Yummy Recipes!

This last week I picked my basil, rosemary, and oregano from my EarthBox. I had so much of it I have had to find various recipes to use them in. I have made...

Lamb Kabobs on Rosemary Skewers

• 1lb lamb shoulder, cubed (I mixes some lamb with steak)
• 8 thick, large rosemary skewers
• 1/4 tsp garlic, finely grated
• 1/4 tsp lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 TBSP fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 1 TBSP olive oil

Combine all of the ingredients except the rosemary skewers in a large bowl. Toss everything together so the lamb cubes are thoroughly coated. Cover and refrigerate the lamb for about an hour. Meanwhile, remove all of the rosemary leaves from the stem leaving about an inch of the leaves at the bottom of the stem. If the end of the stems aren't sharp enough to thread the lamb, use a pairing knife and peel away some of the stem into a point. Prepare your grill. After the lamb has marinated, remove from fridge and gently thread the meat onto the skewers. Grill the skewers for 3-4 minutes on each side.

Serve these with this fantastic Tzatziki and some pita. This was very spicy. I would probably cut down on the paprika and the cayenne next time.
courtesy of http://madelinesadaptations.blogspot.com/


Marinara Sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 cups chopped onion (about 3 medium)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes, undrained
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion and sugar. Cook 30 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Stir in wine; cook 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Very yummy- it does make a ton though! It has a slight kick at the end of your tasting. Benjamin even ate it- that's saying a lot, folks!

Yield: 9 cups (serving size: 1 cup)
courtesy of http://familyfriendsandfood.blogspot.com/

Vegetable and Fresh Herb Casserole

• 4 potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), unpeeled, scrubbed, and sliced (I used small red potatoes and quartered them)
  
• salt and ground pepper
• 2 tomatoes, sliced (I left these out)
  
• 1 large zucchini, unpeeled and sliced
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 yellow onion, sliced and separated into rings
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 Tbsp. fresh basil or 3/4 tsp. dried basil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup chicken broth (you can use vegetable broth to make this vegetarian)
• 2 Tbsp. butter, cut into pieces
• 2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
  

Preheat oven to 350 F or 180 C. In a 9×13 baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray or oil, arrange half the potatoes in a layer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add in layers half the tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, onion rings, garlic, and herbs. Repeat the layers. Pour the broth evenly over the veggies and dot with butter. Do not stir.

Bake, covered, about 1 hour. Sprinkle cheeses over the top and bake, uncovered, until the veggies are tender-crisp and the cheeses are melted, about 10 minutes longer.

This was wonderful! I loved every bite!

courtesy of http://simplemom.net/

Lemon and Oregano Chicken

• 2 chicken breasts
• 5 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano (I did fresh)
  
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon water
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

1. Combine the lemon zest, olive oil, oregano, salt, pepper, water, and garlic in a Ziploc bag. Mush it around to make sure it’s all evenly combined.
2. Add your chicken breasts and mush the bag around again to coat the chicken well. Place in the fridge for a few hours (you can skip this step and grill the breasts immediately, if you like).
3. Take the chicken out of the fridge and discard the remaining rub. Heat your grill to medium and grill the breasts about 5 minutes on each side or until at least 165 degrees F.

courtesy of http://thecrepesofwrath.wordpress.com/

This one is still in my freezer. So easy to make and smells wonderful!

Next I would like to make these... Oh, if only someone would eat them around here!