Herb Roasted Lamb Chops

I have always had ham on Easter, but this year I was ready for a change. I had company coming into town the day after Easter and I need something simpler for dinner that didn't produce a mountain of leftovers. Lamb was on sale, so I decided to give it a shot. It was the first time I have ever cooked lamb and it certainly won't be the last. Miss F gobbled it right up. She liked it so much that she was even happy to eat a green bean or two. I got to use my fresh herbs from the front stoop again, which just thrills me. They have already paid for themselves ten-fold.

Herb Roasted Lamb Chops

2 large garlic cloves, pressed
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, lightly crushed
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, lightly crushed
½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 1¼ inch thick lamb loin chops

Mix first 4 ingredients and 1 teaspoon olive oil in large bowl. Add lamb; turn to coat. Let marinate at room temperature at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat remaining olive oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add lamb; cook until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven and roast lamb chops to desired doneness, about 10 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer lamb to platter, cover, and let rest 5 minutes.

Adapted from Bon Appetit

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Cheesecake Truffles

The traditional wedding gift for the sixth anniversary is iron or candy. C isn't a huge candy fan, but he does like cheesecake. This recipe was inspired by Books n Cooks, but I ended up using the recipe for mini cheesecakes because I didn't want to make 60 truffles (or go through five packages of cream cheese.)  I definitely preferred using chocolate chips and shortening to chocolate melts, I just prefer the flavor more.

Cheesecake Truffles
makes 24

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
¾ cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease miniature muffin tins with cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Fill each miniature muffin tin with this mixture, almost to the top.

Bake for 15 minutes. Cool in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. After the cheesecakes have cooled, roll each into a ball and place on the cookie sheet. Freeze the cheesecake balls for 1 to 2 hours.

Microwave the chocolate and shortening in a small bowl until melted and smooth, stopping to stir every 30 seconds. Dip the frozen balls into the prepared chocolate and return to the parchment lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Parmesan Crust Pizza

When I made Stromboli, I really liked the recipe for the pizza dough, the Parmesan added such a nice depth of flavor. The Weekly Menu Plan to the right over there is always a moving target. Often things come up during the week, usually resulting in C sharing a can of chili with Miss F (shudder) or me thinking of a more toddler friendly and fun meal for the two of us. This recipe was the result of a last minute dinner C had with friends, I figured Miss F and I would have fun making pizza.  I scratched the artichoke pasta dish I had planned to have and repurposed the ingredients into a pizza for me.  I made Miss F a plain cheese pizza, which she gobbled right up.  I know everyone usually has a pizza crust recipe that they love, but this one is worth a try.

Parmesan Pizza Dough

¼ cup lukewarm water
2 teaspoons yeast
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon olive oil

Mix yeast and ¼ cup lukewarm water in a small bowl. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. The yeast will dissolve and become foamy.

Whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, Parmesan cheese and garlic powder into the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle.

Mix the dissolved yeast mixture with ½ cup lukewarm water. Turn the mixer on. Pour the water and yeast into the bowl and mix until the dough makes a ball. If the dough is too sticky to make a ball, add a little more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it forms a ball. Swap out the paddle for the dough hook and knead until smooth, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Pour one tablespoon of olive oil into a medium bowl and swirl it around until the bowl is coated. Place dough ball into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm, draft-free place. The do ugh should rise until it is twice as big as when you put it in the bowl. This should take about 1 hour.

Remove the plastic wrap from the bowl. Using your fist, press all the air out of the dough and use for stromboli recipe. (NOTE: You can wrap your dough in plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours before making pizza). Divide in half and roll out into two 10 to 12” pizza crusts

Top as desired, bake at 450 degrees on a pizza stone for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on the toppings.

Adapted from Cooking Live

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