Radish and Apple Slaw

Early May marks the beginning of real variety at local farmers’ markets in the mid-Atlantic region, including crunchy radishes which I recently picked up while wandering through Eastern Market on a recent Sunday. It was a big bunch of bright red radishes with their leaf greens already removed, which was too bad since I’m a big fan of trying to find the best way to prepare and serve random greens like radish and carrot greens. As I walked home I bit into one of the spicy crunchy delicacies, savoring this underrated taste of sprin.

One of my favorite ways to eat radishes is raw and undressed, either as a snack with lunch or dinner or sliced into a simple green salad. However, raw and undressed radishes, with their peppery bite, are not for everyone so I set about researching delicious ways to use radishes that would compliment the spicy taste without letting it overpower folks’ taste-buds. The first thing I tried was peas with red onions and sauteed radishes, which cut the bite of the radishes and made them a bit sweeter, but also made them soft and almost mushy which is not how a radish should be eaten. After some more research, including finding a Rachel Ray recipe for an apple and radish salad, I decided to do a radish and apple coleslaw recipe with a creamy dressing.

To complete this recipe you will need either a very steady hand and a sharp knife or a mandolin slicer with julienne capability (I received this one a few years ago from my step-sister Lindsey and am in love with it) to create the small matchstick-like pieces of radish and granny smith apple that make the recipe a coleslaw.

Radish & Apple Slaw with Cream Dill-Lemon Dressing
Serves 4

1 large granny smith apple
10 medium/large radishes
half a medium red onion
1 cup light sour cream
juice of 1 medium lemon, about ¼ cup
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
salt & pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon poppyseeds, optional

1)      Using a mandolin or a sharp knife, cut the apple and radishes into equally sized small matchstick shaped pieces. Drizzle with about a tablespoon of the lemon juice to prevent apples from turning brown.

2)    Cut the onion in half so you have 2 quarters of the onion and slice those thinly, so the sliced layers of the onion are similar in size and shape to the julienne apples and radishes. Add to bowl and toss to evenly incorporate.

3)     Whisk together sour cream,  remaining lemon juice, dill, salt & pepper. Add to apple, radish, and onion mixture.

4)     Toss the fruit and veggies well to coat with the dressing.

5)     Dish can be served immediately or stored in the fridge for several days. Do not be surprised in the dressing turns a slightly garish pink color, as the red skin of the radish does have that effect on the sour cream dressing.

Peaches ‘n’ Cream Popsicles

Ruth and I have been writing Cork and Spoon for almost 2 years now- which is a bit shocking to me right now. It certainly does not feel like 2 years; maybe that’s because it has been so much fun. Sure, the past couple of months have been difficult for us both because we have precious little time to cook, let alone photograph the cooking process and write about it, but whenever I do find time I do enjoy it, and I think I can confidently say Ruth does too.

Despite this, I have found my one most dreaded blogging task — taking pictures of popsicles. I know, it seems weird, but this may be the most difficult task I have face in the kitchen. I’ve made a perfect souffle on the first try with Ruth, I have made French onion soup from scratch without a recipe, I have grown and kept alive my own yeast and made bread from it – but I can not take a pretty picture of finished popsicles. It certainly doesn’t help that the food blogging world is filled with multi-talented dynamos who take pictures like these:

The Endless Simmer’s Grapefruit and Strawberry Greyhound Poptail

The Tiffin Box’s Mojito Popsicles and ‘Poptails’

< I have noticed that a lot of the lovely and artistic photos are of popsicles made in more traditional rectangular shapes, but I really don’t think my awesome start shaped molds are the problem. To be honest I am not sure what the problem is, but as we get closer and closer to summer, rest assured that I will keep practicing the art of popsicle photography and you will be the happy beneficiaries of this practice – starting today with peaches ‘n’ cream popsicles.

These popsicles were inspired by these strawberry and cream popsicles. In making my popsicles, I used frozen peaches this time around because peaches aren’t yet in season, but I look forward to making them again later this summer with peaches fresh from the farmer’s market.

HI!

Peaches ‘n’ Cream Popsicles
makes 6 popsicles

1 6-oz container plain Greek yogurt
1 10-oz package frozen peaches, slightly defrosted
5-6 tablespoons skim milk
4 tablespoons honey
¼ teaspoon vanilla

1)     Using a traditional blender or a stick blender, puree all ingredients together until smooth.

2)     Pour into prepared popsicle molds, leaving about ½ and inch of space at the top for expansion during freezing.

3)     Place in freezer for at least 1 hour before serving. Can be kept in the freezer for up to a month before risking freezer burn.

Gluten Free Fun – Make Your Own Gluten Free Flour

This experiment started with a recipe that came out quite disappointing. It was a quinoa cupcake. The picture was so pretty. Lovely vanilla cake with quinoa scattered throughout like poppy seeds. It was healthy with all its fiber and lower calorie count. I didn’t even notice the “gluten free” tag line until I pulled up the recipe.

Oh, they smelled deeeeliiiish in the oven. Sadly they came out worse than my Friendship Muffins. Was it the same problem (too much liquid in the batter) or was it the lack of gluten? With gluten free baking ingredients not being the cheapest thing on the market, I was not willing to keep experimenting as I did with the muffins. My buttercream battles take up enough of my budget with all the butter, eggs, and sugar I go through. Time to make my own gluten free flour mix.

As I had researched gluten free baking previously, I already knew that gluten free flours were not a one for one swap deal with all purpose flour. Since I had brown rice flour already, I went in search of an uncomplicated, affordable blend based off of this flour. I also knew that “special” ingredients may be required to assist in replacing gluten’s connective powers. I crossed xanthum gum off my list immediately (Umm, “abdominal discomfort”?) . Instead I decided to use corn starch as a substitute since I had plenty of it available in my pantry.

It took me two days to find this amazing homemade gluten free flour mix from King Arthur Flour. Super easy and super cheap (compared to other gluten free flours that is), this one is a keeper. I have used it to make vanilla cupcakes, pizza dough, and chocolate pancakes. I won’t say you won’t “miss the gluten” as the products did show some change in texture (I’m very sensitive to food textures myself), but they were not bad changes. Everything tasted delicious!

I am also so very glad that I did this experiment, because a co-worker of mine has a four year old daughter with a gluten allergy. I found this out when I was heating up some of the leftover pizza for lunch and I was telling everyone about my gluten free experiment. When I shared my pizza dough and cupcake recipes with her, she almost cried. She was so happy that her daughter would be able to enjoy homemade childhood treats made with mamma’s love.

Gluten Free Flour Mix

adapted from King Arthur Flour

makes appx 4 1/2 cups

Ingredients

• 3 cups brown rice flour
• 1 cup potato starch
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• 1 tablespoon corn starch

Directions

1. In a bowl, whisk together all the above ingredients to combine completely. As the flours and starches are very fine, this whisking is key for a nice and even texture in the final baked product.
2. If not using, pour into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.

Grilling Fruit for a Fun Summer Twist

I have just enough time to share a quick post with you before delving back into my Manhattan Prep “5lb Book of GRE Problems” (Seriously, it’s five pounds.) Now, this isn’t really a recipe. It’s more of an idea for you all to keep in mind the next time you feel like firing up your grill.  If you haven’t already, I’m sure you will soon once the warm weather hits your hometown like it has here in Virginia.

So last Sunday was my first grilling day of the season.  With lighting coals not being one of my stronger skills (like all the math problems I keep missing!), I prepared a LOT to grill so as not to waste any of that precious fire. I had a nice slab of sirloin steak, a couple of chicken breasts, and some salmon fillets. That would ensure a few homemade meals for the upcoming week. But what else? I’d definitely still have some prime grilling time after these bad boys were done.

Then my eyes strayed across the island top to a blushing pink lady apple I hadn’t gotten around to snacking on.  Ooohh! I love grilled pineapple. How would other fruits like this apple do on the grill?? Taking my paring knife, I sliced up three apples into [not so pretty] rounds. This was going to be fun! Baked apples, apple pie…all delicious way to cook apples. I was excited about the thought of adding the smokey flavor of grilling.

I was not disappointed!  The apples came out with just a little bit of crunch left (This disappears if you let them sit awhile since the fruit keeps cooking after you remove it from the heat). They tasted like apple pie…but with smoke. Score! I had this batch over baby greens with pecans and goat cheese tossed in a honey balsamic vinaigrette, but I can think of many other ways to enjoy grilled apples.  How about with vanilla ice cream?  Or topped with graham cracker crumbs and caramel sauce? Maybe as a side for some grilled pork chops?

I can’t wait to try more fruits.  Soon plums, apricots, peaches, and other yummy things will be in season.  Yup,  I am definitely keeping grilled fruit on the menu this summer.

 

~Ruth

Cherry Blossom Martini

This weekend was the finale of the 2013 National Cherry Blossom Festival. How fast cherry blossoms fade away!

Two weeks ago, Shawn and I were enjoying a stroll around  the Tidal Basin and White House, while the blossoms refused to emerge from their buds.  Yesterday, I watched it rain pink and white petals from my chair in my favorite coffee shop while getting some GRE study time in.  There they were, dancing in the wind, leaving behind them the pale green of the newly emerged leaves.

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The Cherry Blossom Festival is more than an annual Washington, D.C. event for me.  Many of you know that I grew up in Okinawa, so this Japanese tradition was

2006 Cherry Blossom Festival – View of the Jefferson Memorial

part of my childhood.  It seemed befitting then, that during the heart of the 2006 festival, my sister and I re-united with  two of our closest friends that we had grown up with…over a decade after last seeing each other in middle school.  Taren drove up from San Antonio, Mika metro-ed in from eastern Maryland, and Val and I metro-ed in from Virginia. We found each other on the steps of the  Jefferson Memorial, amidst peak bloom, and the energetic vibrations of taiko drums.  It was like old times enjoying street festivals in Okinawa.  We picked up right where we left off. You never would have known the three of us hadn’t seen each other since we were children.

Japanese taiko drummers

So I thought I would share this Cherry Blossom Martini as we say good-bye to this years blooms.  It is based on a recipe from Disney’s EPCOT Center (You know, the “It’s A Small World” park where you can “visit” a number of countries, including Japan).  This pretty pink cocktail gets its color from a splash of cranberry juice, but it’s flavor is all sake (think sherry) and sweetly tart plum wine.  If you like, a delicate sparkling sake is a fun substitute to the junmai sake I used.  Just be sure to use a good quality sake.  The kind you drink warm will definitely not work here!

based on Disney’s EPCOT Center recipe 

serves 1

Ingredients

• 1 part junmai sake
• 1 part cranberry juice
• 0.5 parts plum wine
• ice cubes

Directions

1. Add ice to a cocktail shaker and pour in all three ingredients.  Shake vigorously for a few seconds .
2. Pour into cocktail glasses.

~Ruth

Pinspired: Matzoh Chocolate Cherry Crunch

Today’s recipe is inspired by 2 wonderful spring events that are both happening right now. The first is the 2013 National Cherry Blossom Festival, which started last Wednesday, March 20th. For someone like myself who has spent nearly a decade in Washington, D.C., the Cherry Blossom Festival is the official-unofficial start of spring. The month long festival is packed full of events like the signature Blossom Kite Festival, a rugby tournament, and a parade. The festivities, though, expand beyond the official Cherry Blossom Festival with restaurants and bars throughout D.C. celebrating with special menus and drinks.  M Street Bar and Grill, for example, has a special Cherry Blossom drink menu with 14 themed drinks like Cherries and Roses and Jack & Jim Pickin’ Cherries.  Charlie Palmer Steak also has a cherry themed menu with their torchon of Hudson Valley foie gras with cherries and whipped Moscato.

The Jefferson Memorial through cherry blossom branches from last year’s National Cherry Blossom Festival.

The second event, which begins tonight at sundown tonight and lasts until April 2, is the Jewish Passover holiday. This holiday celebrates the delivery of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. It is a pretty food-centric holiday, with families hosting the traditional, multi-hour Seder dinner, usually on the first or second night, which requires that every adult present consume 4 glasses of wine.  Observant Jews are also forbidden from eating leaven bread for the length of the holiday in recognition that their ancestors left Egypt in such a hurry that they did not have time to let their bread rise. Matzo, which is an unleavened bread much like a cracker, is a vital symbol throughout Passover.

With the intersection of these to events, I’ve been thinking alot about cherries and matzo. So, when I saw Buzzfeed’s collection of foods you could make with matzo, I immediately pinned some of my favorite ideas, including this awesome recipe for matzoh toffee crunch. It is a very simple recipe that leaves alot of room for customization. So, using this recipe as a base, I created my own tribute to Passover and the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

Matzoh Chocolate Cherry Crunch

• 4-6 matzoh crackers
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 12 ounce bag dark chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup roughly chopped dried cherries
• 2/3 cup roughly chopped toasted almonds

1)     Pre-heat oven to 325°F. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Arrange matzoh on cookie sheet, cutting crackers as necessary to keep the crackers tight together.

2)     Melt butter over medium-low heat in  medium or large sauce pan. Add vanilla and brown sugar to butter and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

3)     Pour caramel sauce over matzoh and use a spatula or wooden spoon to spread it evenly over the crackers.

4)     Bake candy covered matzoh until the candy begins to bubble, about 10 minutes.

5)     Remove matzoh from oven and immediately sprinkle chocolate chips and let sit for 5 minutes, until the chips are softened. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to spread the chocolate evenly over the candy.

6)     Sprinkle matzoh crunch with cherries and almonds. Place in refrigerator for about and hour to let the candy set.

7)     Once the candy has set, break it into small pieces and store in an airtight container.

Tofu and Veggie Stir-Fry

Now that my vacation is over and the weather is finally warming up in D.C., I thought it was time to focus again on lighter, easy to prepare dishes that let me get outside for more evening runs. That means more quick veggie based dishes, fewer heavy meats, and a little bit more advance planning. All of which are evident in today’s tofu veggie stir fry. This vegan dish came together in about 20 minutes, start to finish (if you don’t count the time I spent prepping and marinating the tofu the day before), was delicious, and made enough for lunch the next day.

I’ve talked about marinating tofu before and used a similar marinade for this stir fry as I used for the pad thai. However, this time I used a new (to  me) tofu called “sprouted tofu” that I found at Trader Joe’s. I was first drawn to the tofu because it came in a handy 15 ounce package, with the tofu sliced in half and stored in 2 unique portions, so you could use some and save the other half for another time. It wasn’t until I started doing research though that I learned about the extra benefits that come from sprouted tofu over regular tofu, including fewer carbs, more protein, and it is easier to digest. The Bitchin’ Dietician has a great piece on the difference between regular tofu and sprouted tofu if you want more details (she even reviews the exact same TJ’s tofu I bought!). In all, I liked the sprouted tofu, and with the added benefits, plan on using it in place of traditional tofu in all my recipes.

For the veggies in my stir fry, I used what I had around the house (snow peas, red pepper, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms), and encourage you to be creative as well. Because I used a simple “all-purpose” stir fry sauce recipe, any vegetable combination you can think of would likely go well in the dish. I recommend that you make sure to select a variety of colors and textures so the dish is tasty, healthy, and even pretty. Other veggies that would go well in this dish: broccoli, baby corn, carrots, zucchini, and water chestnuts – just to name a few. Just remember that some veggies take longer to cook than others, and so you may not be able to toss all the veggies in at the same time as I did. Carrots, for example, would need a bit more time on the stove than baby bok-choy would.

Tofu and Veggie Stir-Fry
Serves 2

8 ounces cubed and marinated tofu
1/2 cup, or more as needed, cornstarch
2-3 cups prepped stir -fry veggies
3-4 tablespoons vegetable or corn oil

For the Stir-Fry Sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey or brown sugar
2 large cloves chopped garlic
1 teaspoon, or to taste, crushed red pepper flakes

1)     Whisk together stir-fry sauce ingredients and set aside to let the flavors marry.

2)     Drain marinated tofu and toss in cornstarch.

3)     Heat approximately 2 tablespoons oil over medium high heat and place tofu in pan, turning frequently to brown all sides.

4)     Add prepared veggies to pan and saute.

5)    Once veggies are cooked, re-whisk stir-fry sauce and add to the stir-fry, reduce heat to low and simmer while tossing veggies in the sauce.

6)     Serve stir-fry over freshly steamed jasmine rice.

Purple Cauliflower and Potato Gratin – Cheesy Goodness On A Snowed In Day

I am debating whether to change the title of this post to Purple Cauliflower and Potato Gratin - Deliciously Cheesy But Not Quite Worth My Finger.  Or maybe I should post about sharp blade based kitchen accidents instead? Yikes! You see, this past Wednesday, our area was hit by the “snowquester”, the last (only?) big snow of the season.  It was predicted to be as big as “snowmageddon” that hit back in 2010 (now that was a snow storm!). Not even close, but still enough to keep me in for the day.  What a day to make something super creamy and cheesy, right? I decided I wanted a potato gratin and (inspired by my soon to come furlough notice)  decided I would toss in some not quite fresh but not yet spoiled purple cauliflower.  What a pretty color contrast!

Unfortunately another color almost got mixed in: red.  Even with caution, kitchen accidents happen.  Mandolin slicers are perfect for getting uniform potato slices. They are also quite wicked when they come in contact with your finger(s)! Ow, is an understatement to say the least.  Luckily I only lost a little chunk off the tip of my index finger.  After a few hours of applied pressure, though, I was able to finish my giant dish of cheesy, creamy comfort food for dinner.

Like I said, this dish is pretty darn delicious…but it’s not worth your finger! Have a care, my friends!

Purple Cauliflower and Potato Gratin

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 head  purple cauliflower cut into florets, appx 1 pound
• 2 large potatoes, peeled and sliced into thin rounds, appx 2 pounds
• 1 shallot, diced or minced finely
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups divided shredded cheese, such as extra-sharp Cheddar, Parmesan, or Gruyere
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus additional for greasing dish
• kosher salt and black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit.  Grease baking dish with olive oil and set aside.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat.  Sauté shallot and garlic until fragrant.
3. Add potatoes.  Cook potatoes for about 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook another 3-4 minutes.  This step helps get the potatoes cooking and infuses them with flavor. Remove from pan and set aside.
4. If needed, add additional butter to the pan. When melted, add cauliflower florets and cook until begin to brown. Remove from pan and set aside.
5.  Melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat then whisk in flour.  Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. 
6. Slowly whisk milk with the roux. Bring to a low boil then reduce heat. Allow to sauce to simmer and thicken, about 8 minutes. 
7. When sauce has thickened, season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.  Begin to whisk in 1 ½ cups grated cheese, continuing until cheese is melted. Remove from heat.
8.  Cover bottom of baking dish with some of the cheese sauce.  Layer potatoes, followed by cauliflower, and  grated cheese. Repeat until all ingredients have been utilized.  
    
9. In a small bowl, mix bread crumbs with parsley, 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Season the  breadcrumb topping with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the cauliflower and potatoes and bake until golden brown and bubbling, 25-30 minutes.

Fried Egg Baguette Sandwich

Hurray! Shawn is home! Goodness,  deployments seem to last forever. I do not know how my friend, Sue, makes it through her husband’s year long deployments, because it is not one bit easy.

Now, I didn’t get to see him right away when he returned.  At least we are in the same state now!  I also had to fly out to San Antonio to celebrate one of my oldest and dearest friend’s marriage.  By the time we were actually going to see each other, Shawn had been home for weeks. Needless to say, I was bouncing off the walls with excitement when closing time came around that Friday afternoon.

We had a great weekend. Saturday afternoon was spent in D.C.  Silly man thought we could get through the Air and Space Museum in two hours. Also, with as many times as we’d been in the city, he had never actually been to the Capitol so we took the stroll up the Mall and up the Hill just as the sky was starting to burn with the colors of sunset.  The rest of the evening we spent in Old Town Alexandria, where we met up with some of my old friends from MRAP.

Of course all good things must come to an end.  Since a night on the town can really work up an appetite a Sunday brunch post church downtown was not a hard argument to win. We sat outside enjoying the sunshine at Kybecca Wine Bar, where the food is simple yet delicious (and reasonably priced). The Egg &Bacon Baguette was just soooo pretty and yummy and fresh looking that I had to re-create a version for myself!

So, without further adieu, my take on Kybecca’s  Fried Egg &Bacon Baguette. Be sure to have a mimosa or bloody mary with it!

 

Fried Egg Baguette Sandwich

serves 1

Ingredients*

• 1 Demi French Baguette, sliced lengthwise
• 2 Eggs
• 1 small tomato, sliced
• 1-2 tbsp goat cheese
• 2 slices bacon
• Handful of greens, like spinach or arugula
• Olive Oil, appx ¼ cup (You will use it for frying the egg and for toasting the baguette)

Directions

1. Preheat to oven 400°
2. Place sliced bacon on a baking sheet, leaving space to add the sliced tomato later. Bake for 5 minutes. 
3. Remove baking rack and add sliced tomatoes. Bake another 3-7 minutes. If desired, turn the broiler on for a minute or two.
4. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and reduce heat to 350°.
5. Drizzle each half of the baguette with olive oil and bake 5-10 minutes.
6. While baguette is baking, heat appx 2 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan over medium high heat.
7. Crack one egg into the hot oil. It should start bubbling almost immediately.
8. Cook egg until white is solid. After you reach this stage, cook until yolk is set to your liking.
9. Gently flip egg and cook on the other side 30-45 seconds. Place on a paper towel lined plate until ready to build the sandwich.
10. Repeat steps 7-9 for the second egg.
11. Now it’s time to build the sandwich.
12. Spread goat cheese on each half of the baguette.
13. Top one half of the baguette with the baby greens. Add sliced tomatoes over the greens. Drizzle with olive oil if desired.
14. Place fried eggs over the tomatoes then top with the bacon.
15. Serve open faced.

*At the last minute, I decided to add some roasted asparagus. You can, too, if you want. It was delish!

Lamb and Prune Stew – A Hunger Games Inspired Dish To Beat the Winter Blues

“The stew’s made with tender chunks of lamb and dried plums today. Perfect on the bed of wild rice.” These are the thoughts of Hunger Games heroine, Katniss Everdeen, just before her mentor, Haymitch, stuns her with a huge change in training plans. So, is it just me or is there a lot of food talk in this trilogy? I just finished reading the books for the second time as the holidays were wrapping up and man did I always feel hungry afterwards.  Who wouldn’t be with descriptions of basil leaf wrapped goat cheese, sun warmed blackberries, each Districts signature bread, and even canned lamb stew being described in between life threatening events?

Inspired by how delicious (and healthy) Katniss’ favorite dish sounded in the books, I decided I would try to re-create my own version of the Capitol’s lamb and dried plum (prune) stew. With all the  dreary and wet winter weather that keeps hanging around, there’s nothing like a hot and hearty stew to keep the  blues at bay.  Besides, I’m obsessed with lamb and happy to find an excuse to splurge on it! Probably one of  my last splurges, too, since I’ll likely get a furlough notice in about two weeks. (No worries, I’m sure I can stretch a dollar and continue to make yummy dishes.)

I was extremely happy with how this stew came out. Oh my goodness, the flavor was deliciously rich and layered. I served it over coconut rice, one of my Asian Christmas experiments...I couldn’t stop shoveling it down my throat!  It must be the prunes, because all the other ingredients are typical in my usual beef stew and I’ve never experienced this depth of flavor before. Try it out and let me know your thoughts!

Hunger Games Lamb and Prune Stew

serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 pound lamb stew, cubed
• 2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced large
• 1 medium parsnip, peeled and diced
• 2-3 carrots, peeled and cut into coins
• 1 pound tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1 large shallot, sliced thin
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 cup prunes, diced
• 1 tablespoons brown sugar
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
• Chopped Fresh Parsley for garnish
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil, garlic and shallot over medium heat until shallot is translucent. Add cubes of lamb and saute until nicely browned on the outside. Set aside.
2. In a large pot, bring chicken broth, diced tomatoes, red wine, and tomato sauce to a low boil.
3. Add parsnips, carrots, and seared lamb mixture to the boiling broth. Cover pot and allow stew to simmer for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Taste stew and season with brown sugar, salt, and pepper. If a thicker stew is desired, combine cornstarch with equal parts stew broth in a small bowl. Whisk together with a fork and stir into stew.
5. Add plums to the stew. Stir and allow to simmer for 10 more minutes.
6. Serve piping hot alone or over rice.

~Ruth