Greek-Style Stuffed Peppers

Greek-Style Stuffed Peppers

These stuffed peppers were really delicious. The peppers were sweet and perfectly roasted, but without getting mushy and bland. The filling was soft and flavorful. I don't like when the filling comes out like a little hard meatball. This gives me flashbacks to bland stuffed cabbage (kåldolmer) dinners in my childhood. The greek flavors is just as vibrant as the colors of the beautiful roasted peppers.

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 100 g orzo
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 450 g (1 pound) ground lamb
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon chopped, fresh mint leaves
• 1 little handful Italian parsley, chopped
• 1 can diced tomato, drained
• 10-12 pitted kalamata olives, chopped
• 3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
• salt & pepper to taste
• 4 bell peppers
• olive oil

Directions:

Cook the orzo according to the package, I used the liquid drained from the tomatoes in the cooking water. 

Prehaet the oven to 400℉ (200℃).

Sauté the onions until translucent, add garlic and meat and brown it. Remove from the heat. Mix in spices, herbs, tomato, feta, olives and the cooked orzo, season with salt and pepper.

Cut the tops of the peppers, and remove the seeds. Coat the outside with olive oil, and place them in an ovenproof dish. Fill the peppers and place the top on the peppers as small lids. Bake the peppers for 30-40 minutes until the peppers are tender, but still holding up.

Serve the peppers with a simple greek salad, containing greens, cucumber, red onions, tomatoes, olives and feta.

Enjoy!

Grilled Sesame Chicken

Grilled Sesame Chicken

Chicken is one of my favorite things to throw on the grill. For the longest time I have been making beer can chicken, but for an easy weeknight dinner for two persons, I'll always end up with leftovers. Not that leftovers is a bad thing, It makes for an easy dinner the next day. 

I think I have had a chicken leg overload during the time I was single and studying. The chicken legs was a cheap meal and easy meal to make. One thing is sure, I haven't been roasting or grilling for years. This was not fair to my husband, he loves the dark meat from chicken.

This recipe for grilled sesame chicken, taught me to love chicken leg dinners again. The spice mixture and the crispy chicken skin is so so good. 

Serves 2.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 lime, the zest 
• 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced 
• 2 whole chicken legs 

Directions:

Combine oregano, thyme, rosemary, sesame seeds, lime zest and salt in a small bowl. In a Mortar and pestle combine  the spices with olive oil and garlic until it forms a paste.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Using your hands, rub the herb paste evenly all over the surface of chicken, working it into every nook and cranny.

Preheat the grill for about 10 minutes. Grill the chicken skin-side up at indirect heat for about 25-30 minutes. Then turn up the heat or move over direct heat and grill for another 5-10 minutes, until well done. Chicken should be cooked well done to 165-170℉ or 75℃.
Transfer chicken to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

When grilling:

You need 2 of everything

• 2 tongs, one for raw meats, another for cooked meat
• 2 plates, one for raw meats, another for cooked meat
• 2 marinades, one bowl for marinading and another for basting
• use separate cutting boards for raw vegetables, raw meat and cooked meat and vegetables
• don't leave food out, keep your food cold.

Red Curry with Seared Duck Breast

Red Curry with Seared Duck Breast

In Denmark we often had curries, but I have never had fresh bamboo shoots before moving to the States. Knowing how good fresh poached bamboo shoot tastes, I will never go back to the ones you can buy canned in the stores. They don't have the soft texture and sweet taste.

This is my take on a red duck curry.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

• 1 duck breast, seared and roasted
• 1 red or yellow pepper
• ½ fresh poached bamboo shoot, thinly sliced (can be substituted with canned bamboo shoot)
• 1 can baby corn (or fresh), cut bite sized 
• 150 g mushrooms, sliced
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1 handful sweet basil leaves
• 8 lychee fruits
• 1 jalapeño, sliced thinly for topping
• vegetables oil for cooking

Curry Paste:

• 2 dried red chili peppers
• 1 fresh red chili pepper
• ¼ red onion
• 3 teaspoons lemongrass (minced or paste)
• 1-inch (3 cm) ginger, peeled and sliced
• 4 garlic gloves
• 7 black peppercorns 
• 3 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1-2 teaspoons sugar

Directions:

Make the curry paste, by blending all the ingredients in a mini blender until you have a smooth paste. 

Chop all the vegetables in bite sized pieces, and set them aside. 

Heat some vegetable oil in a wok, add the curry paste and cook until fragrant. Add vegetables, a little at a time, so the wok don't cool down. 

Add sugar, coconut milk and fish sauce. Let the sauce thicken a bit while simmering. Season the sauce with fish sauce, pepper and sugar.

Just before serving, add the lychee fruits and basil leaves.

Serve the curry over rice and thinly sliced duck breast.

Enjoy!

Seared Duck Breast

Duck Breasts

In Denmark we have roasted duck for holidays like Christmas, but duck breasts is a great cut of meat, that works great in a lot of dishes. I love seared duck breast on a nice salad with blue cheese, berries or with a bunch of steamed vegetables. The possibilities are almost endless.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 duck breasts
• salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200℃).

Using a sharp knife, score skin in ¾-inch diamond pattern (do not cut into flesh). Sprinkle with a good amount of salt.

Place the duck breasts skind-side down in a cold skillet. Place the skillet over medium heat. The duck fat starts to render and will add enough fat to cook the breasts. This process will add to the crispiness of the skin. Cook the breasts like this for about 5 minutes. Turn duck breasts over and put the skillet in the preheated oven until to desired doneness, about 6-12 minutes depending on size and desired doneness.

Transfer to work surface, cover with foil to keep warm, and let rest 7-10 minutes. Thinly slice duck, and serve on a salad, curry or with all the christmas trimmings as Caramelized potatoes, pickled red cabbage.

Leg of Lamb, Provencal

Leg of Lamb, Provencal

We never had lamb in my house growing up. My dad said it tasted like chewing on wool, and he would never eat it. Luckily he didn't state that he rather eat an old hat, because he came to love lamb in his later years. I guess that he got to eat sheeps-meat instead of lamb when he grew up, during and after world war II, when money were scarce.

My beloved niece, eating a leg of lamb, 2004.

My first encounter with lamb, was when my brothers then girlfriend made this dish for us. Ohh My it was good. The great tasting lamb with more than a hint of garlic and rosemary. The potatoes gets the flavors from the lamb roasting on top, and are soft, with a crispy top. This dish quickly became a family favorite.

 This leg of lamb is really a great meal when you are having people over. All the prep can be done hours in advance, so you can get the kitchen and your self cleaned up before the guests arrive. I love meals like that, served family style.

Serves 4-6 people

Ingredients:

• 1 (6-7 lb.) bone in leg of lamb

• 9 cloves of garlic

• 3 sprigs of rosemary

• 2 teaspoons olive oil

• 12 medium-large potatoes, peeled and sliced

• lamb stock or chicken stock

• salt & pepper

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 450 ℉.

Place the leg of lamb in a large roasting pan fat side up and pat it dry with paper towels. Poke holes into the meat, slide a small piece of garlic into the hole, repeat this all over the leg of lamb. Combine the oil, 1 garlic clove, leave from the rosemary sprigs, salt and pepper in a mini food processor and pulse until the garlic and rosemary are minced. Spread the mixture on the lamb.

Slice the potatoes, and place them in a large roasting pan. Pour in stock, so it almost cover the potatoes.  tuck in the rosemary sprigs. Place the leg of lamb on top.

Roast for 25 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350℉ and roast for another 2 hours, until a meat thermometer registers 165℉ for well done. You can serve the lamb medium (140℉). Place the lamb on a cutting board, covered with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Return the potatoes to the oven to keep warm. Slice the lamb and arrange on a platter, and serve it with the potatoes.

Enjoy!