Braised Chicken Tacos

Credit: No recipes

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds whole chicken thighs
3 small onions, sliced thinly
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
3 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
14 ounce can of chopped tomatoes in juice
2 cinnamon sticks
1 bay leaf
juice of 1 meyer lemon (or juice of 1/2 regular lemon)
Tortillas

DIRECTIONS:

1. Generously salt and pepper the chicken on both sides. Add about 2 tablespoons of oil to a large heavy bottomed pot and heat until the oil is very hot. Brown the chicken in batches, leaving room between the pieces of chicken so they turn a golden brown on one side before flipping. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate and repeat.
2. Turn down the heat to medium low, add the onions and garlic to the pot, and cover with a lid for 10 minutes. When you remove the lid, the onions should be wilted and cooking in their own juices. Use a wooden paddle to scrape up all the browned bits (a.k.a. chicken flavor) from the pan, then turn up the heat to medium high to burn off the liquid. When most of the liquid has evaporated, turn the heat back down and stir and continue to caramelize the onions until they are brown and glossy (another 20-30 minutes).
3. Meanwhile, tear up the chiles into small flat pieces and place them in a single layer on a sheet pan. Roast in a 350 degree oven until they are fragrant, but be careful not to burn them as they will become bitter. Transfer the roasted peppers to a bowl and cover them with very hot water. Once the peppers are soft, transfer them to a food processor or blender adding in about 1/2 cup of the water they were soaking in along with the can of tomatoes. Puree the peppers and tomatoes until they form a smooth sauce.
4. When the onions are done caramelizing add the pepper puree, along with the chicken, cinnamon sticks, bay leaf and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting, partially cover with a lid and cook until the chicken falls apart when prodded with a fork (about 1 1/2 hours).
5. When the chicken is done, remove the bay leaf an cinnamon sticks, then use 2 forks to shred the meat. Serve with sliced avocados, lime wedges and tortillas.

Lamb Stew

Credit: Simply Recipes | Elise

INGREDIENTS:
2-3 lbs of lamb shoulder stew meat, cut into 1½-inch cubes
Olive oil
2 yellow onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 red bell peppers, chopped
2 dry pasilla chiles, chopped, stems and most seeds removed
1 Tbsp paprika
1½ teaspoon ground cumin
1½ cups chicken stock
14 oz of canned whole tomatoes, put through a food mill, or puréed
8-10 sprigs fresh flat leaf parsley
4-5 sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf
2/3 cup raisins
Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. Pat the lamb dry with a paper towel. Drying the lamb this way first will help the lamb pieces brown. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy, high-sided pot, such as a Dutch oven, over medium high heat. When the pot is hot, add the lamb pieces in batches, being careful not to crowd them. Cook, turning as needed so that the lamb pieces brown evenly on all sides, for 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

2. Return the pot to medium-high heat. Add the onions, dried peppers and red bell peppers and stir to coat with the oil in the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute.

3. Make a herb basket by placing the parley, thyme and bay leaf in the center of a doubled over cheesecloth square. Gather the ends and secure with kitchen string.

4 Stir in the paprika and cumin and cook for a minute. Add the puréed (or cooked tomatoes put through a food mill) tomatoes, lamb, chicken stock, raisins and bouquet garni. Bring to a boil over high heat, decrease heat to low. Cook, partially covered, for about 3 hours, or until lamb is tender.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve over rice.

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

Credit Simply Recipes

INGREDIENTS

Fruit mixture

4 1/2 cups rhubarb stalks cut into 1-inch pieces (Trim outside stringy layer of large rhubarb stalks; make sure to trim away any and discard of the leaves which are poisonous; trim ends.)
1 1/2 cups strawberries, stemmed and sliced
1/2 cup white sugar
2 Tablespoons of quick cooking tapioca
1 teaspoon of grated orange peel

Cobbler crust

2 Tbsp white sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
2. In a bowl, mix the rhubarb and the strawberries with the sugar, tapioca, and orange zest. Let sit to macerate for 30 minutes to an hour.
3. In a medium bowl, combine 2 Tablespoons of sugar, the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter in with a fork or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the milk and egg until just moistened.
4. Pour fruit into a 2-quart casserole dish. Drop the batter on the fruit. Bake in a 350°F oven for 35 minutes until cobbler crust is golden brown.

Slow Roasted Lamb Shanks

#Lamb | Credit: Kitchen Daily

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 lamb shanks (about 4 pounds total)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
2 ribs of celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 1/2 quarts low-sodium beef stock
1 pint of dark beer
1/4 cup grated fresh horseradish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Set a large Dutch oven on the stove top over medium-high heat and add olive oil.
3. Lightly dredge each shank in flour then brown in the pot on all four sides - about 10 minutes total.
4. Remove shanks from pot and add onion, garlic, carrots and celery. Saute vegetables for 6-8 minutes until very caramelized. Add thyme, bay and season with salt and pepper.
5. Deglaze with beer and add stock. Nestle shanks back into the pot then cover with a lid and place in oven to braise. Cook for 2 hours until meat is just about falling off the bone.
6. When done, lift out shanks and set aside loosely covered with foil. Discard thyme and bay leaf.
7. Return liquid back to pot and set over high heat to reduce. Add grated fresh horseradish and reduce sauce by half - skim fat and discard

Serve shanks and pour over horseradish jus.