Miniature Bell Peppers Stuffed with Lamb

Farmers’ Markets are at the peak of the harvest and have an abundance of local produce. The colorful fruits and vegetables piled high make me happy and leave me dreaming about the tasty possibilities each week (sometimes twice a week). I try to walk away with something unusual and fun to experiment with. This week it was an assortment of miniature bell peppers, 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter! I don’t think this dish would be quite as decadent with full size peppers. You could put the couscous in the peppers with the lamb, but this may yield a drier, less powerful filling. The sweetness of the bite size peppers and the savory lamb and cheese simply melt in your mouth….mmmmm.

Serves 2
Active Time: 40 min, Total Time: 1 hour 10 min
Oven Temp: 400°F

½ onion
2 garlic cloves
1 in piece of ginger
1 green chili
2 tbsp oil
1 bay leaf
½ lb ground lamb
2 tbsp tomato paste
⅛ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp yoghurt
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
¼ tsp garam masala
1 oz goat cheese

10 miniature bell peppers
½ c couscous

Chicken Pot Pie

Welcome to New England! It seems fitting that my first post from my new home, Portland, Maine, should be a New England staple. Actually, this is the first chicken pot pie I have ever made. I grew up on chicken and biscuits, an alternate to the classic pie form and my go-to comfort meal. I figured, how hard can it be? I make a very tasty pie pastry and the filling is the same. The result: a flakey crust surrounding the rich creamy filling.

A few tips: after cooking the chicken, do not clean the pan – the browned bits that remain will serve as the base for the sauce. In a pinch, you can forego making your own sauce: simply skip the flour and substitute one can cream of chicken soup for the milk; add water to reach desired creaminess.

Serves 3 to 4
Active Time: 1 hour, Total Time: 1 hour 20 min
Oven Temp: 450°F

1 recipe Pastry Dough, double crust

¾ lb boneless chicken breasts
1 tbsp vegetable oil

½ small onion
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1¼ c milk
½ c water
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried thyme
1 large carrot
1 celery stock
¾ c frozen peas
salt & pepper to taste

Lamb Kefta with Egg and Tomato

Mmmm…lamb. These meatballs are incredibly moist, and the egg poached in the spicy tomato sauce adds an interesting flavor. I served this dish over rice, but traditionally it is served right in the pan with hunks of crusty bread for utensils. At first I was perplexed by handling the meat so roughly – usually you hear this makes it tough – but here it really brings the mixture together so the meatballs don’t fall apart.

Serves 2 to 3
Active Time: 25 min, Total Time: 40 min
Adapted from Moroccan Food & Cooking

For the Kefta:

½ lb ground lamb
2 bread slices
½ onion
small bunch flat leaf parsley
1 egg
½ tsp ground cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
dab of butter

For the Sauce:

14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
small bunch fresh cilantro
⅛ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp paprika
2 to 3 eggs

¾ c uncooked rice

Beef and Lamb Bastilla

This dish was inspired by the Moroccan pie we had a while ago at an excellent local restaurant, Marrakesh. We didn’t look for a recipe*, so it isn’t quite like the traditional dish, but the combination of sweet and savory is still delicious. Working with phyllo dough can be tricky: keep it covered until ready to use or it will dry out and crumble. The accompanying salad was pretty basic: lettuce, tomatoes, bell pepper, feta, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.

Serves 3 to 4
Active Time: 40 min, Total Time: 1 hour
Oven Temp: 375°F

½ small onion
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp vegetable oil
½ lb ground beef
½ lb ground lamb
½ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp chili powder
⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
1 tbsp lemon juice

10 phyllo dough sheets
2 tbsp butter, melted
½ c walnuts

powdered sugar
cinnamon
lime zest