Hibernating

No I didn't fall off the face of the earth, just been plain old lazy. I find January to be the laziest month of the year starting with January 1st where we usually just sit around all day and do nothing. I guess we need some serious down time after all the crazy holiday running around. Or maybe the fact that Winter usually kicks in with a vengeance and you just want to curl up

in a warm cozy spot

and while away the hours

or days...Max seems to be particularly good at this. I'm a little envious.

Me, I'll while away the hours in the kitchen with my favorite past time.


Mossewood Navajo Stew - serves 4

2 medium sweet potatoes
2 red or green bell peppers
1 large onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 (15 oz.) can of tomatoes
1 Tbsp. canned chipotles in adobo sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (15 oz.) can of butter beans of black beans, drained
flatbread (tortillas, lavash, or pita)
plain yogurt, sour cream, or Cilantro Yogurt Sauce

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet.
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Stem and seed the peppers and cut into 1-inch pieces. Peel the onion and cut it stem end to root end into thin wedges. In a bowl, toss the vegetables with the garlic, oil, cumin, salt, and pepper. Spread on the prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes. Stir and continue to roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender but not mushy.
While the vegetables roast, puree the tomatoes, chipotles, and cilantro in a blender until smooth. Set aside. When the vegetables are tender, put them into a 2- to 3-quart baking dish, stir in the tomato-cilantro sauce and the beans, and return to the oven until hot, about 10 minutes.
A few minutes before serving, warm the bread in the oven. Serve the stew in bowls topped with yogurt or sour cream, with warm flatbread on the side.

OK, that didn't take long enough. Let's try something else.

Moroccan Lamb Tagine-adapted by me

Serves 4

2 lbs. of lamb shoulder cut into 2 inch cubes

salt

pepper

cinnamon

turmeric

cumin

ground allspice

ground cloves

olive oil

2 onions cut in half and slivered

2 carrots, peeled and sliced thickly on the diagonal

3 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

one preserved lemon sliced

1 1/2 cups of dried apricots, prunes or golden raisins

about 1 cup of olives, any type

3 to 4 cups of chicken stock or water

Place lamb cubes in a large bowl, sprinkle with salt pepper, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, allspice and cloves. (sorry there are no measurements but I eyeball this and it depends on taste). Toss the lamb cubes with the spices so they are nicely mixed and let sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes to one hour.

In a large casserole or dutch oven heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Brown the lamb pieces on all sides, remove to a bowl. Add onions and carrots and garlic; saute for about 10 minutes at medium heat. Return lamb cubes to pot ant stir to blend.

Add preserved lemon and dried fruit and stir to blend. Pour chicken stock over mixture to cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium, cover and cook stirring occasionally for about an hour. Add olives and cook another hour or so. Add more liquid during cooking if it starts to dry up too much.

Serve over Basmati or Jasmine rice.

OK, much better. Time for a nap. Where is that little monkey?

Hm mm, has it down to a science.