Balsamic and Mustard Spiked Lamb Loin Chops

It happened again. I saw lamb at the store and I.just.had.to.buy.it! It’s getting a bit ridiculous I know. But lamb is sooooooooooooo good! I can’t resist! This time it was a beautiful package of lamb loin chops…petite, easy to marinate and a fast cook. I soaked mine in a mixture of sweet balsamic, salty and tangy grain mustard and the umami goodness of Worcester sauce along with some fresh rosemary and olive oil. They were tender and succulent and burst with flavor. Paired with sautéed kale spiked with bacon (BACON!), shallot and a touch of red pepper flakes (with a dash of lemon juice), this was a weeknight knock out of the park meal.

Rack of Lamb and Parmesan Polenta

One of my go to easy entertaining dishes is definitely rack of lamb. Costco sells a good rack of lamb for a very affordable price. Sure you could go to a butcher and spend a lot more for fancier meat, but I find the Costco lamb to be just fine for me and mine. This particular recipe made its debut on my table this past Christmas when my family was out for the holidays. It has a very easy yet high in flavor rub that knocks this one out of the park. The mix of fresh rosemary from my garden, bright cloves of garlic with tangy luscious mustard and a splash of sweet balsamic vinegar…this lamb never had a chance; it was meant to be down right finger lickin’ good.

I serve this dish with a side of parmesan polenta and smashed peas with mint, though I didn’t have the energy for smashed peas last night, so I’ll have to make them another time to share. But the parmesan polenta gets better every time I make and it reheats beautifully. I’ve also been known to sit in from of the frige digging into a cold dish of it with just a spoon and a smile on my face. I am sucker for anything with cheese after all.

Closing 2009 with a full on food coma

This was the first year that my husband (hereto referred to as hubs) and I hosted Christmas. It was a pretty big deal because when I moved out here from the east coast it was a big blow to the folks. So hosting Christmas this year was my way of showing that I can carry forward the family traditions even when I'm 3,000 miles away. So I put my day-job skills of project planning to work and came up with a ridiculous Christmas Feast Matrix spanning 5 days. Every opportunity to eat, well I was going to feed them and feed them well. As it turned out, I might have over fed them. Combined I think the family gained a new member in weight but I was proud of everything that got put on the table. Of course the pièce de résistance was Christmas day dinner but I have to say, Christmas eve was damn good too.

Christmas Eve - Mustard, Rosemary, Garlic and Balsamic Crusted Rack of Lamb









Served with Smashed Peas with mint and Parmesan Polenta.

Christmas Day dinner brought a 7lb beef tenderloin (which was spectacular and purchased from Costco (along with the aforementioned lamb) for a totally reasonable price!)

The beef was rubbed with salt, pepper, garlic thyme, and garlic powder and then roasted to perfection. (35 minutes at 450).




The beef was served with Tyler Florence's epic mashed potatoes that were cooked in cream...yes, CREAM! Some fresh thyme sprigs and garlic cloves were in the cream bath with the potatoes. After mashing, they also got a shot of grain mustard. Best mash ever!

To round out Christmas Day dinner plate we added roasted broccolini with balsamic, a decadent horseradish cream sauce and an earthy, rich wine infused mushroom bordelaise sauce. The meal was divine and a hit for my first Christmas hosting.