Lamb Shanks

Let me admit, I made a mistake. These lamb shanks were not bad by any means. However, I wish I had given myself enough time to make the recipe that my Aunt Mikki sent me. I have been craving it now. That said, I must justify my use of another recipe by letting you know our weekly menu had us eating the lamb shanks today and the grocery store didn't get them until today. So I could not marinate the lamb properly. Also, our oven in electric and only has one rack. I didn't know if my roasting pan could be put right onto the coils (I'm guessing not)so this recipe couldn't work. I was very sad but hopeful that next Easter at NPU (which always has gas ovens) I will be able to make it for Todd and friends.

All that said, here is the recipe I used. I don't have a casserole pan, so I did it all in a big pot and then transfered it to my roasting pan with tin foil on it. Also, we didn't have raisins or mint. It was okay, but not great. The pot/pan transfer lost a lot of the spices to the broth.

INGREDIENTS
2 Lamb shanks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups chopped vegetables including carrots, celery, potatoes
1 cup stock or boiling water with a bullion cube
Seasoning - salt and pepper, thyme, oregano, rosemary, one bay leaf
Optional, and highly recommended:
3/4 cup raisins, soaked in sherry for a couple hours
1/2 cup of fresh mint leaves
METHOD
1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2 Season lamb shanks with salt and pepper. Heat an oven-proof dutch oven or casserole pan with a tight fitting cover on medium high heat on the stovetop. Sear the lamb shanks in the casserole pan on both sides until golden brown. Remove shanks to a dish.
3 Heat oil in casserole pan until hot; add onions, garlic, and vegetables and saute for 5 minutes. Add shanks, boiling stock, seasoning, and raisins. Bring to a boil.
4 Cover the casserole pan and bake in the oven for 1 1/2 or 2 hours or until shanks are tender. Remove shanks, strip meat from bones and return meat to the pan.
Serve with fresh mint leaves as garnish.
Serves 4.



It looked really pretty though and with garlic mashed potatoes (instant mashed potatoes and garlic powder) and green beans and a reheated roll from last night it made for a pretty yummy meal.

For those that will be at Easter, I have a twist for your cake choices. How do you feel about Boston Cream Pie? I have been looking for an excuse to make it and this seems like a good one. So let me know what you think. (Any excuse for cheap comments, right?)



Another note that I forgot last time: a half recipe of the rolls makes 15-20 rolls. The full makes 35-40.

"Vegetarian" chili and homemade rolls

Thank you Spark People for sending us delicious recipes everyday. Actually, every night at 12:30 my phone gives me a lovely little "ping" to let me know that it's sitting in my inbox for me to read/delete at first glance if it seems gross at soon as I wake. I'm feeling a little too plugged in now that I have written such a sentence. Anyway, this recipe came to us (Todd and I both get them) and he took the initiative to make it. Here is the recipe.

Alyson's Vegetarian Chili

This vegetarian chili can be made on the stove top or in a slow cooker. It's great for cold winter days - serve with fat free cheese and sour cream as garnish!

INGREDIENTS
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans - drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can black beans - drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can light red kidney beans - drained and rinsed
1 (15oz) can dark red kidney beans - drained and rinsed

2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes

2 cups celery, diced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1 small yellow bell pepper, diced
1 medium red onion, diced

2 T ground cumin
3 T garlic powder
4 T chili powder


DIRECTIONS
Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat, spraying with cooking spray. Cook vegetables until they are slightly soft - about 6-7 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, beans and spices in a large dutch oven or slow cooker. When vegetables are done, add them to the mixture and combine thoroughly.

For Dutch Oven: Simmer for 3-4 hours on low, stirring every so often.

For Slow Cooker: Simmer for 6-7 hours on high.

We added 3 jalapeños and some chicken stock and omitted the tomatoes. The stock is why it's "vegetarian". Plus, we put in some garlic and cut as much as we could in half. We didn't need to feed 8 people.



After Todd started to let it simmer, I thought we could use some bread to go with it. I used a recipe I found in a free Cuisine magazine sent to me because...I don't know. But I know I like free things. I may make Boston Cream Pie also found in there, but that's for another day. The bread recipe.

Ingredients
1 packet of yeast
1 cup warm water
pinch of sugar
1 egg
1 T salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
3-3/5 cups flour

Directions
1. Water, pinch of sugar, and yeast go in a bowl and foam up.
2. Whisk the egg
3. Whisk in sugar, salt, and oil
4. Whisk in foamy yeast
5. Stir in flour, 1/2 cup at a time until it is hard to stir.
6. Turn it out on a floured surface and knead until smooth and soft
7. Let rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours, or doubled in size
8. Punch down
9. Grease a pan and make ping-pong sized dough balls to place 1/2 inch from each other
10. Cover with towel and let rise until doubled in size.
11. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown on the top.
12. Brush with butter and top with
-Equal parts dill, salt, and sugar
-Parmesan cheese
-Toasted Fennel or sesame seeds
-Cinnamon sugar

These rolls were so good! I will for sure make them again and the whole batch. The one up there is a half batch.





So, lots of information. Enjoy!

Which Cake To Make

I'm on the hook for making a cake, or maybe cupcakes, for my Easter lunch with my family. Fortunately, I have enjoyed my cake making this past month so I am happy to make a cake. Unfortunately, I don't know which kind to make!

So, Mom, Dad, Travis, Corrie, Sam, Will, and Todd, please let me know which kind of cake will help you celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Please note: the cake is only to assist in the celebration. Don't let the day become about the awesomeness of the cake. So enjoy your inner struggle as you debate over which cake while looking at the images below and let me know what you want!
(Don't worry. Buttercream icing is a given because I don't know how to make chocolate icing.)

$7 dinner? Yes, please!

Aunt Joy, I'm glad you made the Asian Orange Chicken. I should have noted that we will use less corn starch next time, so I hope you liked it and it was worth forgoing your asian takeout.

Well, in good money saving form, I checked what was on sale last week before making our grocery list and weekly menu. And to reward my good behavior, we had delicious bacon wrapped steak sirloins with garlic roasted asparagus for the two of us for less than $7. That's right, less than $7! It was a cheap, special Friday dinner. Plus, Todd made it for me. What a good habibi (It's something Scot McKnight used to call Adam and Eve. So instead of "What a good hubby." it's habibi.)

Todd made the steaks on our griddle and they were a perfect medium with a good char on the outside, seasoned with salt, pepper, and olive oil. The asparagus went into a 400 degree oven with salt, pepper, lots of chopped garlic, and a drizzle of oil until they were green and tender with a little snap to them. It was such a good dinner.

Next, we take on making lamb shanks. I know what you are thinking (Mom and Corrie probably) "What are you making those for? Who makes lamb?" We are having a Christian Seder Meal with our youth group August 1. It's a traditional Jewish meal to remember the plight from Egypt by the Israelites and God's faithfulness to them through the Passover. It's Christian because we also celebrate Jesus' faithfulness to us and the sacrifice he was. Todd and I had a chance to participate in a few while at North Park, but we never did, so we are excited to do this one. We need the lamb shank bone during the meal to symbolize and remember the lamb sacrificed for blood to put on the door frames so the Angel of Death would pass over their houses. Wow, that sounds way more grim when you type it out.

Anyway, I'm excited to host the meal and try to prepare lamb shanks, and to eat lamb for the first time. We may need to find a special meat market for those. Sounds like an adventure for the weekend!

Another word of praise and excitement. Todd got a call from North Park Seminary today saying his Kern Scholarship was recommended by North Park and passed onto the Kern people. We think it means that North Park Sem recommends him for the Kern Scholarship and now the final decision needs to be made as to if he will receive it. The Kern is full tuition for 3 years of Seminary, so we are hoping he gets it. He also applied for the Presidential Scholarship that is full tuition through the Covenant Church. We won't hear anything until at least May from either one, but I thought I would let you know of our excitement and thankfulness to get this far in one of the scholarships.

So, to sum up: deals, steaks, lamb, scholarships. We're all over the map these days. The photo above is not our steaks, but looks similar, if we had an all white apartment. Speaking of which, we are looking for one for next year, so if you hear of awesomely cheap apartments in Chicago, let me know.

Asian Orange Chicken

It may not be the healthiest thing, but it's pretty darn good. It made for a special Friday night treat. Todd made this one with no help from me. So if you have a question about it, ask him.

Ingredients

Sauce:
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
Directions

1. Pour 1 1/2 cups water, orange juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce into a saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Stir in the orange zest, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, chopped onion, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and cool 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Place the chicken pieces into a resealable plastic bag. When contents of saucepan have cooled, pour 1 cup of sauce into bag. Reserve the remaining sauce. Seal the bag, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
3. In another resealable plastic bag, mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Add the marinated chicken pieces, seal the bag, and shake to coat.
4. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken into the skillet, and brown on both sides. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels, and cover with aluminum foil.
5. Wipe out the skillet, and add the sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. 6. Mix together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water; stir into the sauce. Reduce heat to medium low, add the chicken pieces, and simmer, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

We had it with rice and some garlic naan. We didn't make the naan, but I have been wanting to try this recipe. So if you try it before me or have a better one, let me know.

New phone

Im just playing with my new phone. It's hard to type on this little touch keyboard though so don't expect too many posts from here. But hopefully I can share more photos this way.

Update: I can't send photos through the phone. Therefore, useless for blogging. But more photos up on Facebook because of the new phone. So if we are not friends on the FB, we should be.

Update 2: Orange chicken and veggie rice tonight that Todd is making. I'll let you know how it goes.

New Bible and Tacos

First, we are making Tacos tonight. Todd likes having "Taco Tuesday" because we saw it in LOST. Brown some meat, follow the directions on the back of a seasoning packet, pop the shells in the oven to make them crispy, and saute some onions and peppers. Serve with lettuce and cheese and you have some yummy tacos. I have no photo (again) so I will leave you with this gem.



Second, I'm siting here at work getting our curriculum for Wealth/Materialism ready for tomorrow night. I'm paging through my Bible, debating how God could bless Abraham and Job with riches but tell a rich kid to sell all his possessions (it's all about your motives. God sees your heart) and I notice the binding on my Bible is starting to crack. Pages are starting to release from the binding and a lot of pages are a little ripped or bent in funny ways. You know what I did when I saw all this? I teared up!

Two stories. First, my friend (yes mom and Corrie, he is technically a friend) Thomas lost his confirmation Bible. He got it in 7th grade and had been making notes in it since then. It was his CBC Bible, which means a lot. CBC is where well over 90% of the notes in my Bible came from. Anyway, he packed it in his checked bag when flying home, and the airline lost it. And it was not returned! His bag was randomly selected for a search, and they must have forgotten to put it back in, because he had his bag, but no Bible. I cannot imagine losing something that becomes to special, it's like it's a part of you.

Second story. I remember getting to CBC and seeing Jeff Mazz's Bible. It was duct taped to hold it together, with pages scotch taped back into place. There was writing everywhere and pages torn and special pieces of paper and cards shoved in everywhere. The first time I saw it, I remember thinking "That is a well used Bible. I want mine to look like that someday."

And here it is. That day is approaching. My Bible is tearing and breaking and it's full of stupid notes and cards from various people. But I want my kids to see it someday and know that I love Jesus and want to know what He says. I was teary eyed because I'm excited to know that my Bible can be a representation of my Christian faith. It's old and torn in some places, but it's always God's testimony for how much He loves us. As cheesy as it sounds, I want that.

With all that said, I am thinking about a new Bible. Not to replace, but to have another translation. So far, my collection is an NIV, NLT, and a Message Remix (Todd adds an ESV to the mix). For my John class, we had to have an NASB version, which is a word by word translation of the Hebrew and Greek. It doesn't flow as well as these other versions, but it's a more literal translation. It's nice for Biblical Study (which I do so much of in my free time, wink). But I also need to get a Bible that has my new name on it. My Erin Droogsma confirmation Bible is the one falling apart. I have been searching for a small way to keep the Droogsma around, and this is going to be it. Now I can change my drivers license and my Facebook name. So, I want to purchase soon a "pocket sized" NASB version Bible with Erin Spieker written on it. So if you see a cheap one anywhere, let me know. I want it.

Grilled Salads

First, let me apologize for not having a photo for you. I forgot to take one, and all the grilled salads online look gross.

Second, grilled salads are amazing. My mom and I used to make salads a lot with bag lettuce and cut up chicken nuggets. While delicious (and I would totally eat them again), Todd and I opted for a bit nicer salad.

Ingredients
Romaine Lettuce
Iceberg lettuce (if you want some added crunch)
1/2 cucumber
Fennel seeds
1-2 chicken breasts
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Carrots
Cheese (optional)
Pepper

Directions
1. Cut up lettuce and put in a large bowl so you can toss it all together.
2. Cut up the cucumber and toss them in.
3. Using your vegetable peeler, peel slices of carrot right into the salad.
4. Toast the fennel seeds. Put them in a dry, hot pan and cook them for 3 minutes, stirring them the entire time. Spread them over a baking sheet to let them cool.
5. Cook the chicken however you please. Todd found a good balsamic marinade for ours. I would like to try our leftover rosemary chicken from tonight on it later this week.
6. Mix together even parts balsamic vinegar and EVOO (I hate you Rachel Ray!) and put some pepper in (to taste). Do this in a little jar or something with a lid and shake the snot out of it.
7. Put the fennel seeds in the bowl and toss it all with the dressing.
8. Put it on a plate (or pasta bowls) and serve the chicken on top.
9. Do what you want with the cheese. It's not for me.

It's delicious, nutritious, and fills you up for a while. Make extra chicken or some bread to keep yourself fuller for longer. And it may be a TMI, but have some gas-x on hand.