Sacred Cow Stew

This recipe comes from Barbara Hanlon. We call it Sacred Cow stew because Barbara wanted to make it with beef instead of lamb and the butcher harshly reminder her that cows are sacred in India.

Lamb curry is a classic dish from northern India and the most popular of all curries. You can vary by substituting other ingredients in place of the lamb and adjusting the cooking time. For example, use an equal quantity of beef or veal, a 3-pound skinned and cut chicken, 1 1/2 pounds shelled and deveined shrimp, or 1 1/4 pounds mixed vegetables, such as cauliflower, potatoes, and carrots.

Cooking spray
2 pounds boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
5 whole cloves
3 cardamom pods
2 bay leaves
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon ground coriander seeds
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons Garam Masala
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups finely chopped plum tomato (about 1/2 pound)
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
4 cups hot cooked long-grain rice

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add lamb, and cook for 5 minutes on all sides or until browned. Remove lamb from pan.

Heat the oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and next 4 ingredients (onion through cinnamon); cook for 4 minutes or until onion is browned. Stir in coriander and next 6 ingredients (coriander through garlic); cook 1 minute. Add lamb, tomato, water, and salt; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until the lamb is tender. Stir in 1/4 cup cilantro. Serve over rice; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cilantro.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup lamb mixture and 1 cup rice)

CALORIES 457 (22% from fat); FAT 11.2g (sat 3.5g,mono 4g,poly 1.8g); PROTEIN 40.4g; CHOLESTEROL 112mg; CALCIUM 70mg; SODIUM 477mg; FIBER 4.5g; IRON 5.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 46.8g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2001

Lentil Vegetable Soup (with Optional Chorizo)

This is a recipe from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook with some tweaks. First, I don't make it vegetarian, but it can be made meatless with vegetable stock and no chorizo. Alberto loves it with chorizo, though, and he says it "tastes just like home" (Madrid, Spain). I also usually make half of the recipe because it makes so much, but you can also freeze half. Once it's all in the pot, you can ignore it for an hour. Simple!

1 pound French green lentils (Puy lentils)
3 large onions, chopped
2-3 leeks, chopped, white part only
3 cloves garlic, minced (when making half, I use 2 cloves)
1/4 cup good regular olive oil (not extra virgin), plus additional for drizzling
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, minced, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
8 stalks celery, chopped
8 carrots, large dice
3 quarts chicken stock (or vegetable stock, or water with vegetable powder - I like the Marigold brand)
1 big heaping spoonful of tomato paste
*1 link of cooking chorizo, sliced into round coins, then slice in half
a big splash of red wine
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain.

In a large stockpot on medium heat, saute the onions, leeks, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are translucent and very tender. Add the celery and carrots and saute for 10 more minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and lentils. If using the chorizo, add it now.

Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for one hour, until the lentils are cooked through. Check the seasonings. Add the red wine and serve hot, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan.

*Cooking chorizo is soft, like fresh sausage. It is not a dried link like salami. It is not usually very spicy. Regular chorizo is dried and cured and can be eaten immediately. Cooking chorizo must be cooked before serving. It freezes well, so you can buy a package and just take out as much as you need at one time.

Potato and Leek Soup with Cheddar Toasts