Tomato & White Wine Mussels

grab your straws because this broth is where it's at

4 T butter

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 shallot, chopped

1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained

1/4 c white wine

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 lb mussels

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

In a large saucepan, melt the butter

Add the garlic and shallots  and sautee over medium heat (3 minutes)

Add the white wine, and reduce by 1/2 (4 minutes)

Add the stock and reduce by 1/4 ( about 3 more minutes)

Add the mussels, tomatoes and red pepper flakes; cover and cook about five minutes until all are opened

Discard any unopened mussels and serve immediately with french bread....

and straws. don't forget the straws....

How To: Chiffonade

Chiffonade (shif-oh-NOD): a thin, shred-like cut used for leafy herbs and greens. The leaves are stacked, rolled into a cylinder and thinly sliced.

Basil...

... a leafy herb

...stacked...

...rolled...

How To: dice an onion

Because we'd all like to handle these as little as possible... you're making my mascara run...

Quarter your onion 

Now, make half-inch cuts TO the back but not THROUGH the back of the quarter

Here's the view from the bottom (?) of the quarter.. half-inch sections... go all the way across

Garlic- Rosemary Lamb Chops

These lamb chops are one of my favorite dinners to cook. 

Delicious lamb lollipops... mmm.

It's a great dinner to make when you're aiming to impress because the chop has a lot of flare and plates up beautifully.

This recipe, you will find, is super simple and full of flavor...

Garlic- Rosemary Lamb Chops

1/2 lb. Frenched Lamb Chops ( about 6 chops)

1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

2 tsp kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper

3 T olive oil

Preheat your oven to broil

About a half hour before you start cooking, season your lamb liberally with salt and pepper and pop em back in the fridge. (You should always season meat at least a half hour before cooking, any less and the seasonings (salt) will work against you by drawing all of the moisture out of your meat, leaving it dry and flavorless. A half hour allows for the water to be drawn back into the meat, bringing that seasoning back in with it!)

About 15 minutes before you start cooking, pull out those chops to let them temper... you don't want to shock your cold meat by putting it directly on to the hot pan

Heat 2 T of your olive oil in a large sautee pan over med-high heat

Rub the chops down on either side with your smashed garlic

Rub the chops with the remaining olive oil

Sear the chops, about 2 minutes on the first side (until a nice brown crust is formed)

Turn the chops and sear another minute on the other side 

Sprinkle the chops with rosemary and then pop them directly into the oven RIGHT under the broiler

Broil about 3-4 minutes for a beautiful medium-rare chop

Grab a pot holder and pull the pan out carefully

Remove the chops from the pan and allow to rest about 2 minutes before plating

And there you have it!

I served mine with an orzo and green pea sautee.... I think next time I'll whip up some creamy tzatziki to dip them in... mmmm.... enjoy!