Friday, October 29, 2010

Greek Chowder


1 1/2 lbs. lamb chops cut into bite size pieces
2 lbs. ground lamb
32 oz. sour cream
1/3 cup olive oil
2 oz. butter
1 cup fresh chopped Greek oregano
1/2 cup fresh chopped garlic
4 lbs. leeks washed well and cut into about 1/2 in. pieces
3 eggs
1 1/2 lbs. potatoes cut into med./small bite size pieces
3.5 oz. diced goat cheese
6.5 oz. jar sun dried tomato pesto with pine nuts
2 English muffins
2 Tbsp. chicken bouillon
26 oz. can of cream of chicken soup
4 oz. Greek black olives optional edible garnish
4 oz. sundried tomatoes chopped optional edible garnish
8 mint leaves optional edible garnish
4 oz. feta or goat cheese in small piece for edible garnish

1. Wash potatoes and leeks WELL. And cut them into bite size pieces and discard of roots and outer peel.

2. Cut lamb chops into bite size pieces. Cook with garlic and 1/3 chopped fresh oregano in the olive oil and butter on high heat for 5 to 14 minutes stirring frequently.

3. In two medium pots add two cups of water to each and put cut leeks and bouillon in one pot and potatoes in the other. Cook covered on high heat boiling for 8 to 14 minutes until almost tender.

4. While vegetables are cooking, in a med. bowl mix ground lamb, 2/3 cup chopped fresh oregano, sun dried tomato pesto, eggs, goat cheese and English muffins broken into small pieces.

5. Lamb chop pieces when done cooking need to be put in the final cooking 3 quart pot leaving the oilive oil in pan to cook ground lamb.

6. Cook ground lamb mixture on high heat stirring often for 8 to 18 minutes.

7. While ground lamb is cooking add the ingredients sour cream, cream of chicken soup, cooked potatoes and leeks) in final three qt. cooking pot and mix gently with lamb chop pieces.

8. Add ground lamb to final 3 qt. chowder pot and stir gently on medium heat until hot without boiling. And serve with garnish edible toppings as desired including black olives, chopped sun dried tomatoes, mint leaves and cheese (feta of goat).

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Eggplant Parmesan

16 servings

2 hours prep and cook time EGGPLANT PARM INGREDIENTS

1 quart olive or peanut oil for frying

8 lbs eggplant sliced in 1/ to 1/2 inch circles I leave skin on.

8 eggs wisk eggs 1 minute to well blended

32 oz bread crumbs

1 box( crushed) corn bread stuffing

1/2 cup dried basil

1/2 cup rosemary herb

1/2 cup Thai spice

1/2 cup garlic powder

1 tbs pepper

12 oz string cheese

2 quarts vegtable sauce

2 lbs feta

8 oz Romano cheese

8 oz grated Parmesan cheese

8 oz shredded Parmesan cheese

2 lbs whole milk Ricotta cheese

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley



1. Mix crushed stuffing, bread crumbs, basil,rosemary,Thai.garlic and pepper in a sturdy bag.

2. Wisk eggs and dip sliced eggplant in them coating thoroughly.

3. Heat 1 inch of oil in a deep thick bottomed pan on medium high heat. I use a cast iron pot.

4. Shake off some excess egg from one piece of eggplant at a time and place it in coating pressing gently to adhere coating to the out side .

5. Place an even of coated eggplant in preheated oil and fry 1 to 1 1/2 minutes flipping once.

6. Remove egg plant from cooking oil with slotted spoon to drain off excess oil and place on folded paper towels to drain further until all eggplant is cooked.

7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

8. Mix grated chopped fresh parsley, parmesan, Romano, feta and ricotta cheeses together.

9. In two 9 inch by 12 inch oven safe baking dishes ( I used glass.) spead a thin layer of sauce to coat bottoms.

10. Place even layer of fried eggplant on top sauce layer.

11. Spoon small amounts of cheese mixture here and there over eggplant layer.

12. Continue in same order of sauce,eggplant then cheese until both baking dishes are full with sauce /cheese being top layer.

13. Sprinke 8 ounces shredded parmesan on top.

14. Pull apart string cheese building a latice or use shredded mozzarella lastly on top.

15. Place in oven for 1 hour until dish is bubbling and cheese is golden on top.

16. Allow dish to cool around a half hour to help with even nice looking pieces.

Oven Roasted Top Round Roast with Carrot Date Side

about 8 servings depending how much fat is on roast
1 1/2 hours total cooking time and 20 minutes prep work
4 1/2 lbs top round roast

1/2 cup pie crust mix

1/4 cup season salt

1/4 cup garlic powder

2 tbs ground mustard spice

2 tbs Italian herb blend

2 tbs rosemary herb


2 1/2 lbs carrots sliced in bite size pieces

1 1/2 lbs whole dried dated (remove pit)

5 beef (any)bouillon

6 cups water


1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

2. Mix pie crust mix, season salt, garlic powder, ground mustard and 2 tbs Ital. herb in a bowl.

3. Put aside 1/4 cup spice blend and press the rest evenly on roast to coat.

4. Place roast on rack fat side up over a cast iron frying pan.

5. Place in preheated oven and cook for about 18 minutes to form a crust on the outside of roast.

6. While roast is on high heat cut carrots and place them in a cast iron frying pan or oven safe dish along with dates, water and bouillon and place on lower rack of oven.

7. Reduce the heat of oven to 335 degrees and sprinke rosemary over roast continue to bake for one hour 15 minutes.

8. Stir veggies twice during cooking process.

9. Remove roast pan and carrot/date pan from oven turning it off.

10. Loosely tent roast with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving beef.

11. Mix 1/4 cup spice blend with vegetables then moving carrot mix immediately in serving dish to prevent metalic taste from cast iron frying pan.

11. Knock the loose romemary off the beef before you carve slicing beef at no more than a 1/2 inch thick . This is to chew meat more easily.

12. Place meat over vegtables and pour au jus over as to not loose any flavor.