Moroccan Lamb Chops & Couscous

Recipe courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients:
1 pair of lamb chops
1/3 cup apple cider
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pinch cinnamon
1 bosc pear, cored and cut into 6 wedges

Directions:
Combine the apple cider, brown sugar, salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic, and a pinch of cinnamon. For best results put in large resealable plastic bag. Add the lamb. Turn to coat the lamb. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove the lamb from the refrigerator and place in a roasting pan. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes (depending on temperature of meat preferred). Remove from oven and preheat the broiler.
Place 3 pear wedges on top of each piece of lamb. Place lamb under broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to allow the pears to caramelize with the brown sugar.

Moroccan Couscous
Adaped from AllRecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Original recipe includes 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom and 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander, but I didn't have those available.
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 stalks green onion
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 (14.5 ounce) can low sodium garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cups couscous

Directions:
Place a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Stir in the cumin, ginger, cloves, cayenne, cardamom, coriander, and allspice; gently toast until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in oil and onion, cook until softened. Stir in the bell pepper, and zucchini; cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the raisins, salt, zest, and garbanzos. Pour in the chicken broth and orange juice; turn heat to high and bring to a boil. When the mixture is boiling, stir in the couscous and remove from heat; cover, and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, and fold in chopped mint.

Tuna & White Bean Salad

Another winner from our Williams-Sonoma FoodMadeFast: Salads book.

Ingredients:

Olive oil, 1/3 cup, plus 1 tablespoon

Fresh bread crumbs, 2/3 cup

Salt and pepper

Garlic, 1 clove, minced

Lemon Juice, from 1 lemon [CB Note: I use lemon juice bought form the store - 1 lemon is 1/4 cup lemon juice]

Whole-grain mustard, 2 teaspoons

Flat-leaf parsley, 1/4 cup [CB Note: I used dried parsley since I already had it]

White beans, 1 can (150z), rinsed and drained

Celery, 2 stalks, chopped

Red Onion, 1/2 small, halved lengthwise and cut into slivers

Tuna packed in olive oil, 2 6oz cans, drained and flaked

Botter (Boston) lettuce, 2 heads, pale inner leaves only [CB Note: I used bagged lettuce or cut up some iceberg]

Directions:

1. Toast the bread crumbs.

In a frying pan over medium heat, warm the 1 tbsp oil. Add the bread crumbs and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, just until the crumbs begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, remove from the heat, and stir for 1 minute longer.

2. Make the vinaigrette

In a large serving bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, mustard, 1/4 tsp salt, and a pinch of pepper. Gradually whisk in the 1/3 cup oil until smooth.

3. Assemble the salad

Add the parsley, beans, celery, onion, and tuna to the vinaigrette and toss gently to coat evenly. Arrange the lettuce on plates and top with the tuna and bean mixture. Sprinkle with the toasted bread crumbs and serve.

Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

This soup is amazingly delicious!! Recipe courtesy of About.com.

Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 tbsp curry powder
1 pound butternut squash (about half a medium squash), cut into 1-inch pieces [CB Note: To save time and energy, I used 2 packages of frozen winter squash]
2 ripe medium Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 1/2 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth [CB Note: I used vegetable broth]

Directions:
Heat oil on medium heat in Dutch oven or soup pot. Gently sauté onions until softened—about 5 minutes. Add curry powder and stir, sautéing for 1 minute. Add butternut squash and pear pieces. Sauté for 3-4 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes until squash and pear are tender. Transfer soup to a food processor or blender and purée until smooth, working in two batches if necessary.

Serves 6
Per Serving: Calories 119, Calories from Fat 17,total Fat 1.9g (sat 0.2g), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 38mg, Carbohydrate 23g, Fiber 3.2g, Protein 2.5g