Category Archives: recipes

Moroccan Spiced Grilled Lamb Kabobs

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Moroccan Spiced Lamb Kabobs

Moroccan Spiced Lamb Kabobs

I don’t know where you live, but for the last week or so it’s been in the high 90’s here in Southern California.  When it’s hot like this, I resort to making my husband cook on the grill.  No one wants to cook in this kind of heat, but we must eat, so grilling it is. I love grilled meat period, but lamb was made to be grilled.  I remember several years back introducing my southern family to lamb grilled on the barbecue. I had invited them over for a cook out, and in addition to grilled chicken, I was serving grilled lamb.  When they found out that chicken and lamb were their only meat options, I had a family mutiny on my hands.  “Lamb?!!! We don’t eat lamb! You just wasted your money!” “Where is the real food? What happened to the ribs?!” Haha! I still laugh thinking about that day, because, after a bit of convincing, I got one of them to try it, and they all quickly fell in line! Ten seconds into them all trying it, they were fighting over who was going to get the last piece!  Now when we have a barbecue, lamb is on the menu, and I’m not the one bringing it, they are!  I’ve also converted several friends of mine who aren’t  fans of lamb into eating lamb by serving it to them grilled. I personally love lamb anyway you serve it. But there is just something about grilled lamb that speaks to everyone’s taste buds.

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Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Total time: 25 minutes

 

 

Ingredients:

1 pound of lamb loin cubed

1/2 teaspoon of cumin

1/2 teaspoon of coriander

1 teaspoon of garlic paste

2 Tablespoons of lemon juice

1 Tablespoon of finely chopped mint

1 Tablespoon of olive oil

sea salt and black pepper to taste

 

Directions:

In a  small bowl mix the cumin, coriander, lemon juice, mint and olive oil together.

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Season lamb meat generously with sea salt and black pepper. Pour the marinade over the lamb and mix well.

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Add the seasoned lamb to skewers, then grill for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until the lamb reaches your desired level of doneness–about 15 minutes for medium.  Serve with veggie skewers or this cucumber and tomato salad,  or this Cucumber with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette and  this Lemon Cauliflower Rice and enjoy!

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Cucumber Salad with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

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Lemon and basil Cucumber Salad

Lemon and basil Cucumber Salad

I have a confession to make, sometimes I make salad when I don’t want to cook a side—okay maybe I do that more than sometimes, I do it a lot. There is a reason I named this blog lazy girl dinners.  This salad is a result of me being lazy and needing to use the ingredients I had on hand.  It was a hit with both my husband and my daughter.  It was the first time I got her to eat cucumber without chewing it up and spitting it out. Slicing them with my spiral vegetable slicer had everything to do with that because when it comes to getting her to eat something, it always comes down to texture.

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Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: none

Total time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 large cucumbers sliced thinly

4 tablespoons of lemon juice

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 tablespoon of fresh basil, finely chopped

Sea Salt to taste

Directions:

Add the lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt, and basil to a small bowl and whisk together. Spoon as much of the viniagrette as you’d like over a serving of the cucumbers and enjoy!Note: If you are serving this at a dinner party–yes it’s lazy but it’s elegant and very delicious–then be sure to spoon the vinaigrette over the salad just before serving, otherwise the cucumbers will loose their crunch and get soggy.

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Gingered Greens

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Gingered Rainbow Chard

Gingered Rainbow Chard

I am fortunate enough to live close to a few natural foods markets.  One of the natural foods markets that I frequent has an onsite restaurant, it happens to serve only vegan food, and the food is amazing.  My best friend and I used to make it a Sunday routine to meet there for brunch and then shop for groceries together afterwards. It was the best of both worlds for both of us, we both have a love of food and food shopping, and of course spending time together.  One of my favorite dishes at this natural foods market restaurant was a dish called gingered greens.  It hit all the right notes for me, tangy and soul satisfying all at the same time! We always asked the waiters to tell us what was in this dish, because of course we wanted to remake it at home, but every time we asked we’d get different answers or worse no answer at all. Needless to say I’ve tried this dish several times with less than stellar results. This week when I went to my local farmers market, they had rainbow chard, and I thought, this is my chance to get it right! Maybe it took me going into this with a bit of confidence, or maybe it was just a stroke of luck, I don’t know, but I think I struck gold with this one!

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Ingredients:

4 cups of rainbow chard, chopped

3 small cloves of garlic, grated

1/2 teaspoon of ginger grated

1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon of olive oil or ghee

2 tablespoons of cilantro roughly chopped

Sea Salt to taste

Directions:  Heat the oil along with the ginger and garlic for 20-30 seconds

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Add in the chard, saute until the greens wilt, then add the apple cider vinegar

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Cook for another 5-7 minutes or until the greens are tender, season with a little sea salt, add in cilantro, transfer to a bowl and enjoy!

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Grilled Rib-eye with Spicy Dry-Rub

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Grilled Rib-eye with Spicy Dry-Rub

Grilled Rib-eye with Spicy Dry-Rub

Now that it’s warm again, I can cut out a bit of my cooking by having my husband grill for us. He loves rib-eye steaks and it’s fun for me to find different ways to spice them up. I love making marinades for steaks but sometimes it’s fun just to mix a few dry spices together and see what happens. That is exactly what I did here. This dry rub is definitely going into our menu line up again, it is so yummy.  The only problem with allowing my husband to grill the meat, is that he was not as gentle with the meat as I would have been, so I didn’t get great pictures, but trust me when I say, you will love this dry rub.

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Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 10-15 minutes

Total Time: 17 minutes

Servings: Enough seasoning for 1lb Steak double the recipe if you need to season more than one steak.

Ingredients Dry-Rub:

1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon of onion powder

1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Sea salt to taste

Directions: Add the dry spices to a small bowl and mix them together until combined.

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Season the both sides of the steak with sea salt, then rub both sides generously with the dry spice mixture.

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Place on the grill and let cook  for 7-8 minutes on each side, remove from grill let sit for 5-7 minutes before enjoying.  How easy was that?  I love it when my husband grills;-)

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Okay share your favorite dry rub seasoning?  I always buy one, this is the first time that I’ve made my own.

 

Southern Style Fried Catfish

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Southern style Catfish

Southern style Catfish

 

Last week I was watching a documentary called,  Soul Food Junkies, it was about the history and resulting health consequences of eating too much soul food. It was a great  documentary, informative, and inspiring in all the right places. However, I left viewing it with a strong desire to eat collard greens and catfish. My grandmother fried fish, and cooked greens like no one else on this planet, I miss her cooking so much!  I guess one could say that my craving was one more of emotional comfort rather than hunger. Whatever, the reason for my craving, it was one that I had to fulfill. It worked out perfectly, as things go, my Whole Foods had 4 catfish fillets on hand, they rarely if ever have catfish, so I took it as a sign that my grandmother was looking out for me and wanted me to have the comfort of the meal I had set out to make. I rarely cook fried fish, but when I do, I love to have it with collard greens. So I picked up a few bushels from my local farmers market and set out to make this meal. This is not my grandmothers recipe, but it’s pretty great on its own. Her recipe involved much more detail than this one does, and that required more time than I had on that Sunday. If you want, and have the time, you can crack an egg and whisk it to use as a wash to dip the fish into before putting it into the corn meal. I skipped that option and the fish was still crispy and juicy.

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Ingredients:

1 lb of cat fish fillets, quartered

1/2 teaspoon of paprika

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon of onion powder

sea salt and black pepper to taste

1/2 cup of corn meal

1/2 cup of grapeseed oil, or safflower oil

Directions: Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet. season the cat fish fillets with sea salt and black pepper. Mix the paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder together in a small bowl, then sprinkle the mixture evenly over both sides of the fish.

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Coat the fish with the corn meal then add it to the hot oil, and fry until golden brown, and cooked through…about 7-10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate, and enjoy!

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Sautéed Mushrooms

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Sautéed Mushrooms

Sautéed Mushrooms

One of my favorite side dishes in the world is sautéed mushrooms. I love mushrooms in general, but there is just something that happens to a mushroom when it’s sautéed perfectly that sets off a flavor explosion in your mouth. Sautéing mushrooms is easy, but there is an art to it, not all sautés are created equally. The key to a good mushroom sauté is to let the mushrooms brown. Browning is an result of the Maillard reaction, and that reaction is where flavor  lives.

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Ingredients:
10 ounces of sliced mushrooms (I used crimini and oyster)
2 large cloves of garlic
1 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter
1/2 tea spoon of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of fresh parsley finely minced
Sea salt to taste

Directions: add the olive oil and garlic to a sauté and let cook for 10-20 seconds or until you can smell the garlic:

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Add in the sliced mushrooms and season with sea salt:

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The mushrooms will begin to release water, toss and allow them to cook for 5-7 minutes. The water should begin to evaporate. Add in the tab of butter and toss the mushrooms:

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Cook for another 3-4 minutes without tossing, to allow the mushrooms to brown, add in soy sauce and toss, until the soy evaporates, about 1 minute:

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Transfer the mushrooms to a dish, sprinkle the parsley on top and enjoy!

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Crispy Smelt with a Lemon Parsley Vinaigrette

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Crispy Smelt with Parsley Lemon Vinaigrette

Crispy Smelt with Parsley Lemon Vinaigrette

I LOVE Smelt, LOVE them. In fact I love them so much I wish that I could eat them year round.  If you’ve never tried smelt, then after you read this blog, stop by your grocery store, and get some! They are rich in omega-3 fatty acid, so not only are they delicious, but they’re great for you. Smelt are small boned fish, like anchovies, so you can eat them whole, even the head. if you’re so inclined. If you’re really lucky, like I have been thus far, you’ll find them fresh at your grocer.  I’m told that most grocers sell them frozen in bags.  Fresh is best, but these are so good that I would imagine they would still be good even after they’ve been frozen and defrosted. But if you have a choice, why not choose fresh?

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Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pound of Smelt (cleaned)

1/2 cup of coconut flour

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

1/4-1/2 cup of coconut oil

Ingredients for Parsley Lemon Vinaigrette

1/4 cup of fresh organic flat leaf parsley finely chopped

5 tablespoons of Lemon juice

3 Tablespoons of olive oil

2 cloves of garlic grated

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions: Melt the coconut oil in a cast iron skillet, and bring up to temperature. Season the smelt with sea salt and pepper:

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Dredge through the coconut flour, coating all sides of the fish with the flour:

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Carefully add the fish to the hot oil and fry until golden brown on all sides, about 5-7 minutes:

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 Add the ingredients for the parsley lemon vinaigrette to a bowl and whisk until well combined, spoon over the fish and enjoy!

These make a great appetizer at a party, just make sure that you buy enough, because no one can eat just one of these! Like this recipe? Then you’ll love my video recipes, subscribe to my Lazy Girl Dinners Youtube channel for quick do it yourself and how to cook videos.

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Mussels In White Wine sauce

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Mussels in Wine Sauce

Mussels in Wine Sauce

This week I decided to switch things up a bit with a few sea food recipes.  My husband isn’t a big fan of mussels unless they’re drenched in cream, but I prefer them a little more on the light side—although I agree a great cream sauce never hurt a mussel. My daughter isn’t a fan of eating sea food just yet, but she loved playing with the mussel shells. Mussels are  great for those of us who are budget minded, they cost just a few dollars a pound, and a pound is more than enough for 2 people. A few things worth noting about mussels, as with most seafood the fresher they are, the better tasting they are. Discard any mussels that are not closed and tightly sealed, remove the hairy beards before cooking, and clean them thoroughly by scrubbing each mussel shell and then soaking them, with 1-2 tablespoons of flour added to a large bowl of water, for 10-15 minutes before cooking in order to expell any remaining sand.

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Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 lb of Mussels

1/4 cup of shallot minced

1/2 cup of white wine Sauvignon Blanc works amazingly

2 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

1/4 cup of finely chopped parsley

1 teaspoon of bonito flakes (optional)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Directions: Heat olive oil, add garlic and shallot to a sauce pan, and sauté until shallots are translucent, add in the bonito flakes if you’re using them and mix for 10-20 seconds. Add in the wine, and bring to a simmer, add in the mussels and cover the pot, cook for 8-10 minutes then turn off the fire. Remove the cover, the mussels should be open, and cooked fully, sprinkle with lemon juice, and parsley transfer to a bowl and enjoy!

 

D.I.Y. Herbed Feta Spread

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Creamy Herbed Feta Cheese Spread

Creamy Herbed Feta Cheese Spread

If you don’t know I’ve expanded my blog to include video blogging. I just started it so you haven’t missed much besides subscribing to my awesome channel (subscribe here) 🙂 I love feta cheese, it’s one of the few cheeses that I can eat without getting a tummy ache. However, besides that, it’s delicious, and extremely versatile, it goes well on salads, pizza, and as an accompaniment to lamb burgers. The next time you have a dinner party break this spread out with an olive tray and some good crackers, and your dinner guests will be raving about it for days!

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Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: none

total time 10 minutes

 

Ingredients:

6 ounce package of feta cheese

1/2 cup of fresh mint finely chopped

3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme leaves removed from the stems

1/4 cup of water

Directions: add the feta cheese to a blender or food processor, and pulse to break it up. Slowly add in water, add  1 tablespoons at a time, until your spread reaches desired consistency. I was happy at around 3 tablespoons of water. Transfer the creamed cheese to a bowl and add in herbs, mixing well until combined. Serve with pita bread, chips, or crackers, you really can’t go wrong with this spread. Enjoy!

 

Basil Chicken

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Basil Chicken

Basil Chicken

So everyone has that one friend whom they idolize, you know the one who is super intelligent, charismatic, gorgeous, and the kind of mother to her children you only wish you could be. Well that person for me is my friend Jennifer. She has the energy of the energizer bunny–actually I think she could out last that bunny 3 times over, She’s a great friend, reliable without fault, and on top of all that, she is a great cook. One of her signature dishes is basil Chicken.  It’s beyond delicious, the sweet notes of basil mixed with the Unami flavors imparted by the soy sauce in this dish make it heaven on a plate.  She makes hers with the whole parts of chicken, usually legs, or drummetts. I decided to try it using ground chicken, because who couldn’t use another way to use ground meat?  I’m so glad I did, it is equally as delicious as using chicken with bones, but much less time consuming, because there aren’t any bones.

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Prep time: 5-7 minutes

Cook time : 15 minutes

Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground chicken

3/4 cups of fresh basil chopped

1 small brown onion or shallot chopped

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

2 large cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons of olive oil/ghee

1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

sea salt to taste

Directions: heat oil in skillet, add garlic, sauté for 30 seconds, then add the onion, and cook until translucent. Add the ground chicken and brown. Add in the soy sauce, basil and red pepper flakes, cook for 2 minutes then turn off the fire. Serve over brown rice, or in lettuce cups.

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