Lamb ideas

[Little Nikita]

Hi everyone!

I have some lamb leg fore shank and I don't know a good diabetic recipe for it. I can think of just the crock pot or stew, any other ideas? I also have one member of the house that does not "appreciate the uniqueness of curry"!
Thanks!

[cookinmaven]

Do you like feta cheese? Our family likes this one. (You can leave out the Orzo pasta or substitute brown rice to reduce the carb count or make it more complex carbs).

Braised Lamb Shanks with Pasta and Feta Cheese

This easy, but delicious, one-dish supper would make even economical company fare. You can substitute stock for the vermouth, but vermouth adds a lovely herbal flavour to these sweet shanks. Avoid stock that's overly salty.

4 New Zealand Lamb shanks
Salt & pepper to taste
2 large Onions, sliced
4 Large Cloves of garlic, minced
2-1/2 cups (750 ml) Chicken stock
1-1/4 cups (325 ml) Dry vermouth or additional stock
1/2 tsp (2ml) each Dried oregano, rosemary, thyme and Lemon rind
1-1/2 cups (360 ml) Orzo or other small pasta
1-1/3 cups (325 ml Crumbled rinsed feta cheese
2-1/2 tbsp (30 ml) Chopped parsley, preferably flat leaf
In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown shanks all over, sprinkling lightly with salt and pepper. Remove to warm plate. Cook onions over medium heat for 3 minutes or until soft. Stir in garlic, stock, vermouth, oregano, rosemary, thyme and lemon rind. Add back lamb; bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 2 hours or until meat is very tender.
Raise heat to medium; add orzo and cook, uncovered, for about 15 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle with cheese and parsley to serve.
Makes 4 servings.

[cookinmaven]

This one I got from "Gourmet" in the "You Asked for It" column; it's the recipe from Alison on Dominick Street, New York, NY







BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH WHITE BEANS

For lamb shanks
4 lamb shanks (about 1 pound each)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped coarse
1 medium carrot, chopped coarse
1 celery rib, chopped coarse
8 garlic cloves, chopped coarse
3 1/2 cups Bordeaux or other full-bodied red wine
4 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 fresh thyme sprigs

For gremolata
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (preferably flat-leafed)
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
3 garlic cloves, minced

For beans
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 small onions, chopped fine
2 small carrots, chopped fine
2 celery ribs, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups cooked white beans (preferably Great Northern or navy)
2 to 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 fresh tarragon sprigs

Make lamb shanks:
Pat lamb shanks dry and season with salt and pepper. In an 8-quart heavy flameproof casserole heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown lamb shanks well in batches, transferring to a plate as browned. To casserole add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and sauté until onion is softened. Add wine and simmer mixture, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to about 3 cups. Return lamb shanks to casserole and stir in broth, tomato paste, and thyme. Bring liquid to a boil and simmer, covered, stirring and turning lamb shanks occasionally, 1 1/2 hours. Simmer mixture, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 1 hour more, or until lamb shanks are tender.
Make the gremolata while lamb is cooking:
In a small bowl stir together gremolata ingredients.
Make beans while lamb is cooking:
In a saucepan heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and cook onions, carrots, celery, and garlic, stirring, 2 or 3 minutes, or until softened. Add beans, 2 cups broth, butter, and bay leaf and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally and adding enough remaining broth to keep beans moist and to reach a creamy consistency, about 30 minutes. Discard bay leaf and add half of gremolata and salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer lamb shanks to a plate and keep warm, covered with foil. Strain braising liquid through a sieve into a saucepan, discarding solids, and stir in butter and tarragon. Boil sauce, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly. Strain sauce through sieve into a bowl and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Sprinkle lamb shanks with remaining gremolata and serve with beans and sauce.

[cookinmaven]

Our family really enjoys lamb. This is one from my "to try" file; we haven't gotten to it yet, though.


TUSCAN-STYLE LAMB WITH WHITE BEANS
1 pound large, dried lima (butter) beans
3 pounds lamb shoulder, cut up in large pieces or 3 lamb shanks, each cut crosswise into 3 pieces
1 teaspoon olive oil
12 large cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
3 onions, peeled and quartered
2 carrots, peeled and quartered
1 cup dry white wine
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup chopped celery, with leaves
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried rosemary, crumbled
1 cup shredded Jarlsberg cheese
Rinse beans. Cover with water (about 2 inches over beans) and bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes. Cover and set aside to soak 1 hour: Drain and set aside (or soak overnight, well-covered with water). Rinse and dry lamb. Heat a heavy 4- to 6-quart pot on high. Brown lamb in olive oil, turning frequently, for 10 minutes. Add garlic, onion mid carrots; continue to cook and stir, about 8 minutes, lifting lamb off bottom of pan to let vegetables cook. Add wine and cook for 3 minutes. Add broth, celery bay leaves and rosemary; cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Add beans and shredded Jarlsberg, and continue to simmer 1 hour.
Yields 8 servings

[Little Nikita]

You know, I LOVE Feta cheese (after all, I'm Greek!) Now I don't know which one to try! I did see the one from the "Gourmet" section, but since I'm new to the low card, diabetic options, I'm still nervuos to try recipes that aren't listed as such. I am learning that it is very easy to modify the recipes as you pointed out. I have to wait until tomorrow to cook these though, we've just got too much ice on the roads to go to the store and get some of the other ingredients. I'm always short just one thing...
Thank you!
Thank you!
Thank you!

[cookinmaven]

You are so very welcome, Little Nikita. We have a diabetic family member as well, and when I am modifying recipes, a Corinne T. Netzer Complete Book of Food Counts is very helpful. After all, you can deduct the fiber from the carbs
We have tried "Dreamfields Pasta". It's wonderful. Tastes just like "regular" pasta-just not so many shape options. But that's OK!
And we are planning to experiment with the "Miracle Noodles"; a tofu-based zero-calorie total-fiber food that comes in pasta and rice shapes. I have heard that it chewier than either "regular" pasta or rice, but we do plan to try it. The zero calorie and no carb aspect of the "Miracle Nodles" is pretty attractive!

[Little Nikita]

I get so overwhelmed with it all! I will look that book up, I want to get it all right. I just started this and had to relearn about nutrition, I was so old school! I was very discouraged at first because all the recipes looked so exotic and had so many new flavors compared to the standard fare I cooked. I never thought the family would change. Amazingly enough, they not only tried new foods, but as a whole, they like most of them. The lamb however, was an interesting story...
Lamb smells. I don't know if there is a trick to get rid of that, I didn't read the notes on it in the tip section. But it really smelled. I started the Tuscan-style lamb with white beans and went to the store. I came home and finished it up. My husband said it tasted like it smelled, my daughter, who is usually my best supporter, thought it was too slimy. My oldest boy, who I think had his eye on a PB&J decided he didn't like it and the 5 year old, who usualy decides everything is poison, asked for more! I liked it, but during clean up, I decided I had enough of the smell. I always ask the gang for two tries on anything, so perhaps we will have better luck with the other recipe, especially if I read up a little about lamb before doing it again.
Thanks for the pasta tips, the gang is looking forward to a plain old spaghetti night and the thought of that had made me terrified to make it. I just found low carb tortilla shells too! Yippee!

[cookinmaven]

Hi again, Little Nikita;

I can relate with the "overwhelmed" feeling about change. It seems to be never easy, and it also seems we humans naturally avoid it when we feel comfortable where we are and then it is thrust upon us when we haven't made the active decision to make a change.

However, about the lamb; there is definitely a difference between mutton and actual lamb. Much of what is sold as "lamb" is really older than lamb and could be classified as "mutton". Mutton is old sheep. Lamb is young sheep. Older sheep smells different---stronger and not especially pleasant. And as your husband pointed out, it also has a stronger flavor.

Do you have a Costco near you? They sell actual lamb, from New Zealand. This is where we buy all of our lamb, unless we can find an Organic grower locally who has some when we get the taste. I would recommend Costco lamb and avoiding regular grocery store lamb unless your butcher at your local grocers is really honest. If they only have a cold case and no butcher, then I really wouldn't.

Try your family with "real" lamb (not mutton) and perhaps their response will be different. Lamb shoulder is a comparitively inexpensive cut, similar in price to shank and far less expensive than ribs or chops. Perhaps if you try that next your family's response will be more accepting. Also we are huge fans of garlic with lamb; even if the recipe does not call for any, I always put it in.

Best wishes with your journey into nutrition and change!

[cookinmaven]

Oops! I should have given the links to Dreamfields Pasta & Miracle Noodles. Here they are:

Dreamfields Pasta Tastes Great, Healthy Pasta for Low Carb Diets, Diabetes Diets, Low Glycemic Index

Shirataki MiracleNoodle Shop!

[Little Nikita]

Thanks! And by the way, I REALLY lucked out tooday as our public library held a book sale and I found The Complete Book of Food Counts there for $1.00.
And thanks for the links!

[cookinmaven]

Yay! Blessings & best wishes, Little Nikita!

[Little Nikita]

Hey!

how are the pasta and noodles? I haven't ordered any yet.

I figured I'd wait for a few months before trying the lamb again. Perhaps I can use the crock pot outside this summer so the oder isn't as noticable and they may be more willing. I don't have a Costco here. But we do have farmers! I may be able to find one or two with lambs.

Change takes time, sometimes a little longer than what we plan, but I know it can happen! I decided to try to just get what I can get on sale, then try to make meals out of that to fit the diets. I was really going nuts trying to make it all fit!

[cookinmaven]

Hiya!

We have bought them at the local grocery store, haven't ordered online yet.

As I understand it the online ones are better, available in more shapes although they heavily recommend the angel hair, have lower carbs and once you rinse them, better smell. They do smell a just a tad (for lack of a better word) "fishy" or "seafood-y" before rinsing. We have used the store-bought ones in "Tom Yam Soup" so far, and with the shrimp it's very good and we do like spicy. (We do use the Dreamfields pasta all of the time, and we are just nuts about them. We just adjust the recipe for the shapes of Dreamfields that are available)

Sorry I did not get back sooner, as we've had computer problems for the past several weeks, McAfee says it's not a virus, and we keep updating from the McAfee site, but computer will work for a few minutes, sometimes up to an hour, and then not. It's rather frustrating. (As well as baffling).

Will post back here after we try the MiracleNoodles!
Happy Easter!