Greek-Style Roast Leg of Lamb

This lamb recipe so easy and yummy! We made it over the holidays for one of our bigger family meals, and there were almost no leftovers.

You will need:

• 4 lb leg of lamb
• 1 T sea salt
• 2 t black pepper
• 6 cloves of garlic, half cut into slivers and half chopped
• 2 T fresh rosemary, chopped
• 2 T fresh thyme
• 2 t dried oregano
• 1/3 c olive oil
• 1 T Dijon mustard
• 1 t paprika
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced

Then you will…

1. Place the lamb in a roasting pan with a raised rack. Season with the salt and pepper.
2. Pierce the leg of lamb with a knife and insert the slivers of garlic all around the surface.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the remaining garlic, rosemary, thyme, oregano, oil, mustard, paprika, and the lemon juice and zest.
4. Pour the marinade on top of the lamb and gently rub into the lamb.
5. Cover the lamb loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
6. Remove from the refrigerator an hour before cooking and throw away the plastic wrap.
7. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
8. Pour enough water into the pan to cover the bottom without touching the lamb.
9. Roast the lamb for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees.
10. Roast an additional 1 1/2 to 2 hours, adding more water if needed, until the lamb reaches 145 degrees (medium rare) to 160 degrees (medium).
11. Remove the lamb, cover with foil, and allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Pecan Lemon Bars

With baby #2 on the way, I find watching cooking shows problematic: I see something and suddenly that’s what I want to eat. The other night they were baking lemon bars, so here you go. These are extra special with pecans in the cookie base; if you don’t want the nuts, you can always substitute more flour.

You will need:

• 1/2 c unsalted butter, cut into large pieces
• 3/4 c ground pecans
• 2 c flour, divided
• 1/2 c light brown sugar, packed
• 4 eggs
• 1 3/4 c sugar
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1/2 c lemon juice
• 1/2 t baking powder

Then you will…

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 baking pan with foil and lightly grease with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a food processor, pulse together the butter with the pecans, 1 1/2 cups of the flour, and the brown sugar until well mixed and crumbly. (If you don’t have a food processor, you can always do this step by hand).
3. Spread the pecan cookie base into the prepared pan. Press with your fingers to even it out on the bottom of the pan.
4. Bake 18-20 minutes or until starting to turn golden brown.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
6. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs with the sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice until light and well mixed.
7. Whisk in the baking powder and remaining 1/2 cup of flour.
8. Pour the lemon mixture on top of the cookie base.
9. Bake for another 20-25 minutes, or until the top is starting to turn golden and the filling looks set.
10. Allow to cool before slicing. You are welcome to dust with powdered sugar if you’d like!

Roasted Dijon Broccoli

We eat oodles of broccoli at our house. Raw, steamed, roasted, smothered in cheese sauce…you name the variation and we’ll give it a whirl. This is a quick, versatile side dish that is sure to be a family favorite.

You will need:

• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
• 4 T olive oil
• 2 T red wine vinegar
• 2 t Dijon mustard
• 2 t garlic powder
• 1/2 t pepper
• 1/4 t salt

Then you will…

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil with the vinegar, mustard, garlic powder, pepper and salt.
3. In a large mixing bowl, toss the broccoli with the mustard mixture.
4. Spread the broccoli on the baking sheet.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until tender.