Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book (16 page)

SERVES 4

Heat the oven to 400°F.

In a mixing bowl, combine the bread with about
1
⁄
3
cup of the stock to moisten it. Add the lamb to the bowl and season with salt and pepper; add the egg and garlic and mix gently with your hands. Form the mixture into 8 large meatballs about 2½ inches in diameter and place on a nonstick baking sheet. Lightly drizzle the meatballs with EVOO, rolling to coat on all sides, and arrange them 2 inches apart. Roast the meatballs for 15 minutes, until cooked through.

While the meatballs cook, heat the 1 tablespoon of EVOO in a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add the red onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes to soften. Add the vinegar to the onions and cook for 1 minute, or until somewhat reduced. Stir in about
2
⁄
3
cup of the stock, then add the tomatoes. Bring the sauce to a bubble and adjust the seasoning. Reduce the heat a little, then simmer for 10 minutes.

In a sauce pot with a lid, combine the remaining 2 cups of stock and the milk or half-and-half and bring to a boil. Whisk in the polenta and reduce the heat to low. Cook the polenta for 2 to 3 minutes, whisking frequently, until it develops a dense but spoonable consistency. As the polenta begins to thicken, stir in the butter, rosemary, and honey, and season with salt and pepper. If it gets too “tight,” add a little water or more milk to the polenta.

Spoon the polenta into shallow bowls and make a well in the center. Place two meatballs in each well and spoon the sauce over the top.

Easy, elegant, flavorful—this one is a great last-minute meal for entertaining.

SERVES 4

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Toss the tomatoes, scallions, and green beans with the balsamic, about 2 tablespoons of the EVOO, and salt and pepper. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.

Warm the stock in a small pot over low heat. Heat about 2 tablespoons of the EVOO in a skillet with deep sides and add the onions, and garlic. Add the rice and stir over medium to medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes to toast it while you are sweating the garlic and onions. Add the wine and cook until it has evaporated, 1 minute. Season the rice with salt and pepper. Add the stock a ladle at a time, stirring and allowing the rice to absorb the liquid before adding more. Continue to cook for 18 minutes, adding stock as needed; the total cook time will be 22 minutes. While the risotto cooks, puree half of the peas with the herbs, salt, and pepper in a food processor. When the risotto has about 5 more minutes to cook, stir in the pureed peas and the remaining whole peas. When the risotto is done, stir in the butter and then the grated cheese.

Once you've got the risotto going, heat a skillet over high heat and flatten each chop a bit using a meat mallet or the heel of your hand. Season the chops with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of EVOO. Cook the chops for 2½ minutes on each side for rare, 4 minutes on each side for well done. Allow the meat to rest for a couple of minutes.

Serve the risotto with the chops alongside and scatter the roasted vegetables over both.

SERVES 4

Preheat the broiler.

Place the new potatoes in a pot and cover them with cold water. Place the pot over high heat with some salt and bring it up to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the potatoes until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drop in the peas during the last minute of cooking time to heat through.

While the potatoes are cooking, season both sides of the lamb chops with salt and pepper and place them on a broiler pan.

Make the salsa verde by combining the herbs, garlic, shallot, and vinegar in a food processor. Pulse the machine to chop everything up and then turn it on and stream in the EVOO until the mixture is the consistency of pesto. Season it with salt and pepper and set aside.

Broil the chops to your desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium rare.

When your potatoes are just about ready, fill a lidded pan with about 1 inch of water and place it over high heat. When the water is at a rolling boil, drop the beans in and cover them. Cook the beans until they're crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain off the water, then add the lemon zest and juice, capers, and butter to the pan. Toss the beans to coat well and season with salt and pepper.

Once the potatoes are tender, drain the potatoes and peas and return them to the pot they were cooked in to dry out. Add the ricotta to the spuds and mash them up, and season with salt and pepper.

Serve everything up family style, passing the green sauce at the table to pour over the chops.

John loves a good gyro platter deluxe. When we are in the country, we have no diners and no delivery, so we have no gyros. Or should I say, we
had
no gyros…

SERVES 4

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Defrost the spinach in the microwave for about 5 minutes on high.

Place the lamb in a bowl. Add the grill seasoning, 2 teaspoons of the cumin, the chili powder, coriander, oregano, cinnamon, and feta crumbles. Wring the spinach dry in a clean kitchen towel and add it to the lamb. Combine well and form the mixture into two 2½- to 3-inch-wide rolls on a baking sheet. Coat the lamb with the EVOO.

Place the fries on a second baking sheet and bake with the lamb for 20 minutes.

Mix the yogurt, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of ground cumin in a small bowl.

In a small sauce pot melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the Worcestershire sauce and whisk in the stock. Season the gravy with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes until somewhat reduced and thickened.

Soften the pita over an open gas flame or under the broiler.

Slice the lamb loaves into ¼-inch slices. Spread some of the yogurt mixture on the pitas and top with 2 slices of lamb loaf, tomatoes, cucumbers, and hot peppers. Serve 2 pitas per person. Serve the fries with gravy for dipping alongside.