Long Beans with Coconut

Fresh long beans with coconut milk are rich and spicy, though the coconut milk helps mellow the potency of the red chili peppers.

This week my Sunday Supper group is sharing their favorite regional recipes, the ones that define home for them, whether from their place of origin or an adopted city or state that became home. I must confess that I struggled with this one. I’ve called so many cities home, growing to love each and every one from the little Podunk oilfield town of Balikpapan, Indonesia to Paris, the City of Love. And, of course, that doesn’t even take into account my birthplace New Iberia, Louisiana or Houston, Texas which I list as my hometown on Facebook. How to choose just one recipe?

One of the first things I do when we move to a new place is to wander up and down every aisle of the nearest local grocery store or food market. My goal is not necessarily to make an immediate purchase but to see what they have that we love or to discover new unfamiliar ingredients. Take these long beans, for instance. They are common in Asia, often easier to find than the normal green beans I grew up with. And since the long beans are locally grown, most of the time they are cheaper too. They look a bit alien, all curled up in bunches tied with a bit of string or a rubber band to keep them tidy. The little beans inside are larger than our US green beans and have a tinge of purple around the edges.

While I have made my grandmother’s green beans with baby new potatoes and Clara’s Garlicky Green Beans and Carrots with them, somehow they seem to go better with a more Asian style recipe. This one with spicy coconut originates in either Indonesia or Malaysia. They both claim it, but since I’ve called both places home, I’m not going to name one and get the other riled up.

Ingredients
1 lb or 450g long beans
1 small onion
2 garlic cloves
1-2 red chili peppers
1 tablespoon canola or other light oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 cup or 60 ml thick coconut milk (Scoop out the stuff that floats to the top of the can.)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Method
Cut the tips off one end of your long beans and then cut them at an angle into more manageable pieces, discarding the tips at the other end as well.

Cut your peeled onion in half and slice it thinly. Slice the garlic and finely chop the peppers.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil and tip in the long beans.

Boil for 2-3 minutes then drain them in a colander. Run cool water over them to stop the cooking process.

In a pan large enough to stir the green beans later, sauté the onions, chili peppers and garlic in the oil until they soften. Add in the ground spices and sauté for a few minutes more.

Pour in the thick coconut milk and stir well to combine.

Add in the blanched long beans and stir again to coat the beans with the now spicy coconut milk.

Sprinkle on salt to taste and a few good grinds of fresh black pepper and stir again.

You can cook the beans longer if you like them softer. We prefer them pretty crunchy so I cook them just a couple of minutes in the coconut milk so it evaporates a bit and clings to them.

This dish can be served warm or cold so it's perfect for bringing along to your next potluck or barbecue as well.

Enjoy!

What meal or dish means home to you? Perhaps you’ll find it in this list of favorite regional recipes from the rest of the Sunday Supper tastemakers. Many thanks to Sue from Palatable Pastime for hosting this great event!

Appetizers

• Crispy Salmon Bites with Homemade Tartar Sauce by Pine Needles In My Salad
• Loaded Tex-Mex Chile con Queso by The Weekend Gourmet
• New England Style Stuffed Clams by Caroline’s Cooking

Beverages and Breakfast 

• Brandy Old Fashioned by Curious Cuisiniere
• Breakfast Empanada Casserole by Simply Healthy Family
• Wine Pairing Recommendations For #SundaySupper Regional Specialties by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

Salads and Sauces

• Alabama White Barbecue Sauce by Cookin’ Mimi
• Pittsburgh Steak Salad by Seduction in the Kitchen
• Homemade Ranch Dressing by My Imperfect Kitchen
• Tupelo Honey Key Lime Vinaigrette by Family Around the Table

Side Dishes and Soups

• Delaware Crabs by Delaware Girl Eats
• JoJo Potatoes by A Mind Full Mom
• Long Beans with Coconut by Food Lust People Love
• Mohawk Corn Soup by kimchi MOM
• Old Bay Cauli-Tots by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Southern Collard Greens by Magnolia Days
• Steve’s Famous Maryland Crab Soup by Monica’s Table

Main Dishes

• Amish Chicken and Noodles by Palatable Pastime
• Boiled Lobster with Drawn Butter by Taste And See
• Bison Steaks with Cranberry Chimichurri by Tramplingrose
• California Beer Steamed Shrimp by Nosh My Way
• Avocado BLT Sandwich by Brunch-n-Bites
• Cali Inspired Fish Tacos by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Cheesy Tex Mex Enchiladas by The TipToe Fairy
• Cola Marinated Steak Tips by Hardly a Goddess
• Corn and Bacon Chowder by Moore or Less Cooking
• Crab-Stuffed Artichokes with Spicy Aioli by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Deep Fried Pizza Roll by Grumpy’s Honeybunch
• Halal Cart-Style Chicken and Rice with White Sauce by The Texan New Yorker
• Copycat Hattie B’s Hot Chicken by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
• Homemade Quebec Maple Baked Beans by She Loves Biscotti
• How to Make Vegetable Lumpia by Asian In America
• Italian Hot Dog by Simple and Savory
• Mom’s City Chicken by My Life Cookbook
• North Carolina BBQ with Cole Slaw and Hush Puppies by The Freshman Cook
• Philly Cheesesteak Calzones by Baking Sense
• Polish Boy Sandwich by Renee’s Kitchen Adventures
• Spicy Salmon for Tacos by Hey What’s for Dinner Mom?
• Tex-Mex Slowcooker Chicken and Beef Fajitas by Meal Planning Magic
• West Michigan Wet Burritos by Wholistic Woman

Desserts

• Upside Down Angel Food Cupcakes by Cooking With Carlee
• Austrian Mohnnudeln (Poppy Seed Noodles) by The Bread She Bakes
• Butter Tarts – A Canadian Tradition by Red Cottage Chronicles
• Carob Cherry Crumb Bars by Pies and Plots
• Florida Key Lime Cream Pie by The Crumby Cupcake
• Fried Biscuits by Angels Home Sweet Homestead
• Gooey Butter Cake from Saint Louie! by Our Good Life
• Homemade Butterscotch Krimpets by The Redhead Baker
• San Jose Burnt Almond Cake by Eat, Drink and be Tracy
• Shoofly Pie by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Spanish Bar Cake by Get the Good Stuff!
• Hoosier Sugar Cream Pie by That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Grilled Lamb Skewers with Roasted Carrots

These grilled lamb skewers are made with tender marinated leg of lamb chunks, cooked over high heat in a grill pan, then left to rest on sweet roasted young spring carrots. A sprinkle of feta and mint lend even more flavor and just the right touch of saltiness to this flavorful dish.

 

A number of years ago, when we were living in Kuala Lumpur, I had a friend who would buy the organic new baby carrots, greens still attached, that would turn up on occasion in one of our grocery stores. They weren’t cheap but she said that they were worth the splurge. As much as I like carrots, I didn’t imagine that she could be correct. Who would pay that much – don’t remember the exact amount except that it seemed like a lot – for carrots? Not me. After all, how special could they be?

Last week I decided that a simple spring vegetable minestrone would be the perfect recipe to share on the Sunday Supper Movement website for today’s Welcome Spring event, and since it was for the website and not just this little blog, I did splurge. I bought freshly hulled peas, fine French beans, baby zucchini, baby leeks and tiny corn on the cob along with a large bunch of spring carrots, greens still attached. Such a pot of sweet wonderfulness.

I used just a couple of the carrots in the soup so I started looking for another recipe to show off the rest. My original plan for this post was simply spring lamb but when I came across a recipe on Bon Appétit for lamb skewers with carrots, it seemed like kismet. (Which comes from the Arabic word for fate, by the way.)

Of course, Bon Appétit being Bon Appétit, the dish was complicated with two marinades and then a dressing, so I simplified it down to one marinade for the lamb and a mere sprinkling of feta and mint for the finished dish. Ain’t nobody got time for all that. I can’t imagine how this could be improved upon. It was perfect in every way and the carrots were fabulous. Sweet, tender and with such wonderful flavor. Now I know what my friend was talking about! Next time I make this, I will double the carrots so I suggest you do too. I’ve already been back to the store and bought another bunch.

Ingredients to serve 2-3
For the spring lamb skewers:
1 lb 3oz or 540g leg lamb chunks

For the lamb marinade:
2 large garlic cloves
1 small red chili pepper
2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary
1/4 cup or 60ml dry white wine
1 teaspoon large grain sea salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup or 60ml olive oil

For the oven roasted spring carrots:
9 1/3 oz or 265g spring carrots
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (a good drizzle to coat)
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

To serve:
8-10 fresh mint leaves
2 oz or 57g crumbled feta
Freshly ground black pepper

Method
Cut the lamb into bite-sized pieces and put them in a Ziploc bag.

Mince your garlic and red chili pepper. Strip the rosemary leaves off of the stems and chop them finely.

Add all the marinade ingredients into a mixing bowl up to and including the black pepper, then whisk in the olive oil until well blended.

Pour the marinade into the bag with the lamb. Mix it around until the lamb is well coated, then press all of the air out and seal. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes but you can also make this early in the day and leave it marinating till you are ready to cook dinner. Mine marinated about three hours.

To roast the carrots, preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C.

Scrub the carrots well and cut the long tops of the greens off. You can leave on a little bit for color, if desired. If some of the carrots are thicker than the others, cut them in half lengthwise.

Pile the carrots on a baking pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Then spread them out so they aren't touching each other.

Roast in the preheated oven until lovely and golden and caramelized, turning once in the middle of roasting time of about 20-25 minutes.

Thread your lamb onto wooden skewers cut to fit snugly in your grill pan. Discard the bag with the marinade.

Heat the pan over high heat. You’ll need to turn your extractor fan on or perhaps even open a window because this is going to smoke. But it’s going to be fast and worth it, I promise.

Once your pan is scorching hot, lay four of the lamb skewers in it, quickly searing one side. You don’t want to crowd the grill pan so don’t try to cook them all at once.

Cook for 2-3 minutes on that side, then turn and cook the other side for another 2-3 minutes.

This will leave your small bites of lamb still pink inside. If you want them done more, cook for another minute or two on each side. I encourage you to leave them pink inside though, because they will be more tender.

As you remove the cooked lamb from the grill pan, rest the skewers on the roasted carrots.

Continue until all of your lamb skewers are done and are resting on the carrots. Give the whole pan another few grinds of fresh black pepper.

Crumble the feta and rip the mint leaves onto the lamb and carrots.

Enjoy!

Who is ready to welcome spring with me? My Sunday Supper family sure is. Check out all the lovely spring recipes they are sharing today!

Breakfast:

• Chicken Sausage, Apple and Cheddar Breakfast Bake by Renee's Kitchen Adventures
• Chive and Cheese Quiche by An Appealing Plan
• Lavender Scones by Feeding Big and More
• Raspberry Lemon Baked Donuts by Grumpy's Honeybunch
• Matcha Donuts by The Ninja Baker
• Whole Wheat Lemon Berry Coffee Cake with Lemon Glaze by A Mindful Mom

Appetizers:

• Artichoke Lemon Hummus by Food Done Light
• Asparagus and Goat Cheese Tart by Baking Sense
• Butter Lettuce and Spring Radish Salad by Hardly A Goddess
• Ceviche with Potato and Pea Shoot Salad by Caroline's Cooking
• Roasted Strawberry Popsicles by Brunch-n-Bites
• Rustic Wrapped Tart with Ramps by Delaware Girl Eats

Beverages:

• An Unconventional Mojito by Monica's Table
• Caribbean Cream Cocktail by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Cucumber Grapefruit Basil Mojito by The Crumby Cupcake
• Limoncello Raspberry Sangria by Eat, Drink and Be Tracy
• Spiced Rhubarb Champagne Cocktail by Hezzi-D Books and Cooks
• Vanilla Lavender Limeade by The Tip Toe Fairy
• Very Berry Springtime Spritzer by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Violet Hour by Wholistic Woman

Main Dishes:

• Cheese Tortellini with Herbed Ricotta and Fava Beans by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Gnocchi Primavera with Spring Asparagus and Peas by La Bella Vita Cucina
• Levantine Fattoush Salad by Curious Cuisiniere
• One Pan Spicy Lemon Chicken with Tomatoes by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
• Orecchiette with Peas, Pecorino and Onions by Cooking Chat
• Pasta with Peas by Manu's Menu
• Pesto Shrimp and Zoodles Oh My! by My Imperfect Kitchen
• Ramp and Mushroom Frittata by Pies and Plots
• Spring Lamb Skewers with Roasted Baby Carrots by Food Lust People Love
• Spring Salad with Scallops and Strawberry Vinaigrette by My World Simplified
• Veggie Pasta Primavera by Momma’s Meals

Side Dishes:

• Asparagus, Goat Cheese, and Rhubarb Salad by The Texan New Yorker
• Green Peas with Onion and Bacon by Magnolia Days
• Minty Pea Farro Spring Salad by She Loves Biscotti
• Roasted Asparagus and Mushroom Quinoa Pilaf by Cupcakes and Kale Chips

Desserts:

• Amazing Coconut Cake by A Baking Legacy
• Berry and Honey Whipped Ricotta by Family Foodie
• Caramelized Black Figs and Walnuts with Mascarpone by Un Assaggio of Food, Wine & Marriage
• Carrot Oatmeal Raisin Cookies by What Smells So Good?
• Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cookies by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Colorado Crème by Cooking on the Ranch
• Honey Blossoms by Get the Good Stuff!
• Hot Milk Sponge Cake by Hey What’s for Dinner Mom?
• Lemon Scented Choux with Rhubarb Ginger Pastry Cream by The Finer Cookie
• Meyer Lemon Bars by The Chef Next Door
• No-Bake Berry Greek Yogurt Pie by An Italian in my Kitchen
• Rhubarb Meringue Pie by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• Spring Cookie Bouquet by The Freshman Cook
• Strawberry Cheesecake Puffs by Moore or Less Cooking
• Strawberry Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream by Tramplingrose
• Strawberry Moscato Sorbet by Seduction in the Kitchen
• The Black Beast by That Skinny Chick Can Bake

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Beef Wellington Bites

A traditional Beef Wellington is made with whole tenderloin wrapped in puff pastry along with mushrooms duxelles and foie gras. These beef Wellington bites are the finger food version made with choux pastry puffs.

Let me start by saying that this dish was the result of leftovers of the very best kind. I made duxelles for a different dish and ended up sharing it for a group post celebrating mushrooms. And I had frozen choux pastry from a croquembouche challenge. When a weekend barbecue left me with a couple of grilled filet mignon steaks, it suddenly came to me that I had the makings of beef Wellington of a sort and just needed some foie gras or liver paté. Oh, we dined richly that night! I'd been waiting for the ideal time to share them when Sunday Supper announced a Finger Food for Dinner theme. Perfect!

Make sure you scroll down to see all the wonderful fork-free dishes we are sharing today, from appetizers through desserts. Many thanks to our host Christie from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures and her guiding light, Marion from Life Tastes Good.

Ingredients
For the duxelles:
3 oz or 85g shallots
1/3 cup or 75g butter
12 oz or 340g mushrooms
1 cup or 240ml dry white wine
1 cup or 240ml whipping cream
Sea salt
Black pepper
- Instructions here  You may not use the whole recipe. Stir the rest through some pasta. Or eat it with a spoon.

For the choux pastry:
1 cup or 125g plain flour
1 pinch salt
7 tablespoons or 100g butter
1 cup or 240ml water
4 eggs, at room temperature
- The dough makes about 50 small choux buns. They freeze well before baking!

For assembly: Makes 18 Beef Wellington Bites
6 oz or 170g grilled tenderloin steak
6 oz or 170g smooth duck or pork paté, at room temperature

Method
Make your duxelles ahead of time and store the bowl in the refrigerator. Do not leave it out as you work, because its volume will greatly decrease, spoon by spoon, if it's handy. That stuff is GOOD.

Now we'll make the choux pastry. Preheat your oven to 445°F or 230°C and prepare your baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper stuck down with a little non-stick spray. If you are feeling particularly anal, as I usually am, you can draw some circles to guide you on the underside of the parchment paper.

Sift together your flour and a pinch of salt and put the bowl right next to the stove in readiness.

In a medium pot, combine the butter and water and bring to the boil.

Pour the flour/salt mixture into the boiling water/butter all at once. Stir vigorously until the mixture forms a ball and pulls right away from the sides. This takes just a minute or two.

Now take the pot off of the stove and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well with your wooden spoon in between. With each addition, it looks like the egg won’t mix in and the dough starts to fall apart but keep mixing and after a couple of minutes of hard labor, the dough comes together again in one big lump and it’s time to add the next egg.

After the fourth egg has been thoroughly incorporated, put the dough into a piping bag with a large tip, about 1/2 in or 1 cm wide.

Pipe the soft dough on the parchment paper in 1 inch or 2.5cm circles about an equal measure apart from each other.

Poke down any pointy tops with a damp finger.

Bake in your preheated oven for 10 minutes then turn the temperature down to 400°F or 200°C and bake for a further 25 minutes. (OR you can now pop them in the freezer if you want to keep some for later.  You only need 18 for the Beef Wellington Bites. Once frozen, slip them off the parchment and into a Ziploc bag for storage. They are perfect for sweet or savory fillings and can be taken out of the freezer and baked as you need them.)

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Once they are completely cooled, store them in an airtight container until you are ready to serve.

When you are ready to serve, warm your duxelles and your tenderloin steaks. Slice the steaks thinly.

Split the choux buns open horizontally. Add a good spoon of the duxelles to the bottom. Top with sliced steak and finally, add a small slice of paté.

Put the top of the choux bun back on and repeat the process until all the Beef Wellington Bites are assembled.

Enjoy!

Do you enjoy Finger Foods for Dinner? I think they are great for movie nights but in our house we also always do all appetizers for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve as well.

I want everything on this list!

Pinky Appetizers

• Artichoke Jalapeño Bruschetta by Grumpy's Honeybunch
• Bacon Wrapped Dates by Our Good Life
• Baked Blue Cheese Olive Bites by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Baked Chicken Flautas by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Baked Piroshki (Russian Stuffed Rolls) by Curious Cuisiniere
• Blue Cheese & Buffalo Chicken Wonton Bites by Moore or Less Cooking
• Caprese Polenta Cakes by Eat, Drink and be Tracy
• Cherry Topped Brie Bites by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Chicken Pesto Pizza by Taste And See
• Classic Homemade Guacamole by Pies and Plots
• Fresh Vegetable Rainbow Rolls by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Italian Fried Stuffed Olives by La Bella Vita Cucina
• Healthy Buffalo Chicken Kabobs by Hardly A Goddess
• Mini Feta Leek Quiche by FoodieTots
• Mini Mediterranean Shish Kebabs by Hey What’s for Dinner Mom?
• Pan Seared Bruschetta by Seduction in the Kitchen
• Raspberry Glazed Chicken Wings by Family Around The Table
• Sesame Chicken Fingers by An Appealing Plan
• Spicy Popcorn Chicken by Brunch-n-Bites

Manual Mains

• Battered-dipped Turkey Tenders by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Beef Wellington Bites by Food Lust People Love
• Broccoli, Ham and Cheese Egg Muffin Cups by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Broccoli, Ham & Cheese Double Stuffed Potatoes by Simply Healthy Family
• Cheesy Baked Garlic Chicken Strips by Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
• Chicken Parmesan Sliders by The Chef Next Door
• Cuban Sandwiches by My World Simplified
• Ethiopian Injera and Tikel Gomen (Cabbage, Carrots and Potato) by Caroline’s Cooking
• Fish fingers and Old Bay Dip by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets by Gluten Free Crumbley
• Crunchy-Coated Haddock Fingers by Turnips 2 Tangerines
• Ham and Cheese Sliders by Feeding Big and More
• Mini Pizza Pockets by The Freshman Cook
• Mini Pizzas by Angels Home Sweet Homestead
• Ribs with Whiskey Maple Barbecue Sauce by Palatable Pastime
• Savory Beef and Veggie Hand Pies by Positively Stacey
• Spinach-Feta Rolls by Wholistic Woman
• Lasagna Cupcakes by A Mind Full Mom
• Tacos in Lettuce Wraps by Simple and Savory
• Thai Basil Chicken Lettuce Wraps by Casa de Crews
• Thai-Indian Beef Lettuce Cups by The Texan New Yorker
• Vegetarian Piadina Sandwich by she loves biscotti
• Yuca Fritters Stuffed with Cheese by Basic N Delicious

Digit Desserts

• Blueberry and Brie Tarts by Momma’s Meals
• Roasted Strawberry Hand Pies by Baking Sense
• Salted Caramel Cream Puffs by The Redhead Baker

 .

Slow-Cooked Lamb Shoulder with Roasted Vegetables

You can’t beat lamb shoulder, slow roasted with loads of vegetables, rosemary and garlic. It practically falls off the bone, the succulent lamb is so tender. I promise you won't even need a knife.

This week my Sunday Supper group is joyously celebrating a wedding we wish we could really attend, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, the sequel to one of our favorite movies. It’s been a long time coming! When the theme for this week was first announced, all I could think about was the quote from Aunt Voula, and one of my favorite scenes from the first movie.

Aunt Voula: What do you mean he don't eat no meat?
[the entire room stops, in shock]
Aunt Voula: Oh, that's okay. I make lamb.

So I had to make lamb. We eat lamb a minimum of three to four times a month at our house, either roasted leg or shoulder, lamb steaks, lamb patties with mashed potatoes and gravy, not to mention grilled lamb chops. This dish is one of our favorites and would make a great main course for Greek Orthodox Easter Sunday which will be celebrated on May 1st this year.

Make sure you scroll down and check out the link list of all the other My Big Fat Greek Wedding-inspired dishes we are sharing today, along with our talented host, Nichole from Casa de Crews. What a fabulous Greek wedding feast this would be!

Adapted from JamieOliver.com.

Ingredients
2 purple onions (approx. weight 9 oz or 255g)
3 carrots (approx. weight 9 oz or 255g)
2- 3 stalks celery (approx. weight 3 3/4 oz or 105g)
Few sprigs fresh thyme
5-6 fresh rosemary sprigs, plus 1 for garnish, if desired
Olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
5 lb 10 oz or 2.55kg lamb shoulder, bone in
2 1/3 oz or 65g cloves garlic (about 15)
2 red chili peppers (optional but we love the hint of spice that infuses the whole dish)
4 ripe tomatoes (approx. weight 11 oz or 312g)
2 cans – 14oz or 400g – whole plum tomatoes
1 2/3 cups or 375ml drinkable red wine (half a bottle)
2 bay leaves
1 large leek (approx. weight 14 oz or 400g, before trimming)

Method
Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C and make sure the shelves are positioned so that you put a pan with a big lamb shoulder in it. I use my large Le Creuset roaster so I put the shelf almost at the bottom to leave room for the cover and its round handle.

Peel the onions and carrots. Quarter the onions. Cut the carrots and celery into bite-sized pieces.

Strip the leaves off of your thyme and sprinkle half of them into the bottom of a large roasting pan, along with a good drizzle of olive oil, a couple of sprigs of rosemary and a good pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Season the bottom of your lamb shoulder with more salt and pepper and lay it on the herb bed.

Use a sharp paring knife to poke holes in the top of the lamb shoulder, then stuff these holes with a quarter or half a clove of garlic (depending on the size of your clove) and a few rosemary leaves.

Give the whole thing a good sprinkle of salt, fresh ground black pepper. Add on the other half of the thyme leaves and a generous drizzle of olive oil.

Add the onions, celery and chili peppers around the lamb shoulder.

Chop your tomatoes in large pieces and add them to the pot along with the carrots.

Pour in the canned tomatoes, along with half a can of water and the rest of the garlic cloves.

Pour in the wine and then tuck the bay leaves down in between the vegetables.

Thoroughly clean the leek, cut off and discard the hard green end, and then chop the white part into small cylinders. Add these to the pot.

Cover the roasting pan tightly with a double layer of heavy-duty foil or its tight fitting cover and put it into the oven. Turn down the oven temperature to 325°F or 170°C and cook for about three hours.

Remove the cover or the foil, baste the lamb shoulder with the juice in the pan or drizzle with a little more olive oil.  Cook for another 30 minutes or until the lamb is nicely browned and falling off the bone.

You can gently remove some of the bones before putting it on the table for folks to help themselves or pull it apart for them in the kitchen.

Either way, serve it with some crusty bread to sop up all the juices. Or over the top of some mashed potatoes.

Enjoy!

Have you seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 yet? It just opened in the cinemas here in Dubai but I haven’t had a chance go yet so I am going to have to just console myself with some movie-inspired dishes instead. Won’t you join me?

Greek Appetizers:

• Greek Salad (Horiatiki Salata) by Angels Home Sweet Homestead
• Greek-Style Sliders with Feta Aioli by Grumpy’s Honeybunch
• Mushroom, Kalamata Olive and Feta Stuffed Phyllo with Whipped Feta Dip by Pook’s Pantry
• Rosemary and Olive Grissini by What Smells So Good?
• Socca Pizza with Spinach, Roasted Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, and Feta by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Spanakopita Bites by My Imperfect Kitchen
• Tiropitas (Greek Cheese Triangles ) by Moore or Less Cooking
• Tyropita Appetizer Bites by The Freshman Cook

Greek Soups:

• Avgolemono Chicken Zoodle Soup by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Quick and Easy Greek Avgolemono Soup by Confessions of a Cooking Diva
• Shrimp Avgolemono with Spinach by Monica’s Table
• Vegetarian Magiritsa (Greek Easter Soup) by Palatable Pastime

Greek Breakfast:

• Baklava French Toast with Cinnamon Honey Syrup by A Mind Full Mom

Greek Main Dishes:

• Brizola (Greek-style Pork Chops) by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Chicken Greek Salad Flatbread by Family Foodie
• Greek Chirashi Sushi by NinjaBaker
• Greek Breakfast Wraps by Brunch-n-Bites
• Greek Meatball Salad by Magnolia Days
• Gyro Meatballs with Lemon Rice by Casa de Crews
• Kotopita (Greek Chicken Pie) by Curious Cuisiniere
• Mediterranean Meatball Gyros Sandwich by Life Tastes Good
• Slow-Cooked Lamb Shoulder with Roasted Vegetables by Food Lust People Love
• Souvlaki Chicken Wraps with Homemade Tzatziki by The Crumby Cupcake
• Youvetsi (Greek beef or lamb and orzo stew) by Caroline’s Cooking

Greek Side Dishes:

• Greek-style rice salad by Pine Needles In My Salad
• Greek Zucchini Fritters by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Homemade Tzatziki Sauce by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Spanakorizo by Feeding Big and More

Greek Desserts:

• Chocolate Baklava by The Chef Next Door
• Greek Lemon Cake by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Greek Spice Cake by Our Good Life
• Greek Walnut Cake by Pies and Plots
• Greek Wedding Cookies - Kourabiethes/Kourabiedes by La Bella Vita Cucina
• Loukoumades - Greek Donuts by The TipToe Fairy
• Loukoumades (Greek honey fritters) by The Redhead Baker

Greek Beverages:

• Ouzito: The Greek Mojito by Hardly A Goddess

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Spicy Egg Biryani

Spicy egg biryani is the perfect balance of fragrant rice and mellow boiled eggs, great as a vegetarian main dish or as a side to be served with a meat-based curry.

Here in the United Arab Emirates, our weekend is Friday and Saturday, with Sunday being a normal working day. Most Fridays will find us out on the water in our Drascombe Longboat, a small single hull sailing vessel. It’s not fancy but is perfectly suited to day trips amongst the islands all around the bigger island of Abu Dhabi with a two-man (one dog) crew.

After a day in the sea, salt air and sun with friends, we return to shore and spend the evening sipping gin and tonic with those same friends and we almost invariably order curry for dinner. I am familiar with most of the dishes, typical Jalfreezis and Kormas and Vindaloos but egg biryani was a new one for me. Spicy rice with whole boiled eggs! Apparently it isn’t even on the menu so one just has to know to order it. And I’m so glad my friends did.

I wish my whole Sunday Supper family could join us out on the water someday but at least you can eat some egg biryani of a Friday evening. It’s got a lot of ingredients but don’t let that discourage you. It doesn’t take long to make and is so worth it.

Make sure you scroll on down to see all of the delicious egg recipes we are sharing today, along with our eggstraordinary host, Wendy of Wholistic Woman.

Recipe adapted from Swasthi's Recipes.

Serves 3-4 as a main course, 5-6 as a side dish
Ingredients
5-6 eggs (We are going to boil these so you could use leftover Easter eggs!)
1 1/2 cups or 300g basmati rice
1 large potato

For the tarka:
3 tablespoons ghee or clarified butter
1 star anise
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
4 green cardamom pods
4 to 5 cloves
1 inch or 2.5cm cinnamon stick
1 strand mace

For the spice paste:
1 large onion
2 medium tomatoes
Generous handful mint and cilantro leaves, plus extra for garnish, if desired
1 small knob fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons plain thick (Greek style) yogurt
Salt
2 green chili peppers
1 1/2 teaspoons biryani masala powder (premixed spices for biryani, any one will do)
2 1/2 cups or 590ml cold water

Method
Rinse your rice until the water runs clear and then soak it in cool water for at least 20 to 30 minutes. Drain water and set the rice aside in a colander or strainer.

Put your eggs to cook in a pot of cool water. When the water comes to the boil, cover the pot, turn the fire off and leave for 10 minutes. Drain and fill with more cool water. Peel the eggs when they are cool enough to handle. Prink them all over with a fork. Set aside.

Peel and cut your potato in small cubes. Thinly slice the onions and chop your tomatoes.

Roughly chop your herbs and reserve some for garnish.

Peel the ginger and garlic cloves and mash them into a paste with a mortar and pestle. Split your green chili peppers down the middle, just up to the stem.

In a pot with a tight fitting lid that will be big enough to hold all the biryani, heat your ghee and then fry the dried spices in it briefly, stirring constantly. Watch out for popping cardamom pods.

Add in the sliced onions and fry till golden brown, stirring frequently. Add in the ginger garlic paste and fry for just a few minutes again, stirring well.

Add in the tomatoes, chopped herbs, turmeric, cayenne, salt, split green chili peppers, yogurt and a good sprinkling of salt. Stir well and cook until the tomatoes turn mushy and you have a good thick paste.

Add the eggs and cubed potatoes. Stir gently to coat them with the seasonings.

Add in the drained rice and the biryani masala powder and stir again to coat the rice with the wet and dry seasonings, being careful not to break the eggs.

Pour in the cold water and one teaspoon of salt. Stir again. Over a medium heat, bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cover the pot with its tight fitting lid.

Simmer for 20 minutes or until the water has been fully absorbed and the rice is cooked. Leave the lid on the pot until you are ready to serve as the rice will continue to steam inside.

To serve, fluff the rice with a fork. Sprinkle on some chopped herbs and make sure that everyone gets at least one egg.

Enjoy!

Looking for eggspirational recipes? We've got 'em for you today!

Appetizers & Sides

• Classic Deviled Eggs from Confessions of a Cooking Diva
• Classic Deviled Eggs(-alad Sandwiches) from Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Easter Deviled Egg Chicks from Pine Needles In My Salad
• Guacamole Deviled Eggs from Momma’s Meals
• Ham and Swiss Deviled Eggs from Renee’s Kitchen Adventures
• Hrudka – Ukrainian Egg Cheese for Easter from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Jalapeño Popper Deviled Eggs from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Smoky Deviled Bacon And Eggs from Taste And See
• Spicy Sriracha Deviled Eggs from An Appealing Plan

Main Dishes (Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Brinner and Dinner!)

• Achiote Pulled Pork and Black Bean Huevos Rancheros from Cooking on The Ranch
• Asparagus Sausage Skillet with Egg from Wholistic Woman
• Avocado Egg Chilaquiles from Grumpy’s Honeybunch
• Baked Eggs in Cream from Tramplingrose
• Baked Scotch Eggs from Curious Cuisiniere
• Chorizo, Dubliner, and Vegetable Quiche from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Classic Egg Salad Sandwich from My Imperfect Kitchen
• Classic Shirred Eggs with Gruyere and Ham from The Weekend Gourmet
• Egg Biryani from Food Lust People Love
• Fri-Tot-Ta from Feeding Big
• Hashbrown Egg Nests from The TipToe Fairy
• Italian Style Stuffed Bread from The Food Hunter’s Guide to Cuisine
• Jalapeño Popper Quiche from Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
• Japanese Egg Crepes (Kinshi Tamago) from NinjaBaker.com
• Low Carb Breakfast Pizza from My Life Cookbook
• Make Ahead & Freeze Omelette Cups from Hardly A Goddess
• Mediterranean Frittata from A Mind “Full” Mom
• Mini Frittata with Asparagus and Six Italian Cheeses from La Bella Vita Cucina
• Papas con Huevos (Potato and Egg Tacos) from Kitchen Gidget
• Pasta Carbonara with Shrimp and Leeks from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Poached Eggs over Roasted Asparagus from Monica’s Table
• Potato, Egg and Cheese Scramble from And She Cooks
• Spaghetti with Fried Eggs from The Texan New Yorker
• Steak Benedict from Palatable Pastime
• Steak Omelette from From Gate to Plate
• Sun-dried Tomato and Spinach Quiche from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Sunny Side Up Burger from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Tex-Mex Migas from Caroline’s Cooking
• Toad in the Hole Breakfast Sandwiches from Daily Dish Recipes
• Tomato Asiago Frittata from Books n’ Cooks
• Yemeni Shakshouka (Yemeni Spiced Scrambled Eggs) from Tara’s Multicultural Table

Desserts

• Creamy Flan from The Freshman Cook
• Creme Anglaise from The Redhead Baker
• Croquembouche from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• Dark Chocolate Mousse from The Chef Next Door
• Orange Coconut Bundt Cake from Desserts Required
• Pavlova with Strawberry Curd from Love and Confections
• Pistachio Chai Baked Alaska from The Crumby Cupcake
• White Chocolate Chip Cookies from Pies and Plots

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Our salty dog, Beso. He loves sailing! 

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