Spring Lamb Sliders – A Shoulder to Bite On

You could roast an expensive leg of lamb for Easter, which would be lovely, but why not consider the lesser known, and just as delicious shoulder roast? This underrated cut is less expensive, very flavorful, and much less stressful.

We usually prepare the leg medium-rare to medium for maximum enjoyment, which requires a little more finesse than a shoulder roast, which we’re going to cook long and slow, until very tender. As long as you let the meat braise until it's falling off the bone, there's no way this isn't going to be great.

Obviously, we’re talking about a completely different texture than roasted lamb, but if you like things like shredded beef, and pulled pork, you will be down with this. As I mentioned in the video, I wanted you to focus on the super easy technique, and not necessarily the ingredients I used.

Honey, vinegar, and mint are classic with lamb, but any other sweet/sour approach should work nicely. You could even cheat, and use your favorite barbecue sauce (you know my favorite), which would be perfect with this rich, succulent cut, as well. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 large portions (about 3 sliders per person):

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 1/2 pound bone-in lamb shoulder roast

salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 onion, cut in large dice
4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup honey

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons freshly sliced mint

- 325 F. for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until very tender

THE NEW MARCH ISSUE!

I just finished the March issue of the Welcome Home Online Magazine and I'm way ahead of schedule!  Just wondering if anyone would like a bite of my carrot cake?

This recipe will be featured in the next issue coming out March 1st. It's called The Perfect Carrot Cake.....and I promise it lives up to its name!

When you click on the link below and subscribe to the Welcome Home Online Magazine, you will have almost instant access to over 500 of my private recipes that are exclusive to subscribers only. And there are 200 more recipes coming to the magazine this year! All for only $2 a month (paid annually).

Plus you will become an instant member of the Welcome Home Recipe Fan club where you will find even more recipes that you haven't seen before.  

Here's your link: http://www.welcome-home-blog.net/p/my-store.html   

Now guess where this bite is headed?

Colcannon Hash – I Invented This, As Did Others Before Me

Every year about this time, I try to do some kind of culinary nod to St. Patrick’s Day, and this colcannon hash is the latest example. I really loved how this came out, and it made a beautiful, and delicious base for poached eggs, but there was one problem. Apparently, I didn’t invent this.

I thought I did, as I do with almost all the new recipes I create, but I figured I’d do a search anyway, just to confirm this assumption of singular brilliance. So I did, and it quickly became apparent that many others had the very same idea. Good for them.

I realize St. Patrick’s Day brunch isn’t really a thing, but if it were, this would be perfect. Although, we might have some leftover corned beef the day after, which would make this even more amazing; so maybe we should forget St. Paddy’s Day breakfast, and turn this into a hearty, day-after hangover cure instead. Either way, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 large portions:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 ounces pancetta or bacon, diced

2 large russet potatoes, diced, rinsed, and well-drained

1 tsp salt, plus more to taste

freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 cup sliced green onions (mostly the white and lighter green parts)

2 large handfuls baby kale, roughly chopped

1/4 cup freshly grated sharp Irish cheddar cheese (or any sharp cheddar)

pinch of cayenne

2 tablespoons freshly chopped Italian parsley 
2 or 4 poached eggs, optional (actually, not optional)

Crispy Chicken Salad

Lunch today was a crispy chicken salad with a dressing that you will never forget. Unbelievable Asian salad dressing that makes this the best salad ever! And you can add so much more to this salad to make it even better. See my suggested list of other ingredients you can add.

Crispy Chicken Salad

2 pieces Tyson’s Crispy Chicken Strips
4 cups lettuce (your choice)
1 tomato chopped
1/2 cup Monterrey Jack cheese (or your favorite)
1 sliced cucumber (optional)

Asian Dressing

3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 cup mayonnaise (I use Hellman's)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, vinegar, mayo, mustard, and sesame oil until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate while you prepare the salad.

Bake the chicken strips according to the package directions (about 20 minutes.) Remove and allow to cool. Cut up into bite sized pieces.

Toss your lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and cheese in a big bowl. Add your chicken and drizzle dressing on top.

If you really want a great salad with incredible flavors, omit the tomatoes and cucumbers and instead add my favorite ingredients before tossing:

Dried cranberries
pecan pieces or almond slices
mandarin oranges
crumbled bleu cheese
celery, chopped

Photograph is copyrighted and the property of ©Welcome Home.

Cheesy Meatball Casserole

I just love pasta. I love how you can take a few ingredients and turn them into something so divine that you close your eyes as you savor every bite!  Like this one.  It starts off with your basic pasta....I like Rotini for this one...and ends up loaded with incredible meatballs, a rich chunky tomato meat sauce and tons of cheese. This is a keeper my friends!

Cheesy Meatball Casserole

For the Meatballs

1 pound ground chuck
1/2 ground pork
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs (or more if  needed)
1  1/2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.  Shape into small meatballs and place on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees fro about 25 minutes or until cooked through.  Set aside.

Meat Sauce

1 pound ground beef
1 (26 oz) jar Ragu Chunky Tomato, Garlic, Onion

Brown ground beef in large heavy skillet until no longer pink. Drain and return skillet to burner and reduce heat to low. Add sauce and simmer for 15 minutes until heated through.

Casserole

1 box (16 oz) Rotini
4 cups Mozzarella cheese

Boil Rotini as directed on package and drain well.  Return to pot and turn off heat.  Mix in meat sauce and stir well. Pour into a 9 x 13 casserole and arrange meatballs on top of casserole.  Top entire casserole with cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until cheese has melted and casserole is hot and bubbly.

Bake at 350 degrees fro about 25 minutes or until cooked through.

• Photography is the property of and copyrighted to ©Welcome Home 

Four Cheese Manicotti

This was dinner on Saturday night. Simple and delicious and so good. I served it with a nice tossed salad and some warm and crusty Italian bread fresh out of the oven. Those Italians sure know what they're doing when it comes to cooking! Who doesn't love pasta like this?

 NOTE: I held up on the sauce for the photo because it is hard to capture the right color when the red sauce is too prominent. However, I the manicotti was sitting on top of just the right amount of marinara sauce when I served it.

Four Cheese Manicotti

1 box (about 12) manicotti, uncooked
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, un-drained
1 jar (6 oz) tomato paste
1 teaspoon basil leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
2 cups (16 oz.) shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup (4 oz) shredded provolone cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare pasta according to package directions, drain well. In a large skillet, over medium heat, saute onion and garlic; cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer uncovered 30 minutes.

Filling: Combine ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, provolone cheese, Parmesan cheese and egg; mix well. Carefully stuff your cooked pasta with cheese mixture.

Spread half the sauce on bottom of greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Arrange stuffed manicotti over sauce. Spoon remaining sauce on top; cover tightly with non-stick aluminum foil. Bake 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Remove foil and top with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and beginning to brown.

Note: You may want to add ground beef or Italian Sausage to your sauce.

Photograph is copyrighted and the property of Welcome Home.

My Insanely Delicious Garlic Bread

If you put a loaf of warm garlic bread just out of the oven in front of me and a big slice of the most decadent chocolate cake with rich creamy frosting, I would take the bread. Hands down. Every single time.  I am one of those people that loves hot bread just out of the oven with lots of butter. I have been known to eat too much bread and not have enough room for dinner when it finally comes to the table.  I'm about to share with you my insanely delicious Garlic Bread and you'll know why.

Insanely Delicious Garlic Bread

1 loaf Vienna or Italian bread
6 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
½ cup room temperature butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (not the powdered kind)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Make your garlic herb butter first.  In a small bowl combine the garlic and fresh parsley. Next add the butter, olive oil, Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper and mix until smooth.  Take the time to grate your own Parmesan cheese.  Set aside.

Prepare your loaf of bread.  You can use whatever bread you like. But I like a loaf of Italian bread for this recipe.

With a serrated knife, slice your loaf of bread into thick slices without cutting all the way to the bottom. Leave about ½- inch at the bottom uncut.  Don't cut all the way through.  

Next, using a rubber spatula, add the butter mixture between each slice using all the filling you have made. I smear it in between the slices and all over the front.  Then wrap it tightly in aluminum foil.

Place the bread on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover the bread and bake for an additional 5 minutes to crisp up the outside of the bread.  

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to ©Welcome Home.

Crab Linguine in Parmesan Garlic Sauce

This is one of my favorite meals to make for friends who come for dinner. So easy to make and a dish that everyone remembers! Creamy smooth sauce over linguine with just a hint of Old Bay Seasoning over sweet succulent crab! So good.

Crab Linguine in Parmesan Garlic Sauce

1 package of linguine
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 clove garlic, finely minced
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid from pasta
3/4 cup freshly grated parmigianno reggiano
1 lb lump crab meat

Cook pasta as directed on package. Salt water very well and bring to a boil. Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and set aside. Place linguine back into hot pot and stir in butter, cream, garlic, salt, pepper and cheese until butter and cheese start to melt and create a sauce. If it is too thick, use some of the reserved pasta water to thin it to the consistency you like. Adjust the seasonings to your taste.

Next add the crab and toss lightly so as not to break up the larger pieces. Pour into a casserole dish and add topping.

Topping

1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning (2 tsp if you want a kick)
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

Mix ingredients and sprinkle over top of crab linguine. Turn oven on broil and watch carefully until your bread crumbs are crisp and golden.

You can also make this with shrimp, scallops or lobster.

Photograph is copyrighted and the property of ©Welcome Home.

Oxtail Ragu – Worth the Wait

Other than a completely unnecessary braising step right in the middle of the video, this oxtail ragu came out amazingly well. My thought was to roast the oxtails in the sauce, in a slow oven to see if I could achieve the tender-sticky meat I know and love, while slowly reducing the sauce at the same time. I couldn’t. 

Well, actually, it would have eventually gotten tender, but I wasn’t prepared to find out how long that was going to be. Like I said several times during the video, I want you to roast your oxtail and onion until nicely browned, but then transfer everything into a pot, add the rest of the ingredients, and simmer until the meat comes off the bones with minimal effort.

The only way to screw up this incredibly succulent cut of beef is to not cook it long enough, which is why I better not read any 3-star recipe reviews that say, “Good flavor, but wasn’t as tender as I wanted.” Just remember to not braise, and keep simmering until it yields completely to your fork. I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

(Pro tip: since this does take so many hours to simmer, it's almost always best to make this the day before you serve it)

3-4 pounds oxtail, cut into 2-inch sections, rubbed with olive oil, and seasoned generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

1 large yellow onion, diced

6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

-- Roast at 425 F. for 45-60 minutes until browned

-- Transfer into a sauce pot, and add the following

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

4 cups tomato sauce or puree, or more if desired

2 cups chicken broth, or enough to cover the oxtails

* You can add as much sauce and/or stock as you want, as long as you have at least enough to cover

1 sprig rosemary

2 springs thyme

2 springs oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes

- Simmer on low, many hours, until tender

- Should be enough sauce and meat for 1 pound of pasta

Stracciatella Soup – For When You’re 'Tore Up From the Floor Up'

You hear stracciatella often referred to as, “Italian egg drop soup,” which is fine, but knowing the name actually means little, torn rags, or shreds, works so much better metaphorically. 

When you’ve been run ragged, stracciatella is always there for you. After a long, infuriating day at work, you want something fast, filling, and comforting; ideally made with ingredients you already have on hand. This is all that, and less.

Sure, you could order some unhealthy, and expensive take-out, but that’s just a shame spiral waiting to happen. Better to beat up a few eggs with some cheese, and boil up the last of that homemade chicken stock, you made using this video.

By the way, if you’re a normal person, and don’t have homemade broth in the freezer, this works perfectly well with a high-quality, packaged broth. As you eat this, hopefully with some nice crusty bread, imagine all those little “rags” floating in the bowl are all your torn-up problems, both real and imagined. They were there, and then they were gone. You just won, with soup. I hope you give this stracciatella a try soon. Enjoy!

Makes 2 large or 4 appetizer sized portions:

6 cups nice rich chicken broth, seasoned to taste

3 large eggs

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons semolina flour

1/2 ounce Parmigiano Reggiano (about 1/2 cup if grated on a microplane)

1/2 ounce Pecorino Romano cheese (about 1/2 cup if grated on a microplane)

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

pinch cayenne

pinch nutmeg
olive oil and pepper flakes to garnish

Roasted Sweet Chili Rubbed Haddock with Olives

I am always looking for new ways to prepare fish so I was excited when I saw this dish on the menu at my favorite seafood restaurant. Sometimes I will ask the server if the chef is willing to share the ingredients of a dish. Other times I have to figure it out myself and that's always fun. This time I put the flavors together in my head and made it at home. I started with a dry rub using seasonings I already had in my pantry. Then instead of using hot peppers, I decided to top it off with StarFine Foods Tomato and Pepper Marinated Olives to give it a spicy twist! The blend of spices turned out so flavorful that now I use it on my fish recipes. 

Roasted Sweet Chili Rubbed Haddock with Olives

2 Haddock Fillets

1 tablespoon Star Find Foods Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

½ cup Star Fine Foods Tomato and Pepper Marinated Olives, sliced

1 tablespoon capers

1 teaspoon of scallions, just the green part

Pat dry your fillets with a paper towel. Salt and pepper both sides and set aside while you make your rub.

Sweet Chili Rub

1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Dried Parsley
½ teaspoon Oregano
½ teaspoon Chili Powder
½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
¼ teaspoon Cumin
¼ teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

In a small bowl combine all of the spices and mix well. Brush the fillets with olive oil on both sides and then rub the spice mix generously all of the fish. You will use the entire rub – so make sure to coat them very well. Refrigerate the haddock for about an hour.

Place the fish on a foil-lined baking sheet and top with sliced olives and scallions and capers. Roast in the oven for 10-12 minutes – the fish will flake easily when it’s cooked through.  Serve immediately.

Photographs are the property of and copyrighted to ©Welcome Home.

StarFine Food's new Flavor Destinations: (Tomato & Peppers) Marinated Olives are available at Raley’s, Albertsons (Arizona), Safeway (Arizona) and Walmart stores and online at:  http://bit.ly/TomatoPeppersOlives

So far I've tried Star's new  Hot Pepper Stuffed Olives, the new Lemon Stuffed Olives. the new Flavor Destinations Spanish (Tomato & Peppers) Marinated Olives, and the new Flavor Destinations Italian Garlic and Basil Marinated Olives.

And I love them all! 

Disclaimer: I have an ongoing relationship with STAR Fine Foods for my recipes and photography using their wonderful products. This post is sponsored by STAR. I am compensated for my time and work and I am sent products as I request them. However, all opinions of the product stated in this post are 100% my own. I truly love their products!