Red Wine Glazed Lamb Chops With Asparagus Pea Salad

If you're looking to host and have some meat eaters in your midst, get some lamb chops for a special treat! Cuts can be on the pricey side, but they are very much worth it. I love a juicy, well seasoned, chop.

Warm weather calls from pairing this with a fresh salad, and what scream spring and summer more than asparagus and English peas?

Ingredients

1 trimmed rack of lamb

1 tablespoon seasoned salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cracked pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon Worchester sauce

1 tablespoon dried mint

2 tablespoons dried thyme

3 sprigs fresh rosemary

3 garlic cloves

1 cup red wine (use a bold red)

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup mushroom gravy

1 cup asparagus tips

1 cup peas

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup feta cheese

Mint sauce (optional)

Instructions

Mix the herbs, seasoning, fresh garlic, olive oil, Worchester sauce, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Use the wet rub to marinate the lamb chops, and set them aside covered airtight in the fridge for about half an hour.

Heat your oven to 350F degrees.

In a hot skillet, add some olive oil and sear the chops on all four sides to create brown crisp at medium heat.

Deglaze the pan with red wine, then bake the chops for 15 minutes, or an internal temperature of 145F degrees for medium-well. Remove from the skillet pan and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

While the lamb cooks, prepare your greens. Heat a large pot of salted water with a bit of olive oil and bring to a boil. Blanch your asparagus tips and peas separately for 6 minutes each or until cooked to your desired doneness. Remove immediately from the pot and drain, allow to cool. Once both are drained, toss with the olive oil, balsamic, salt, pepper, garlic powder and parmesan. When ready to serve, top with the feta cheese. You can also use a simple vinaigrette instead! Adjust the dressing amount accordingly in either case - too much will make them soggy.

Reheat the remaining wine and create a sauce. Add the mushroom gravy, extra wine, and some butter, and stir over medium heat until it thickens.

Give the lamb chops a final seasoning and serve with the sauce, mint sauce and salad. Makes 2 servings.

Asparagus, Snap Pea, and Blue Cheese Galette

Another galette just in time for spring! Coming out of a snow-filled, bitterly cold winter, the change in weather and daylight hours could not have come at a better time. This isn't just because I prefer the sun and greenery, but because the season welcomes a new set of ingredients that brighten up your plates and make people more aware of what they are eating in some ways. Winter has a lot to offer, but I'm excited for this new chapter and recipes we can make together!

Galettes, which I have praised for many reasons before, are a perfect way to celebrate the slew of returning vegetables and fruits. I have several across the seasons on this website you can try out, including the Tomato, Thyme and Cheese, the Pumpkin, Caramelized Onion, the Blackberry, Mint and Ricotta, and the Cheesy Mushroom Galette with Ricotta and Gruyere. 

This galette, like the others, is a quick, easy, and ideal solution if you have extra greens lying around - although fresh is king!

I used asparagus stalks and snap peas for this recipe, both of which offer texture and substance. I combined the (non-dairy) parmesan cheese mixed with the tofu ricotta, fresh herbs, and seasoning for the cheesy filling.

Before adding it to the pie crust plate, season to taste to make sure it’s good before baking!

Ingredients

1 pie crust, thawed in the fridge

1 handful snap peas

1/3 cup ricotta cheese (I used a vegan brand)

1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated finely

About 20 stalks of green asparagus (woody, thick part cut off)

1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh tarragon leaves, finely chopped + extra for topping and garnish

1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons biltong seasoning (optional - I used Freddy Hirsch Biltong Spice)

1 spring onion, finely chopped - mostly the green part)

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

Pinch of hot chilli flakes

2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese

1 tablespoon parmesan cheese, grated

1 egg + 1 teaspoon water

Sesame seeds

Instructions

Take your pie crust out of the fridge to get it to room temperature, this should take about 20 minutes.

Get a medium-sized bowl, and mix the parmesan cheese, ricotta, tarragon, fresh garlic, parsley, olive oil, biltong seasoning, salt, dried thyme, black pepper, lemon juice, and garlic powder until evenly incorporated. Season to taste!

Spread the mixture over the unrolled pie crust gently with a spoon, making sure not to 'overfill' the inside and leaving at least a 1/2 inch border.

In a large bowl, toss the asparagus and snap peas in a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Lay the stalks over the cheese mix, followed by the snap peas, some additional tarragon leaves, the blue cheese and some parmesan cheese to garnish.

Fold the border edges over to make an open-faced frame, making sure both ends of the asparagus are tucked in or not visible.

Brush with the pie crust edges with the egg wash and sprinkle the sesame seeds on top.

Bake at 400F for 35-40 minutes on a parchment-lined baking tray, then remove from the oven.

Allow for the bubbling to stop and set the galette aside to cool for about 10 minutes. Garnish with additional tarragon leaves and scallions.

Mushroom and Asparagus Mini Quiches

Most people are huge fans of quiche, and in the past, I have made them regular size with crust and coconut cream. However, if you are looking for a quick and easy savory breakfast dish and don’t feel like fried eggs or a plate of omelets, these mini quiches with asparagus and mushroom fit the bill. Quiches are flexible and a great way to make use of straddling vegetables in your fridge.

What you need 🛒🛒🛒:

7 large asparagus spears, stems chopped half way

5 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon chill flakes

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 tablespoon scallions

2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon black pepper

What you do 🍳🍳🍳:

Step 1

Chop the asparagus and mushrooms. In a pan, heat butter and olive oil and sauté the garlic, seasonings, and scallions until fragrant. Add the vegetables and soy sauce and cook for 3 minutes on medium-high. Remove from heat when softened.

Step 2

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, cheese, and milk together. Once the vegetables have cooled, mix with the egg mix.

Step 3

Pour the quiche mix into greased muffin pan and top with more vegetables if you wish. Bake at 350F for 12 minutes, check regularly to ensure they do not burn.

Makes about 10 - 12 mini quiches.