Is it me, or is 2021 flying by? How is it already the second half of May? Summer will be here in a snap. Fortunately, good things are happening.
For example, check out these four developments from the past week:
- My friend and I visited Zen Yai in San Francisco and ordered a trio of dishes: combination boat noodles with beef, crispy pork belly with string beans and pad thai with mixed veggies and tofu. The food was affordable, delicious and worth the drive. (Two new destinations down, 30 to go.)
- I tried cooking in a donabe and prepared spiced lamb and dill yogurt pasta (inspired by one of the items in a recent Cal-Organic Farms delivery). If you’re looking for an entrée with a unique flavor profile, give this recipe a go.
- Eight days after getting the first dose of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, I started experiencing a mild case of “COVID arm.” Thankfully, it’s harmless and fading.
- Project “Oh Patio!” is underway! A prompt and professional team from West Valley Tree Care removed a bunch of overgrown agave, prickly pear and yucca plants in the backyard and I’m eager to finally spruce up the space.
Now, let’s see if I can keep the momentum going.
Recipe adapted from Bon Appétit.
Spiced Lamb and Dill Yogurt Pasta
Makes 2-3 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole-milk plain yogurt
- 1½ egg yolks
- 1½ cups chopped fresh dill, divided, plus more for garnish
- 2 garlic cloves, grated, divided
- 1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup slivered almonds
- ¼ cup raisins
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more, to taste
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more, to taste
- ½ pound ground lamb
- 8 ounces conchiglie or other short pasta
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender, combine the yogurt, egg yolks, ¾ cup dill and half of the garlic. Purée until smooth and set aside.
- In a medium fry pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add almonds and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add raisins and cook, stirring often, until plump, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a small bowl, season with salt and set aside. Wash pan to remove any brown bits.
- In a small bowl, combine the salt, cumin and pepper.
- In the fry pan, add ground lamb and press to flatten into a 1"-thick patty. Sprinkle on the spice mixture and cook over medium-high heat, without stirring, for 4 minutes. Flip patty, break it into bite-size pieces with a wooden spoon, and continue to cook until browned; discard grease. Add prepared almond and raisin mixture and remaining ¾ cup dill and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Set aside.
- Cook pasta 2 minutes less than al dente according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.
- Add dill yogurt sauce to pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until it thickens to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer pasta mixture to a shallow dish or serving platter and top with prepared spiced lamb mixture and additional dill.
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