food coloring. Makes about 3 cups.

After the cupcakes have cooled, pipe/ spoon on frosting on cupcakes and decorate with umbrellas, straws, pineapple, gummy sharks, crushed graham cracker (sand) ect. and lastly bottoms up!

.... just in case you are wondering what the real deal is? I present to you...

The Blue Hawaii

Recipe courtesy Food Network and The Cookworks

Serves:

1 serving

Ingredients

• 1-ounce vodka
• 1/2-ounce blue curaco
• 1/2-ounce coconut flavored rum
• 2 ounces pineapple juice
• 1-ounce fresh lime juice

Directions

Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice and mix vigorously. Stop when the shaker is too cold to hold. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

 

 

Actual cupcake recipe is my own  twist/version of a few found on the Internet. Blue Hawaii drink recipe is from the food network.

 

I would like to thank- http://www.easy-birthday-party-ideas.com/luau-recipes-3.html and http://www.flickr.com/photos/vjarymow/2634590266/sizes/m/in/photostream/ for taking better pictures than I could.