Monday’s with Mami – Lamb Stew with Mediterranean Flavours

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Stewed lamb with chorizo, sweet potatoe leaves and fava beans

A heartwarming lamb stew perfect for a cool summer night. This stew features the flavours of chorizo, fava beans and one of my new favorite greens, sweet potato leaves.


I was so excited to find these at Yang’s Organics, a local vendor at the Des Moines Downtown Farmers Market. A beautiful bunch of leaves, crisp and green. I asked about them and quickly snatched up a large bundle for $1! I had no idea sweet potato leaves were edible and am so glad to have used them. They are mild and sweet, not at all bitter. They wilted nicely in the stew, kept it’s color and had a pleasant texture. Nutritionally they are filled with protein, calcium, iron, vitamin a, vitamin c, and folate. They are so plesantly mild that they can be eaten raw in salads or blended in green smoothies. These are now one of my favorite greens and I will definitely be seeking out more next week to blanch and save for the winter.

Stewed Lamb, featuring chorizo, sweet potato leaves and fava beans
serves 8

Ingredients:

  • 1lb lamb stew meat
  • 1 1/2 cups dried fava beans
  • 4 small links Palacios Chorizo Sausage, sliced
  • 1 large bunch sweet potato leaves
  • 1 large white onion, chopped
  • 2 large garlic cloves minced
  • 3 tbl extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups filtered water
  • Kosher/Sea Salt to taste

Method:

  1. Soak the fava beans in water overnight. The next day, separate the skin from the fava beans.
  2. In a large pan, saute the onions in 3 tbls of olive oil. When the onions have turned transparent, add the garlic and lamb stew meat.
  3. Brown the lamb on all sides.
  4. When the lamb is browned add the chorizo sausage, fava beans, sprinkle of salt and 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Once it starts to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes adding more water if necessary.
  5. After simmering for 30 minutes or until the fava beans have become tender, add the sweet potato leaves a little at a time until they are all wilted. 5 minutes or so.
  6. Serve with crusty bread!

Buen Provecho

Support Local Farmers, Good For Them…. Good For Us!

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I wrote this for our local Weston Price Foundation group but decided to share it also on my blog. If you live in an area that has farmers markets, I encourage you to visit them. Not only are you providing your family with nourishing foods, but you’re helping a local farmer dig one foot deeper into providing your community with healthy, chemical free, produce, meats and dairy.

I wanted to share how frugal one can be when shopping at the Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market. We are so blessed to live in a metro that is small enough to feel safe yet is thriving with diversity. At the heart, we are a community that cares for one another and are eager to share and grow. We have an amazing farmers market, and I do encourage you to take advantage of our vendors that wake up so early every Saturday morning to provide us with nourishing produce, meats, and dairy that they labor for… you. Our farmers have pride in what they do and work so hard to educate us on the benefits of eating locally and chemical free. Many times, people question how I can wake up every Saturday morning and hit the farmers market at 7:30 – 8:00am. I understand many people work so hard during the week and find it difficult to get out of bed on a Saturday morning to go, well… grocery shopping. To me it’s so much more than going grocery shopping. I get excited to visit Mr. Yang at Yang’s Organics. He’s alway’s on the lookout for me, waves me in and show’s me all the great stuff he’s picked fresh that morning. He alway’s sends me off with a free goodie. Mrs. Yang alway’s nods and smiles, “yes..yes.. see you next week!” Matt and Patrick from Coyote Run Farm are alway’s happy and ask what new recipe I’ve used on their grass fed beef. “How was it?” “Did you like it, oh.. that’s great!” When I head back East, Jill from Blue Gate Farm is alway’s so happy. She’s so fun!! Alway’s bright and shiny and happy to chat about what’s been happening on the farm. And, It’s alway’s so fun stopping by Cory’s Lamb and seeing Mary’s boys so polite, so genuine and so proud to be standing by dad selling the most AMAZING lamb! By the way Tom and Mary’s garlic is seriously, amazing! Huge bulbs and the cloves are bursting with flavor. As you can see it becomes much more than just grocery shopping but more about community and really knowing your farmer. I feel so great about the food I buy. I always leave knowing my family will be nourished for the week. I’m attaching a picture to give you an idea of what I buy. This is what I bought last Saturday. Between this and my own gardens, we have tons of fresh produce. I’m currently in preserving mode, so it’s a great time to head out to the farmers market and buy in bulk. Talk to your farmers and they’ll work out deals for you!! You’ll be happy you did when when the winter hits us :)

From Left to Right

2 bundles fresh cilantro – $2
1 huge bundle of sweet potato leaves – $1 at Yang’s Organic
Picket Fence Creamery Milk – $10 from Gateway Market
4 onion heads – $2 from Coyote Run Farm
Potatoes – $3 Yangs Organics
6 cukes – $2 from Yang’s Organics
Sweet Marconi Peppers – $2 Yang’s Organics
2 dozen eggs from Coyote Run Farm – $6.00
bundle of green beans – Free from Yang’s Organics

Total for ALL of that – $28.00

I wanted to share this to give you an idea of how much you can really save if you know how to shop right and which stands to hit. Yang’s Organic is located on 2nd Ave, South of Court. There are some other great Organic stands but I usually find myself in a route and sort of stick to it, lol! I feel so much like my Grandmother in Spain. She visits the Plaza’s weekly and also has vendor friends everywhere. Many times she has to avoid certain stands for lack of time, haha!

I also wanted to share that starting in the Spring Coyote Run Farm will have more grass fed beef to sell. They’ll be selling in quarters/halfs/whole. Matt told me that they will be selling it at the same price as their grain finished beef. He said a quarter should be around $400. Pretty great deal!!!

Remember, Know Farmers… Know Food!

Monday’s with Mami – Pimientos de Padrón

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Pimientos de Padrón come from Galicia in the Northwestern part of Spain. They are small, sweet, green peppers meant to be picked very small. No larger than 2″ and definitely before they get waxy. If left to get large and waxy, watch out!! They are spicy hot!! Each year my mami and I grow Italian Marconi peppers that we love to fry and sprinkle with kosher salt. Reminiscent of fried peppers served as tapitas in Sevilla. After hearing about these padrones, as we like to call them, we decided to grow our own. I’ve never seen these served in Andalucia (the South of Spain) so we weren’t sure what to expect. As they started to grow, we couldn’t believe that they would be well… so tiny! So we let them grow. Big mistake!! Our first batch of padron peppers left our mouths screaming for water, milk, wine, anything!!! People from Sevilla and Andalucia don’t eat spicy foods. So yowza… you can imagine my mami screaming and panting as she threatened to pull out each and every padron plant in our garden. Not even kidding, lol! So before I gave up on these pimientos, I scoured the internet and realized that we had let them grow way too long. We pulled every pepper growing on our seven padron plants and waited for new ones to start growing. We tested and pulled them at 1″, 1 1/2″, and 2″. They were dull in color and definitely small. Once we had a good batch, we pulled out the EVOO and fried them up. Once they turned blistery and colors of brown and black, we knew they were ready. We sprinkled them with kosher salt and I had to try the first one. I went full force and popped one in my mouth. Oh my… the sweetness was delightful. They were not spicy at all! They were perfectly warm, sweet, tender and oozing with olive oil. If you’ve never fried a green pepper in olive oil, you will be enlightened and in heaven! After this treat, we will be regularly planting Pimientos de Padrón!

Pimientos Frito (de Padrón)

Ingredients:

  • Pimientos de Padrón
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Kosher Salt

Method:

  1. Heat a good amount (1/2″ or so) of extra virgin olive oil in a pan. To test if your olive oil is hot enough put a piece of bread into the oil after it’s been heating a few minutes. If it immediately sizzles, the oil is ready.
  2. Add your peppers and cover with a splatter guard.
  3. Saute until the skin starts to blister and turns colors of brown and black.
  4. Flip the peppers and blister on the other side.
  5. Serve on a plate and sprinkle with Kosher salt.

Buen Provecho!!

Pimientos De Padrón on Foodista

Croquetas

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One of my all time favorite tapitas! Croqueta’s are simply a friend mass of meat or vegetables. Crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Great for kids and definitely a great substitute for store bought chicken nuggets. They can be made in numerous different ways, but I thought I would introduce the standard croqueta made with milk. For this recipe, my mother and I made them with shrimp,
however, for the kids, I love to make them filled with chicken or potatoes and cod, (bacalao)! Once you get the recipe down, feel free to experiment with different broths and meats or vegetables!

This recipe makes about 18 croquetas

Ingredients:

  • 3 tbls butter
  • 2 tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 6 tbls unbleached all purpose flour
  • salt to taste
  • 2 – 2 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 2 eggs
  • breadcrumbs
  • 2 cups shredded beef, chicken, or cod (or any other meat you’d like to add)
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil to fry (about 1 inch to fill pan)

Method:

1. In a saucepan add the 2 tbls EVOO and 3 tbls butter until melted.
2. Once the butter is melted and the ingredients are hot, add 5 tbls flour and stir a few times.
3. At this point you want to start adding 2 cups milk a little at a time while constantly stirring.

The point is to create a thick batter so that it all sticks together in one mass. So you add milk and stir, add a bit more milk, and stir until it gets thicker and thicker. The bechamel will start to boil, keep stirring and adding more milk) It’s also at this time that you need to use your best judgment and add a little bit more milk if necessary or a tbl more flour if necessary.

 
4. Add the shrimp, or chicken, or vegetable of your choice and salt.


Stir into the sauce which should now be a thick paste.

 
5. Keep stirring until the paste is one thick mass and no longer sticks to the pan.


6. Put your mass into a mixing bowl, cover with a damp towel and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours or up to overnight.


7. Once the mass has been refrigerated, pinch off pieces of the mass and form them with your hands.


8. Once formed, roll them first in bread crumbs, then in egg, and then again in the breadcrumbs.
9. Fry them in Extra Virgin Olive Oil until deep brown.

Buen Provecho!

Potato and Ham Croquettes on Foodista

Homemade Nutella

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Homemade Nutella. The wonderful creamy, silky, chocolatey, hazelnut spread that is adored by chocolate lovers throughout the world! Me being me, I had to try my hand at making it at home! If it can be packaged, it can be made at home… much healthier. I altered this recipe a bit from Steph Chows blog. I added coconut oil to make it a bit silkier and to add a bit of nutritional punch!

Did you know — Coconut oil improves digestion, strengthens the immune system, and protects against bacterial, viral, and fungal infections.

(You can tell in the image that it’s a little bit chunkier than I had wanted. My blender burned out a couple weeks ago making homemade gyro’s :( I used my mini food processor which did the best it possibly could.. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can… LOL!)

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup raw hazelnuts
  • 2 tbs cocoa powder
  • 3 tbs real maple syrup
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbs coconut oil

Method:

  1. Roast hazelnuts in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.

  2. Remove the skins by rubbing them with your hands.

  3. Blend the hazelnuts in a food processor or blender until they form into a thick butter.
  4. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth.
  5. Put into a jar and refrigerate.

Buen Provecho!!

This post is a part of Real Food Wednesday hosted by kellythekitchencop.com and cheeseslave.com.

Nutella on Foodista

Monday’s with Mami – Gazpacho

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Gazpacho. One of my favorite summer treats is this cold soup that makes its way into every tapas bar across Spain during the hot summer months. There really is no better way to enjoy this than to handpick your very own ripe tomatoes off the vine. The richness and freshness of the tomatoes make it worth every ounce of labor to garden for. If you don’t have a home garden, I recommend to use the freshest, ripest tomatoes from your local farmers market. It really does make a difference in color, in texture, and in taste.

Ingredients:
You can adjust ingredients according to taste

  • 1/2 sweet green pepper (If using Italian Marconi’s, 1 whole pepper)
  • 1/4 large white onion
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 4 large fresh, ripe tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • salt to taste
  • diced cucumber and tomato to garnish

Method:

  1. Combine the pepper, onion, and garlic in a food processor or blender.
  2. Once blended, add the tomatoes, evoo, vinegar and salt.
  3. Puree the ingredients until everything is well blended into a thick pink liquid.
    My mami, blending away in my kitchen! Isn’t she so cute!!

  4. Add ice cubes and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  5. Before serving garnish with cucumber and tomatoes.

Buen Provecho!