Roast Leg of Lamb

1 leg of lamb, bone in (about 5 to 6 pounds)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
8 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper

Sauce:
1 cup chopped fresh herbs (combination of rosemary, chives, and parsley)
2 cups diced onions
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup red wine
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Using your hands, rub the lamb all over with the lemon juice. Pat the garlic and rosemary evenly all over the surface of the meat. Season the meat with the salt and pepper and place the lamb in a roasting pan. Place the lamb in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to cook for about 1 hour longer for medium-rare, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the roast registers about 145 degrees F to 150 degrees F (be careful that the thermometer does not touch the bone.) Remove lamb from pan and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.

Position the roasting pan over your stove burners. Add mixed herbs and onions to pan, and stir to combine with pan drippings. Add chicken stock and wine to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to release any fond. Reduce over high heat until sauce consistency. Strain before serving, if desired. Slice lamb and serve with sauce drizzled over the top.


Notes: When I made this, I gave the lamb the rub-down the night before, wrapped it up and stuck it in the fridge. It also took about 1 hour and 15 min at 350. It should still be very pink in the middle. Everyone loved it and went on and on about it, so I'd call it a success.

Vanilla Bean Yogurt

4 cups skim milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split
1/4-1/3 cup honey (to taste)
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk
1 Tbs plain yogurt

Heat milk, vanilla bean and honey in a large sauce pan until bubble start to form at sides- nearly simmering. Cover, and let cool to 110 degrees F. Scrape the insides of the vanilla bean into the milk mixture and disgaurd the pod. Add the dry milk and stir throughly. Mix in the yogurt until no lumps remain. Pour into a yogurt maker and let it "cook" for 3-4 hours, or until thick. Stir and refrigerate.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

makes a 9x13" pan

1/2 C butter
1/2 C canola oil
1 3/4 C sugar
2 eggs

2 1/2 C whole wheat flour
1/4 C cocoa powder
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 C buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla

2 C shredded zucchini (peel and partially seed the zucchini first)

3/4 C chocolate chips
3/4 C chopped walnuts

Cream butter, oil and sugar. Add eggs, beat well.

Add dry ingredients and buttermilk. Stir in vanilla.

Stir in zucchini *by hand*.

Pour into a 9x13" pan and top with chocolate chips and walnuts.

Bake at 325 for 1 hour.

Three-Bean Salad

1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame (8 ounces)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 cups thinly sliced celery
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
cayenne pepper to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cook edamame in a 1 1/2 - to 2-quart saucepan of boiling salted water, uncovered, 4 minutes. Drain in a colander, then rinse under cold water to stop cooking.

Heat oil in a small heavy skillet over moderately low heat until hot but not smoking, then cook cumin, stirring, until fragrant and a shade darker, about 30 seconds or less. Pour into a large heatproof bowl.

Add edamame and remaining ingredients to cumin oil and toss to coat. Let stand 10 minutes for flavors to blend.

Yield: Makes 6-8 (side dish) servings
Active time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min

Simple Orange Vinaigrette

1/4 cup frozen orange juice (from concentrate, undiluted)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil

Shake it all up in a mason jar and pour. Save the rest in the fridge. Tangy and absolutely delicious. From Becca.

Greek Style Garbanzo Salad

1.5 cups cooked garbanzo beans (1 can), drained
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
3 Tbs rice vinegar or ceider vinegar
2 Tbs lemon juice
2 tsp olive oil
2 Tbs minced garlic
2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients. Let marinate at room temperature or several hours, then refrigerate.

5 servings
130 cal (35 cal from fat)

4g fat
1g saturated fat
0g trans fat
0mg cholesterol
65mg sodium
19g carbohydrates
4g fiber
4g sugar
5g protein

6% vit A
35% vit C
4% calcium
10% iron

Grilled Lamb Chops

1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds lamb chops

1.Mix together the vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, and olive oil in a large resealable bag until the salt has dissolved. Add lamb, toss until coated, and marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

2.Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat.

3.Remove lamb from the marinade and leave any onions on that stick to the meat. Discard any remaining marinade. Wrap the exposed ends of the bones with aluminum foil to keep them from burning. Grill to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium. The chops may also be broiled in the oven about 5 minutes per side for medium.

Serves 6