This is by far the best lamb I’ve had in a long while…
Hope everyone is having a great holiday! My 10 day holiday started yesterday and I am enjoying it like anything. My husband and I first thought of going on a vacation somewhere south. Then we decided to vacation at home – waking up late, cooking whenever I feel like or dining out, watching movies, driving around town, catching up with friends, etc.
We have travelled a lot in the past 5 years and it does feel little uncomfortable to sit tight at home. But it didn’t take us long to realize that at-home vacations are the best thing to unwind and recharge your batteries. We can have fun sitting at home by creating a vacation feel. If you explore the city you live in, you would be surprised to see that there are a lot of things to do. I know when we go on a vacation we dine out a lot, so do the same when you vacation at home. Eat at least one meal a day outside be it breakfast, lunch or dinner. If you have any favorite activity try each activity everyday, for instance: bowling, pool etc etc. Go out to the movies. Hit the spa one day and pamper yourself with your favorite massage, facial etc. There are endless things you can do to make your at-home vacation experience better.
This morning I woke up very late like 12:30(okay afternoon) and so first we thought of going out for lunch. For some reason the sight of lamb in my freezer tempted me to cook that for lunch. I was not up for any major cooking, so made lunch in a very relaxed way. I watched a movie while cooking, since I baked the lamb I didn’t have to do much. The oven does all the work for me. As a side, I made a quick asparagus and mushroom stir fry. Voila, in no time and without much effort a delicious lunch was ready on the dining table coffee table, watching movie in a quite messy way and not feeling guilty.
I am sharing the recipe for both baked mint lamb and asparagus-mushroom stir fry in this post. This definitely makes a great holiday lunch/dinner.
Baked Mint lamb Recipe
Ingredients:
- Lamb, shoulder cut- 2 large pieces or more
- Coconut oil or any oil- 2 tbsp
- Ground pepper- 1/4 tsp or as required
For making paste:
- Ginger, chopped- 2 inch slice
- Garlic, chopped- 4 cloves
- Shallots or small onions- 4
- Mint leaves- 15 leaves
- Whole black pepper corns- 1 tsp
- Salt- 3/4 tsp
- Water- little
Instruction
- Puree the above mentioned ingredients ‘for making paste’ in a blender to a smooth paste, add some water to get the paste constituency.
- I used shoulder cut lamb, you could use lamb chops or any bone-in or boneless pieces.
- Spread the paste over the lamb and marinate for 30 minutes or more the better. Or marinate it overnight.
- Place a non-stick oven proof cooking pan or oven proof skillet over medium heat.
- Add 2 tbsp oil and swirl the pan to coat all over the pan.
- Place the marinated lamb, cook on medium heat for 10 minutes flipping to both sides.
- Don’t cook till all the water dries off, there should be water in the pan (as seen on the above picture)
- In the meantime, preheat oven to 400 F.
- After 10 minutes of pan frying, cover the pan with aluminum foil.
- Place the pan into the oven on the rack placed at the middle of the oven.
- Bake for total 25 minutes.
- After 15 minutes of baking, take the pan outside (please wear an oven gloves) and flip the lamb to the other side, cover with aluminum foil and bake for another 10 more minutes.
- Since the pan is covered with aluminum foil, the lamb will be still moist, it won’t dry out.
- After total 25 minutes of baking, remove the pan from the oven and place it over the stove top.
- Pan fry the lamb over medium heat till the both sides turn light brown, about 3 minutes.
- If you want sprinkle some ground pepper and pan fry it.
- Remove from the heat.
- Serve with the Asparagus-Mushroom stir fry, scroll down for the recipe.
- While the lamb is baking, you could make the stir fry.
Asparagus-Mushroom Stir fry
Ingredients:
- Asparagus, remove the top and tough ends- 1 bunch
- Mushroom, white sliced- 1 packet
- Mint leaves- 6 leaves
- Worcestershire sauce- 3 tbsp
- Red wine vinegar- 1tsp (optional)
- Ground pepper- 1/2 tsp
- Salt- littleI
- Water-little
- Olive oil- 1 tbsp
Instruction
- Place a wok over medium heat.
- Add olive oil.
- Put the asparagus into the oil, saute for a minute.
- Add the mushrooms, saute for a minute.
- Pour worcestershire sauce, sprinkle salt and ground pepper over the veggies.
- Add little water and cover the wok, let the veggies turn tender.
- Remove the cover, stir fry the veggies.
- Add red wine vinegar, combine well.
- Stir fry till all the water dries off and the veggies turn light brown.
- Gently stir fry and be sure not to break the asparagus.
- This makes a delicious side with Baked Mint Lamb.
- Be sure to cover the pan with aluminum foil while baking the lamb, this will keep the lamb moist.
- If you don’t have an oven proof pan, transfer the lamb to a baking sheet and bake.
- Wear an oven gloves while taking the pan out of the oven and during the final pan frying, it’s very hot!
- Lamb, shoulder cut- 2 large pieces or more
- Coconut oil or any oil- 2 tbsp
- Ground pepper- ¼ tsp or as required
- Ginger, chopped- 2 inch slice
- Garlic, chopped- 4 cloves
- Shallots or small onions- 4
- Mint leaves- 15 leaves
- Whole black pepper corns- 1 tsp
- Salt- ¾ tsp
- Water- little
- Asparagus, remove the top and tough ends- 1 bunch
- Mushroom, white sliced- 1 packet
- Mint leaves- 6 leaves
- Worcestershire sauce- 3 tbsp
- Red wine vinegar- 1tsp (optional)
- Ground pepper- ½ tsp
- Salt- littleI
- Water-little
- Olive oil- 1 tbsp
- Puree the above mentioned ingredients 'for making paste' in a blender to a smooth paste, add some water to get the paste constituency.
- I used shoulder cut lamb, you could use lamb chops or any bone-in or boneless pieces.
- Spread the paste over the lamb and marinate for 30 minutes or more the better. Or marinate it overnight.
- Place a non-stick oven proof cooking pan or oven proof skillet over medium heat.
- Add 2 tbsp oil and swirl the pan to coat all over the pan.
- Place the marinated lamb, cook on medium heat for 10 minutes flipping to both sides.
- Don't cook till all the water dries off, there should be water in the pan (as seen on the above picture)
- In the meantime, preheat oven to 400 F.
- After 10 minutes of pan frying, cover the pan with aluminum foil.
- Place the pan into the oven on the rack placed at the middle of the oven.
- Bake for total 25 minutes.
- After 15 minutes of baking, take the pan outside (please wear an oven gloves) and flip the lamb to the other side, cover with aluminum foil and bake for another 10 more minutes.
- Since the pan is covered with aluminum foil, the lamb will be still moist, it won't dry out.
- After total 25 minutes of baking, remove the pan from the oven and place it over the stove top.
- Pan fry the lamb over medium heat till the both sides turn light brown, about 3 minutes.
- If you want sprinkle some ground pepper and pan fry it.
- Remove from the heat.
- Serve with the Asparagus-Mushroom stir fry, scroll down for the recipe.
- While the lamb is baking, you could make the stir fry.
- Place a wok over medium heat.
- Add olive oil.
- Put the asparagus into the oil, saute for a minute.
- Add the mushrooms, saute for a minute.
- Pour worcestershire sauce, sprinkle salt and ground pepper over the veggies.
- Add little water and cover the wok, let the veggies turn tender.
- Remove the cover, stir fry the veggies.
- Add red wine vinegar, combine well.
- Stir fry till all the water dries off and the veggies turn light brown.
- Gently stir fry and be sure not to break the asparagus.
- This makes a delicious side with Baked Mint Lamb.
•If you don't have an oven proof pan, transfer the lamb to a baking sheet and bake.
•Wear an oven gloves while taking the pan out of the oven and during the final pan frying, it's very hot!
